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This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
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Sales Activity
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Population
Population growth drivers in Bentley Park are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends
Bentley Park's population was approximately 9,238 as of May 2026. This figure represents an increase of 878 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,360. The growth is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 9,214 in June 2025 and an additional 216 validated new addresses since the Census date. Bentley Park's population density was around 1,346 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 10.5% since the 2021 census exceeded that of its SA3 area (6.9%) and SA4 region, indicating it was a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 55.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with other factors such as overseas migration and interstate migration also being positive contributors.
AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data or years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 and based on 2021 data are adopted. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 with a base year of 2022. Future population dynamics anticipate an above median growth for Australia's non-metropolitan areas, with Bentley Park expected to increase by 1,704 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an overall increase of 18.2% over the 16-year period.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Bentley Park among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide
Bentley Park has recorded approximately 76 residential properties granted approval annually over the past five financial years, totalling 383 homes. As of FY-26, 12 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 new residents arrive per year for each new home built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating balanced supply and demand dynamics. The average value of new dwellings developed is $287,000, reflecting more affordable housing options compared to regional norms.
In this financial year, $2.0 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, demonstrating Bentley Park's residential focus. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Bentley Park records 147.0% more building activity per person, offering buyers greater choice. New development consists predominantly of standalone homes (98.0%) with a minority of townhouses or apartments (2.0%), preserving the area's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With approximately 114 people per dwelling approval, Bentley Park is experiencing market expansion.
According to AreaSearch quarterly estimates, Bentley Park is projected to add 1,680 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Bentley Park
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Bentley Park has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally
Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. Ten projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact this region. Notable ones include The Outlook, Cherrybrook Estate, Parkside Estate, and Cairns Gateway Estate (Riverstone Road North). The following list details those considered most relevant.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
North Queensland Youth Alcohol and Other Drugs Residential Rehabilitation Service
The North Queensland Youth Alcohol and Other Drug Service (NQYAODS) is a $19.3 million, 10-bed residential rehabilitation facility providing 24/7 specialist care for young people aged 13-18. Developed in partnership with Queensland Health, YETI, and YSAS, the center offers a home-like environment with integrated clinical, cultural, and educational support designed to assist voluntary recovery and harm minimisation for youth in the Far North Queensland region.
Edmonton Business & Industry Park
A 212-hectare masterplanned business, industrial, retail, health and recreation precinct fronting the Bruce Highway in Edmonton, south of Cairns. The approved masterplan provides more than 100,000 square metres of gross floor area across six flexible stages, with early land north of Blackfellows Creek intended for industry and retail and later stages south of the creek including uses such as a private hospital, showrooms and a tavern. The plan also includes more than 50 hectares of public open space, walking and cycling paths, sporting fields and restoration of the Blackfellows Creek green corridor.
Cairns South State Development Area
The Cairns South State Development Area (SDA) is a 1159-hectare strategic industrial and logistics hub established to drive economic diversification in Far North Queensland. Spanning two precincts at Wrights Creek and Gordonvale, it facilitates regionally significant projects including an intermodal transport terminal and rail-dependent industries. In 2025 and 2026, the SDA has become increasingly vital due to the declaration of the nearby Mount Peter Priority Development Area, which drives demand for local industrial services. MSF Sugar continues to progress diversification plans for the southern precinct, including a $150 million biorefinery and cogeneration facility. The Office of the Coordinator-General manages the streamlined development assessment process to attract large-scale advanced manufacturing and bio-industrial investors.
Mount Peter Priority Development Area
Declared in July 2025, the 2,650-hectare Mount Peter PDA is the primary long-term growth corridor for Cairns, designed to accommodate 18,500 homes and 42,500 residents by 2050. As of April 2026, Cairns Regional Council is actively seeking 450 million AUD through the Residential Activation Fund (RAF) to fast-track critical trunk infrastructure, including water mains, wastewater pump stations, and transport upgrades for Precinct 1. While the permanent Development Scheme is being finalized for late 2026, 'Precinct 1 - Residential North' is currently open for accelerated development applications to provide immediate housing relief.
Cairns Reservoirs Remediation Package 2
Remediation works are underway across nine Cairns Regional Council reservoirs at eight sites: Mayer Street, Panguna, Bayview Large, Barron View, Runnymede, Brinsmead, Dempsey Street A and B, and Crest Close. The program includes concrete rehabilitation and strengthening, internal protective coatings, steel roof replacements at two reservoirs, access upgrades, minor civil works, access road repairs and temporary water supply works to improve water quality, reliability and security. Council reported in October 2025 that safety assessments, geotechnical surveys and structural testing had been completed, with repair and cleaning works progressing.
Cairns Community and Multicultural Centre
Cairns Regional Council is progressing a community and multicultural centre at Tiffany Street, White Rock to provide social facilities, outreach services and inclusive meeting space for White Rock and Cairns multicultural communities. The planned centre includes a commercial kitchen, multipurpose rooms for up to 200 people, small meeting rooms, service-provider space, foyer and reception, and covered outdoor areas. As of late 2025, the capital project was in preliminary design, with Council awarding the proposed five-year lease and operation contract to Centacare Far North Queensland, subject to final trustee lease arrangements.
Cairns Gateway Estate (Riverstone Road North)
A 13.9 hectare mixed-use master planned development at the southern gateway to Cairns, now marketed as Cairns Gateway Estate. The site sits at the intersection of the Bruce Highway A1 and Riverstone Road (Gillies Highway), with 474m of highway frontage. Approved as an 11-lot subdivision across three precincts: Transport Oriented Service Activity (Precinct 1), Industry and Service Activity (Precincts 2A & 2B), and Community and Accommodation Activity (Precinct 3). Stage 1 civil works are complete with 9 of 11 lots sold, including Pearl Mobil Service Station, Hungry Jacks, Banjo Bakery, and Grace Removals. Stage 2 civil works are planned for June 2026. The development will provide the first fuel stop between Innisfail and Cairns over a 90 km stretch.
Cairns Bruce Highway Upgrade
Long-term upgrade program for the Bruce Highway between Wrights Creek and Draper Street in Cairns. Stage 1 (Sheehy Road to Kate Street, $150M) completed 2014; Stage 2 (Robert Road to Foster Road, $58M) completed 2017; Stage 4 (Kate Street to Aumuller Street) completed 2021; Stage 3 (Edmonton to Gordonvale) completed December 2023. Stage 5 (Foster Road grade-separated intersection upgrade) is currently in planning with $225 million committed on an 80:20 Australian/Queensland Government basis. AECOM Australia is engaged as planning consultant. The upgrade will improve traffic flow, safety, and ease congestion at the Foster Road intersection. A Stage 6 Earlville Bypass is also under preliminary investigation.
Employment
AreaSearch analysis reveals Bentley Park recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide
Bentley Park has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, prominent essential services sectors, and an unemployment rate of 5.3%. As of December 2025, there are 4738 employed residents, with an unemployment rate at 1.3% above Regional Queensland's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation is high at 70.4%, compared to Regional Queensland's 64.5%.
According to Census data, only 11.5% of residents work from home. Key industries for employment are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Bentley Park has a particular specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level. However, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 1% of Bentley Park's workforce compared to 4.5% in Regional Queensland.
The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force decreased by 1.2%, alongside a 3.5% decline in employment, leading to a rise of 2.3 percentage points in unemployment. In contrast, Regional Queensland saw employment growth of 0.7% and labour force growth of 1.0%, with unemployment rising by only 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bentley Park's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only and does not account for localized population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis
Income data from AreaSearch for financial year 2023 shows that Bentley Park SA2 has incomes below the national average. The median income is $57,416 and the average income is $63,377. In Regional Qld, the median income is $53,146 and the average income is $66,593. Based on a 11.36% growth in wages since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for March 2026 would be approximately $63,938 (median) and $70,577 (average). According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Bentley Park are at the 54th percentile nationally. The predominant income cohort is 41.6% of locals (3,843 people), earning between $1,500 and $2,999 annually. This aligns with the broader area where this cohort represents 31.7%. High housing costs consume 16.3% of income, leaving disposable income at the 55th percentile nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Bentley Park is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region
The dwelling structure in Bentley Park, as per the latest Census, consisted of 97.1% houses and 2.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Regional Qld's 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bentley Park was at 18.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 47.1% and rented ones at 34.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, lower than Regional Qld's average of $1,655. The median weekly rent in Bentley Park was $385, compared to Regional Qld's $345. Nationally, Bentley Park's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Bentley Park features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size
Family households account for 81.2% of all households, consisting of 36.6% couples with children, 25.8% couples without children, and 17.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 18.8%, with lone person households at 15.3% and group households comprising 3.4% of the total. The median household size is 3.0 people, which is larger than the Regional Queensland average of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Educational outcomes in Bentley Park fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment
The area's university qualification rate is 14.8%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.1%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.9%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 43.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.0%) and certificates (32.8%). Educational participation is high, with 35.6% currently enrolled in formal education: 13.9% in primary, 11.5% in secondary, and 3.4% in tertiary education.
Educational participation is notably high, with 35.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.9% in primary education, 11.5% in secondary education, and 3.4% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Bentley Park has 18 operational public transport stops, served by five distinct bus routes. These routes facilitate a total of 378 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is considered good, with residents residing an average of 311 meters from the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, Bentley Park sees most residents commuting outward, with cars being the primary mode of transport at 95%. On average, there are 1.7 vehicles per dwelling, exceeding the regional norm. According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 11.5% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.
Service frequency averages 54 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 21 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Bentley Park's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts
Health data for Bentley Park shows positive outcomes, with AreaSearch's analysis finding mortality rates and health conditions largely matching national benchmarks. Common health condition prevalence is low among the general population but higher among older, at-risk cohorts.
Approximately 50% of residents have private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues (7.4%) and asthma (7.0%), with 74.9% of residents reporting no medical ailments, higher than Regional Qld's 67.6%. Under-65 residents have better-than-average health outcomes. As of the latest data, Bentley Park has 10.2% of its population aged 65 and over (944 people), lower than Regional Qld's 20.4%, but still ranks lower nationally compared to the broader population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
In terms of cultural diversity, Bentley Park records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Bentley Park's cultural diversity aligns with its wider region, with 86.9% citizens, 82.1% born in Australia, and 85.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 49.7%. The 'Other' religious group is overrepresented at 2.0%, compared to Regional Qld's 0.8%.
In ancestry, Australian (24.4%) and English (22.4%) are top groups, with Other notably higher at 15.4% than the regional average of 6.9%. Some ethnic groups diverge: Australian Aboriginal is overrepresented at 8.5%, New Zealand at 1.1%, and Samoan at 0.5%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Bentley Park hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide
Bentley Park's median age is 32 years, which is considerably lower than Regional Queensland's average of 41 and substantially under the Australian median of 38. Relative to Regional Qld, Bentley Park has a higher concentration of 25-34 year-olds at 16.8%, but fewer 65-74 year-olds at 6.2%. Between the 2021 Census and present day, the 25-34 age group has grown from 14.8% to 16.8% of the population. Conversely, the 5-14 cohort has declined from 18.2% to 15.6%, and the 45-54 group has dropped from 12.8% to 11.4%. Demographic modeling suggests Bentley Park's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 25-34 cohort projected to grow by 34%, adding 530 residents to reach 2,085. In contrast, the 15-24 group is projected to contract by 80 residents.