# Emu Park

Urban Centre · Area profile

Located in: Queensland › Rest of Qld › Livingstone › 4710, QLD

Area: 15 km²

Casting a quiet profile across 15 square kilometres of the Queensland coast, Emu Park is a growing seaside community with a notably older population. The typical resident is 48, far older than the national figure of 38, and the area has seen a significant rise in seniors since 2011. This shift toward an older demographic is reflected in the local health needs and the high number of homes owned outright. It is a place where detached houses dominate and most people rely on cars to get around.

## Demographics & Identity

The population grew 36% since 2011 to reach 4,860 people. It is an older community, with 27.2% aged 65 and over, which is far above the Queensland figure of 17.0%.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total population | 4,860 | +36.0% since 2011 |
| Median age | 48 yrs | +6.7% since 2011 |
| Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander population | 6.9% | +697.3% since 2011 |
| People aged 65 and over | 27.2% | +85.2% since 2011 |
| Children under 15 | 18.1% | -16.0% since 2011 |
| People in a de facto relationship | 12.6% | +27.6% since 2011 |

**Age structure** — Seniors (65+) 27.2%, Older adults (45–64) 26.6%, Young adults (25–44) 20.2%, Children (0–14) 18.1%, Youth (15–24) 7.9%

**Marital status** — Married 48.5%, Never married 28.4%, Divorced 11.1%, Widowed 7.6%, Separated 4.5%

## Ancestry & Birthplace

Most residents were born in Australia, and the area has far fewer overseas-born people (9.9%) compared to the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People born overseas | 9.9% | -60.5% since 2011 |

**Country of birth** — Australia 81.6%, New Zealand 2.8%, England 2.8%, South Africa 0.6%, Philippines 0.4%, India 0.1%, Vietnam 0.1%, Italy 0.1%

**Ancestry** — English 41.5%, Australian 40.5%, Irish 11.8%, Scottish 11.6%, German 7.0%, Italian 1.7%, Dutch 1.3%, Filipino 0.6%, Chinese 0.5%, Greek 0.3%, Indian 0.2%, Vietnamese 0.1%

## Language

English is the primary language for 89.4% of the community. Only 2.3% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People using another language at home | 2.3% | -51.3% since 2011 |
| People who speak little or no English | 0.2% | -88.6% since 2016 |

**Language used at home** — English only 89.4%, Mandarin 0.2%, Arabic 0.1%, Punjabi 0.1%, Italian 0.1%, Tagalog 0.1%

## Religion

About half of the population identifies as Christian, while 39.3% report no religion. The number of people with no religion rose 6.3 points since 2011.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People with no religion | 39.3% | +19.0% since 2011 |

**Religious affiliation** — Christianity 49.5%, No religion 39.3%, Not stated 9.8%, Buddhism 0.6%, Other religions 0.4%, Islam 0.2%, Hinduism 0.1%

## Education & Qualifications

The area has far fewer adults with a bachelor degree or higher (12.6%) and fewer who completed Year 12 (39.0%) than the state and national figures.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Completed Year 12 | 39.0% | -25.1% since 2011 |
| Adults with a bachelor degree or higher | 12.6% | -31.2% since 2011 |

**Highest year of school** — Year 12 39.0%, Year 10 31.0%, Year 9 or below 12.3%, Year 11 8.1%

**Highest qualification level** — Certificate III / IV 37.9%, Bachelor degree 15.9%, Advanced diploma / diploma 14.4%, Postgraduate degree 3.2%, Certificate I / II 3.0%, Graduate diploma / certificate 2.8%

**Field of qualification** — Engineering & related 16.6%, Management & commerce 13.7%, Society & culture 12.3%, Health 9.7%, Education 9.2%, Architecture & building 6.3%, Food, hospitality & personal services 5.6%, Agriculture & environment 2.3%, Natural & physical sciences 1.9%, Creative arts 1.9%, Information technology 1.1%

## Income

Typical weekly household income is $1,263, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. However, the proportion of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose 4.3 points since 2011.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Median personal income (weekly) | $628 | +17.2% since 2011 |
| Median household income (weekly) | $1,263 | -2.4% since 2011 |
| Median family income (weekly) | $1,482 | +9.5% since 2011 |
| People earning $2,000+ a week | 9.6% | — |
| Households earning $3,000+ a week | 13.0% | — |

**Household income distribution** — $650–$1,499 35.3%, $1,500–$2,999 25.6%, Under $650 17.6%, $3,000–$3,999 6.7%, $4,000 or more 6.3%

**Personal income distribution** — Under $650 46.6%, $650–$1,499 26.5%, $1,500–$2,999 14.2%, $3,000 or more 3.5%

## Health & Disability

Health needs are higher than usual here, with 35% of people living with a long-term health condition. About 7.7% of residents need help with daily activities, which is a little above the national figure.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People with a long-term health condition | 35.0% | — |
| People with a mental health condition | 11.2% | — |
| People needing help with daily activities | 7.7% | +142.0% since 2011 |

**Long-term health conditions reported** — Arthritis 13.6%, Mental health 11.2%, Other condition 9.0%, Asthma 8.9%, Heart disease 6.2%, Diabetes 5.7%, Cancer 4.1%, Lung condition 3.7%, Stroke 1.4%, Dementia 0.8%

**Number of long-term health conditions** — None 53.4%, One condition 21.1%, Two conditions 8.8%, Three or more 5.1%

## Community Participation

The area has a strong connection to the Defence Force, with 5.0% of people having served, which is much higher than most similar areas. Unpaid care is also more common here than the national average.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteers | 14.8% | -29.0% since 2011 |
| People providing unpaid care | 14.4% | +24.7% since 2011 |
| People caring for children unpaid | 25.2% | -18.6% since 2011 |
| People who served in the Defence Force | 5.0% | — |
| People doing 15+ hours of unpaid housework | 23.6% | -26.1% since 2011 |

## Family & Households

Homes tend to be larger than average with 2.4 people per home. There has been a rise in one-parent families and people living alone since 2011.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Average household size | 2.4 | -14.3% since 2011 |
| One-parent families | 18.0% | +136.2% since 2011 |
| People living alone | 25.7% | +107.6% since 2011 |

**Family composition** — Couples with children 43.7%, Couples without children 37.4%, One-parent families 18.0%, Other families 1.0%

**Household size** — 2 people 43.1%, 1 person 25.7%, 3 people 12.1%, 4 people 11.1%, 5 people 4.9%, 6 or more 3.2%

## Housing & Dwellings

Detached houses are very common, making up 90.9% of all homes. While 39.5% of homes are owned outright, the proportion of renters rose 17 points since 2011, and typical weekly rent is $350.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Median rent (weekly) | $350 | — |
| Median mortgage repayment (monthly) | $1,540 | -17.3% since 2011 |
| Average people per bedroom | 0.70 | -36.4% since 2011 |
| Households renting | 28.3% | +139.6% since 2011 |
| Homes owned outright | 39.5% | -4.3% since 2011 |
| Separate (detached) houses | 90.9% | -8.5% since 2011 |
| Homes with three or more bedrooms | 82.3% | -10.1% since 2011 |

**How homes are owned or rented** — Owned outright 39.5%, Rented 28.3%, Owned with a mortgage 28.1%, Other tenure 2.6%, Not stated 1.2%

**Types of homes** — Separate house 90.9%, Townhouse / semi-detached 5.4%, Flat or apartment 2.9%, Other dwelling 0.8%

**Bedrooms per home** — 4 bedrooms 39.2%, 3 bedrooms 38.4%, 2 bedrooms 12.8%, 5 or more 4.6%, 1 bedroom 2.8%, Studio / none 0.4%

**Weekly rent distribution** — $350–$549 52.2%, $200–$349 35.2%, Under $200 7.6%, $550–$749 1.5%

**Monthly mortgage distribution** — $1,000–$1,799 45.6%, $1,800–$2,999 26.5%, Under $1,000 17.7%, $3,000 or more 5.4%

## Transport & Vehicles

The community is highly reliant on cars, as only 2.0% of people commute by public transport. Working from home is also uncommon, at 5.9%, which is far below the national figure.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Homes with no motor vehicle | 2.4% | +312.7% since 2011 |
| People working from home | 5.9% | -55.8% since 2011 |
| Commuting by public transport | 2.0% | +104.4% since 2011 |

**How people get to work** — Car (driver) 66.7%, Worked at home 5.9%, Car (passenger) 5.6%, Walked 1.9%, Bus 1.7%, Bicycle 0.4%

**Motor vehicles per home** — 2 vehicles 41.0%, 1 vehicle 37.3%, 3 vehicles 13.4%, 4 or more 5.6%, No vehicle 2.4%

## Migration & Movement

The area is quite mobile, with 45.9% of people moving house in the last five years. This is well above the national figure of 40.7%.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| People who moved in the last 5 years | 45.9% | +22.6% since 2011 |
| Recent arrivals from overseas | 3.1% | -71.5% since 2011 |

## Jobs & Industry

About 48.7% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national figure of 61.1%. Those employed are most commonly found in health care and social assistance.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | -17.0% since 2011 |
| Labour-force participation | 48.7% | -18.2% since 2011 |
| Employed full-time | 57.0% | +8.3% since 2011 |

**Industries people work in** — Health care & social assistance 16.7%, Mining 10.6%, Construction 9.9%, Retail trade 9.0%, Education & training 8.9%, Public administration & safety 7.0%, Accommodation & food 6.8%, Transport & warehousing 4.7%, Other services 4.3%, Manufacturing 3.6%, Administrative & support 3.4%, Professional & technical 3.3%, Rental & real estate 1.8%, Electricity, gas & water 1.6%, Wholesale trade 1.3%, Agriculture, forestry & fishing 1.3%, Finance & insurance 0.9%, Arts & recreation 0.7%, Media & telecommunications 0.4%

**Occupations people work in** — Technicians & trades 16.1%, Community & personal service 14.7%, Professionals 14.1%, Machinery operators & drivers 12.5%, Labourers 12.3%, Clerical & administrative 10.9%, Managers 9.1%, Sales workers 8.4%

## Walkability

The area is very car-dependent, with a walkability score of 1.5. There are no grocery stores or health services within a 15-minute walk for any residents.

| Statistic | Value | Change since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Walkability score | 1.5 | — |
| Amenity types within a 15-minute walk | 1.9 | — |
| Homes with a 15-minute-city walkshed | 16.7% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of groceries | 0.0% | — |
| Homes within 10 min walk of public transport | 0.0% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of a school | 21.0% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of a park | 77.5% | — |
| Homes within 15 min walk of health services | 0.0% | — |
| Walkable amenities per 1,000 residents | 7.2 | — |
| Street connectivity (intersections/km²) | 25 | — |
| Mean terrain slope | 6.8% | — |

## Nearby areas

[Keppel Sands](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL322069/keppel-sands) · [Kinka Beach](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL321061/kinka-beach) · [Mulambin](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL315071/mulambin) · [Yeppoon](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL313012/yeppoon) · [Bangalee](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL322008/bangalee) · [Rockhampton](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL311004/rockhampton) · [Gracemere](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL313005/gracemere) · [Bouldercombe](https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL321021/bouldercombe)

Interactive profile: https://censusatlas.au/region/ucl/UCL315032/emu-park