57,722 ▼ -6.5%
Higher than 86% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 61,724
- 2016: 52,073
- 2021: 57,722
The number of people who usually live in the area, counted on Census night.
Hervey Bay · Urban Centre
Demographics & Identity in Hervey Bay
Who lives here — how many people, how old they are, and how communities identify.
A typical resident in Hervey Bay is now 51, making the area far older than the national figure. This shift is stark, as the population has aged by 16 years since 2011. While the total population has shrunk by 6.5% to 57,722 people, the area is now defined by a very high proportion of seniors.
57,722
▼ -6.5%
- 1–2: 3 areas
- 2–3: 0 areas
- 3–5: 0 areas
- 5–9: 0 areas
- 9–16: 2 areas
- 16–27: 1 area
- 27–47: 2 areas
- 47–81: 2 areas
- 81–139: 14 areas
- 139–241: 145 areas
- 241–418: 340 areas
- 418–723: 351 areas
- 723–1,252: 304 areas
- 1,252–2,168: 191 areas
- 2,168–3,752: 181 areas
- 3,752–6,495: 107 areas
- 6,495–11,242: 69 areas
- 11,242–19,459: 44 areas
- 19,459–33,683: 31 areas
- 33,683–58,304: 17 areas
- 58,304–100,921: 8 areas
- 100,921–174,689: 8 areas
- 174,689–302,378: 4 areas
- 302,378–523,401: 5 areas
- 523,401–905,982: 2 areas
- 905,982–1,568,210: 1 area
- 1,568,210–2,714,494: 2 areas
- 2,714,494–4,698,656: 2 areas
All urban centre areas, 2021. The marker is Hervey Bay — higher than 86% of areas.
| Hervey Bay | 57,722 |
|---|---|
| 4655, QLD | 66,789 |
| Queensland | 5,156,138 |
| Australia | 25,422,788 |
Population
How many people, and the typical age.
The population has fallen to 57,722 people, a loss of about 4,002 residents since 2011. During this time, the area has become significantly older, with the usual age rising from 35 to 51 years.
51 yrs ▲ +45.7%
Older than 71% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 35 yrs
- 2016: 48 yrs
- 2021: 51 yrs
Half the population is older than this age, and half younger.
Age profile
How the population splits across age groups.
Seniors aged 65 and over make up 31.9% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 17.2%. This increase of 18 points since 2011 helps explain why children under 15 have fallen to 15.4%, a figure well below the Queensland average.
31.9% ▲ +128.6%
Higher than 80% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 14.0%
- 2016: 28.2%
- 2021: 31.9%
Share of the population aged 65 years and over.
15.4% ▼ -26.2%
Lower than 68% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 20.9%
- 2016: 16.8%
- 2021: 15.4%
Share of the population aged under 15 years.
Age structure
View on map →In Hervey Bay, the largest group is Seniors (65+) at 32%, followed by Older adults (45–64) (26%) and Young adults (25–44) (18%).
Identity & relationships
First Nations identity and marital status.
About 4.8% of residents identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, which is a little above the national figure. Marriage is the most common status at 47.8%, while those in de facto relationships are at 11.0%, which is much lower than most similar areas.
4.8% ▼ -23.7%
Higher than 53% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 6.3%
- 2016: 4.0%
- 2021: 4.8%
Share of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
11.0% ▼ -3.0%
Lower than 74% of urban centre areas.
- 2011: 11.3%
- 2016: 10.3%
- 2021: 11.0%
Share of people aged 15+ who are in a de facto marriage (registered marriages excluded).
Marital status
View on map →In Hervey Bay, the largest group is Married at 48%, followed by Never married (27%) and Divorced (12%).
Age & sex structure
Sources
- Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).
More for Hervey Bay
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographics & Identity in Hervey Bay [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL311002/hervey-bay/topic/demographics-identity