Urban Centre · Area profile
St George
16 km²
A huge surge in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population to 26.1% marks the shifting character of St George. This Queensland town has grown by 18% since 2011 and is now much younger than most similar areas, with a typical resident aged 36. It is a place where traditional family structures are changing, seen in the high number of one-parent families and people living alone. While the community is growing, it faces a trend of falling typical incomes compared to a decade ago.
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The town has a very high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which rose 26 points since 2011. It is also a young community, with children under 15 making up 21.6% of the population.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the proportion of people born overseas has fallen sharply to 6.8%, which is far below the national figure.
English is the main language for 83.9% of the community, and the proportion of people using another language at home has barely changed since 2011.
About 56.6% of residents identify as Christian. Those with no religion make up 31.0%, which is well below the national figure.
Education levels have fallen since 2011, with the share of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher dropping by 17 points to 11.5%.
Typical weekly household income has fallen by $1,210 since 2011 to $1,338, which is well below the national figure of $1,746.
Health profiles are similar to state averages, with 28.5% of people having a long-term health condition, though mental health conditions are much lower than in most areas.
Volunteering is common, with 17.6% of people volunteering, which is well above the national figure, though this is down from 27.1% in 2011.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas at 24.0%, while 30.9% of people live alone.
Renters make up 42.3% of the market, a far higher share than the national figure. Typical weekly rent is low at $210, and 90% of homes are separate houses.
Cars are essential, with 70.1% of people driving to work and no one using public transport to commute.
The area has seen a significant increase in recent arrivals from overseas, who now make up 24.7% of the population.
Full-time employment is high at 64.2%, well above the national figure. The most common industries are health care and social assistance, and agriculture.
The town is quite walkable, with 83.4% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school and 80.9% near health services.