Balonne

The population is far more diverse in its First Nations identity than the state or nation. While the number of children under 15 fell to 20.0% since 2011, the proportion of seniors rose by 5.4 points over the same period.

People born overseas make up only 6.3% of the community, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. Most residents have Australian, English, Irish, or Scottish ancestry.

English is the dominant language, with only 3.6% of people using another language at home. This is much lower than most areas and well below the Queensland average of 13.2%.

Christianity remains common at 61.0%, although the number of people reporting no religion rose by 17 points since 2011 to reach 27.5%.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 42.4% of residents completing Year 12 and 12.2% holding a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical household incomes are lower than most, at $1,358 per week. Only 12.8% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is well below the national average.

Mental health conditions are reported at 6.3%, which is much lower than most areas. Long-term health conditions are around the middle for similar areas, with asthma and arthritis being most common.

Volunteering is very high here, with 22.7% of people helping out, well above the national figure of 14.1%.

The First Nations community is large, but faces challenges with a typical weekly income of $1,201, which is much lower than most similar areas. Only 28.7% have completed Year 12.

Living arrangements are varied, with 30.5% of people living alone and 16.3% in one-parent families, both figures being higher than most areas.

Detached houses are very common at 87.3%. Rent is far below the national figure, with a typical weekly rent of just $200.

The area is entirely dependent on cars, with 0% of people commuting by public transport and no public transport stops available.

While few people have moved into the area in the last five years, recent arrivals from overseas make up 27.4% of the population, a figure far above the national average.

Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the main industry, employing 34.5% of the workforce. Full-time employment is high at 67.2%, well above the national average.

Overall advantage is low, with the area scoring 3 out of 10. Population growth since 2021 has been -0.6%, among the lowest at this level.

The climate is hot and dry, with average maximum temperatures among the highest at this level and annual rainfall among the lowest.

The area is mostly car-dependent with a walkability score of 3.1. While many homes are near health services, 0% are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.