Central Highlands

This is a young community where 23.7% of people are children, a figure well above the national average. While the typical age is 34, the proportion of seniors is among the lowest at this level, at only 9.5%.

The area has a very strong Australian and English heritage, with only 11.3% of people born overseas. This is far below the national figure of 27.7%.

English is the primary language for 83% of residents. Only 5.8% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure.

About 49.4% of the population identifies as Christian. The number of people reporting no religion has risen significantly since 2011 to reach 36.0%.

Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 11.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion has risen to 46.4% since 2011.

Household incomes are much higher than the national typical, with the usual family earning $2,392 a week. A high proportion of people—17.6%—earn $2,000 or more weekly.

Residents report better health than most other areas, with a much lower rate of long-term health conditions (22.0%) and a lower need for help with daily activities (3.4%).

Volunteering is much more common here than in most areas, at 18.0%. Unpaid childcare is also high at 30.2%, though this has fallen slightly since 2011.

First Nations people make up 8.9% of the population, well above the national average. This group is notably young, with a typical age of 21, but faces higher unemployment at 16.6%.

Families here tend to be larger, with 2.6 people per home. About 60.4% of households consist of couples with children.

The area is dominated by separate houses (85.5%) and large homes, with 80.1% having three or more bedrooms. Renting is much more common than elsewhere, at 42.6%, though typical weekly rents of $250 are well below the national figure.

The region is heavily car-dependent, with 0 public transport stops and routes recorded. Only 9.0% of people work from home, which is far below the national average.

The community is relatively mobile, with 43.6% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 17.6% of the population, though this is 11 points lower than in 2011.

Employment is a major strength, with 67.8% of adults working or looking for work and a low unemployment rate of 3.7%. The workforce is concentrated in mining (22.2%) and agriculture (12.5%).

The population is smaller than about 84% of similar areas and grew by 4.2% since 2021, which is well below the Queensland growth rate of 8.7%.

The area experiences high temperatures, with an average maximum of 30.6 degrees, and annual rainfall of 522mm is much lower than in most other areas.

Most of the region is car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.8. Only 40.2% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of basic amenities.