Innisfail - Cassowary Coast

The area has a very high First Nations population at 16.7%, which is far above the national figure. It is an ageing community, with the proportion of people aged 65 and over rising to 21.8% since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a lower proportion of overseas-born people (13.1%) than the national average. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, followed by Irish and Italian.

About 14.5% of people use a language other than English at home, a figure that has risen by 5.2 points since 2011. Despite this, very few people speak little or no English.

More than half of the population identify as Christian, while 32.4% report no religion. This lack of religious affiliation is much lower than in most other similar areas.

Educational qualifications are far below national levels, with only 9.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also much lower than most areas at 38.9%.

Incomes are well below the state and national figures, with the typical family earning $1,446 a week. Only 9.8% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is among the lowest for its level.

The number of people needing help with daily activities is higher than in most areas at 6.4%. However, the rate of mental health conditions is a little below the national figure.

Unpaid care for children is lower than most areas, though 22.1% of people do more than 15 hours of unpaid housework. About 14.5% of residents are volunteers.

First Nations people make up a large part of the community, with 37.3% speaking a First Nations language. However, this group faces significant challenges, with an unemployment rate of 25.1%, which is far above the national average.

One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, at 18.2%. Additionally, 28.4% of people live alone, which is well above the Queensland average.

Housing is mostly made up of separate houses, and 39.5% of homes are owned outright, far above the national figure. Both typical rents ($250) and mortgage payments ($1,300) are much lower than in most areas.

The community is highly reliant on cars, with 61.9% of workers driving to work. Public transport is almost non-existent, with zero registered public transport stops.

The population is relatively stable, as far fewer people have moved in the last five years (31.4%) compared to the national average. Recent overseas arrivals make up 15% of the population.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are the primary industries, employing 19.5% of the workforce. The number of adults working or looking for work is much lower than in most similar areas.

The population grew by 3.6% since 2021, which is well below the Queensland growth rate of 8.7%.

This is an exceptionally wet region with average annual rainfall of 3,521mm, far above the state average. It also maintains high minimum temperatures year-round.

The area is very car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.0. Very few homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries (24.2%) or health services (18.8%).