Urban Centre · Area profile
Chinchilla
11 km²
Tucked into the Western Downs of Queensland, Chinchilla is a young and growing regional town. The community is notably younger than the national average, with a high number of children and a typical resident aged just 33. It is a place where families are common, seen in the high proportion of large homes and a rising number of people in de facto relationships. This town blends a strong Australian heritage with a shifting population, including a significant and growing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
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The town is noticeably younger than most areas, with 22.3% of residents being children under 15. This youthful profile is consistent with a typical age of 33 and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population that rose to 8.2% since 2011.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those with overseas birthplaces make up 10.4% of the population, which is far below the national figure. This is a decrease from 2011, when the overseas-born population sat at 19.8%.
English is the primary language for 82.8% of the community. While 5.7% of people use another language at home, this is far below the national average and has fallen significantly since 2011.
About half of the population identifies as Christian, while 34.9% report no religion. This lack of religious affiliation is much lower than in most similar areas, although it has risen 17 points since 2011.
About 12% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national figure. Many residents have a Certificate III or IV, and 42.6% have completed Year 12.
Typical personal weekly income is $792, which is about the same as the national figure. However, the town has a high proportion of top earners, with 11.1% of people earning $2,000 or more per week.
Residents generally report better health than most other areas, with a lower rate of long-term health conditions (26.5%) and fewer people needing help with daily activities (5.3%).
Volunteer rates are a little above the national figure at 16.8%. Unpaid care for others is less common here than in most similar areas, with 9.6% of people providing such support.
Family life is prominent here, as 53.5% of households are couples with children and 19.4% are one-parent families. About 29.5% of people live alone, which is well above the state average.
Homes here are typically large, with 84.8% having three or more bedrooms. Renting is far more common than in the rest of the state, with 45.5% of households renting at a typical weekly cost of $250.
Driving is the main way to get around, as 64.8% of workers use a car. Only 5.8% of people work from home, which is far below the national figure.
The community is quite mobile, with 49.9% of people having moved in the last five years. This high turnover is partly due to recent overseas arrivals, who make up 33.3% of the population.
Full-time employment is much higher than in most areas at 65.3%, and the unemployment rate is low at 4.0%. Many people work in construction, retail, or as technicians and tradespeople.
The town is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.5. While over half of the homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school or health service, almost no homes are near public transport.