Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda
Statistical Area - sa2

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda's population was around 3,233 as of August 2025, showing an increase of 41 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 3,192. This growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 3,215 in June 2024 and 37 new addresses validated since the Census date. The density ratio was 81 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration (69.6% of gains). AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022.

For uncovers areas and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections from 2023 (based on 2021 data) are used, applying proportional growth weightings for age cohorts based on ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 with a base year of 2022. By 2041, the area is projected to increase by 93 persons, reflecting a total increase of 2.3% over 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda has seen limited development activity in recent years, with an average of 2 approvals per year over the past five years, totalling 13. This low level of development reflects the rural nature of the area and is driven by local housing needs rather than broader market demand. Yearly growth figures can vary significantly due to the small number of approvals.

Compared to the rest of Queensland and national patterns, Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda has much lower development activity. Recent construction comprises 44% detached dwellings and 56% attached dwellings, a shift from the area's existing housing which is currently 66% houses. This change indicates decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and demand for more diverse, affordable housing options. The estimated population density per dwelling approval is 551 people, reflecting the quiet development environment. Future projections show Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda adding 75 residents by 2041, with construction maintaining a reasonable pace to meet projected growth. However, buyers may face growing competition as the population increases.

Future projections show Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda adding 75 residents by 2041. Construction is maintaining a reasonable pace with projected growth, although buyers could encounter growing competition as population increases.

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 33rdth percentile nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified 15 projects potentially impacting the area. Notable projects include Army Aviation Program of Works (RAAF Base Townsville), Mater Private Hospital Townsville Relocation, Weststate Private Hospital, and Lavarack Barracks Upgrades. Below is a list detailing those most relevant.

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

The employment landscape in Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 3.8%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 3.8% as of June 2025.

The area had 1,565 residents employed while the unemployment rate was 0.1% lower than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation was at par with Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Dominant employment sectors included health care & social assistance, education & training, and public administration & safety, with the latter being particularly notable at 1.9 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing was under-represented, constituting only 0.5% of Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda's workforce compared to Rest of Qld's 4.5%.

Local employment opportunities appeared limited based on Census data analysis. Over the year ending June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.8%, alongside a 3.2% employment decline, raising the unemployment rate by 1.4 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Qld saw employment growth of 1.8% and labour force growth of 2.0%, with unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 showed Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia projected growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda's employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 7.0% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda had a median taxpayer income of $55,539 and an average income of $75,581. These figures were higher than national averages of $50,780 and $64,844 for Rest of Qld respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, estimated median income as of March 2025 is approximately $62,043, with average income at around $84,432. Census data shows personal income ranks at the 69th percentile ($910 weekly), and household income at the 44th percentile. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 dominates Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda with 24.2% of residents (782 people). After housing costs, 86.4% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Belgian Gardens-Pallarenda's dwelling structures in 2016 Census showed 65.6% houses and 34.4% other dwellings compared to Non-Metro Qld's 81.3% houses and 18.7%. Home ownership was 34.5%, with 32.4% mortgaged and 33.1% rented. Median monthly mortgage repayments were $1,733 and median weekly rents were $280, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $1,517 and $305 respectively. Nationally, Belgian Gardens-Pallarenda's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,733 versus Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially lower at $280 compared to national figure of $375.

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 59.9% of all households, including 25.9% couples with children, 25.2% couples without children, and 8.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 40.1%, with lone person households at 35.9% and group households comprising 4.0%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

Educational outcomes in Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Educational attainment in Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda is notably high with 36.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to the SA4 region at 20.1% and Rest of Qld at 20.6%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 23.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent with 31.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.1%) and certificates (21.8%). Educational participation is high at 30.8%, with 10.7% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 6.5% pursuing tertiary education.

The area has educational provision through Cleveland Education and Training Centre and Belgian Gardens State School, serving a total of 673 students. Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda demonstrates varied educational conditions with one primary school and one K-12 school. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs at 20.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.7, indicating that the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda has 23 active public transport stops. These stops are served by buses operating along three routes. The total weekly passenger trips across these routes is 258.

Residents have excellent accessibility to transport, with an average distance of 173 meters to the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 36 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 11 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda is lower than average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda faces notable health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover is high, at approximately 57% of the total population (~1,846 people), compared to 53.3% in the rest of Queensland.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 9.4 and 7.6% of residents respectively. 68.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.8% in the rest of Queensland. 23.2% of residents are aged 65 and over (749 people), higher than the 14.9% in the rest of Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Belgian Gardens-Pallarenda showed lower cultural diversity, with 87.9% citizens, 81.7% born in Australia, and 93.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 53.2%, slightly higher than the regional average of 52.7%. The top ancestral groups were English (29.8%), Australian (23.3%), and Irish (11.2%).

There were notable differences in some ethnic groups: French at 0.9% compared to the regional 0.4%, Scottish at 9.1% versus 7.7%, and Italian at 3.9% compared to 3.6%.

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda's median age is 44 years, which is marginally above the Rest of Qld average of 41 years and considerably older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 75-84 make up a prominent 9.4% of the population, while those aged 15-24 comprise only 10.6%. Comparing with Rest of Qld, Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda has a relatively smaller proportion of young adults aged 15-24. Between 2021 and present, the age group 75-84 has grown from 7.2% to 9.4%, while the 25-34 cohort increased from 9.5% to 11.6%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group declined from 13.9% to 12.3%, and the 85+ group dropped from 4.5% to 3.1%. Population forecasts for Belgian Gardens - Pallarenda indicate significant demographic changes by 2041. The 25-34 cohort is projected to grow strongly at a rate of 29%, adding 108 residents to reach a total of 482. Conversely, population declines are forecasted for the 15-24 and 45-54 age cohorts.