Suburb / Locality · Area profile
West Gladstone
7 km²
A highly walkable urban setting defines West Gladstone, where almost every home is within a 15-minute stroll of groceries, parks, and health services. It is a diverse community with a significant First Nations population and a high number of renters. The area is marked by a mix of full-time workers and a notable number of people living alone. With a typical resident aged 40, it blends a strong presence of working adults with a population that is older than the national average.
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The area has a strong First Nations presence, with 7.9% of residents being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, which is well above the national figure of 3.2%. The typical resident is 40 years old, making the community a little older than both Queensland and Australia.
About 15.7% of people were born overseas, which is higher than most similar areas but far below the national figure of 27.7%. Australian and English are the most common ancestries, each accounting for around 38% of residents.
English is the main language for 85.9% of the community. While 8.3% use another language at home—a figure higher than most similar areas—this is still far below the 22.3% national average.
The community is more likely to be non-religious than most, with 46.0% reporting no religion. This is well above the national figure of 38.9%.
Educational attainment is lower than the state and national averages, with only 13.9% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Far fewer people completed Year 12 here (46.0%) compared to the 58.8% across Australia.
Typical incomes are lower than the national figures, with a typical household earning $1,324 a week. However, a higher-than-usual 11.7% of people earn $2,000 or more per week.
Residents experience more health challenges than most, with 31.1% having a long-term health condition. Those needing help with daily activities (7.6%) and those with mental health conditions (11.4%) are both well above national levels.
Volunteer rates are 15.3%, which is a little above the national figure of 14.1%. About 3.4% of residents have served in the Defence Force, a rate higher than most similar areas.
First Nations residents are among the youngest in the region with a typical age of 21. This group faces significant challenges, with a 26.2% unemployment rate and a typical personal income of $451, both far below state and national figures.
The area has a very high proportion of people living alone (36.4%) and one-parent families (22.4%), both of which are far above the national averages. Consequently, homes are smaller, with typically 2.2 people per dwelling.
Renting is very common here, with 44.2% of households renting—far above the national figure of 30.6%. This high rental rate is paired with very affordable costs, as the typical weekly rent of $230 is far below the national average.
While 8.8% of homes have no car, public transport is highly accessible; 96.8% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of a stop. Despite this, only 0.6% of people use public transport to commute to work.
The community is quite mobile, with 44.2% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 12.9% of the population.
Full-time employment is high at 64.1%, well above the national figure of 58.9%. However, the unemployment rate is also very high at 10.5%, which is double the national average.
This is a very walkable area with a score of 6.7. Almost all residents can reach a park, school, or grocery store within 15 minutes, far exceeding the state average for amenity access.