Hermit Park - Rosslea

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

Hermit Park - Rosslea's population is approximately 5,708 as of February 2026. This figure represents an increase of 293 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,415. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates showing an ERP of 5,690 in June 2024 and 48 new addresses validated after the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,471 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Hermit Park - Rosslea's growth rate of 5.4% since the census is close to the SA4 region's growth rate of 7.1%. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth, contributing approximately 60.8% of overall gains.

AreaSearch uses 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 from 2023 are adopted, using proportional growth weightings based on ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort. Future demographic trends suggest a population increase just below the median of Australian non-metropolitan areas, with an expected expansion to 6,464 persons by 2041, reflecting a total gain of 12.9% over 17 years based on the latest annual ERP population numbers.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Hermit Park - Rosslea recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Hermit Park - Rosslea has averaged approximately 20 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 104 homes. As of FY-26, there have been 5 approvals recorded. On average, 3.6 people have 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 of $336,000, aligning with regional trends.

This financial year has seen $7.8 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential character. Comparing Hermit Park - Rosslea to the Rest of Qld shows comparable new home approvals per person, suggesting market stability in line with regional patterns. New building activity comprises 81.0% detached houses and 19.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional suburban focus on family homes.

Notably, developers are constructing more detached housing than the existing pattern implies (47.0% at Census), indicating strong demand for family homes despite densification trends. With around 532 people per approval, Hermit Park - Rosslea indicates a mature market. Population forecasts estimate an increase of 738 residents by 2041, suggesting construction is maintaining pace with projected growth but buyers may face growing competition as population increases.

Hermit Park - Rosslea has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

AreaSearch has identified 10 infrastructure projects that could impact the area's performance. Key projects include Eden Park Estate, Weststate Private Hospital, Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive), Bowen Road Bridge (Idalia) Duplication, and Corcoran Park Netball Courts Upgrade. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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.

The labour market performance in Hermit Park - Rosslea lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Hermit Park - Rosslea has an unemployment rate of 7.9% as of September 2025. Of its 2,998 residents in work, the unemployment rate is 3.9% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation stands at 67.7%, slightly above Rest of Qld's 65.7%.

Census responses indicate that a low 5.2% of residents work from home. Key industries of employment include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and education & training. The area has strong specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.5% of local workers, below Rest of Qld's 4.5%.

Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.2%, while employment declined by 2.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 2.4 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Qld where employment rose by 1.7% and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest Hermit Park - Rosslea's employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023 shows Hermit Park - Rosslea SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $59,899 and an average of $69,909. These figures are slightly above national averages of $53,146 and $66,593 for Rest of Qld respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, estimated median and average incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $65,835 and $76,837 respectively. Census data indicates personal income ranks at the 64th percentile ($880 weekly), with household income at the 25th percentile. Distribution data shows 29.4% of individuals (1,678) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band, consistent with broader regional trends. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 83.3% of income remaining, ranking at the 24th percentile.

Hermit Park - Rosslea displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Hermit Park - Rosslea's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 46.8% houses and 53.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro Qld had 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hermit Park - Rosslea was at 20.3%, with the rest either mortgaged (27.0%) or rented (52.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,450, below Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,655 and Australia's average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure was $260, substantially lower than Non-Metro Qld's $345 and the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 54.9% of all households, including 17.9% couples with children, 23.3% couples without children, and 12.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 45.1%, with lone person households at 40.4% and group households comprising 4.7%. The median household size is 2.1 people, smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

Hermit Park - Rosslea performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 27.3% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the SA4 region average of 20.1% and that of Rest of Qld (20.6%). Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 18.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 36.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 10.8% and certificates at 26.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.5% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 7.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Hermit Park - Rosslea shows that there are currently 20 operational transport stops serving the area. These stops cater to a variety of bus routes, with a total of five individual routes providing service. The weekly passenger trips facilitated by these routes amount to 657. Residents' accessibility to transport is considered good, with an average distance of 233 meters to the nearest stop. Primarily residential, most commuters in the area travel outward, with cars being the primary mode of transportation at 91%. Cycling accounts for a mere 2% of commutes.

The average vehicle ownership per dwelling stands at 1.0, lower than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, only 5.2% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 93 trips per day, translating to approximately 32 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Hermit Park - Rosslea is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Hermit Park - Rosslea faces significant health challenges, as assessed by AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is approximately 54% of the total population (~3,076 people), leading that of the average SA2 area. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 11.1 and 7.4% of residents respectively. 67.9% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.6% across Rest of Qld. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 13.8% of residents aged 65 and over (788 people), which is lower than the 20.4% in Rest of Qld. National rankings for this age group are even higher than the general population.

Hermit Park - Rosslea ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Hermit Park-Rosslea, surveyed in June 2016, showed low cultural diversity: 84.3% were citizens, 82.4% born in Australia, and 89.7% spoke English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion (47.9%). The 'Other' religion category was slightly overrepresented at 1.0%, compared to Rest of Qld's 0.8%.

Ancestry wise, English (27.1%), Australian (24.9%), and Irish (8.7%) were top groups. Notably, French ancestry was higher than regional average (0.9% vs 0.5%), as were Australian Aboriginal (4.8% vs 3.9%) and New Zealand (0.9% each).

Hermit Park - Rosslea's population is younger than the national pattern

The median age in Hermit Park - Rosslea is 34 years, notably under Rest of Qld's average of 41 and substantially under the Australian median of 38. Relative to Rest of Qld, Hermit Park - Rosslea has a higher concentration of 25-34 residents (21.7%) but fewer 5-14 year-olds (8.9%). This 25-34 concentration is well above the national average of 14.4%. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, Hermit Park - Rosslea's median age fell from 35 to 34 years. During this period, the 25-34 age group grew from 17.7% to 21.7%, while the 45-54 cohort declined from 13.1% to 9.9% and the 55-64 group dropped from 12.1% to 10.8%. By 2041, Hermit Park - Rosslea is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition, with the 25-34 group projected to grow by 29% (355 people), reaching 1,595 from 1,239. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 55-64 and 15-24 cohorts.