Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Mareeba
480 km²
Set across a large area of 480 square kilometres, Mareeba is a regional hub defined by its agricultural roots and a diverse, aging population. It is a community where a significant First Nations presence and a strong Italian heritage stand out against the national average. While the area is largely car-dependent, it serves as a major centre for its region with a population of over 11,800 people. The town's character is shaped by a blend of traditional farming industries and a growing number of recent overseas arrivals.
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Mareeba has a notably older population than the national figure, with 22.2% of residents aged 65 and over. The community is also diverse, as 12.7% of people are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is well above the Queensland average.
Italian heritage is prominent here, with 13.9% of people claiming Italian ancestry and 3.1% born in Italy. While 17.1% of the population was born overseas, this is far below the national figure of 27.7%.
The community is more linguistically diverse than most similar areas, with 13.2% of people using a language other than English at home. Italian is the most common non-English language, spoken by 4.4% of residents.
Religious affiliation is more common here than in the rest of the country, as the 33.6% who report no religion is well below the national figure of 38.9%. Over half the population (51.6%) identifies as Christian.
Educational attainment is far below the national average, with only 11.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion is also much lower than in the state, at 41.7%.
Typical incomes are well below the national figure, with the typical household earning $1,282 a week. Only 12.3% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far below the national average.
A slightly higher number of people need help with daily activities (6.3%) compared to the state. However, the rate of people with a long-term health condition is a little below the national figure at 27.0%.
Volunteering is a little more common here than in the state, with 15.3% of people participating. The area also has a higher rate of former Defence Force members (3.6%) than most similar areas.
The First Nations community is large, with 1,501 people, though they face significant challenges. The unemployment rate is 20.8%, which is well above the national figure of 12.3%.
One-parent families are much more common here than in other areas, making up 18.8% of households. This is well above the national figure of 14.1%.
Detached houses are very common, making up 88.6% of all homes. Home ownership is also high, with 37.5% of homes owned outright, well above the Queensland average.
The area is heavily reliant on cars, as only 2.1% of people commute via public transport. This is reflected in the fact that very few people work from home (7.1%) compared to the national figure.
The community has seen significant movement, with a much higher number of recent overseas arrivals (20.7%) than the national average. About 36.6% of residents have moved house in the last five years.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing are the primary industries, employing 16.3% of the workforce. While full-time employment is higher than the national average, the overall rate of people working or looking for work is well below the state figure.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.3, far below the Queensland average of 5.0. Only 31.1% of homes have basic amenities within a 15-minute walk.