Sunshine Coast Hinterland

The typical resident is 44, making the area noticeably older than the state and national averages. Seniors make up 21.3% of the population, a figure that has risen by 4.6 points since 2011.

English and Australian ancestries are the most common, and 18.2% of people were born overseas, which is well below the national figure of 27.7%.

English is the primary language here, with only 4.7% of people using another language at home—a rate far below the national average.

The area has seen a significant shift in faith, with the proportion of people reporting no religion rising by 21 points since 2011 to reach 48.8%.

Education levels have improved, with 54.4% of residents completing Year 12, an 11 point increase since 2011. About 20.1% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Typical household income is $1,630 a week, which is about the same as the state average. However, the typical personal income is a little below the national figure at $721.

More people here report long-term health conditions compared to most other areas, with arthritis and mental health being the most common.

The community is active in unpaid work, with 17.3% of people volunteering and a high rate of people doing over 15 hours of housework weekly.

First Nations residents in the area have a Year 12 completion rate of 49.4%, which is far above the national average of 37.0%.

Families tend to be larger here, with 2.6 people per home and far fewer people living alone compared to the rest of the state.

Housing is overwhelmingly detached, with 92.9% of homes being separate houses. Renting is far less common here than across Australia, at only 17.8%.

The area is heavily car-dependent, as very few people use public transport to commute and only 2.1% of homes have no motor vehicle.

While 43.7% of people have moved here in the last five years, recent arrivals from overseas have fallen to 7.1% since 2011.

Full-time employment is well below the national average at 52.3%, though the unemployment rate of 4.4% is lower than most areas.

The region is experiencing rapid growth, with a population increase of 15.9% since 2021, well above the Queensland figure of 8.7%.

The climate is distinct, with average annual rainfall of 1,420mm, which is far above the Queensland average.

Most of the area is car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.5 and very few homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries or health services.