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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
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
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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
According to the analysis by AreaSearch, the population of Bentley Park stands at approximately 9,238 as of May 2026. This represents a growth of 878 individuals (10.5%) relative to the 8,360 residents recorded in the 2021 Census. This adjustment is calculated using the June 2025 ABS estimated resident population of 9,214 alongside 216 validated new addresses identified since the Census. Consequently, the population density reaches 1,346 persons per square kilometer, exceeding the typical figure for national locations analyzed by AreaSearch. The 10.5% expansion rate of Bentley Park since the 2021 census outpaced the SA3 area (6.9%) and the SA4 region, positioning it as a leading growth zone locally. Demographic expansion was driven mostly by natural increase, which accounted for roughly 55.0% of the population rise during recent times, though interstate migration, overseas migration, and other factors also contributed positively.
Projections from ABS and Geoscience Australia, published in 2024 with a 2022 baseline, are utilized by AreaSearch for each SA2 area. In cases where this dataset is incomplete, or for periods after 2032, projections from the Queensland State Government released in 2023 (using 2021 baseline data) are substituted. Because these state-level figures lack age-specific breakdowns, AreaSearch allocates growth across age brackets using proportional weightings derived from the 2023 ABS Greater Capital Region projections (based on 2022 data). Looking at demographic trends, population growth is expected to exceed the median for non-metropolitan parts of Australia, with the local population projected to rise by 1,704 individuals by 2041 relative to the most recent annual ERP statistics, representing an overall increase of 18.2% across the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Bentley Park among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide
Over the last 5 financial years, Bentley Park recorded an average of approximately 76 dwelling approvals annually, summing to 383 residences. During the current FY-26 period, 17 approvals have been logged. With an average of 1.7 new inhabitants arriving for each new dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25, demand matches supply closely, supporting a balanced market. The average estimated construction cost for these new properties is $287,000, which sits below regional averages and highlights more budget-friendly options for buyers. Furthermore, commercial building approvals have reached $2.0 million during the current financial year, underlining the residential character of the locality.
Bentley Park displays 147.0% more building approval activity per capita than the Rest of Qld, providing prospective buyers with broader options. The composition of new projects is heavily weighted toward detached houses at 98.0%, with apartments or townhouses making up just 2.0%, thereby maintaining a suburban profile that appeals to buyers seeking extra space. The ratio of residents to each residential approval is roughly 115 people, pointing toward a growing market.
Future outlooks estimate that Bentley Park will add 1,680 inhabitants by 2041, measured from the most recent quarterly estimate by AreaSearch. In light of current construction trends, the supply of new housing is positioned to accommodate this demand easily, creating favorable conditions for home buyers and potentially supporting population expansion beyond current forecasts.
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
Developments in public works, major constructions, and planning strategies strongly influence localized real estate performance. AreaSearch has identified 10 key projects that are expected to impact the local area. Chief among these developments are The Outlook, Cherrybrook Estate, Parkside Estate, and Cairns Gateway Estate (Riverstone Road North), with specific details of the most significant projects outlined below.
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
The local labor market features a balanced distribution of white-collar and blue-collar positions, alongside solid representation in essential services, accompanied by an unemployment rate of 5.4%. Working residents numbered 4,687 as of March 2026, with the local unemployment rate sitting 1.5% higher than the Regional Qld level of 3.9%. Workforce participation is high, reaching 69.8% compared to 64.3% across Regional Qld. Census data indicated that a modest 11.5% of the workforce operated from home, though this figure may reflect the influence of pandemic-related restrictions.
The primary employment sectors for local citizens are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Public administration & safety shows a distinct concentration locally, with its share of employment reaching 1.5 times the regional proportion. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is minor, employing just 1.0% of the workforce in Bentley Park compared to 4.5% across Regional Qld. A comparison of the Census working population against the resident workforce suggests that this residential suburb offers relatively few jobs within its borders.
AreaSearch's evaluation of SALM and ABS statistics shows that in the year leading to March 2026, the local workforce shrank by 2.0% while total employment fell by 4.4%, leading to a 2.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. In comparison, Regional Qld experienced a 0.1% rise in employment, a 0.3% increase in the labor force, and a 0.1 percentage point uptick in unemployment. National employment projections from Jobs and Skills Australia released in May-25 provide a benchmark for future demand trends in Bentley Park. These projections, spanning five and ten years, have been applied to the local workforce structure to model potential growth. Nationwide employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though rates of change vary widely by sector. Projecting these industry trends onto the occupational profile of Bentley Park suggests local jobs could grow by 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, representing a basic weighted extrapolation that does not incorporate local population forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis
The most recent ATO postcode data analyzed by AreaSearch for the 2023 financial year indicates that personal earnings in the Bentley Park SA2 sit below national benchmarks, with a median of $57,416 and an average of $63,377. This compares to a median of $53,146 and an average of $66,593 across Regional Qld. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since the 2023 financial year, estimated figures as of March 2026 would be around $63,938 for the median and $70,577 for the average. In the 2021 Census, individual, family, and household incomes clustered around the 54th percentile nationally. The largest group of local earners, comprising 41.6% of residents (3,843 people), falls into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, which is mirrored in the wider region where this bracket accounts for 31.7%. Residential costs account for 16.3% of income, yet solid overall earnings keep disposable income at the 55th percentile.
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 housing stock in Bentley Park at the time of the last Census was dominated by separate houses at 97.1%, with other options like apartments and semi-detached dwellings making up 2.9%, compared to 76.4% houses and 23.6% other options in Regional Qld. Home ownership rates in Bentley Park were lower than the regional benchmark, standing at 18.2%, with the remaining dwellings occupied by mortgage holders (47.1%) or tenants (34.7%). The median monthly mortgage cost locally was $1,517, which is lower than the Regional Qld median of $1,655, while the median weekly rent was $385, compared to $345 regionally. On a national level, mortgage repayments in Bentley Park are lower than the Australian median of $1,863, whereas rental costs exceed the national median of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Bentley Park features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size
Families make up the vast majority of households at 81.2%, consisting of couples with children at 36.6%, couples without children at 25.8%, and single parent households at 17.8%. The remaining 18.8% consist of non-family living arrangements, with single person households representing 15.3% and group households at 3.4%. The median household size of 3.0 people exceeds the Regional Qld 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
Educational attainment levels present a challenge, with the university qualification rate of 14.8% sitting well below the national mark of 30.4%, pointing to opportunities for targeted educational programs. Bachelor degrees represent the largest share of higher education at 11.1%, followed by graduate diplomas at 1.9% and postgraduate degrees at 1.8%. Vocational and technical qualifications are common, with 43.8% of residents aged 15+ holding credentials, including advanced diplomas at 11.0% and certificate level qualifications at 32.8%.
Enrolment levels in the suburb are high, with 35.6% of local residents participating in structured learning. This cohort is composed of 13.9% in primary schools, 11.5% in secondary schools, and 3.4% in higher education institutions.
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
Analysis of the public transport system indicates there are 18 active stops within Bentley Park, consisting of bus services. These stops are connected to 5 routes, which support a total of 378 weekly passenger journeys. Access to transport is rated highly, with the average distance from homes to the nearest stop standing at 311 meters. Because the area is mostly residential, the majority of workers travel outside the suburb, with private vehicles remaining the primary mode of travel at 95%. Households average 1.7 cars, which is higher than the regional average. A small share of the workforce, 11.5%, worked from home according to the 2021 Census, which may reflect pandemic circumstances.
Services run at an average frequency of 54 trips per day across all local routes, which translates to roughly 21 weekly departures per transport 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 outcomes for the local population are generally favorable, with AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality data and health profiles showing outcomes that align with national averages. The rate of common health issues is low within the general community, although elevated rates are seen among older and vulnerable cohorts. Private health insurance membership is relatively low, covering approximately 50% of the population (~4,665 people), compared to the Australian average of 55.7%.
Mental health conditions and asthma are the most common diagnoses locally, affecting 7.4% and 7.0% of the population, respectively. Meanwhile, 74.9% of residents reported having no chronic medical conditions, compared to 67.6% across Regional Qld. Health outcomes for residents under the age of 65 are better than average. Residents aged 65 and over make up 10.2% of the population (944 people), which is lower than the Regional Qld average of 20.4%, although this older group ranks lower nationally than the broader local community.
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 aligns closely with regional averages for cultural metrics, with citizenship at 86.9%, Australian-born residents at 82.1%, and English-only speakers at 85.5%. Christianity is the leading religious affiliation, encompassing 49.7% of the population. A notable divergence is the Other category, which represents 2.0% of local residents compared to 0.8% across Regional Qld.
Regarding family heritage (parents' place of birth), the primary groups in Bentley Park are Australian at 24.4% and English at 22.4%, with the English share being lower than the regional average of 29.6%. The Other category is high at 15.4%, compared to the regional figure of 6.9%. Other key demographic differences include Australian Aboriginal residents making up 8.5% of the local population (compared to 3.9% regionally), New Zealand heritage at 1.1% (versus 0.9%), and Samoan heritage at 0.5% (versus 0.2%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Bentley Park hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide
The median age of 32 years in Bentley Park is lower than both the Regional Qld average of 41 and the national median of 38. The suburb contains a larger share of residents aged 25 - 34 (16.8%) but fewer aged 65 - 74 (6.2%) compared to Regional Qld. Since the 2021 Census, the 25 to 34 bracket has increased from 14.8% to 16.8% of the population, while the 5 to 14 cohort declined from 18.2% to 15.6%, and the 45 to 54 group fell from 12.8% to 11.4%. Demographic models suggest that by 2041, the age structure will change, with the 25 to 34 age bracket projected to grow the most at 34%, adding 530 residents to reach 2,085, whereas the 15 to 24 age bracket is expected to decrease by 80 residents.