Douglas
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Douglas are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Douglas's population was around 8,369 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 501 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 7,868 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,371 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 19 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 106 persons per square kilometer. Douglas's growth rate of 6.4% since the census positioned it within 0.5 percentage points of the SA4 region (6.9%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 80.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 were used, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections did not provide age category splits, so proportional growth weightings were applied in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Demographic trends predicted exceptional growth over the period to 2041, with the area expected to expand by 5,964 persons, recording a gain of 71.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

Douglas averaged approximately eight new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 40 homes. As of FY-26, no approvals have been recorded yet. On average, 4.6 people moved to the area each year for every dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating significant demand exceeding new supply. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost value of $252,000, below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers.

This financial year has seen $187.9 million in commercial approvals, signifying robust local business investment. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Douglas shows substantially reduced construction levels, 77.0% below the regional average per person, which generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. This activity is also under the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. Recent building activity consists solely of standalone homes, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. Notably, developers are constructing more detached housing than the existing pattern implies, reflecting persistent strong demand for family homes amid densification trends.

The estimated population count per dwelling approval is 1634 people, reflecting Douglas' quiet, low activity development environment. Population forecasts indicate Douglas will gain approximately 5,966 residents by 2041. Should current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag behind population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Douglas has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 39thth percentile nationally

The performance of an area can be significantly influenced by changes to its local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 38 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include the Townsville University Hospital Expansion, TropiQ - Townsville Tropical Intelligence and Health Precinct, Stage One: James Cook University Residential Development Program, and Douglas Water Treatment Plant Clarifiers Upgrade. The following list details those projects most likely to be relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Douglas demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Douglas has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 2.3% as of June 2025.

There are 4842 residents employed, with a 1.6% lower unemployment rate compared to Rest of Qld's 3.9%. Workforce participation stands at 67.0%, surpassing Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and education & training. Notably, health care & social assistance has an employment concentration 1.7 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction is under-represented at 3.7%, compared to Rest of Qld's 10.1%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 1.0, indicating substantial local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.7% while employment declined by 2.0%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment rise by 1.8%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Douglas's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.2%% over five years and 15.0% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Douglas's income level is above the national average according to AreaSearch data from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for financial year 2022. The median income for Douglas was $55,632 and the average income stood at $65,755. This compares with figures for Rest of Qld's of $50,780 and $64,844 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $63,415 (median) and $74,954 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, Douglas's household income ranks at the 67th percentile ($2,025 weekly), while personal income sits at the 45th percentile. The earnings profile shows that 39.0% of the population (3,263 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, similar to the surrounding region where 31.7% occupy this bracket. After housing costs, 85.2% of income remains for other expenses and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Douglas is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure in Douglas, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 84.6% houses and 15.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 81.3% houses and 18.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Douglas was at 18.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (29.7%) or rented (52.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,633, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,517. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $360, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $305. Nationally, Douglas's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are less than the national figure of $375.

Douglas features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 65.2% of all households, including 28.9% couples with children, 25.7% couples without children, and 8.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 34.8%, with lone person households at 21.5% and group households comprising 13.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

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

In Douglas, 35.4% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, exceeding the SA4 region's 20.1% and Queensland's 20.6%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 24.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 25.7% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.2%) and certificates (17.5%). Educational participation is high, with 47.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 28.5% in tertiary, 7.5% in primary, and 6.6% in secondary education.

Enkindle Village School and Tec-NQ serve 429 students collectively, with the area having typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 963) and balanced educational opportunities. There is one secondary and one K-12 school. Local school capacity is limited at 5.1 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.7, leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

Analysis shows 28 active public transport stops in Douglas, operated by buses. These stops are served by five routes offering a total of 679 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents located an average of 309 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 97 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 24 weekly trips per individual stop.

Douglas's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows significant results across Douglas, with younger cohorts particularly experiencing low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 52%, leading that of the average SA2 area (~4,385 people). Mental health issues and asthma were found to be the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 9.1% and 7.1% of residents respectively. A total of 74.5% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.8% across Rest of Qld. The area has an 8.7% population aged 65 and over (724 people), lower than the 14.9% in Rest of Qld.

Douglas was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Douglas was found to have a higher proportion of overseas-born residents, with 26.4%, compared to the majority of local markets. Additionally, 21.2% of Douglas' population spoke a language other than English at home. Christianity was identified as the predominant religion in Douglas, accounting for 48.3% of its population.

The category 'Other', however, showed an overrepresentation in Douglas with 1.7%, compared to 0.7% across the rest of Queensland. Regarding ancestry, Australian-born parents comprised 24.5%, English-born parents were at 23.9%, and Other was at 11.5%. Notably, Indian ancestry had a higher representation in Douglas at 5.3%, compared to 0.9% regionally. Sri Lankan ancestry stood at 0.6% (vs 0.1%) and Italian ancestry was at 3.8% (vs 3.6%).

Douglas hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Douglas has a median age of 25, which is significantly younger than the Rest of Queensland's figure of 41 and substantially lower than Australia's median age of 38. Compared to Rest of Queensland, Douglas has a higher proportion of residents aged 15-24 (33.2%), but fewer residents aged 55-64 (6.6%). This concentration of young adults is notably higher than the national average of 12.5%. Between 2021 and present, Douglas's median age has decreased by 1.1 years from 26 to 25, indicating a shift towards a younger demographic. During this period, the proportion of residents aged 15-24 grew from 30.9% to 33.2%, while those aged 25-34 increased from 16.4% to 18.6%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 5-14 declined from 10.1% to 8.5%, and those aged 45-54 dropped from 10.0% to 8.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 suggest significant demographic changes in Douglas. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to grow strongly at 116%, adding 1,796 residents to reach a total of 3,351.