Sapphire Central

This is an older community where the typical resident is 59, far older than the Queensland average of 38. People aged 65 and over make up 37.3% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 17.2%.

About 18% of residents were born overseas, though this is well below the national figure. English is the most common ancestry at 40.5%, followed by Australian at 30.3%.

English is the primary language for 81.2% of the community. Only 2.7% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national average of 22.3%.

Christianity is the most common faith at 42.8%. About 37.9% of residents report having no religion, which is about the same as the national figure.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 22.6% of people completing Year 12. This is far below the national average of 58.8%, and only 5.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher.

Incomes are among the lowest at this level, with a typical household earning $644 a week, far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 3.7% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Long-term health conditions are far more common here than in the rest of the state, affecting 40.4% of people. This is consistent with the older population, and 10.5% of residents need help with daily activities.

The area has a higher rate of unpaid carers at 13.7% compared to the national figure of 11.9%. A higher than usual 5.1% of residents have served in the Defence Force.

First Nations people make up 4.4% of the population. This group is much older than the state average, with a typical age of 48, and household incomes are far below those in the rest of Queensland.

Over half of all homes are occupied by a single person, which is far above the national figure of 25.6%. This helps explain why the typical home has only 1.8 people, among the lowest for its level.

Home ownership is very high, with 59.5% of houses owned outright, far above the national average. Most are separate houses, and typical weekly rents are much lower than elsewhere, at just $160.

The area is entirely dependent on cars, with no public transport routes or stops. Most people drive to work, and 44.8% of homes have one vehicle.

The community is very stable, with only 26.5% of people moving in the last five years. This is far below the national figure of 40.7%.

Employment is low, with only 30.4% of adults working or looking for work. The unemployment rate is 13%, which is well above the national figure of 5.1%, and mining is a major industry for 17.1% of workers.

The area is highly car-dependent with a very low walkability score of 1.5. Only 30.6% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, far below the Queensland figure of 60.6%.