Gympie - Cooloola

The area is far older than the Queensland average, with a typical resident aged 48 and over a quarter of the population aged 65 or over. This senior presence is a standout feature, as the proportion of older adults has risen 7.0 percentage points since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has a much lower proportion of overseas-born people (11.6%) compared to the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the dominant language, with 90.6% of people using it at home. This results in one of the lowest proportions of people using another language (2.7%) or speaking little to no English in the country.

A little above the state average, 43.8% of people report having no religion. This figure has risen significantly by 20 percentage points since 2011.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most similar areas, with only 38.9% of residents completing Year 12. This is far below the national figure of 58.8%, and just 10.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Weekly incomes are well below the national average, with the typical household earning $1,115. Only 8.6% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is among the lowest for its level.

The community faces significant health challenges; 35.8% of people have a long-term health condition, which is well above the national figure. Nearly 10% of residents need help with daily activities, one of the highest rates for this level.

Unpaid care is common here, with 14.4% of people providing unpaid care and 26.0% doing over 15 hours of housework weekly. There is also a notably high number of people who have served in the Defence Force.

First Nations people make up 4.4% of the population. This community faces economic hurdles, with a typical personal income of $466 and an unemployment rate of 13.0%, which is higher than most areas.

Family structures are diverse, with a higher than average proportion of one-parent families (16.3%). About 27.3% of people live alone, and the typical home holds 2.4 people.

Housing is dominated by separate houses (91.2%), and a far higher share of residents own their homes outright (42.1%) compared to the national figure. Consequently, typical weekly rents ($290) and mortgage payments are well below the national average.

The area is heavily car-dependent, with 65.5% of people driving to work and very few (0.6%) using public transport. Very few homes are without a motor vehicle, and the average drive time to the city is among the highest for its level.

While about 40.7% of people moved in the last five years, recent arrivals from overseas are much lower than the national figure, at just 5.7%.

The proportion of adults working or looking for work (48.7%) is far below the national figure of 61.1%. The unemployment rate of 5.9% is higher than most similar areas.

Since the 2021 census, the population has grown by 8.7%, a rate that is much higher than most similar areas.

The region is wetter than the Queensland average, with 863mm of annual rainfall. Temperatures are generally higher than most areas at this level.

Most of the area is car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. Only 26.9% of homes have the basic amenities needed for a 15-minute-city lifestyle within walking distance.