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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Caloundra West - Baringa's population is around 24,652 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 8,945 people (56.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,707 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,953 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 3,820 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 520 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Caloundra West - Baringa's 56.9% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the Rest of Qld (9.1%) and the national average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, which contributed approximately 82.4% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers, including natural growth and overseas migration, were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, are adopted. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence, where utilised, AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Considering the projected demographic shifts, exceptional growth, placing it in the top 10 percent of locations outside of capital cities, is predicted over the period, with the area expected to expand by 32,996 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 122.9% in total 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 experienced around 782 dwellings receiving development approval annually, totalling 3,912 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26505 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 2.5 new residents per year for each dwelling over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), indicating healthy demand that should support property values, new homes are being built at an average construction cost of $298,000—under regional levels—indicating more accessible housing choices for buyers. Additionally, $13.0 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

Relative to the Rest of Qld, Caloundra West - Baringa has 225.0% more development activity (per person), offering buyers greater choice. This is well above average nationally, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. Recent construction comprises 81.0% detached dwellings and 19.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The location has approximately 22 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market.

Population forecasts indicate Caloundra West - Baringa will gain 30,297 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Construction is maintaining a reasonable pace with projected growth, although buyers could encounter growing competition as population increases.

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

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 90 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Aura Business Park, Aura Hotel, New Bells Creek Zone Substation, and Aura District Sports Parks, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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.

AreaSearch assessment positions Caloundra West - Baringa ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Caloundra West - Baringa features a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, and an unemployment rate of only 3.0%. As of December 2025, 11,968 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 1.0% below Regional Qld's rate of 4.0%, and workforce participation is well beyond standard (72.9% compared to Regional Qld's 65.4%). Based on Census responses, a low 13.2% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. The area demonstrates a particularly 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%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.6% combined with employment decreasing by 2.6%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. This compares to Regional Qld, where employment grew by 0.7%, labour force expanded by 1.0%, and unemployment rose 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Caloundra West - Baringa. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Caloundra West - Baringa's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 14.1% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Caloundra West - Baringa SA2's income level is very high nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Caloundra West - Baringa SA2's median income among taxpayers is $59,333 and the average income stands at $74,915, which compares to figures for Regional Qld's of $53,146 and $66,593 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $65,213 (median) and $82,339 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Caloundra West - Baringa cluster around the 58th percentile nationally. The data shows the largest segment comprises 42.5% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (10,477 residents), mirroring regional levels where 31.7% occupy this bracket. High housing costs consume 18.9% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 54th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places 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

Dwelling structure within Caloundra West - Baringa, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 86.0% houses and 13.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional Qld's 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Caloundra West - Baringa was lagging that of Regional Qld, at 22.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (44.4%) or rented (33.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Regional Qld average at $1,891, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $480, compared to Regional Qld's $1,655 and $345. Nationally, Caloundra West - Baringa's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are 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 dominate at 80.3% of all households, comprising 38.7% couples with children, 26.4% couples without children, and 14.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 19.7%, with lone person households at 16.5% and group households comprising 3.3% of the total. The median household size of 2.8 people is larger than the Regional 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 - Baringa trail regional benchmarks, with 20.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 30.4% in Australia. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 15.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 44.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (12.8%) and certificates (31.3%).

Educational participation is notably 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

Public transport analysis reveals 36 active transport stops operating within Caloundra West - Baringa, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 5 individual routes, collectively providing 501 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 303 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 95%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling. A relatively low 13.2% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 71 trips per day across all routes, 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, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Younger cohorts in particular see very low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~13,953 people), compared to 52.5% across Regional Qld.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 9.0% and 8.1% of residents, respectively, while 71.8% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 67.6% across Regional Qld. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 10.3% of residents aged 65 and over (2,539 people), which is lower than the 20.4% in Regional Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, though ranking 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 was found to be above average in terms of cultural diversity, with 9.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 23.9% born overseas. The main religion in Caloundra West - Baringa is Christianity, which makes up 44.0% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Other, which comprises 1.1% of the population, compared to 0.8% across Regional Qld.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Caloundra West - Baringa are English, comprising 31.9% of the population, Australian, comprising 26.9% of the population, and Scottish, comprising 7.3% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: New Zealand is notably overrepresented at 1.3% of Caloundra West - Baringa (vs 0.9% regionally), Maori at 1.3% (vs 0.8%) and South Australian at 0.7% (vs 0.5%).

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

At 32 years, Caloundra West - Baringa's median age is considerably lower than the Regional Qld average of 41 and substantially under the Australian median of 38. Relative to Regional Qld, Caloundra West - Baringa has a higher concentration of 25 - 34 residents (18.1%) but fewer 55 - 64 year-olds (7.7%). Since the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 15.8% to 17.5% of the population, while the 25 to 34 cohort increased from 16.7% to 18.1%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 16.3% to 14.9%. Demographic modeling suggests Caloundra West - Baringa's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 35 to 44 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 132%, adding 5,706 residents to reach 10,013.