Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Yarrabah
159 km²
An overwhelming majority of residents are First Nations people in Yarrabah, creating a community that differs sharply from the rest of Queensland. It is a very young place, with a typical resident aged just 25 and nearly 30% of the population being children. The area faces significant challenges, with typical incomes far below the national figure and a high number of people lacking a motor vehicle. Despite these hurdles, the community is marked by a strong presence of traditional languages and a high proportion of people providing unpaid care.
A family-heavy area that's short on schools per child.
Explore Yarrabah by topic
This is an exceptionally young community where 29.9% of people are children, far above the national figure of 18.2%. Conversely, only 5.1% are seniors, which is far below the Queensland average of 17%.
The population is almost entirely Australian-born, with only 0.2% born overseas, a figure far below the national average of 27.7%.
Language use has shifted dramatically, with 78.5% of people now using another language at home, compared to just 17.2% in 2011. This is far above the national figure of 22.3%.
Religious affiliation is high, with 85% of people identifying as Christian and only 10.4% reporting no religion, which is far below the national figure of 38.9%.
Educational attainment is much lower than the state average, with only 28.3% of residents completing Year 12 and just 2.7% holding a bachelor degree or higher.
Incomes are among the lowest in the country, with a typical weekly household earning $1,254, which is well below the national figure of $1,746.
Residents report fewer long-term health conditions than most areas, with only 20.6% having one, compared to 27.7% nationally.
Caregiving is a major part of local life, with 49.8% of people caring for children unpaid, far above the national figure of 26.3%.
First Nations people make up 95.9% of the population, and 79.7% speak a First Nations language, which is far above the national figure of 12.3%.
Homes are much larger than average, with 4.5 people per dwelling, and one-parent families are very common at 42.6%.
Rental pressure is high, with 78.6% of households renting, though the typical weekly rent of $150 is far below the national figure of $375.
Car ownership is low, with 28.5% of homes having no motor vehicle, far above the national average of 7.4%.
The population is very stable, with only 12.8% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national figure of 40.7%.
Finding work is a significant challenge, with an unemployment rate of 37.2%, which is far above the national figure of 5.1%.
The area is ranked among the most disadvantaged in the country, with a very low overall advantage score of 678.
The area is very wet and warm, with average annual rainfall of 2,546mm, far above the Queensland average of 379mm.
Access to services is very limited, with no homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries or health services.