Urban Area · Area profile
Gympie
69 km²
Older residents are more common in Gympie than in most other areas, with a typical age of 43. The community is predominantly Australian-born and English-speaking, though there is a growing number of people identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Many residents live in large, detached homes and experience lower than average incomes. This creates a distinct profile of a mature, predominantly white population where a high proportion of seniors live alongside many one-parent families.
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The typical resident is 43, and 23.6% of the population are seniors, which is well above the national figure of 17.2%. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 5.1% of the community, a figure that has risen since 2011.
Most of the population was born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents (10.5%) than the national average of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries reported.
English is the dominant language, with 91.4% of people using it only. Only 3.3% of residents use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
A large number of residents report having no religion, at 44.7%, which is well above the national average of 38.9%. This figure has risen significantly by 23 percentage points since 2011.
Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 10.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. While 41.3% of residents finished Year 12, this is far below the national figure of 58.8%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,129, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 8.3% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, among the lowest for similar areas.
Health challenges are common here, with 37.4% of people having a long-term health condition. This is well above the national figure of 27.7%, and 11.2% of residents need help with daily activities.
Unpaid care is a common feature of the community, as 14.7% of people provide unpaid care, which is well above the national figure of 11.9%. Many residents also have experience in the Defence Force.
One-parent families are very common at 22.1%, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%. Additionally, 29.9% of people live alone, a higher rate than in most areas.
Detached houses are the norm for 88% of homes, and 80.5% of dwellings have three or more bedrooms. Home ownership is strong, with 35.4% of homes owned outright.
Most people rely on cars, with 70.6% of workers driving to work. Very few people use public transport to commute (0.7%), and only 5.5% work from home.
The area has seen a lot of movement, with 45.4% of people moving in the last five years. However, recent arrivals from overseas are much less common here than in other areas.
Only 50.1% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national figure of 61.1%. The unemployment rate is 6.2%, slightly higher than the national figure.
The area is mostly car-dependent with a walkability score of 3.9. While most homes are near public transport, very few people can walk to groceries or health services within 15 minutes.