Caloundra West - Baringa

Caloundra West - Baringa lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Caloundra West - Baringa's population was around 24,652 as of February 2026. This represents a growth of 8,945 people, an increase of 56.9% since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 15,707. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,953 as of June 2024 and an additional 3,820 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 520 persons per square kilometer. Caloundra West - Baringa's growth exceeded that of the Rest of Qld (9.1%) and the national average, making it a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 82.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are used. These state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 and based on 2022 data. Based on projected demographic shifts, Caloundra West - Baringa is predicted to experience exceptional growth, placing it in the top 10 percent of locations outside capital cities by 2041. The area is expected to expand by 32,996 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 122.9% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Caloundra West - Baringa was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Caloundra West - Baringa has seen approximately 782 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 3,912 homes. As of FY-26435 approvals have been recorded. On average, 2.5 new residents per year have been associated with each dwelling approved between FY-21 and FY-25. The average construction cost value for new homes is $298,000.

This financial year has seen $13.0 million in commercial development approvals. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Caloundra West - Baringa has 225.0% more development activity per person. Recent construction comprises 81.0% detached dwellings and 19.0% medium and high-density housing. The area has approximately 22 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 30,297 residents by 2041.

Construction pace is maintaining with projected growth, but increasing population may lead to greater competition among buyers.

Caloundra West - Baringa has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 90 projects potentially impacting this area. Key projects include Aura Business Park, Aura Hotel, New Bells Creek Zone Substation, and Aura District Sports Parks. The following details those most relevant:.

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

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AreaSearch analysis reveals Caloundra West - Baringa significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Caloundra West - Baringa has a skilled workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 2.7% as of September 2025. The area has shown relative employment stability over the past year.

There were 12,124 residents employed in September 2025, with an unemployment rate of 1.3% below Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation was high at 73.7%, compared to Rest of Qld's 65.7%. According to Census responses, only 13.2% of residents worked from home. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.

The area has a notable concentration in health care & social assistance, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 0.6% versus the regional average of 4.5%. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.7%, combined with employment decreasing by 0.3%, resulting in a fall in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia for May-25 suggest that Caloundra West - Baringa's employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

The Caloundra West - Baringa SA2 had a very high national income level according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year ended June 2023. The median income among taxpayers was $59,333 and the average income stood at $74,915, compared to figures of $53,146 and $66,593 respectively for Rest of Qld. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% from financial year ended June 2023 to September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $65,213 (median) and $82,339 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Caloundra West - Baringa clustered around the 58th percentile nationally. The largest segment comprised 42.5% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, with 10,477 residents falling into this bracket, mirroring regional levels where 31.7% occupied this bracket. High housing costs consumed 18.9% of income, but strong earnings still placed disposable income at the 54th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

Caloundra West - Baringa is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Caloundra West - Baringa, as per the latest Census evaluation, 86.0% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 13.9% consisting of semi-detached properties, apartments, and other types. This compares to Non-Metro Qld's figures of 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Caloundra West - Baringa stood at 22.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.4% and rented ones at 33.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,891, above Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,655. The median weekly rent in the area was $480, compared to Non-Metro Qld's figure of $375. Nationally, Caloundra West - Baringa's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Caloundra West - Baringa features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 80.3% of all households, including 38.7% couples with children, 26.4% couples without children, and 14.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 19.7%, with lone person households at 16.5% and group households making up 3.3%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

The educational profile of Caloundra West - Baringa exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Caloundra West show that 20.9% of residents aged 15 and above hold university degrees, compared to the Australian average of 30.4%. This indicates potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are the most common, at 15.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 44.1% of residents aged 15 and above holding them.

Advanced diplomas account for 12.8% and certificates for 31.3%. Educational participation is high, with 31.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.1% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 4.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Caloundra West - Baringa has 36 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by five different routes that together facilitate 501 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents on average located 303 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outside the area, with cars being the primary mode of transportation at 95%. On average, there are 1.6 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, only 13.2% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 71 trips per day, equating to approximately 13 weekly trips per individual stop.

Caloundra West - Baringa's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Caloundra West - Baringa. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low, particularly among younger cohorts.

Private health cover was high at approximately 57% of the total population (~13,953 people), compared to 52.5% across Rest of Qld. The most common medical conditions were mental health issues (9.0%) and asthma (8.1%). Seventy-one point eight percent declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.6% across Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among the working-age population were typical. Ten point three percent of residents were aged 65 and over (2,539 people), lower than the 20.4% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors were above average but ranked lower nationally than the broader population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Caloundra West - Baringa records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Caloundra West-Baringa, surveyed in 2016, had a higher-than-average cultural diversity with 9.8% speaking a language other than English at home and 23.9% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 44.0%. The 'Other' religious category showed an overrepresentation of 1.1%, compared to 0.8% regionally.

In terms of ancestry, the top groups were English (31.9%), Australian (26.9%), and Scottish (7.3%). Notable divergences included New Zealand (1.3% vs regional 0.9%), Maori (1.3% vs 0.8%), and South African (0.7% vs 0.5%) groups.

Caloundra West - Baringa's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Caloundra West-Baringa has a median age of 32 years, which is considerably lower than both the Rest of Queensland average of 41 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Rest of Queensland, Caloundra West-Baringa has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (18.1%) but fewer residents aged 55-64 (7.7%). Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the population aged 35 to 44 has grown from 15.8% to 17.5%, while the 25 to 34 age group increased from 16.7% to 18.1%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age cohort has declined from 16.3% to 14.9%. Demographic projections suggest that Caloundra West-Baringa's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 35 to 44 age group is projected to grow by 132%, adding 5,706 residents to reach a total of 10,013.