# Mount Cotton

Urban Centre · Area profile

Located in: Queensland › Greater Brisbane › Redland › 4165, QLD

Area: 6 km²

Most residents in Mount Cotton live in detached family homes and rely on cars to get around. This is a young community where the typical resident is just 34, and over a quarter of the population are children under 15. It has become significantly wealthier since 2011, with many high-earning professionals moving into the area. This shift is reflected in the large, modern houses and a high proportion of families with children.

## Demographics & Identity

The area is noticeably younger than the state and national average, with children under 15 making up 26.9% of the population. In contrast, seniors aged 65 and over represent just 6.2%, which is far below the national figure.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total population | 6,797 | -15.3% since 2011 |
| Median age | 34 yrs | -20.9% since 2011 |
| Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander population | 2.3% | -20.7% since 2011 |
| People aged 65 and over | 6.2% | -71.3% since 2011 |
| Children under 15 | 26.9% | +35.2% since 2011 |
| People in a de facto relationship | 13.1% | +43.4% since 2011 |

**Age structure** — Young adults (25–44) 31.7%, Children (0–14) 26.9%, Older adults (45–64) 24.0%, Youth (15–24) 11.3%, Seniors (65+) 6.2%

**Marital status** — Married 59.6%, Never married 30.6%, Divorced 6.0%, Separated 2.3%, Widowed 1.5%

## Ancestry & Birthplace

While 78.6% were born in Australia, the area has a high proportion of overseas-born residents at 19.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, followed by Scottish and Irish.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People born overseas | 19.7% | +9.2% since 2011 |

**Country of birth** — Australia 78.6%, England 6.0%, New Zealand 4.5%, South Africa 2.6%, India 0.6%, Philippines 0.3%, China 0.1%, Italy 0.0%

**Ancestry** — English 48.2%, Australian 40.2%, Scottish 11.8%, Irish 11.1%, German 6.3%, Italian 2.8%, Dutch 2.4%, Indian 1.2%, Chinese 0.9%, Greek 0.6%, Filipino 0.6%

## Language

English is the dominant language spoken at home for 92.7% of people. Those using another language at home make up 5.6%, which is higher than most similar areas but still far below the national average.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People using another language at home | 5.6% | +92.5% since 2011 |
| People who speak little or no English | 0.5% | +67.9% since 2016 |

**Language used at home** — English only 92.7%, Punjabi 0.3%, Hindi 0.2%, Arabic 0.2%, Mandarin 0.2%, Cantonese 0.1%, Greek 0.1%, Italian 0.1%, Tagalog 0.0%

## Religion

A majority of the community have no religion, at 51.8%, which is far above the national figure. This represents a significant increase of 31 percentage points since 2011.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People with no religion | 51.8% | +144.7% since 2011 |

**Religious affiliation** — No religion 51.8%, Christianity 43.4%, Not stated 3.1%, Other religions 0.6%, Buddhism 0.5%, Hinduism 0.4%, Islam 0.1%

## Education & Qualifications

Residents are well qualified, with 69.4% completing Year 12—far above the national average. The number of adults with a bachelor degree or higher has also risen sharply to 21.9% since 2011.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Completed Year 12 | 69.4% | +108.9% since 2011 |
| Adults with a bachelor degree or higher | 21.9% | +192.6% since 2011 |

**Highest year of school** — Year 12 69.4%, Year 10 17.5%, Year 11 7.2%, Year 9 or below 3.5%

**Highest qualification level** — Certificate III / IV 36.4%, Bachelor degree 23.0%, Advanced diploma / diploma 20.7%, Postgraduate degree 5.8%, Graduate diploma / certificate 3.6%, Certificate I / II 2.4%

**Field of qualification** — Management & commerce 19.9%, Engineering & related 17.8%, Society & culture 11.9%, Education 10.2%, Health 9.9%, Architecture & building 7.7%, Food, hospitality & personal services 5.2%, Creative arts 4.0%, Information technology 2.6%, Natural & physical sciences 2.1%, Agriculture & environment 1.7%

## Income

Income levels are among the highest at this level, with the typical family earning $2,740 a week. This is well above the national figure of $2,120, and 37.3% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Median personal income (weekly) | $1,140 | +156.2% since 2011 |
| Median household income (weekly) | $2,656 | +180.8% since 2011 |
| Median family income (weekly) | $2,740 | +160.5% since 2011 |
| People earning $2,000+ a week | 18.5% | — |
| Households earning $3,000+ a week | 37.3% | — |

**Household income distribution** — $1,500–$2,999 38.4%, $3,000–$3,999 20.7%, $4,000 or more 16.6%, $650–$1,499 13.6%, Under $650 3.5%

**Personal income distribution** — $650–$1,499 33.4%, $1,500–$2,999 29.5%, Under $650 29.3%, $3,000 or more 5.1%

## Health & Disability

The community is generally healthy, with only 24.5% of people reporting a long-term health condition. This is well below the national average, and the proportion of people needing help with daily activities is also much lower than most areas.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People with a long-term health condition | 24.5% | — |
| People with a mental health condition | 9.7% | — |
| People needing help with daily activities | 3.5% | -43.7% since 2011 |

**Long-term health conditions reported** — Mental health 9.7%, Asthma 9.1%, Other condition 8.4%, Arthritis 5.1%, Diabetes 2.7%, Cancer 2.4%, Heart disease 2.2%, Lung condition 0.9%, Stroke 0.4%, Dementia 0.2%

**Number of long-term health conditions** — None 70.6%, One condition 18.2%, Two conditions 4.7%, Three or more 1.7%

## Community Participation

Unpaid care for children is very common here, with 42.1% of people providing this support—far above the national figure. However, volunteering is much lower than in most similar areas at 12.7%.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteers | 12.7% | -21.9% since 2011 |
| People providing unpaid care | 11.3% | -13.9% since 2011 |
| People caring for children unpaid | 42.1% | +54.8% since 2011 |
| People who served in the Defence Force | 2.8% | — |
| People doing 15+ hours of unpaid housework | 23.5% | -19.3% since 2011 |

## Family & Households

Family life is central to the area, with 73.5% of households consisting of couples with children. This helps explain why homes are larger, with an average of 3.2 people per dwelling.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Average household size | 3.2 | +23.1% since 2011 |
| One-parent families | 7.8% | -42.9% since 2011 |
| People living alone | 8.4% | -53.4% since 2011 |

**Family composition** — Couples with children 73.5%, Couples without children 18.3%, One-parent families 7.8%, Other families 0.2%

**Household size** — 4 people 29.0%, 2 people 27.9%, 3 people 21.3%, 5 people 10.2%, 1 person 8.4%, 6 or more 3.4%

## Housing & Dwellings

Every single home in the area is a separate house, and 98.5% have three or more bedrooms. While few people rent, those who do pay a typical weekly rent of $475, which is well above the national figure.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Median rent (weekly) | $475 | — |
| Median mortgage repayment (monthly) | $2,100 | +14.0% since 2011 |
| Average people per bedroom | 0.80 | -27.3% since 2011 |
| Households renting | 13.6% | -46.5% since 2011 |
| Homes owned outright | 16.7% | -57.7% since 2011 |
| Separate (detached) houses | 100.0% | +9.1% since 2011 |
| Homes with three or more bedrooms | 98.5% | +13.6% since 2011 |

**How homes are owned or rented** — Owned with a mortgage 68.8%, Owned outright 16.7%, Rented 13.6%, Not stated 0.5%, Other tenure 0.1%

**Types of homes** — Separate house 100.0%, Townhouse / semi-detached 0.2%

**Bedrooms per home** — 4 bedrooms 69.1%, 3 bedrooms 18.0%, 5 or more 11.4%, 2 bedrooms 0.6%, 1 bedroom 0.1%

**Weekly rent distribution** — $350–$549 82.3%, $550–$749 11.1%, $200–$349 3.8%, Under $200 1.4%

**Monthly mortgage distribution** — $1,800–$2,999 53.2%, $1,000–$1,799 21.4%, $3,000 or more 13.3%, Under $1,000 6.4%

## Transport & Vehicles

Car dependency is high, with 64.4% of people driving to work and 53.8% of homes having two vehicles. Only 0.7% of the population use public transport to commute.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Homes with no motor vehicle | 0.6% | -81.6% since 2011 |
| People working from home | 16.8% | +284.3% since 2011 |
| Commuting by public transport | 0.7% | -66.6% since 2011 |

**How people get to work** — Car (driver) 64.4%, Worked at home 16.8%, Car (passenger) 2.6%, Bus 0.7%, Walked 0.4%, Bicycle 0.1%, Train 0.1%

**Motor vehicles per home** — 2 vehicles 53.8%, 3 vehicles 20.8%, 1 vehicle 15.7%, 4 or more 9.0%, No vehicle 0.6%

## Migration & Movement

The area is relatively stable, though 38.3% of residents moved in the last five years. The number of recent arrivals from overseas has fallen significantly since 2011.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People who moved in the last 5 years | 38.3% | -23.8% since 2011 |
| Recent arrivals from overseas | 4.4% | -68.6% since 2011 |

## Jobs & Industry

The workforce is very active, with 79.4% of adults working or looking for work—far above the national average. Unemployment is also much lower than most areas at 2.7%.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment rate | 2.7% | -68.3% since 2011 |
| Labour-force participation | 79.4% | +59.5% since 2011 |
| Employed full-time | 63.3% | +6.0% since 2011 |

**Industries people work in** — Construction 13.8%, Health care & social assistance 12.8%, Education & training 11.2%, Retail trade 10.4%, Manufacturing 7.5%, Public administration & safety 5.8%, Professional & technical 5.6%, Transport & warehousing 4.4%, Other services 4.1%, Accommodation & food 4.0%, Wholesale trade 3.7%, Administrative & support 2.4%, Finance & insurance 2.2%, Electricity, gas & water 1.6%, Media & telecommunications 1.3%, Arts & recreation 1.3%, Mining 1.2%, Rental & real estate 1.1%, Agriculture, forestry & fishing 0.3%

**Occupations people work in** — Professionals 20.5%, Technicians & trades 17.0%, Managers 15.0%, Clerical & administrative 14.5%, Community & personal service 10.3%, Sales workers 8.7%, Labourers 7.1%, Machinery operators & drivers 5.0%

## Walkability

The area is only somewhat walkable, with a score of 4.0. While almost everyone lives within a short walk of a park, far fewer have easy access to groceries or schools compared to the state average.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Walkability score | 4.0 | — |
| Amenity types within a 15-minute walk | 4.1 | — |
| Homes with a 15-minute-city walkshed | 48.0% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of groceries | 46.7% | — |
| Homes within 10 min walk of public transport | 60.3% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of a school | 54.3% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of a park | 93.8% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of health services | 47.7% | — |
| Walkable amenities per 1,000 residents | 6.9 | — |
| Street connectivity (intersections/km²) | 86 | — |
| Mean terrain slope | 7.7% | — |

## Nearby areas

[Coochiemudlo Island](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL321029/coochiemudlo-island) · [Macleay Island](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL315055/macleay-island) · [Karragarra Island](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL322066/karragarra-island) · [Lamb Island](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL321066/lamb-island) · [Russell Island](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL315086/russell-island) · [Cabbage Tree Point](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL322024/cabbage-tree-point) · [Jacobs Well](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL315045/jacobs-well) · [Logan Village](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL315052/logan-village)

Interactive profile: https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL314018/mount-cotton