Chart Color Schemes
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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Sales Detail
What it costs to rent in Cranbrook
Median weekly rents, year-on-year movement and bond-lodgement activity for Cranbrook (4814). Sourced from the NSW Rental Bond Board, DCJ Family & Community Services.
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| Dwelling | Bedrooms | Median $/wk | Active bonds | New bonds (Qtr) | YoY | Quality |
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SOURCE: NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ Family & Community Services), processed by AreaSearch. Imputed values are flagged. Latest publication:
Population
Cranbrook has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch
Cranbrook's population is around 6,096 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 5,844 people. The increase is inferred from ABS estimated resident population figures of 6,096 in June 2025 and five validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,814 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Cranbrook's growth rate of 4.3% since the census is within 2.8 percentage points of the SA4 region's 7.1%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 87.5% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.
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 from 2023 based on 2021 data are used. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 and based on 2022 data for each age cohort. Looking ahead, projections indicate a decline in overall population by 361 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 85 and over age group projected to increase by 132 people.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
The level of residential development activity in Cranbrook is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch
Cranbrook approved less than one new dwelling annually over the past five years. This minimal activity is typical in rural areas due to modest housing needs and limited construction by local demand and infrastructure capacity. Yearly growth figures may fluctuate significantly with such low approval numbers.
Cranbrook's development activity is notably lower compared to Rest of Qld, and it falls below national patterns. The population is expected to remain stable or decline, potentially easing pressure on housing and creating opportunities for buyers.
With population expected to remain stable or decline, Cranbrook should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Cranbrook
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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
Cranbrook has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally
Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects that may impact this region. Notable projects include the Townsville University Hospital Expansion, Cranbrook Social Housing Development, Willows Shopping Centre Redevelopment, and TropiQ - Townsville Tropical Intelligence and Health Precinct. The following list details those most relevant:.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Townsville University Hospital Expansion
A major staged expansion of Townsville University Hospital under the Queensland Government's Hospital Rescue Plan. The expansion will deliver at least 165 new overnight beds, additional operating theatres including a hybrid theatre, an expanded Emergency Department, satellite imaging facilities, an upgraded coronary care unit, a new rehab therapy unit and a rooftop integrated helipad. Stage 1A scope includes a new two-storey building on the Eastern Campus with 112 sub-acute beds, medical imaging and outpatient services, plus a three-storey refurbishment of the North Block adding 28 intensive and critical care beds and increased emergency capacity. Following the removal of Best Practice Industry Conditions in late 2024, Stage 2 was returned to market. The masterplan was finalised in December 2025 with Stage 1 now fast-tracked for completion in 2028. Registrations of Interest opened in November 2025 and a managing contractor for the next stage is expected to be appointed in 2026. Early works including a temporary helipad, additional staff parking and a new multi-storey carpark (more than 1,000 spaces, delivered by Hutchinson Builders, due 2029) are progressing alongside an eastern campus carpark expansion by Shamrock Civil.
TropiQ - Townsville Tropical Intelligence and Health Precinct
A 442-hectare tropical intelligence and health precinct, valued at approximately 5.9 billion dollars, being developed as a joint initiative of James Cook University, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, and Townsville City Council. Located 13km from the Townsville CBD adjacent to Townsville University Hospital and bordering Lavarack Barracks (Australia's largest Army base), TropiQ aims to be a global hub for tropical research, health innovation and defence simulation. Key components include the Townsville University Hospital expansion (originally 530 million dollars but now exceeding 1 billion dollars after cost escalations, with Stage 1 site works complete and Stage 2 retendered by the Crisafulli Government in late 2024), the 32 million dollar NQ Spark defence simulation facility, a Technology Innovation Complex, a proposed 100-bed private hospital, hotel accommodation, university-linked high school, aged care, childcare, multi-deck carparks and a residential development program on 100 hectares of JCU land. JCU's Stage 1 residential program is scheduled to deliver 250 to 300 dwellings on 16 hectares at the north-west entry, with the precinct ultimately accommodating around 10,000 residents. The precinct currently houses about 70 organisations and contributes 3.5 billion dollars to the regional economy annually, with output projected to grow to over 4.4 billion dollars by 2035.
Kirwan Health Campus Expansion
A 45.2 million dollar expansion of the Kirwan Health Campus involving the construction of a new two-storey Green Star-rated building and refurbishment of existing facilities. The project doubles the capacity for oral health services and significantly expands pre-natal and post-natal midwifery clinics. Key features include a new chiller plant, a 120-bay car park, and upgraded TeleHealth infrastructure to support clinical services for the growing North Queensland population.
Weststate Private Hospital
A $60 million short-stay private hospital development transforming the heritage-listed former Townsville West State School into specialist consulting suites, with a new five-storey purpose-built hospital next door. The project includes four operating theatres, one procedure room, a HDU/ICU, 19 day beds, 26 overnight rooms, consulting rooms, cafe and 24/7 kitchen. Official project sources indicate construction has commenced and Centuria schedules completion for 2026.
North Queensland Simulation Park (NQ SPARK)
The North Queensland Simulation Park (NQ SPARK) is northern Australia's first collaborative defence industry hub, delivering world-class simulation training and research for the defence, science, health, emergency response and knowledge sectors. The not-for-profit precinct will house an Advanced Environmental Simulation Facility (AESF), a Clinical Simulation Centre, an agile Command and Control (C2) team performance research laboratory, and high-performance computing infrastructure. Stage 1 is funded by a 32.2 million dollar Federal Government grant under the Townsville City Deal, with a further 35 million dollars in private sector investment expected for the broader precinct. In 2025, NQ SPARK signed a lease with James Cook University for a permanent home on the ground floor of the Clinical Practice Building at JCU's Bebegu Yumba campus in Douglas, with fitout works now underway. The site sits within the tropical innovation precinct adjacent to Townsville University Hospital and Lavarack Army Barracks. An interim facility continues to operate at Vickers Road North, Condon, where simulation experiments and capability development are being conducted to inform the permanent build. The project is forecast to generate up to 800 jobs and inject more than 200 million dollars into the local economy.
Willows Shopping Centre Redevelopment
Major redevelopment and expansion of Willows Shopping Centre including new fresh food precinct and introduction of ALDI, TK Maxx, and Planet Fitness. Centre sold for $212 million in 2024 featuring 44,507sqm GLA on 15.39-hectare site.
Douglas Water Treatment Plant Clarifiers Upgrade
The project involved the installation of two new clarifiers at the Douglas Water Treatment Plant to double the number of clarifiers, enhancing water treatment capacity during tropical weather events and providing additional water security for Townsvilles growing population. The new infrastructure treats 950 litres per second through Module 3 and 1100 litres per second through Module 4.
Ross River Dam to Douglas Water Treatment Plant Pipeline Renewal
Renewal and duplication of a 9.5km pipeline connecting Ross River Dam to Douglas Water Treatment Plant, enhancing resilience and water security for Townsville, which supplies approximately 85% of the city's water.
Employment
The labour market performance in Cranbrook lags significantly behind most other regions nationally
Cranbrook has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate in December 2025 was 7.1%. At that time, 2,747 residents were employed, which is 3.1% higher than Regional Qld's rate of 4.0%, indicating room for improvement.
Workforce participation lagged significantly at 57.3%, compared to Regional Qld's 64.5%. According to Census responses, only 5.7% of residents worked from home. The key industries of employment among residents were health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade.
Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing showed lower representation at 0.6%, compared to the regional average of 4.5%. The predominantly residential area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force increased by 0.0% while employment declined by 1.8%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 1.8 percentage points. This contrasted with Regional Qld, where employment rose by 0.7%, the labour force grew by 1.0%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offered further insight into potential future demand within Cranbrook. These projections estimated national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates differed significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Cranbrook's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch
AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for FY2023 shows Cranbrook SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $48,860 and an average income of $57,593. These figures are lower than national averages of $53,146 (median) and $66,593 (average) in Regional Qld. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since FY2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $54,410 (median) and $64,136 (average). Census data ranks household, family, and personal incomes in Cranbrook between the 28th and 28th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 31.2% of residents earn between $1,500 - 2,999, consistent with surrounding regions at 31.7%. After housing expenses, 86.1% of income remains for other expenses.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Cranbrook is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
The dwelling structure in Cranbrook, as per the latest Census, consisted of 81.5% houses and 18.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Regional Qld's figures of 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cranbrook was at 34.6%, similar to Regional Qld's level. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 32.2% while rented properties made up 33.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Regional Qld's average of $1,655. The median weekly rent in Cranbrook was recorded at $293, compared to Regional Qld's figure of $345. Nationally, Cranbrook's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Cranbrook features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size
Family households account for 66.9% of all households, including 24.4% couples with children, 26.0% couples without children, and 14.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.1%, with lone person households at 28.8% and group households comprising 4.8%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the Regional Queensland average.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Educational outcomes in Cranbrook fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment
Cranbrook Trail residents aged 15+ have varying educational qualifications compared to national benchmarks. Specifically, 21.0% hold university degrees, while Australia's figure stands at 30.4%. This gap suggests potential for educational development and skill enhancement in the region. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 14.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%).
Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 36.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (9.5%) and certificates (26.9%). Educational participation is notably high, with 28.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (9.0%), secondary education (8.2%), and tertiary education (6.4%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Cranbrook has 24 active public transport stops operating within the area. These stops are served by 9 different bus routes, which together facilitate 1,012 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transport services is rated as good, with residents on average located 230 meters from their nearest stop. As a predominantly residential community, most residents commute outward, primarily using cars (90%). On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling in Cranbrook, which is lower than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, only 5.7% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by COVID-19 conditions.
Across all routes, service frequency averages 144 trips per day, resulting in approximately 42 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Cranbrook is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts
Cranbrook's health data shows significant issues based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, affecting both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low at around 48% (approximately 2,901 people), compared to Regional Qld's 52.5% and the national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 9.9% each of residents.
Around 62.8% report no medical ailments, lower than Regional Qld's 67.6%. Working-age population faces notable health challenges with higher chronic condition rates. Cranbrook has 21.2% (1,291 people) aged 65 and over, with senior health outcomes broadly in line with national rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
In terms of cultural diversity, Cranbrook records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Cranbrook has a cultural diversity level above average, with 19.2% of its population born overseas and 13.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Cranbrook, making up 57.6% of the population, compared to 52.2% across Regional Queensland. The top three represented ancestry groups are Australian (25.3%), English (25.0%), and Other (9.0%).
Notably, Filipino representation is higher than average at 2.9%, while Australian Aboriginal is at 6.3% and Samoan at 0.3%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Cranbrook's population is slightly older than the national pattern
Cranbrook's median age is 40, close to Regional Queensland's figure of 41 but exceeding the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group comprises 14.8%, higher than Regional Queensland, while the 45-54 cohort stands at 9.8%. According to the 2021 Census, the 25-34 age group grew from 13.0% to 14.8%, and the 35-44 cohort increased from 11.2% to 12.2%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort declined from 12.4% to 9.8%, and the 5-14 group dropped from 11.8% to 10.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Cranbrook's age profile. The 85+ group is expected to grow by 69 people, reaching 307 from 181. Those aged 65 and above will comprise 76% of projected population growth. Meanwhile, the 75-84 and 35-44 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.