Darling Downs - East

The area is noticeably older than the state and national average, with a typical resident aged 42 and a high proportion of seniors at 20.6%. It also has a much higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (6.7%) than most areas, a figure that has risen since 2011.

This is a community with deep Australian roots, as 83.2% were born here. The proportion of people born overseas is among the lowest for its level at 8.1%, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%.

English is the dominant language, with only 3.8% of people using another language at home. This is far below the Australian average of 22.3%, and very few residents speak little or no English.

Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 60%. Those reporting no religion make up 28.9% of the population, which is far below the Queensland figure of 41.2%, though this group has grown significantly since 2011.

Educational qualifications are much lower than in most areas, with only 39.9% of residents completing Year 12. Only 10.4% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national figure of 26.3%.

Earnings are well below the national average, with a typical weekly household income of $1,317. This is much lower than most areas, and only 11.6% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Residents experience more health challenges than most, with 32.6% having a long-term health condition. This is well above the national figure, and 7% of people need help with daily activities, which is much higher than in most similar areas.

Volunteering is much more common here than in most areas, with 18.5% of people participating. There is also a higher rate of people doing significant unpaid housework compared to the state and national averages.

First Nations people in the area are noticeably younger than the state average, with a typical age of 20. However, they face higher unemployment (13.4%) and lower Year 12 completion rates (35.2%) than most areas.

Families with children are common, and households are slightly larger than the national average. About 52.6% of homes are couples with children, and one-parent families are slightly more common here than in most areas.

Housing is dominated by detached houses (94%), which is far above the national average. Homes are typically larger, with 81.4% having three or more bedrooms, and 37.6% are owned outright.

Car dependence is extremely high, with 63.9% of people driving to work and only 0.3% using public transport. Very few homes (3.8%) are without a motor vehicle, and the drive time to the city is among the highest for its level.

The population is relatively stable, as fewer people moved in the last five years (35.0%) compared to the national figure of 40.7%. Recent arrivals from overseas account for 12.6% of the community.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing is the largest industry, employing 19.2% of the workforce. While full-time employment is much higher than in most areas, the overall proportion of adults working or looking for work is lower than the state average.

The population has grown by 3.2% since 2021, which is well below the Queensland growth rate of 8.7%.

The area is quite warm, with an average maximum temperature of 27.6 degrees. It receives much more rainfall (559mm) than the Queensland average of 379mm.

The region is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.1, far below the state average of 5.0. Only 3.4% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.