Gatton

Gatton is remarkably young, with a typical age of 33, which is five years younger than the state and national figures. The population has grown by 11% since 2011, and the number of First Nations people has risen to 4.4%.

Overseas birthplaces are common here, with 27.2% of people born outside Australia, a figure well above the Queensland average. This diversity has risen by 7.9 percentage points since 2011.

Language diversity is a striking feature, as 23.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home, far above the state figure. About 6.6% of people speak little or no English, which is well above the national average.

The community is more religious than most, with 33.3% reporting no religion, which is well below the figures for both Queensland and Australia.

Educational attainment is lower than in most areas, with only 47.2% of residents completing Year 12 and 15% holding a bachelor degree or higher. Both figures are well below the state and national averages.

Typical incomes are much lower than the national average, with the typical household earning $1,274 a week. Only 10.9% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is well below the state figure.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, including a higher rate of mental health conditions (10.8%) and a larger proportion of people needing help with daily activities (7.2%).

Participation in unpaid care and housework is much lower than in most areas. For example, only 17.6% of people do 15 or more hours of unpaid housework weekly.

The First Nations community is relatively young, with a typical age of 19. However, the unemployment rate for this group is 16.5%, which is well above the national average.

Homes in Gatton tend to be larger, with 2.6 people per dwelling. One-parent families make up 19.4% of the community, which is well above the national figure.

Rental properties are very common, with 41.8% of households renting, far above the national average. Most homes are separate houses (83.1%) and are typically larger, with 82.3% having three or more bedrooms.

The town is heavily dependent on cars, as only 0.9% of people commute by public transport. Very few people work from home (4.5%), a figure far below the national average.

The population is very mobile, with 49.5% of residents having moved in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 47% of the community, which is far above the national average.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the primary industries, employing 28% of the workforce. Labourers make up the largest group of workers at 35%.

Gatton is ranked among the most disadvantaged areas in the region, with a very low overall advantage score of 882. Despite this, the population has grown by 10.3% since 2021, which is a little above the state rate.

The area sees a high amount of rainfall (719mm) compared to the Queensland average. Average maximum temperatures are among the highest for its level at 28.4 degrees.

The town is somewhat walkable, though residents struggle to reach groceries or public transport on foot. However, 63.1% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of health services, which is far above the state average.