Esk

Esk is far older than the national average, with a typical resident aged 55 and 31.9% of people aged 65 or over. Meanwhile, children under 15 make up only 13.1% of the population, a figure that has fallen since 2011.

The community is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 80.5% born here and only 13.5% born overseas, which is far below the national figure.

English is the primary language for 92.8% of residents, and the 2.4% who use another language at home is among the lowest for similar areas.

Over half the population identifies as Christian, while 36.7% have no religion, a figure that has risen by 16 points since 2011.

Qualifications are lower than the state average, with only 10.8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 38.3% having completed Year 12.

Incomes are among the lowest for similar areas, with the typical household earning $1,021 a week, which is far below the national figure of $1,746.

Health challenges are common here; 41.6% of people have a long-term health condition and 10.1% need help with daily activities, both of which are well above the national average.

Residents are very active in their community, with a high rate of volunteers (19.7%) and many people providing unpaid care, though fewer people are caring for children compared to the state average.

About 3.5% of the population is First Nations, with a typical age of 34, which is far older than the state average for this group.

Homes tend to be smaller, with 2.2 people per household, and a high 29.2% of people live alone.

The area is dominated by separate houses (95.5%), and nearly half (47.4%) are owned outright, which is far above the national average.

Car dependence is very high, with only 0.4% of people using public transport to get to work and most homes owning at least one vehicle.

The population is relatively stable, with a lower proportion of people moving in the last five years compared to the rest of the country.

Only 44.8% of adults are working or looking for work, and the local workforce is split across agriculture, healthcare, and retail.

Esk ranks low for overall advantage compared to other areas, reflecting its lower typical incomes and lower levels of job skills.

The area sees more rainfall than the Queensland average and experiences minimum temperatures that are generally higher than the state average.

The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.1 and far fewer homes within a 15-minute walk of schools or parks than the state average.