Bundaberg
Statistical Area - sa2

Bundaberg is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Bundaberg's population, as of Aug 2025, is approximately 6,550, reflecting a growth of 303 people since the 2021 Census. The population in 2021 was recorded at 6,247. This increase is inferred from ABS estimates: 6,554 as of June 2024 and an additional 20 validated new addresses post-Census. Population density stands at around 1,070 persons per square kilometer, aligning with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 86.8% of Bundaberg's recent population gains.

AreaSearch employs ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are used, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections lack age category splits; thus, AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings aligning with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort. Considering projected demographic shifts, Bundaberg is expected to experience a population increase just below the median of Australian non-metropolitan areas by 2041. Based on latest numbers, an expansion of 472 persons is projected over these 17 years, marking a total increase of approximately 7.3%.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Bundaberg according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Bundaberg has seen approximately 14 dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides data on a financial year basis, showing 74 approvals from FY21 to FY25 and 1 so far in FY26. Each dwelling built over these five years brought an average of 2.9 new residents, indicating strong demand that supports property values. New homes are constructed at an average cost of $506,000, aligning with regional trends.

This financial year has seen $22.7 million in commercial development approvals, reflecting moderate commercial growth. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Bundaberg has significantly less development activity, 64.0% below the regional average per person, which typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. This is also below the national average, suggesting maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent construction comprises 31.0% detached dwellings and 69.0% medium to high-density housing, marking a shift from the current 53.0% houses, indicating diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and affordability needs. Bundaberg has approximately 477 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established area. Population forecasts predict an increase of 476 residents by 2041. Construction pace is keeping up with projected growth, but buyers may face growing competition as population rises.

Population forecasts indicate Bundaberg will gain 476 residents through to 2041. Construction is maintaining a reasonable pace with projected growth, although buyers could encounter growing competition as population increases.

Bundaberg has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 37thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 18 projects that could impact this region. Notable projects include Bundaberg Regional Aquatic Facility, Bundaberg Civic and Cultural Precinct, Bundaberg Aquatic Centre, and New Bundaberg Hospital. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Employment drivers in Bundaberg are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Bundaberg has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 10.5% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 5%.

As of June 2025, there are 3,089 residents employed, but the unemployment rate is higher than Rest of Qld's at 6.6%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation lags significantly at 51.5% compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and accommodation & food. Agriculture, forestry & fishing shows notable concentration with employment levels at 3.2 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction has lower representation at 6.1% compared to the regional average of 10.1%. There are 1.7 workers for every resident, indicating Bundaberg functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. In the past year, employment increased by 5%, while labour force increased by 7.5%, resulting in a rise in unemployment by 2.2 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Qld where employment grew by 1.8% and unemployment rose by only 0.2 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows QLD employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs) with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, comparing favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 estimate growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bundaberg's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.3% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Bundaberg had a median taxpayer income of $44,728 and an average income of $55,270. These figures are below the national averages of $50,780 and $64,844 respectively in Rest of Qld. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Bundaberg would be approximately $49,966 (median) and $61,742 (average) as of March 2025. The 2021 Census reveals that household, family, and personal incomes in Bundaberg fall between the 3rd and 13th percentiles nationally. Income analysis indicates that the $400 - 799 bracket dominates with 29.9% of residents (1,958 people), differing from regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 category is predominant at 31.7%. Lower income households are prevalent, with 41.9% earning below $800 weekly, suggesting affordability pressures for many residents. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 79.6% of income remaining, ranking at the 4th percentile nationally.

Bundaberg displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Bundaberg, as per the latest Census evaluation, 53.0% of dwellings were houses while 46.9% comprised semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasted with Non-Metro Queensland's 84.6% houses and 15.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bundaberg stood at 21.0%, with mortgaged properties at 16.5% and rented ones at 62.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,118, lower than Non-Metro Queensland's average of $1,300. Weekly rent in Bundaberg was recorded at $250, compared to $285 in Non-Metro Queensland. Nationally, Bundaberg's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 51.2% of all households, including 14.1% couples with children, 19.9% couples without children, and 15.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 48.8%, with lone person households at 42.9% and group households comprising 5.6%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.4.

Bundaberg faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 17.5%, substantially below the Australian average of 30.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 13.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 2.8% and graduate diplomas at 1.2%. Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 36.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas at 7.8% and certificates at 28.3%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 27.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.2% in primary education, 7.5% in secondary education, and 3.7% pursuing tertiary education. A robust network of seven schools operates within Bundaberg, educating approximately 3,047 students while demonstrating typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 955) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with six primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. The area functions as an education hub with 46.5 school places per 100 residents - significantly above the regional average of 13.9, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Analysis of public transport in Bundaberg shows that there are currently 39 active transport stops operating within the city. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 12 individual routes providing service. Collectively, these routes offer 493 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport is rated as good, with residents typically located approximately 233 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are about 70 trips per day across all routes, which equates to roughly 12 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Bundaberg is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Bundaberg faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Approximately 48% (~3117 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions in Bundaberg, impacting 11.6% and 10.4% of residents respectively. Around 60.7% claim to be free from medical ailments, compared to 59.1% in the rest of Queensland. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 17.2% (~1125 people), compared to 26.3% in the rest of Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors are challenging but broadly align with the general population's health profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Bundaberg was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Bundaberg's cultural diversity was found to be above average, with 22.0% of its population born overseas and 14.5% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was identified as the main religion in Bundaberg, comprising 45.7% of people residing there. Notably, Buddhism made up 2.5% of Bundaberg's population, which is higher than the 1.1% figure recorded for the rest of Queensland.

Regarding ancestry, the top three represented groups were English at 28.6%, Australian at 26.6%, and Other at 8.1%. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences in representation compared to regional averages: German was overrepresented at 5.2% (versus 6.4%), Australian Aboriginal at 5.0% (versus 3.4%), and Korean at 0.6% (versus 0.2%).

Bundaberg's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Bundaberg's median age is 37 years, which is notably lower than the Rest of Queensland average of 41 years but closely aligns with Australia's median age of 38 years. The age group of 25-34 years is significantly over-represented in Bundaberg at 19.0%, compared to the Rest of Queensland average, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 9.6%. Post the 2021 Census, Bundaberg's population aged 25 to 34 years has increased from 16.2% to 19.0%, whereas those aged 65 to 74 have decreased from 10.4% to 9.1%, and the 5-14 age group has fallen from 10.7% to 9.6%. By 2041, Bundaberg's age profile is projected to change significantly, with the 25-34 age cohort expected to grow by 25%, adding 305 residents to reach a total of 1,551. Conversely, both the 55-64 and 5-14 age groups are predicted to decrease in numbers.