Urban Area · Area profile
Hervey Bay
93 km²
Typical weekly household incomes in Hervey Bay are well below the national figure, reflecting a community with lower pay and high unemployment. This is an ageing coastal hub where the typical resident is 51, far older than the national average. Over the last decade, the population has surged by 243%, bringing in more retirees and overseas arrivals. This shift has created a place where many people now own their homes outright and rely on health services.
Explore Hervey Bay by topic
Hervey Bay is far older than most of Australia, with 31.9% of people aged 65 and over. This senior population has grown quickly, rising 21 points since 2011, while the proportion of children under 15 has fallen by 10 points.
More people were born overseas here than in most similar areas, and this figure rose 8.7 points since 2011. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, with English making up 45.3% of the community.
English is the main language for 89.1% of residents. The proportion of people using another language at home is well below the national figure, and only 0.4% of people speak little or no English.
About 41.3% of people report having no religion, which is a little above the national figure. This is a significant shift for the area, as the number of people with no religion rose 26 points since 2011.
The area has fewer people with higher qualifications than most other places. Only 13% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national average of 26.3%.
Incomes are among the lowest at this level, with a typical weekly household earning $1,083. This is well below the national figure of $1,746, and typical personal incomes have fallen since 2011.
Health needs are high here, with 10.8% of people needing help with daily activities—a figure well above the national average. Nearly 40% of residents have a long-term health condition, including arthritis and mental health issues.
The area has a higher proportion of people providing unpaid care and more former Defence Force members than most other areas. However, the number of volunteers has fallen 10 points since 2011.
Homes here are smaller than the national average, with 2.3 people per home. There are more one-parent families here than in most areas, while the number of people living alone has risen 16 points since 2011.
Home ownership is very strong, with 43.3% of homes owned outright—far above the national figure. Most people live in separate houses, and typical monthly mortgage payments are lower than the national average.
The community is heavily reliant on cars, with 69% of workers driving to work. Very few people use public transport to commute, and only 6.9% of the workforce works from home.
Hervey Bay is a high-migration area, with 46.7% of people moving in the last five years. This is well above the national average, though the number of recent arrivals from overseas has fallen since 2011.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the state average, and the unemployment rate of 8.0% is among the highest at this level. Health care and social assistance is the biggest employer.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. While most homes are near a park, very few are within a 10-minute walk of public transport.