Council (LGA) · Area profile
Palm Island
72 km²
A vast majority of the 2,098 residents in Palm Island are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, making up 91.4% of the community. This is a very young population, where the typical resident is just 26 and over 31% are children. The community faces significant challenges, with typical weekly household incomes far below the national figure and a high proportion of large, rented households. Despite these pressures, there is a strong cultural presence, with nearly half the population speaking a First Nations language.
A fast-growing area where schools haven't kept pace per child.
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The community is far younger than the state and national average, with children under 15 making up 31.4% of the population. De facto relationships are much more common here than elsewhere, while only 5.1% of residents are seniors.
Most residents were born in Australia, with only 1.7% born overseas, which is far below the national figure. Australian and English are the most common ancestries listed.
There has been a sharp increase in people using another language at home, which rose to 40.7% since 2011. This is far above the national average, although most residents still speak English.
Christianity is the most common faith at 76.2%, while those with no religion make up 16.5%, a figure far below the national average.
Education levels are much lower than the state average, with only 26.4% of residents completing Year 12. Just 4.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.
Incomes are among the lowest in the region, with the typical weekly household earning just $977, far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 6.5% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Reported long-term health conditions are far lower than the state average, with only 15.1% of people having one, and mental health conditions are reported at just 2.2%.
Unpaid care for children is well above the national average at 33%, but volunteering is among the lowest at 4.7%.
First Nations people make up the bulk of the community, and 44.4% speak a First Nations language, which is far above the national figure. Typical personal income for First Nations residents is well below the national average at $365 per week.
Homes are typically large, with 3.7 people per home, far above the national average of 2.5. One-parent families are very common, accounting for 38.7% of households.
Rental is the dominant tenure, with 92.5% of households renting, far above the national figure. Typical weekly rent is much lower than most areas at $125.
Nearly half of all homes have no motor vehicle, which is far above the national average. Because of this, 32.7% of people walk to work.
The population is very stable, as only 14.1% of people moved in the last five years, far below the national figure. However, recent overseas arrivals have risen to 25.7%.
Only 26.7% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national average. The unemployment rate is 9.8%, well above the state and national figures.
The area is ranked among the most disadvantaged in the country across all measures, including access to money, resources, and job skills.
The area receives very high rainfall, averaging 2,074mm annually, which is far above the Queensland average.
Recorded offences are among the highest at this level, with particularly high rates of assault, drug offences, and property damage.
Walkability is very low, as no homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries or public transport. About 47% of homes are within walking distance of a school or health service.