Cape York

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 47.1% of the population, far above the national figure of 3.2%. The community is young, with 22% of residents under 15, and de facto relationships are much more common here than in most other areas.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 9.1% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. This overseas-born population has fallen by 4.7 percentage points since 2011.

Language diversity is high, with 24% of people using another language at home, which is a little above the national figure. However, this has fallen by 10 percentage points since 2011.

Religious affiliation is more common here than elsewhere, as those with no religion (33.6%) are well below the national figure of 38.9%. Christianity is the most common affiliation at 46.7%.

Educational attainment is among the lowest at this level, with only 33.4% of people completing Year 12, far below the national figure of 58.8%. Only 9% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical incomes are among the lowest in the country; the typical household earns $1,063 a week, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 8.8% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly.

Residents report fewer long-term health conditions and mental health conditions than most other areas. For example, the 3.9% of people with a mental health condition is well below the national figure of 8.8%.

Unpaid care and volunteering are less common here than in most areas. This includes people providing unpaid care (7.7%) and those who volunteer (12.4%), both of which are well below national figures.

First Nations people make up a large part of the community, with 41.9% speaking a First Nations language. However, they face significant challenges, including a 23.8% unemployment rate, which is far above the national figure.

Homes tend to be larger, with 2.7 people per home. One-parent families are far more common here (26.1%) than the national figure of 14.1%, while 30.9% of people live alone.

Renting is very common, with 51.9% of households renting, far above the national figure of 30.6%. Weekly rent is among the lowest in the country at a typical $130.

Car dependence is high, as 17.4% of homes have no motor vehicle, far above the national figure of 7.4%. There are no public transport stops or routes in the area.

The population is relatively stable, as only 27.3% of people moved in the last five years, far below the national figure of 40.7%. Conversely, recent arrivals from overseas have risen to 20.3%.

Full-time employment is higher than average at 62.5%, but the overall number of adults working or looking for work is far below the national figure. Unemployment is high at 11.8%.

The area faces significant disadvantage, scoring 1 out of 10 for overall advantage, access to resources, and job skills, placing it among the most disadvantaged areas in the country.

Cape York is very wet and warm, with average annual rainfall of 1,454mm, which is far above the Queensland average. Average minimum temperatures are also well above the state figure.

The area is heavily car-dependent with a very low walkability score of 1.5. Most homes are far from basic services, with only 30.8% within a 15-minute walk of groceries or parks.