Gladstone
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Gladstone reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Gladstone's population is approximately 6,731 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 557 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,174. The growth was inferred from ABS estimates showing an estimated resident population of 6,709 in June 2024 and an additional 20 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 658 persons per square kilometer. Gladstone's population grew by 9.0% between the 2021 Census and August 2025, outpacing both the SA4 region (6.4%) and the SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 61.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses 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 adopted, applying proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort where necessary. Based on these projections, the area is expected to grow by 932 persons to 2041, representing a total increase of 13.5% over those 17 years.

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

Gladstone has seen limited development activity with an average of one approval per year over five years, from 2016 to 2020. This totals five approvals in total. The rural nature of the area contributes to these low development levels, where projects are often driven by local housing needs rather than broad market demand.

Due to the small number of approvals, individual projects can significantly impact annual growth statistics. Gladstone has shown less construction activity than the rest of Queensland and nationally during this period. New building activity consists of 40.0% detached houses and 60.0% medium and high-density housing from 2016 to 2020. This shift in housing mix, from a previous 58.0% houses, is due to reduced development site availability and changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The estimated population per dwelling approval in Gladstone is 3482 people as of 2020. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 910 residents by 2041.

If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Gladstone has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 33rdth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified ten projects that could impact the area's performance. Key projects include HPA First Project Stage 2, Hughes Road Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), Port of Gladstone Gatcombe and Golding Cutting Channel Duplication Project, and Gladstone Grid Reinforcement Project. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

Employment drivers in Gladstone are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Gladstone's workforce is skilled with strong manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 14.7% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.2%.

As of June 2025, 3,190 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 10.7% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation was somewhat below standard at 57.1% compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key industries included manufacturing, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food services. Manufacturing had particularly notable concentration with employment levels at 2.1 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance had limited presence with 11.6% employment compared to 16.1% regionally. There were 1.2 workers for every resident as of the Census, indicating that Gladstone functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. During the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.2% while labour force increased by 4.8%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 2.2 percentage points. This compared to Rest of Qld's employment growth of 1.8%, labour force growth of 2.0%, and unemployment rate increase of 0.2 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 showed Queensland employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. This compared favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, but lagged behind national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggested potential future demand within Gladstone. These projections estimated national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with industry-specific growth rates differing significantly. Applying these projections to Gladstone's employment mix indicated local growth of approximately 5.6% over five years and 12.2% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Gladstone's median income among taxpayers was $51,402 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $63,540 during the same period. In comparison, Rest of Qld had a median income of $50,780 and an average income of $64,844. As of March 2025, estimates suggest Gladstone's median income would be approximately $57,421 and the average income around $70,981, based on a Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022. Census data indicates that incomes in Gladstone fall between the 15th and 26th percentiles nationally for households, families, and individuals. In Gladstone, 26.0% of the population (1,750 individuals) have income within the $1,500 - 2,999 range, similar to the broader area where 31.7% fall into this category. Income analysis shows that only 83.6% of income remains after housing costs in Gladstone, ranking at the 15th percentile nationally.

Gladstone displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Gladstone's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 58.0% houses and 42.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Non-Metro Qld's dwelling structure of 85.7% houses and 14.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Gladstone stood at 22.0%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (23.0%) or rented (55.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Gladstone was $1,394, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,600. The median weekly rent figure in Gladstone was recorded at $230, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $275. Nationally, Gladstone's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Gladstone features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 52.8% of all households, including 18.2% couples with children, 21.0% couples without children, and 12.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 47.2%, with lone person households making up 42.7% and group households comprising 4.7%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 18.4%, significantly below the Australian average of 30.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 13.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 41.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas at 7.4% and certificates at 34.0%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 8.8% in secondary education, and 3.2% pursuing tertiary education. Gladstone's 4 schools have a combined enrollment reaching 2,329 students while Gladstone demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 971) with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced with 3 primary and 1 secondary schools serving distinct age groups. The area functions as an education hub with 34.6 school places per 100 residents – significantly above the regional average of 18.2 – attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Gladstone's public transport analysis shows that as of March 2021, there are 30 active transport stops operating within the city. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with three individual routes currently in operation. Together, these routes provide a total of 105 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport is rated as good, with residents typically located an average of 247 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are 15 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately three weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Gladstone faces significant health challenges, with common conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Private health cover stands at approximately 51% (~3,446 people), compared to Qld's average of 55.6%.

Mental health issues impact 11.3%, while arthritis affects 8.7% of residents. 64.1% report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of Qld's 69.4%. The area has 15.2% aged 65 and over (1,021 people).

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

Gladstone's cultural diversity aligns with its broader region, as seen in its population statistics: 81.6% citizens, 80.7% born in Australia, and 89.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominates Gladstone's religious landscape at 46.2%. Hinduism is overrepresented at 1.7%, higher than the regional average of 0.7%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (29.7%), Australian (26.9%), and Irish (7.3%). Other notable ethnic group representations include Filipino at 2.9% (versus 1.4% regionally), Australian Aboriginal at 5.1% (versus 4.3%), and Maori at 0.9% (versus 0.8%).

Gladstone's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Gladstone is 39 years, lower than Rest of Qld's average of 41 but close to the national average of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are prominent at 14.8%, while those aged 75-84 comprise only 4.6%. Since 2021, the percentage of 25-34 year-olds has grown from 13.5% to 14.8%, while the 45-54 age group has declined from 14.8% to 13.3%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts: the 25-34 age cohort is expected to increase by 361 people (36%), reaching 1,359 residents, while the 15-24 age group will decrease by 59 residents.