Buddina - Minyama

Population growth drivers in Buddina - Minyama are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Buddina-Minyama's population is around 7,557 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 601 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,956. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,199 in June 2024 and an additional 375 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,843 persons per square kilometer. Buddina-Minyama's 8.6% growth since census positions it within 0.5 percentage points of the Rest of Qld (9.1%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 82.4%.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered or years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. These state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings are applied in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Population projections indicate an above median growth for regional areas, with Buddina-Minyama expected to increase by 1,359 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 13.2% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Buddina - Minyama when compared nationally

Buddina - Minyama has seen approximately 62 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 314 homes. As of FY-26, 13 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.1 new residents settle annually for each dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. New properties are being built at an average cost of $653,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment.

In FY-26, $4.0 million in commercial approvals have been registered. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Buddina - Minyama records around 59% of building activity per person and ranks at the 64th percentile nationally. New development consists of 24.0% detached houses and 76.0% attached dwellings, marking a shift from the current housing pattern of 69.0% houses. With approximately 276 people settling per dwelling approval, Buddina - Minyama shows signs of growth. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is expected to gain around 1,001 residents by 2041.

Current construction levels should meet housing demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Buddina - Minyama has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

AreaSearch has identified a total of twelve projects likely to impact the area, significantly influencing its performance through changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. Key projects include Mooloolaba Foreshore Revitalisation Project - Stage 2, The Point Buddina, Mooloolaba Foreshore Revitalisation Project, and Lowanna Beach Resort. The following list details those most relevant.

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.

The labour market in Buddina - Minyama shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Buddina-Minyama has an educated workforce with a notable construction sector and an unemployment rate of 2.4% as of September 2025. The area's unemployment rate is 1.7% below the Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%, but its workforce participation is lower at 62.2%. According to Census responses, 17.9% of residents work from home.

Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade, with construction employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 0.9% versus the regional average of 4.5%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, Buddina-Minyama's labour force decreased by 2.8%, employment declined by 2.7%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.1 percentage points.

This contrasts with Rest of Qld where employment rose by 1.7% and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Buddina-Minyama's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

The latest postcode level ATO data from AreaSearch for financial year 2023 indicates that Buddina - Minyama SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $55,379 and an average of $81,920. This places it among the highest in Australia compared to Rest of Qld's median of $53,146 and average of $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $60,867 (median) and $90,038 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows household, family and personal incomes in Buddina - Minyama cluster around the 51st percentile nationally. The earnings profile reveals that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 29.0% of residents (2,191 people), aligning with the region where this cohort likewise represents 31.7%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.3% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 49th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Buddina - Minyama displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Buddina-Minyama, as per the latest Census, consisted of 69.2% houses and 30.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro Qld had 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Buddina-Minyama was at 43.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.1% and rented ones at 27.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,167, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,655. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $450, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $345. Nationally, Buddina-Minyama's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Buddina - Minyama features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 69.8% of all households, consisting of 26.8% couples with children, 31.9% couples without children, and 10.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 30.2%, with lone person households at 25.6% and group households comprising 4.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

The educational profile of Buddina - Minyama exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates of 27.6%, exceeding the Rest of Qld average of 20.6% and the SA3 area's rate of 23.6%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 37.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.3%) and certificates (25.6%).

Educational participation is high at 26.8%, with 9.5% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 4.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Buddina - Minyama has six active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by seven different routes that together facilitate 1,381 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these transport services is limited, with residents living an average distance of 619 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential area, most residents commute outside of Buddina - Minyama, primarily using cars (92%). On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling in the area. According to the 2021 Census, 17.9% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

The service frequency across all routes is 197 trips per day on average, equating to approximately 230 weekly trips per individual stop.

Buddina - Minyama's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data for Buddina - Minyama shows excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Younger cohorts have a very low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (4,526 people), compared to 52.5% across Rest of Qld. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 9.8 and 7.0% of residents respectively. 69.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.6% across Rest of Qld. The under-65 population has better than average health outcomes. The area has 24.6% of residents aged 65 and over (1,855 people), higher than the 20.4% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong but rank lower nationally compared to the broader population.

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

Buddina-Minyama was found to have below average cultural diversity, with 86.9% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (79.1%), and speaking English only at home (94.3%). Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 49.3% of Buddina-Minyama's population. However, Judaism is overrepresented, making up 0.2%, compared to 0.1% across the rest of Queensland.

The top three ancestry groups are English (33.3%), Australian (25.4%), and Scottish (9.6%). Notably, South African (0.7%) and German (4.4%) ethnicities have higher representation in Buddina-Minyama compared to regional averages.

Buddina - Minyama hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Buddina-Minyama's median age of 46 years is significantly higher than Rest of Qld's 41 and the national average of 38 years. Compared to Rest of Qld, Buddina-Minyama has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (13.1%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (8.7%). Between the 2021 Census and present, the population aged 15-24 has increased from 10.4% to 12.0%, while the 25-34 cohort has also risen from 10.8% to 12.0%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group has decreased from 10.8% to 8.7%, and the 55-64 group has dropped from 14.9% to 13.4%. By 2041, Buddina-Minyama's population is expected to experience notable shifts in its age composition, with the 25-34 group projected to grow by 33%, reaching 1,213 people from 909. Meanwhile, the 15-24 cohort is projected to decline by 81 people.