State Electorate · Area profile
Ipswich West
365 km²
Spanning over 365 square kilometres, Ipswich West is a predominantly residential area of Queensland with a population of 53,840. It is a young community where the typical resident is 36, and it has a higher proportion of children and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than most similar areas. The area is largely defined by its detached housing and a strong reliance on cars for daily travel. While it has grown slightly since 2011, it remains a place where families often live in large homes and a significant number of people provide unpaid care.
20 schools within reach make Ipswich West convenient for families.
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The area is younger than the national figure, with 20.6% of people being children under 15. An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of 6.5% is much higher than most areas, and the proportion of people in de facto relationships has risen to 13.8% since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people (11.6%) than the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, and the share of people born overseas has fallen sharply since 2011.
English is the primary language for 88.8% of the community. Only 4.2% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure, and the proportion of people who speak little or no English has fallen to 0.5%.
Religious affiliation is split, with 45.8% identifying as Christian and 43.6% reporting no religion. The share of people with no religion has risen by 25 points since 2011, putting it slightly above the Queensland figure.
Educational attainment is lower than most areas, with only 12.9% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. While 48.7% of residents finished Year 12, this is far below the national figure of 58.8%.
The typical weekly household income is $1,561, which is a little below the national figure. Incomes have generally risen since 2011, though the share of households earning $3,000 or more a week is lower than most areas.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 34.3% of people living with a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are among the highest at this level, affecting 13.3% of the population.
The community has a high rate of unpaid care, with 28.4% of people caring for children. There is also a very high proportion of former Defence Force members (7.3%) compared to the national figure of 2.8%.
Homes here are larger than average, with 2.6 people per dwelling. One-parent families make up 19.9% of the community, a figure that is well above the national average.
The area is dominated by separate houses, which make up 90.5% of all dwellings. Most homes are large, with 85.3% having three or more bedrooms, and typical weekly rents of $300 are well below the national figure.
Travel is heavily car-dependent, as 65.9% of people drive to work and only 1.3% use public transport. Only 10.8% of the workforce works from home, which is far below the national figure.
The population is quite mobile, with 41.9% of people moving in the last five years. However, recent arrivals from overseas make up only 6.2% of the population, which is well below the national figure.
Full-time employment is slightly higher than the national figure at 60.9%, though the unemployment rate of 6.1% is much higher than most similar areas. Many residents work in health care and social assistance.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.7, well below the Queensland figure. Many homes are far from essential services, with only 40.8% within a 15-minute walk of groceries.