Noosa Hinterland

The community is notably older than the rest of the country, with seniors aged 65 and over making up 23.4% of the population. Children under 15 are less common here, accounting for 16.5% of residents.

Most residents were born in Australia, though 19.2% were born overseas, which is well below the national figure. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 90.5% of the community. Only 3.8% of people use another language at home, a figure far below the national average.

A majority of residents (51.3%) report having no religion, which is far above the national figure. This number has risen by 12 percentage points since 2016.

About 19.8% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is at 54.1%, which is well below the national average.

Typical weekly household income is $1,496, which is a little below the national figure. While this has risen since 2016, only 16.9% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are reported by 29.1% of residents, which is about the same as the national figure. Arthritis is the most common condition at 10%.

The area has a high rate of unpaid work, with 29.4% of people spending 15 or more hours a week on housework. Volunteers make up 16.8% of the population, slightly above the national average.

First Nations people in the area are noticeably older than those in the rest of the state. They also have a much lower unemployment rate (5.9%) and higher Year 12 completion (51.5%) than national averages.

Homes here are slightly larger than usual, with 2.6 people per dwelling. One-parent families are less common than in most other areas, making up 11.3% of households.

The area is dominated by separate houses (95.8%), and 44.7% of homes are owned outright, which is far above the national figure. Renting is very uncommon, at just 12.7%.

Residents are heavily dependent on cars, with only 0.4% of people using public transport to commute. Very few homes (1.7%) are without a motor vehicle.

The population is relatively stable, with 39.5% of people having moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas are much less common here than in most other areas.

Full-time employment is far below the national figure at 46.9%. Overall, only 55% of adults are working or looking for work, which is much lower than the national average.

The area is generally well-off, with a resource access score that is higher than about 80% of similar areas. It is also one of the largest hubs for businesses in its category.

The region receives high rainfall, averaging 1,487mm per year, which is far above the state average. Average temperatures are also much higher than in many other areas.

The area is very car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. Only 20.7% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.