Smithtown - Gladstone

The community has a strong Indigenous presence, with 8.5% of people identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, which is well above the national figure. While the typical resident is 45, about a quarter of the population are seniors aged 65 and over.

The area is very culturally homogenous, as only 4.6% of residents were born overseas—far below the state and national averages. Most people claim Australian or English ancestry.

English is the primary language here, with only 1.1% of people using another language at home. This is among the lowest rates for similar areas and is far below the New South Wales average.

About half of the population identify as Christian, while 38.3% of residents report having no religion. This latter figure has risen by 7.4 percentage points since 2011.

Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 8% of adults holding a bachelor's degree and 30.3% completing Year 12, both of which are far below national levels.

Incomes are generally low, with the typical household earning $1,222 a week, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 7.8% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.

Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.2% of people living with a long-term health condition. About 7.9% of residents need help with daily activities.

Unpaid care is a regular part of life, as 14.6% of people provide unpaid care and 26.9% care for children. However, the number of volunteers has fallen sharply since 2011.

Families are often larger than usual, and one-parent families are much more common than in most areas at 20.2%. About 27.6% of households consist of a single person.

The area is dominated by detached houses, with 99.7% of homes being separate dwellings. A high 45.3% of these are owned outright, and renting is far less common than in the rest of the state.

Residents rely almost entirely on cars, as 0% of the population commutes by public transport. Very few people work from home, at just 4.4%.

The population is relatively stable, with fewer people moving in the last five years compared to most areas. There have been no recent arrivals from overseas.

About half of the adults (51.6%) are working or looking for work, and the unemployment rate is 5.6%. Many residents work in health care and social assistance.

The area is very walkable, with 97.5% of homes having a 15-minute-city walkshed. Almost every home is within a short walk of a park, school or grocery store, though access to health services is lower than the state average.