Census statistics spring surprises
THE cold hard truth about Gladstone was revealed this week with the release of the 2011 Census.
Following the immense growth in the Gladstone region over the past few years, the figures might come as a shock.
And data relating to population and housing doesn't appear to match public perception of the Gladstone region.
In August 2011, The Gladstone population reached a total of 52,352, up from 45,625 in 2006. This means the Gladstone population has risen by 6,727 people, a total of only 14.7%. The number of Gladstone residents born in Australia dropped by 3.4%.
In 2011, 10,501 residents were born overseas, an increase of 37.1%. The most common country of birth following Australia in both 2006 and 2011, was New Zealand, closely followed by England.
The average personal income in Gladstone rose by $213 a week and household weekly earnings rose by $431. Compared to the rest of Queensland, the average personal weekly income in Gladstone is 25.7% higher than the rest of the state.
Perhaps the most unexpected statistic relates to rent prices in Gladstone.
Surprisingly, the median rent price in Gladstone is on par with the rest of the state, at $300 a week, which has risen by 71.4% or $125 a week.
For 6.9% of Gladstone households in 2011, their rent was more than 30% of their income.
Employment figures are set to be released on October 30.
Keep reading The Observer for more news and information about the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011 Census and tell us how accurate you think these figures are at The Observer online.
