Urban Centre · Area profile
Maryborough
36 km²
A far older population marks Maryborough, where the typical resident is 49 and seniors make up nearly 29% of the community. This Queensland town is distinctive for its aging profile, which helps explain why more people here need help with daily activities compared to the state average. While the population has shrunk significantly since 2011, the area remains a large regional centre with a strong presence of detached housing and a notable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
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The typical resident is 49, making the area far older than the national figure of 38. Seniors aged 65 and over make up 28.7% of the population, a figure far above the Queensland average. Meanwhile, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population rose to 6.1% by 2021.
The community is predominantly Australian born, with only 9.3% born overseas, which is far below the national figure. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, while the proportion of overseas-born residents fell by 8.1 percentage points since 2011.
English is the primary language for 91% of residents. Only 2.6% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national average, and very few people—just 0.3%—speak little or no English.
About 42.3% of residents report no religion, a figure that rose by 21 percentage points since 2011. This is slightly above the Queensland average, while Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 47.4%.
Only 8% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national figure of 26.3%. Most residents hold a Certificate III or IV, and 34.5% completed Year 12, which is far below the state average.
Typical weekly household incomes are much lower than the national figure, sitting at $968. Only 6.3% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, which is far below the Queensland average of 20.2%.
Health challenges are common here, with 44% of people living with a long-term condition, far above the national average. This is reflected in the 12.6% of residents who need help with daily activities, among the highest for its level.
Providing unpaid care is more common here than in most areas, with 15.1% of people doing so. There is also a higher presence of former Defence Force members (5.3%) compared to the national figure.
The area has a high number of people living alone (33.3%) and a much higher rate of one-parent families (23.3%) than most areas. Typical homes are smaller, with 2.2 people per household.
Detached houses are very common at 87%, far above the state average. While 40.7% of homes are owned outright, typical weekly rents are well below the national figure at $255.
Cars are the primary way to get to work for 67.3% of residents. Around 10.1% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is well above the Queensland average.
About 38.3% of residents moved in the last five years, which is lower than the Queensland average. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 6.8% of the population, a figure that fell since 2011.
The unemployment rate is 11%, which is well above the national figure of 5.1%. Only 42.9% of adults are working or looking for work, a rate far below that of the state.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 91.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, no homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, which is far below the state average.