Urban Centre · Area profile
Gracemere
22 km²
Sprawling across 22.5 square kilometres, Gracemere is a predominantly residential area of Rockhampton with a strong focus on family life. It is a remarkably young community where the typical resident is only 32, and over a quarter of the population are children under 15. This youthfulness is reflected in the large household sizes and a high number of parents caring for children. While the population shrank by 33% since 2011, the area remains a significant residential hub with a growing number of families.
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The community is noticeably younger than the national figure, with children under 15 making up 26.6% of the population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 11.0% of residents, a figure that rose 7.6 points since 2011 and is well above the Queensland average.
Most residents were born in Australia (86.2%), and the area has a far lower proportion of overseas-born people compared to the rest of the state. Australian and English are the most common ancestries reported.
English is the primary language for 89.6% of the community. Only 4.1% of people use another language at home, which is well below the Queensland figure of 13.2%.
About 44.2% of residents report having no religion, a figure that rose 21 points since 2011 and is now well above the national average. Christianity remains the largest religious group at 46.4%.
The area has a lower proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher (9.0%) than most similar areas. However, the number of people who completed Year 12 rose 13 points since 2011 to reach 46.1%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,709, which is about the same as the Queensland figure. High earners are more common here than in similar areas, with 10.0% of people earning $2,000 or more per week.
Mental health conditions are reported by 10.8% of residents, which is a little above the national figure. About 30.4% of the population live with a long-term health condition.
A high 35.4% of people provide unpaid childcare, which is well above the national average. Conversely, volunteering has fallen 10 points since 2011 to 11.4%.
Homes here are larger than usual, with an average of 2.8 people per household. This is consistent with the high number of children in the area and a higher-than-average 21.8% of one-parent families.
The area is dominated by separate houses (96.0%), with 93.1% of homes having three or more bedrooms. Renting is much more common here than in most areas, accounting for 40.5% of households.
Cars are essential, as 69.7% of people drive to work and only 2.9% of homes have no motor vehicle. Working from home is very uncommon at just 3.4%.
The population is quite mobile, with 46.3% of residents having moved in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 12.4% of the community.
Working or looking for work is more common here than in most areas, at 64.2%. The most common industries are health care and social assistance, retail trade, and transport.
The area is mostly car-dependent with a walkability score of 2.3, far below the state average. While most homes are near a park, only 30.8% are within a 15-minute walk of groceries.