Cranbrook

Cranbrook has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Cranbrook's population is around 6,082 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 238 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,844 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,075 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 7 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,810 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Cranbrook's growth rate of 4.1% since the census positions it within 2.8 percentage points of the SA4 region (6.9%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 81.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence where utilised, AreaSearch is applying proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Considering the projected demographic shifts, over this period, projections indicate a decline in overall population by 389 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 25 to 34 age group, which is projected to grow by 132 people.

The level of residential development activity in Cranbrook is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Cranbrook has seen minimal new dwelling approvals in recent years, with fewer than one per year on average over the past five years. This low level of construction activity is typical of rural areas where housing needs are modest and development is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It should be noted that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures can vary significantly based on individual projects.

Cranbrook's development activity is notably lower than that of the Rest of Queensland and also below national averages. Given the expected stability or decline in population, housing pressure in Cranbrook is likely to remain low, potentially presenting opportunities for buyers.

With population expected to remain stable or decline, Cranbrook should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Cranbrook has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects likely to affect this region. Notable projects include: 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.

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The labour market performance in Cranbrook lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Cranbrook had an unemployment rate of 7.3% with key industries being health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate was 7.3%, with 2,780 residents employed.

This rate was 3.2% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Cranbrook was on par with Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Agriculture, forestry & fishing showed lower representation at 0.6% compared to the regional average of 4.5%.

The labour force increased by 0.2% during the year to September 2025 while employment declined by 1.9%, causing unemployment to rise by 2.0 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment rise by 1.7% and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov showed Queensland's employment contracted by 0.01%, with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Cranbrook's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Cranbrook SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $46,927 and an average level of $55,470. This is lower than the national average. Rest of Qld has levels of $50,780 (median) and $64,844 (average). Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Cranbrook are approximately $53,492 (median) and $63,230 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family, and personal incomes rank modestly in Cranbrook, between the 28th and 28th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 31.2% of residents earn between $1,500 - $2,999 (1,897 people), consistent with surrounding regions at 31.7%. After housing expenses, 86.1% of income remains for other expenses.

Cranbrook is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Cranbrook, as per the latest Census evaluation, 81.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 18.6% being semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is similar to Non-Metro Queensland's distribution of 81.3% houses and 18.7% other dwellings. Cranbrook had a higher home ownership rate at 34.6%, compared to the mortgaged (32.2%) and rented (33.2%) dwellings in the area. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro Queensland's average of $1,517. The median weekly rent in Cranbrook was $293, compared to Non-Metro Queensland's $305 and the national average of $375. Nationally, Cranbrook's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,300 versus Australia's average of $1,863.

Cranbrook features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 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 comprise the remaining 33.1%, with lone person households at 28.8% and group households making up 4.8%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of Queensland.

Educational outcomes in Cranbrook fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Cranbrook Trail's residents aged 15+ have 21.0% with university degrees, compared to Australia's 30.4%. This indicates potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are most common (14.1%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 36.4% holding them; advanced diplomas account for 9.5%, certificates for 26.9%.

Educational participation is high at 28.3%; primary education has 9.0%, secondary education 8.2%, and tertiary education 6.4%.

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. All of these are bus stops. They are served by 9 different routes that together provide 1012 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of the transport is rated as good. Residents typically live 230 meters from their nearest stop. On average, there are 144 trips per day across all routes. This means each stop gets about 42 weekly trips.

Health performance in Cranbrook is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data indicates significant health challenges in Cranbrook, with high prevalence of common conditions across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover rate is low at approximately 48%, covering around 2,895 people, compared to 53.3% in Rest of Qld and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 9.9% and 9.9% of residents respectively.

About 62.8% report no medical ailments, compared to 67.8% in Rest of Qld. Cranbrook has 20.9% residents aged 65 and over (1,273 people), higher than the 14.9% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

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's cultural diversity was found to be above average, with 19.2% of its population born overseas and 13.3% speaking a language other than English at home. The dominant religion in Cranbrook is Christianity, comprising 57.6% of the population, compared to 52.7% across the rest of Queensland. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups are Australian (25.3%), English (25.0%), and Other (9.0%).

Notably, certain ethnic groups have higher representation in Cranbrook than regionally: Filipino at 2.9% vs 1.1%, Australian Aboriginal at 6.3% vs 5.0%, and Samoan at 0.3% vs 0.1%.

Cranbrook's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Cranbrook's median age is 40, close to Rest of Qld's figure of 41 but slightly exceeding the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group comprises 14.5% of Cranbrook's population compared to Rest of Qld, while the 5-14 cohort makes up 10.1%. Post-2021 Census, the 25-34 age group grew from 13.0% to 14.5%, the 45-54 cohort declined from 12.4% to 10.3%, and the 5-14 group dropped from 11.8% to 10.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Cranbrook's age profile will significantly evolve. The 85+ group is projected to grow by 75 people, reaching 268 from 153. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 60% of the population growth. Meanwhile, the 75-84 and 35-44 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.