Gladstone

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 was around 6,733 as of November 2025, reflecting an increase of 559 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 6,174. This growth is inferred from ABS estimated resident population figures and validated new addresses between June 2024 and the Census date. The population density was 658 persons per square kilometer in 2025. Gladstone's population grew by 9.1% between 2021 and 2025, exceeding the SA4 region's growth of 6.6%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 61.3% of overall population gains during this period. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas 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, with proportional growth weightings applied for age cohorts. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, the area is projected to grow by 932 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 13.5% over the 17-year period.

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

Gladstone averaged approximately five new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 25 homes. As of FY26, two approvals have been recorded. Between FY21 and FY25, an average of 21.6 people moved to the area per dwelling built each year. This indicates substantial demand outstripping supply, potentially leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $372,000. In FY26, there have been $16.2 million in commercial approvals, suggesting steady commercial investment activity. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Gladstone has significantly less development activity, 76.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings, although recent periods have seen increased activity. The area's development activity is also below national average, reflecting its maturity and possible planning constraints. New development consists of 40.0% detached houses and 60.0% medium to high-density housing, marking a significant shift from the current pattern of 58.0% houses. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 3482 people, reflecting Gladstone's quiet development environment. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 908 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Gladstone has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Eleven projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area's performance. These 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 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.

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Employment conditions in Gladstone face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Gladstone has a skilled workforce with manufacturing and industrial sectors strongly represented. The unemployment rate was 13.6% as of September 2025.

This rate is 9.5% higher than the Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation in Gladstone is somewhat below standard, at 57.1% compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Leading employment industries among residents comprise manufacturing, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food. Manufacturing has a particularly notable concentration with employment levels at 2.1 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance, however, has limited presence with 11.6% employment compared to 16.1% regionally. As of the Census, there are 1.2 workers for every resident in Gladstone, indicating that it functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over a 12-month period ending September 2025, labour force increased by 1.3% while employment declined by 0.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment rise by 1.7%, labour force grow by 2.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. State-level data up to 25-Nov-25 shows Queensland employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 4.2%, broadly in line with the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Gladstone's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.6% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and not taking into account localised population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The Gladstone SA2's income level is below the national average according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers in Gladstone SA2 is $51,402 and the average income stands at $63,540. In comparison, Rest of Qld's median and average incomes are $50,780 and $64,844 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% from financial year 2022 to September 2025, current estimates for Gladstone SA2 would be approximately $58,593 (median) and $72,429 (average). Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Gladstone fall between the 14th and 25th percentiles nationally. Income distribution reveals that 26.0% of locals (1,750 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to the broader area where 31.7% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 83.6% of income remaining, ranking at the 15th percentile.

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), compared to Non-Metro Qld's 85.7% houses and 14.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Gladstone stood at 22.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.0% and rented ones at 55.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,394, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,600. The median weekly rent 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 constitute 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 comprise the remaining 47.2%, with lone person households at 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's university qualification rate is 18.4%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 13.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Vocational credentials are common, with 41.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (7.4%) and certificates (34.0%). Educational participation is high at 28.2%, comprising 10.0% in primary education, 8.8% in secondary education, and 3.2% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably 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.

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

Gladstone's public transport system operates 30 active stops, all of which are bus services. These stops are served by three distinct routes that together facilitate 105 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of the transport network is deemed good, with residents typically residing 247 meters away from their nearest stop.

On average, each route offers 15 daily trips, translating to roughly 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 prevalent among both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 51% (~3447 people), slightly lower than the average SA2 area's 55.6%.

The most frequent medical issues are mental health (11.3%) and arthritis (8.7%), with 64.1% reporting no ailments, compared to Rest of Qld's 69.4%. Residents aged 65+ comprise 15.2% (1022 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 population in terms of cultural diversity was found to be roughly similar to the wider region's average, with 81.6% being citizens, 80.7% born in Australia, and 89.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was identified as the main religion in Gladstone, comprising 46.2% of its population. However, Hinduism showed significant overrepresentation, making up 1.7% compared to the regional average of 0.7%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (29.7%), Australian (26.9%), and Irish (7.3%). Notable differences existed in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Filipino was overrepresented at 2.9% compared to the regional average of 1.4%, Australian Aboriginal at 5.1% versus 4.3%, and Maori at 0.9% against a regional figure of 0.8%.

Gladstone's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Gladstone is 39 years, which is lower than Rest of Qld's average of 41 but close to the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are prominent at 14.8%, while those aged 75-84 are smaller at 4.6%. Between 2021 and present, the 25-34 age group has grown from 13.5% to 14.8% of the population, while the 45-54 cohort has declined from 14.8% to 13.3%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate that the 25-34 age group will increase significantly, growing by 361 people (36%) from 997 to 1,359. Conversely, the 15-24 age group is projected to decrease by 59 residents.