Kelso

The community is noticeably younger than the national figure, with a typical age of 34 and children under 15 making up 23.6% of the population. This is alongside a high number of people in de facto relationships, at 14.9%.

Most residents were born in Australia, and only 8.6% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. Those with Australian and English ancestry are the most common.

English is the primary language for 87.1% of the community. Only 4.1% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national average of 22.3%.

Nearly half of residents (45.9%) identify as Christian, while 42.5% have no religion. The number of people with no religion has risen by 19 points since 2011.

Educational attainment is lower than most areas, with only 46% of residents completing Year 12 and 9.8% holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the national figure of 26.3% for degrees.

Typical weekly household income is $1,631, which is about the same as the Queensland figure. However, only 14.6% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is well below the national average.

Health challenges are more common here, with 31.5% of people having a long-term health condition and 12.2% living with a mental health condition. These figures are both higher than the national average.

Unpaid care is common, with 13.7% of people providing support and 29.7% caring for children. There is also a very strong presence of former Defence Force members, at 9%, which is well above the national figure.

First Nations people make up a significant part of the area, with a typical age of just 19. While Year 12 completion is above the national average, the unemployment rate is much higher at 17.2%.

Homes here are larger than usual, with 2.8 people per household. One-parent families are among the highest in the region at 23.1%, while far fewer people live alone compared to the state average.

The area is almost entirely made up of separate houses (97.8%), and 95.3% of homes have three or more bedrooms. Typical weekly rent is $300, which is well below the national figure.

Residents are heavily reliant on cars, as only 1.2% commute via public transport. Working from home is very rare at 3.9%, which is far below the national average of 21%.

The population is relatively stable, with 36.5% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals are very few, at 4.5%, which is far below the national figure.

Full-time employment is higher than most areas at 61.9%, though the unemployment rate of 6.7% is a little above the national average. Many residents work in health and social assistance.

The area is ranked low for overall advantage and job skills, with a score of 2 out of 10. Population growth since 2021 has been 2.9%, which is well below the state average.

Kelso receives far more rain than the state average, with 1,168mm annually. Average temperatures are also among the highest for similar areas.

The area is mostly car-dependent, with a low walkability score of 2.8. Very few residents can walk to groceries (9.4%) or health services (5.3%) within 15 minutes.