Waterford West

The area is noticeably younger than the state and national averages, with a typical resident aged 35. Children under 15 make up 22.1% of the population, which is well above the national figure, while the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has risen to 5.4%.

People born overseas make up 31.2% of the community, a figure well above the national average. The most common ancestries are English and Australian, though New Zealand is the most frequent overseas birthplace.

Language diversity is increasing, with 21.3% of people using a language other than English at home, up from 14% in 2011. This is well above the Queensland average, and 3.8% of residents speak little or no English.

Religion is less common here than in most other areas, with 35.1% of people reporting no religion. This is well below the national and state figures, although this number has risen 10 points since 2011.

Educational qualifications are among the lowest for similar areas, with only 9.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also far below the national figure at 45.2%.

Incomes are much lower than usual, with a typical household earning $1,257 a week. Only 9.7% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far below the national figure of 22.6%.

Health challenges are more common here, with 30.4% of people living with a long-term health condition. Those needing help with daily activities make up 8.2% of the population, which is a little above the national average.

Volunteer rates are much lower than most areas at 9.4%, well below the national figure. Unpaid care for children is around the middle for its level, though the number of people doing significant housework fell since 2011.

The First Nations community is relatively large, with a typical age of 20, which is noticeably younger than the rest of the state. Unemployment is well above the national average at 17.2%.

Homes tend to be larger, with an average of 2.6 people per dwelling. One-parent families are very common, making up 22.6% of households, a figure well above the national average.

Renting is much more common than in other areas, at 40.1%. While 76.3% of homes are separate houses, these are more likely to be smaller, with 69.2% having three or more bedrooms, well below the state average.

Car use is high, but 11.5% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is well above the national figure. Working from home is also much less common here than across Australia.

The community is quite mobile, with 40.9% of people moving house in the last five years. This is about the same as the national average, though recent overseas arrivals have fallen since 2011.

Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to other areas, at 50.9%. The unemployment rate is among the highest at this level, sitting well above the national figure at 9.2%.

The area faces significant challenges, ranking in the lowest 10% for overall advantage and job skills. However, the population has grown by 8.2% since 2021, which is much higher than most similar areas.

Rainfall is far above the Queensland average at 1,097mm annually. Average maximum temperatures are a little below the state average at 27.2 degrees.

The area is very walkable, with 99.1% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park and 93.2% near a school. However, access to health services is far below the state average.