7,724 ▲ +6.0%
Higher than 87% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 7,287
- 2016: 7,331
- 2021: 7,724
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Atherton · Suburb / Locality
Demographics & Identity in Atherton
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
More than a quarter of the population are now seniors, making Atherton a far older community than the national average. With 7,724 residents, it is one of the largest towns in its region. The area is notably diverse, with a strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander presence.
7,724
▲ +6.0%
- 1–1: 689 areas
- 1–2: 0 areas
- 2–3: 119 areas
- 3–5: 108 areas
- 5–7: 243 areas
- 7–11: 241 areas
- 11–16: 514 areas
- 16–24: 579 areas
- 24–36: 898 areas
- 36–53: 1059 areas
- 53–79: 1168 areas
- 79–117: 1203 areas
- 117–174: 1171 areas
- 174–258: 1010 areas
- 258–384: 856 areas
- 384–571: 670 areas
- 571–850: 616 areas
- 850–1,263: 567 areas
- 1,263–1,879: 520 areas
- 1,879–2,794: 590 areas
- 2,794–4,154: 679 areas
- 4,154–6,177: 585 areas
- 6,177–9,186: 528 areas
- 9,186–13,659: 405 areas
- 13,659–20,311: 195 areas
- 20,311–30,202: 96 areas
- 30,202–44,910: 33 areas
- 44,910–66,781: 10 areas
All suburb / locality areas, 2021. The marker is Atherton — higher than 87% of areas.
| Atherton | 7,724 |
|---|---|
| 4883, QLD | 8,949 |
| Queensland | 5,156,138 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The typical resident in Atherton is 46, which is far older than the typical person in Queensland or Australia. This makes the town’s population significantly older than most similar areas.
46 yrs ▲ +12.2%
Older than 54% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 41 yrs
- 2016: 45 yrs
- 2021: 46 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Seniors aged 65 and over make up 27.1% of the community, a figure well above the national average of 17.2%. In contrast, children under 15 make up 17% of the population, which is a little below state and national levels.
27.1% ▲ +33.1%
Higher than 80% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 20.4%
- 2016: 25.0%
- 2021: 27.1%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
17.0% ▼ -17.2%
Lower than 51% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 20.5%
- 2016: 18.1%
- 2021: 17.0%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →Atherton splits fairly evenly between Seniors (65+) (27%) and Older adults (45–64) (24%), with Young adults (25–44) at 21%.
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
About 9.2% of residents are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is well above the Australian figure of 3.2%. Most people are married (40.7%), while those in de facto relationships (11%) are slightly less common here than in the rest of Queensland.
9.2% ▲ +7.3%
Higher than 86% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 8.6%
- 2016: 9.8%
- 2021: 9.2%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
11.0% ▲ +2.1%
Lower than 60% of suburb / locality areas.
- 2011: 10.7%
- 2016: 11.0%
- 2021: 11.0%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Atherton, the largest group is Married at 41%, followed by Never married (35%) and Divorced (11%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Atherton
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Atherton [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sal/SAL30096/atherton/topic/demographics-identity