The fascinating insights invaluable to our future

Somewhere on the Sunshine Coast in 2021, the typical resident is a young millennial, while in another area the median age is three decades older. 

Can you guess where each might be?

The youngest, with a median age of 29, was booming Baringa in the fast-growing Caloundra South area.

The oldest: the leafy hinterland towns of Maleny and Mapleton, with a median age of 59. 

It’s one of many fascinating insights from the 2021 Census, and with the 2026 Census taking place this August, it’s a timely reminder of just how much those Census form responses tell us about who we are and how we can plan for our changing region. 

Census numbers help shape our region

Every five years, the Australian Bureau of Statistics counts every person and home in the country.

For Sunshine Coast Council, that data is invaluable, shaping how we plan everything from parks, libraries, housing and transport to community programs, and helping us understand each of our communities’ needs. 

Here are a few local statistics from the 2021 Census for the Sunshine Coast Local Government Area that might surprise you: 

• We speak 110 languages. Alongside English, we chat in German, Spanish, Mandarin, Afrikaans, Portuguese and more, a sign of just how diverse our community has become. 
• We’re growing fast. The region welcomed more than 79,000 new residents between 2011 and 2021, and our population is forecast to climb past 540,000 by 2046. As a result, we need to find housing for about 8,000 new residents every year.
• Many of us are carers.   More than 33,000 residents (11.8 per cent) provide unpaid care for someone with a disability or long-term illness, a quiet force supporting families and communities.
• We love to give back. In 2021, 15.7 per cent of residents volunteered, higher than the South East Queensland average of 13.7 per cent, though down from 20.7 per cent in 2016. 

How to explore local Census data yourself

Council provides local Census information through free, easy-to-use tools like Community Profile and the Social Atlas, available via our Maps and statistics page – readily available with commentary and graphs. 

This 11 August, take a moment to fill your Census form in accurately and help shape the future of the place we all call home. 

Visit the Census website for more information or follow the instructions on the letter mailed to your home.