Urban Centre · Area profile
Boigu Island
71 km²
A massive gap exists between Boigu Island (L) and the rest of the country, particularly in its unique cultural identity and demographics. This small community of 199 people is overwhelmingly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and is remarkably young, with a typical resident aged just 25. The area is defined by a strong connection to tradition, where most residents speak a language other than English at home. It is a place of large families and modest incomes, situated far from the typical urban patterns of Queensland.
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The population is overwhelmingly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander at 95%, a figure that rose 4.2 points since 2011. It is a very young community, with children under 15 making up 31.7% of residents and a typical age of 25, which is far younger than the national figure of 38.
Most residents were born in Australia, with 92% of the population born here. Only 6.5% were born overseas, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%, though this rose slightly from nothing in 2011.
Language diversity is very high, with 88.9% of people using another language at home, far above the national figure of 22.3%. Additionally, 21.6% of residents speak little or no English, a figure that rose 22 points since 2016.
Faith is very common here, with 86.4% of people identifying as Christian. Only 5.5% of the community have no religion, which is far below the national figure of 38.9%.
While 51.1% of residents completed Year 12, only 2.9% hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the national figure of 26.3%. The most common high-level qualification is a Certificate III or IV.
Typical incomes are far below the national figure, with the typical personal weekly income at $424. No households earn $3,000 or more per week, and the typical family income is just $833 weekly.
Reporting of long-term health conditions is far below the national figure of 27.7%, with only 10.6% of residents affected. However, 7.0% of people need help with daily activities, which is a little above the national figure.
Unpaid childcare is common, with 32.9% of people caring for children, which is well above the national figure. Other participation is high too, with 17.1% of people volunteering and 8.8% having served in the Defence Force.
Homes are often crowded, with an average of 3.9 people per home. This is consistent with the high proportion of one-parent families (49.7%) and the fact that 30.4% of households contain six or more people.
Rental is the primary way of living, with 84.8% of homes rented and no homes owned outright. Most are large detached houses, with 89.1% having three or more bedrooms and typical weekly rent at a very low $130.
The community is largely without cars, as 90.0% of homes have no motor vehicle. This is far above the national figure of 7.4%, and it helps explain why 58.9% of people walk to work.
The population is very stable, with only 18.8% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%. There were no recent arrivals from overseas.
Working or looking for work is less common here than elsewhere, with only 45.0% of adults in the workforce. The unemployment rate is far above the national figure at 15.9%.
The area is heavily car-dependent with a walkability score of 0.7, as there are no schools, grocery stores, or health services within a 15-minute walk.