2.7 IN AVERAGE DISTRICT HOUSEHOLD
Census tells all

THE average household in Palmwoods and Woombye has 2.7 occupants with a weekly household income of between $300 and $500. The Palmwoods median age of 35 years is one year younger than Woombye’s 36.

And while Palmwoods has the biggest ratio of women to men on the Sunshine Coast, the number of eligible bachelors outweighs the number of women 134 -124.

Similarly, while Woombye has more women than men, there are 66 men who have never married compared to 58 women.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures from the 1996 census show that Palmwoods, an area of 2300 sq kms, has a total population of 1475 people made up of 682 males and 793 females.

There were 109 lone households, 190 families with dependent children, 64 one-parent households and 142 couples without children.

Woombye, 1522 sq kms, has a total population of 797, made up of 405 females and 392 males.

There were 59 lone person households, 107 families with dependent children, 22 single parent households and 79 couples without children.

Eudlo, with a population of less than 200, is not recorded as an urban centre/locality.

A Basic Community Profile prepared by the ABS from the 1996 census also details age, religion, education, employment, occupation, income, relationships, work travel methods, family types and dwelling structure and ownership status.

The unemployment rate in Palmwoods was 9% compared to 13.9% in Woombye of which 11.2% of Palmwoods men were unemployed compared to 15.9% in Woombye. Only 6.2% were female in Palmwoods compared to 11% in Woombye.

At the time of the 1996 census, 178 residents of Palmwoods and 91 of Woombye were born overseas; there were 13 residents of Aboriginal descent in Woombye and none in Palmwoods.

The biggest group by age in both centres was the 10-14 years segment, with 143 in Palmwoods and 68 in Woombye which revealed a concentration of younger population.

The 5-9 years group followed on 66, the 0-4 years on 65 and then 35-39 years on 63.

In Palmwoods, the second biggest segment was the 5-9 years group with 126, and then the 40-44 years group with 118, followed by the 30-34 and 35-39 with 113 each.

At the other end of the scale, there were six women aged 85-94 years in Woombye and 25 women and 13 men in the same bracket in Palmwoods.

In Palmwoods, there were 305 married men and 308 women; 15 separated men and 18 women; 28 divorced men and 44 women and 17 widowed men and 97 women. The clear majority of widowed women was in the 70-89 years segments.

In Woombye, there were 189 married men and 190 women; 10 separated men and 12 women; 16 divorced men and 10 women and seven widowed men and 33 women.

Woombye has 554 Christians of which Anglicans make up the greatest number on 176 followed by Catholics on 104 and Bretheran on 48. Another 112 residents have no religion.

In Palmwoods, there were 1067 Christians, with Anglicans dominant on 343 followed by the Uniting Church with 211 and 206 Catholics. Another 249 residents had no religion and there were six Buddhists and 6 Hindus.

Six residents of Palmwoods and three in Woombye had never attended school.

In both centres, the median weekly individual income was $200 to $299 and the majority of people owned their own home. There were 13 housing authority homes in Palmwoods and nine in Woombye. And not surprisingly, the majority of people drive to work.