State Electorate · Area profile
Bundaberg
107 km²
A regional hub in Queensland, Bundaberg is a growing community that has seen its population rise by 20% since 2011. It is a notably older area, with a typical resident aged 42 and nearly a quarter of the population aged 65 and over. This aging profile is reflected in the local health needs and a high proportion of people living alone. While it remains heavily Australian in heritage, the town is characterized by lower typical incomes and lower formal qualification rates compared to the state average.
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The population is noticeably older than the national figure, with seniors making up 24.4% of the community. There is also a strong Indigenous presence, as 6.1% of residents are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, a figure that has risen by 5 points since 2011.
The area is far less diverse than the state or nation, with only 12.1% of people born overseas. This is a significant drop from 2011, and the vast majority of residents claim English or Australian ancestry.
English is the primary language for 87.5% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home is much lower than most areas, sitting at 6.3%.
About 40.6% of residents report no religion, which is roughly in line with the Queensland average. This reflects a significant shift in the community, as the figure rose by 16 points since 2011.
Educational attainment is far below the national average, with only 40.1% of residents completing Year 12. Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up 10.9% of the population, among the lowest for its level.
Incomes are well below the national figure, with the typical family earning $1,431 a week. Only 9.1% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far lower than the 22.6% seen across Australia.
Health challenges are common here; 37.7% of people live with a long-term health condition, and 10.4% need help with daily activities. Both figures are well above the state and national averages.
Unpaid care is a significant part of local life, with 13.5% of people providing such support, which is higher than most areas. However, the proportion of volunteers has fallen by 8.6 points since 2011.
The community has a high number of people living alone (31.6%) and one-parent families (21.5%), both of which are well above the national average. This is consistent with the smaller typical household size of 2.3 people.
While 34.6% of homes are owned outright, renting is more common here than in the state, at 35.4%. The typical weekly rent of $280 is much lower than the national figure of $375.
Most people rely on cars, with only 0.6% of the workforce commuting by public transport. The area also has a high rate of homes without a motor vehicle, at 8.6%.
Recent overseas arrivals are much more common here than in other similar areas, with 19.2% arriving in the last five years. Meanwhile, 40.3% of the total population moved home within the last five years.
The unemployment rate is 7.6%, which is a little above the national figure. A lower percentage of adults are working or looking for work (51.5%) compared to the state average of 61.6%.
The town is moderately walkable, with 70% of homes within a 15-minute walk of local amenities. This is far above the state average, and 92.2% of residents live within a short walk of a park.