Bargara - Burnett Heads

Bargara - Burnett Heads lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, the population of Bargara - Burnett Heads is around 22,060 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 3,052 people (16.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 19,008 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,242 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 1,110 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 152 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. The 16.1% growth of Bargara - Burnett Heads since the 2021 census exceeded that of the Rest of Qld (9.1%) and the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, which contributed approximately 83.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, Queensland State Government SA2 area projections, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, are adopted. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence, where utilised, AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Regarding demographic trends, an above-median population growth for national regional areas is projected, with the area expected to expand by 4,085 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 14.8% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Bargara - Burnett Heads was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Bargara - Burnett Heads has recorded around 283 residential properties granted approval each year, totalling 1,418 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26450 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 2.1 new residents per year gained for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), reflecting robust demand that underpins property values, new homes are being built at an average value of $369,000. Additionally, $41.5 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, suggesting robust local business investment.

Relative to the Rest of Qld, Bargara - Burnett Heads records 126.0% more development activity (per person), offering buyers greater choice. This level is significantly above the national average, indicating robust developer interest in the area. New building activity shows 91.0% standalone homes and 9.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. With around 75 people per dwelling approval, Bargara - Burnett Heads shows characteristics of a growth area.

Future projections show Bargara - Burnett Heads adding 3,267 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Bargara - Burnett Heads has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 38 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Bargara Emerging Communities Infrastructure Planning, MIRA Living, Club Bargara Resort Development, and Bargara Headlands Estate, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in Bargara - Burnett Heads demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Bargara - Burnett Heads possesses a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of just 2.5%, and 9.0% estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 10,478 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 1.5% below Regional Qld's rate of 4.0%, and workforce participation lags significantly (58.6% compared to Regional Qld's 65.4%). Based on Census responses, a low 8.2% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. The area shows particularly strong specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 2.5% versus the regional average of 4.3%. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 9.0% and the labour force increased by 8.8%, resulting in unemployment falling by 0.1 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional Qld, where employment rose by 0.7%, the labour force grew by 1.0%, and unemployment rose 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Bargara - Burnett Heads. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Bargara - Burnett Heads's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 14.0% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Bargara - Burnett Heads SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $49,137 with the average level standing at $61,568. This is below the national average and compares to levels of $53,146 and $66,593 across Regional Qld respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $54,006 (median) and $67,669 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Bargara - Burnett Heads all fall between the 18th and 20th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals the largest segment comprises 27.9% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (6,154 residents), reflecting patterns seen in the broader area where 31.7% similarly occupy this range. After housing, 86.2% of income remains, though this ranks at only the 24th percentile nationally and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

Bargara - Burnett Heads is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure within Bargara - Burnett Heads, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 87.2% houses and 12.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional Qld's 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Bargara - Burnett Heads was well beyond that of Regional Qld, at 46.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (30.3%) or rented (23.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Regional Qld average at $1,500, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $320, compared to Regional Qld's $1,655 and $345. Nationally, Bargara - Burnett Heads's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

Bargara - Burnett Heads has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 73.0% of all households, comprising 22.9% couples with children, 40.2% couples without children, and 9.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 27.0%, with lone person households at 24.2% and group households comprising 2.8% of the total. The median household size of 2.3 people is smaller than the Regional Qld average of 2.5.

Educational outcomes in Bargara - Burnett Heads fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Educational qualifications in Bargara - Burnett Heads trail regional benchmarks, with 20.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 30.4% in Australia. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 14.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 38.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (10.3%) and certificates (28.2%).

A substantial 23.9% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 8.9% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 2.9% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is very low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Public transport analysis reveals 89 active transport stops operating within Bargara - Burnett Heads, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 3 individual routes, collectively providing 137 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 334 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 94%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling. A relatively low 8.2% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 19 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 1 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Bargara - Burnett Heads is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Bargara - Burnett Heads faces significant health challenges, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~10,985 people). This compares to 52.5% across Regional Qld. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 12.4% and 8.7% of residents, respectively, while 59.6% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 67.6% across Regional Qld. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 32.4% of residents aged 65 and over (7,145 people), which is higher than the 20.4% in Regional Qld, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

Bargara - Burnett Heads ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Bargara - Burnett Heads was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 82.9% of its population born in Australia, 90.2% being citizens, and 94.8% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Bargara - Burnett Heads is Christianity, which makes up 56.3% of the population. This compares to 52.2% across Regional Qld.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Bargara - Burnett Heads are English, comprising 32.3% of the population, Australian, comprising 27.8% of the population, and Scottish, comprising 9.0% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: German is notably overrepresented at 6.3% of the population (vs 4.7% regionally), Dutch at 1.5% (vs 1.1%) and New Zealand at 0.8% (vs 0.9%).

Bargara - Burnett Heads ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

With a median age of 51, Bargara - Burnett Heads notably exceeds the Regional Qld figure of 41 and is well above Australia's 38 years. Compared to the Regional Qld average, the 65 - 74 cohort is notably over-represented (17.6% locally), while 25 - 34 year-olds are under-represented (8.8%). This 65 - 74 concentration is well above the national 9.5%. Since 2021, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 9.9% to 11.5% of the population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 11.6% to 9.2% and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 12.3% to 11.0%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in the age structure of Bargara - Burnett Heads. The 85+ age cohort is projected to more than double, expanding by 863 people (120%) from 721 to 1,585. Senior residents (65+) will drive 63% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 cohorts.