Gladstone

The population has grown to 63,515 people and is notably young, with children under 15 making up 21.5% of the community. First Nations people represent 6.2% of the population, a figure that has risen since 2016 and is well above the national average.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 13.3% of the population, which is far below the national figure. The most common ancestries are Australian, English, Scottish and Irish.

English is the primary language here, with only 5.7% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national average, and very few people—just 0.5%—speak little or no English.

A large portion of the community reports having no religion, at 45.8%. This figure is well above the national average and has risen sharply by 16 percentage points since 2016.

Qualifications are lower than in most areas, with only 12% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Trade and technical skills are common, as 45% of residents hold a Certificate III or IV.

Typical weekly household income is $1,639, which is about the same as the state figure. While personal incomes are slightly lower than most areas, 13.6% of people earn $2,000 or more per week, which is higher than the national average.

About 27.5% of residents have a long-term health condition, which is about the same as the national figure. People needing help with daily activities make up 5.8% of the population.

Local volunteering is higher than in most areas, at 16.2%. There is also a high rate of unpaid childcare, with 29.3% of people caring for children, which is above both the state and national figures.

The First Nations community is relatively large and very young, with a typical age of just 20. However, unemployment is among the highest for similar areas at 18.7%, and the typical personal income is $546.

Families with children are common here, and homes are larger than average with 2.5 people per household. One-parent families make up 15.5% of the community, which is higher than most areas.

Separate houses are very common, making up 85.5% of all homes. Rent is much lower than the national figure at a typical $275 per week, and 81.9% of homes have three or more bedrooms.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with 68.6% of people driving to work and only 0.7% using public transport. Very few people work from home, at just 5.5%, which is far below the national average.

The community is quite mobile, with 41.8% of people moving in the last five years. However, recent arrivals from overseas have fallen significantly since 2016, now making up 10.3% of the population.

Full-time employment is much higher than in most areas at 62.8%. Manufacturing and construction are key industries, while technicians and tradespeople are the most common occupations.

The population has continued to grow since 2021, increasing by 7.4%. This growth is slightly below the state average of 8.7%.

The area experiences an average maximum temperature of 28.5 degrees, which is much higher than most similar areas. Annual rainfall is 758mm, far above the state average.

Gladstone is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score well below the state average. Only 37% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, and just 28.6% are near health services.