State Electorate · Area profile
Rockhampton
173 km²
Daily life in Rockhampton revolves around a high rate of car use and a strong presence of families in detached homes. The community is notably younger than the national average, with children under 15 making up 20.6% of the population. It is a place where many residents are Indigenous Australians and a large proportion of families are led by single parents. While the area is quite walkable for basic services, it is defined by a lower-than-average typical income and a distinct lack of public transport options.
27 schools within reach make Rockhampton convenient for families.
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The area has a much higher proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than most regions, at 9.2%. It is a relatively young community, with a typical resident aged 36 and a children's population that has grown by 10 percentage points since 2011.
Rockhampton is very traditional in its roots, with 83.5% of people born in Australia. This is far below the national figure, and the proportion of overseas-born residents has fallen sharply by 25 percentage points since 2011.
English is the dominant language for 87.1% of residents. Only 5.8% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national average and represents a 19 percentage point drop since 2011.
About 49.6% of the community identifies as Christian. Those with no religion make up 39.1% of the population, a figure that has risen by 9.3 percentage points since 2011.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 13.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is far below the national figure and has fallen by 23 percentage points since 2011.
Typical weekly household income is $1,411, which is a little below the national figure of $1,746. This reflects a broader trend where households earning $3,000 or more per week are much less common than in most areas.
Health challenges are more common here than elsewhere, with 33.1% of people living with a long-term health condition. This includes a higher-than-average rate of mental health conditions at 11.6%.
Unpaid care for children is common, with 27.2% of people providing this support. However, the number of volunteers has fallen by 7.5 percentage points since 2011 to 13.0%.
One-parent families are very common at 22.0%, which is well above the national figure. Conversely, 29.9% of people live alone, though this is lower than it was in 2011.
The area is dominated by detached houses, which make up 86.3% of homes. Rent is much lower than the national figure, with a typical weekly rent of $280.
Reliance on cars is almost total, as only 1.0% of people commute via public transport. Working from home is also very rare here, at just 3.9%.
The community has seen significant movement, with 41.2% of residents moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 19.2% of the population, which is well above the national average.
Full-time employment is a little above the national average at 61.6%, though the unemployment rate is also higher at 6.4%. Most people work in health care, retail, or education.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 94% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park. Despite this, 0% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.