Urban Centre · Area profile
Cherbourg
32 km²
A predominantly Aboriginal community in Queensland, Cherbourg is defined by its very young population and strong cultural identity. The typical resident is just 23 years old, and over 35% of the population are children, which is far above the national figure. This young age structure helps explain the large household sizes and the high proportion of one-parent families. It is a place where few people own their own homes and typical incomes are much lower than across Australia.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 96.4% of the population, which is far above the state and national figures. The community is exceptionally young, with the typical resident aged 23 and only 3.6% of people aged 65 or over.
The community is almost entirely Australian-born, with 97.5% born here and no residents born overseas.
English is the primary language for 94.6% of the population, and the proportion of people using another language at home has fallen to 2.3% since 2011.
About 45.6% of residents report having no religion, a figure that has risen sharply by 32 points since 2011; Christianity is followed by 48.6% of the population.
Educational attainment is far below the national average, with only 24.6% of residents completing Year 12 and 2.2% holding a bachelor degree or higher.
Incomes are among the lowest in the region, with a typical weekly household earning $793, which is far below the national figure of $1,746.
The community reports fewer long-term health conditions and mental health conditions than most other areas, with 71.4% of people having no reported long-term condition.
Unpaid care for children is very common at 41.9%, far above the national figure, while only 3.7% of residents are volunteers.
Homes are larger than usual, with 3.4 people per home, and one-parent families are very common, making up 55.5% of households.
Renting is nearly universal at 99%, with no one owning their home outright. The typical weekly rent is very low at $100, far below the state average.
Car dependence is high, although 38.3% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is far above the national figure of 7.4%.
The area is relatively stable, with only 22.9% of people moving in the last five years, far lower than the 40.7% seen across Australia.
While the unemployment rate is very high at 19.8%, many workers are employed in public administration and safety, health, or education.
Most homes are within a short walk of health services and schools, though the area remains mostly car-dependent as there are no groceries within a 15-minute walk.