The communities of Calliope have diverse household types with the main group being couples with children.

In 2021, the percentage of couple families with children was 49.2 per cent which is higher than the Region at 41.7 per cent and the State 41.2 per cent. This is an increase of 16.2 per cent across the three Census periods, which equates to an additional 97 families.

The number of couple families without children has increased over time, while reducing as a percentage of total family types

The number of one parent families has doubled between 2011 and 2021, being 106 families in 2011 compared to 182 in 2016 and 217 in 2021. In 2011, one parent families represented 9.5 per cent of families, increasing to 13.5 per cent in 2016 and 15.4 per cent in 2021. While the proportion of families that are one parent families has increased by 104.7 per cent between 2011 and 2021, this is still marginally lower than the Region by 7.5 per cent.

The number of families in Calliope has increased between 2011 and 2021 by 39.7 per cent, with 1,012 families in 2011 and 1414 in 2021.

There are 1652 people in a registered marriage in Calliope, representing 48.8 per cent of the population. This is 11.9 per cent higher than the regional proportion of 43.6 per cent.

There has been an increase of 9.6 per cent of people in a registered marriage across the decade (1507 in 2011 to 1652 in 2021), as well as an increase in the population proportion of 11.9 per cent in comparison to the Gladstone Region.

The percentage of the population that are not married has increased from 29.3 per cent in 2011 to 29.4 per cent in 2016, and increasing further in 2021 to 33.2 per cent, an overall increase of 318 people. This category is 16.5 per cent below the regional norm.

Similarly, the number of people in a de facto marriage increase from 439 in 2011 to 557 in 2016, increasing to 611 in 2021, or 13.1 per cent. This is 22.2 per cent higher than the region when comparing 2021 data.

Considerations:

Calliope is a suburb that is attractive for young families and has a significantly lower median age than the region at 32 years.

Service planning and infrastructure should consider the priorities for young families, such as:

• health and wellbeing
• lifelong learning
• safe, accessible and inclusive communities.

Health & wellbeing: access to medical and allied health professionals; support services and referral pathways; pedestrian and bike paths, sport and recreation facilities.

Lifelong learning: childcare, long day care, playgroups, primary and secondary schools, input into decision making, training, libraries, adult learning.

Safe, accessible and inclusive communities: community events, acknowledgement of cultures and languages, recreational activities and programs, networking events, accessible spaces and places, diversity of housing.

source ABS 2021, 2016,2011

Social Marital Status

source ABS 2022, 2016, 2011