Baralaba

The community is far older than the state or national average, with a typical resident aged 52 and 28.5% of the population being seniors. This age profile is reflected in the identity of the town, where the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population rose to 11.2% since 2011.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those with overseas roots are far fewer than in the rest of the country. The most common ancestries are Australian, English, Scottish, and Irish.

English is the primary language for 82.7% of people. While the proportion of people using another language at home rose to 3.5% since 2011, this is still far below the national figure.

About 52.3% of residents identify as Christian. Those reporting no religion make up 30.8% of the population, which is well below the national figure.

Educational qualifications are lower than in most areas, with only 31.4% of residents completing Year 12. A bachelor degree or higher is held by 9.6% of adults, which is far below the state average.

Typical personal income is $819 a week, which is about the same as the national figure. There has been a notable increase in wealth since 2011, with those earning $2,000 or more a week rising to 11%.

Long-term health conditions are more common here than across Australia, affecting 34.2% of residents. This is consistent with the older population, as 7.3% of people need help with daily activities.

Community participation is lower than in most areas, with only 15.4% of residents volunteering. The proportion of people providing unpaid care also fell to 9.2% since 2011.

The town has a very high number of people living alone, at 43.2%, which is far above the national figure. This helps explain why homes are small, with typically only 2.0 people per household.

Housing is very affordable, with a typical weekly rent of $170 and a typical monthly mortgage payment of $600. Nearly half of all homes are owned outright, which is far above the state average.

Most people drive to work, though 9.3% walk and another 9.3% work from home. Public transport use is low, but it has risen to 3.1% since 2011.

The area is generally stable, as fewer people moved here in the last five years compared to the rest of the state. However, there has been a sharp rise in recent arrivals from overseas, now making up 36% of the population.

Full-time employment is high at 65.9%, and the unemployment rate is very low at 2.3%. Many of the local workforce are employed in education, construction, and health care.

The town is very walkable, with 92.1% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a school, grocery store, or health service. This is far above the state average for access to local amenities.