Urban Centre · Area profile
Gympie
37 km²
A noticeably older population defines Gympie, where the typical resident is 42 and nearly a quarter of people are seniors. The community has grown 20% since 2011, reaching over 19,000 people. It is a place where many live in separate houses and a high number of residents experience long-term health conditions. While it remains largely traditional in its origins, there is a striking trend toward people identifying as having no religion.
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Seniors make up 24.2% of the population, which is well above the national figure of 17.2%. This aging trend is reflected in the typical resident's age of 42, which has risen 3 years since 2011.
The area is far less diverse than the rest of the state, with only 10.4% of people born overseas. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, accounting for 44.3% and 42.3% respectively.
English is the primary language for 90.8% of the community. The proportion of people using another language at home is 3.6%, which is far below the Australian average of 22.3%.
There has been a significant shift in faith, with 45.0% of people reporting no religion, up 19 points since 2011. This is well above the national figure of 38.9%.
Educational attainment is much lower than the national average, with only 10.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 41.0% completing Year 12.
Typical weekly household incomes are $1,082, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 7.5% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Health challenges are common here, as 38.2% of people have a long-term health condition. This is far above the national rate, and 11.9% of residents need help with daily activities.
Unpaid care is more common than in most areas, with 14.5% of people providing such support. However, the number of volunteers fell to 15.0% since 2011.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, making up 23.7% of households. Additionally, 32.0% of people live alone, well above the national figure of 25.6%.
Separate houses are very common at 86.6%, and 34.2% of homes are owned outright. Renting is also more frequent than in most areas, at 34.7%.
The community relies heavily on cars, with 70.4% of people driving to work. Very few people use public transport for their commute, at just 0.6%.
Gympie has seen significant movement, with 46.8% of people having moved in the last five years. This is well above the Australian average of 40.7%.
Fewer adults are working or looking for work compared to the state, at 49.0%. The unemployment rate is 6.6%, which is a little above the national figure of 5.1%.
While most homes are within a short walk of a park or public transport, 59.1% of homes lack a full range of 15-minute-city amenities. Access to groceries and health services is far below the state average.