Urban Centre · Area profile
Yorke Island
2 km²
A small island community in the Torres Strait, Yorke Island is a predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander settlement. It is a very young place where children under 15 make up 37.5% of the population, and the typical resident is just 28. This youthfulness is reflected in the large number of families with children and a high proportion of people in de facto relationships. With a population of 283, it is a modest community where most residents speak a language other than English at home.
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The community is far younger than the national average, with 37.5% of people under 15 and only 6% aged 65 or over. An overwhelming 88.7% of residents identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, a figure that has risen sharply since 2011.
Most of the population was born in Australia (90.1%), and the number of people born overseas is far below the national figure at 3.2%.
Language diversity is very high, with 87.6% of people using another language at home, far above the national figure of 22.3%. This trend has grown significantly since 2011, and 23% of residents speak little or no English.
Christianity is the primary faith for 75.3% of residents, while the proportion of people with no religion is far below the national average at 17.7%.
Many adults have a high school education, with 48.3% completing Year 12, though those with a bachelor degree or higher are far fewer than most areas at 6%.
Household incomes are among the lowest in the region, with a typical weekly family income of $955. Most people earn under $650 a week, and only 4.2% of households earn $3,000 or more.
Residents report fewer long-term health conditions than the national average, with only 16.3% having such a condition and 1.8% reporting a mental health condition.
Participation in unpaid work is high, as 35.3% of people care for children and 23.9% volunteer, both of which are well above national figures. Additionally, 13.3% of the population has served in the Defence Force.
Homes are typically large, with an average of 3.3 people per household. One-parent families are very common, making up 37.8% of all households, which is far above the national average.
Every home on the island is a separate house, and 83.1% are rented. While 91.5% of homes have three or more bedrooms, only 5.6% are owned outright.
The area is very car-dependent, though 54.4% of homes have no motor vehicle. Most people walk to work, and no one uses public transport or works from home.
The community is relatively stable, with only 21.1% of people having moved in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%.
While full-time employment is higher than the national average at 62.7%, the unemployment rate is also much higher at 15.0%. Many residents work in public administration and safety.
The area has no shops, schools, or health services within a 15-minute walk, resulting in a walkability score of 0.0.