Gold Coast Hinterland

The population is significantly older than most areas, with the typical resident aged 46 and 20.7% being seniors. While the number of children under 15 has fallen since 2011, the total population grew by 17% over the last decade.

Most residents were born in Australia, though 21.9% were born overseas, a figure about the same as the state average. English, Australian, and Scottish are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language here, with only 4.7% of people using another language at home. This is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

A large proportion of the community reports no religion, at 48.1%, which is well above the national average. This figure has risen by 20 points since 2011.

About 21.7% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is about the same as the state average. Year 12 completion has risen by 8.5 points since 2011.

Typical weekly household income is $1,743, which is about the same as the national figure. The number of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen by 14 points since 2011.

People needing help with daily activities are less common here than in most areas, at 5.2%. Around 28.6% of residents have a long-term health condition.

Volunteering is more common here than in most areas at 17.1%, though this has fallen since 2011. Residents are also more likely to provide unpaid care and do unpaid housework.

First Nations people in this area have an unemployment rate of 4.6%, which is well below the national figure. Year 12 completion is also far above the national average at 50.9%.

Homes tend to be larger, with 2.7 people per home, which is much higher than most areas. Conversely, people living alone are much less common than in the typical Australian area.

Detached houses are the norm here at 95.7%, and 37.3% of homes are owned outright. Renting is very uncommon, at just 13.1%, far below the national figure.

The area is heavily reliant on cars, with only 0.4% of people using public transport to commute. Almost every home owns a vehicle, and 18.1% of the workforce works from home.

About 38.6% of residents moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas are among the lowest at this level, falling by 3.6 points since 2011.

Full-time employment is much lower than in most areas at 52.9%, though the unemployment rate of 3.8% is also much lower than typical.

The population has continued to grow since 2021, with an estimated increase of 5.9%.

The region is much wetter than most of Queensland, with average annual rainfall of 1,309mm. It also has lower average maximum and minimum temperatures than the state average.

The area is car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.5. Most homes are far from schools, health services, and groceries, which is consistent with the high proportion of separate houses.