Ipswich - Central
Statistical Area - sa2

Ipswich - Central has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Ipswich - Central's population is around 6,922 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 6,715 people. The estimated resident population was 6,920 in June 2024 and there were 9 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 879 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration which contributed approximately 75.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. Exceptional growth is predicted over the period to 2041 with an expected expansion of 4,173 persons, an increase of 60.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

Ipswich Central has received approximately eight dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, totalling 41 approvals over the past five years from FY2021 to FY2025, with none recorded so far in FY2026. On average, 2.1 people have moved to the area per new home constructed each year over these five years, indicating healthy demand that supports property values. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $444,000, aligning with regional trends.

This financial year has seen $242.1 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Ipswich Central records significantly lower building activity, 90.0% below the regional average per person, which generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. Recent construction comprises 57.0% detached houses and 43.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 82.0% houses. This change reflects decreasing availability of developable sites and evolving lifestyles requiring diverse, affordable housing options. The current development environment is quiet and low activity, with an estimated 566 people per dwelling approval. Future projections indicate Ipswich Central adding 4,171 residents by 2041.

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

Ipswich - Central has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 22 projects likely to impact the region. Notable initiatives include Ipswich Hospital Expansion Stage 2, Ipswich Public Transport Improvements, Ipswich Smart City Program, and Brassall Bikeway Stage 6 Extension, with relevant projects detailed below.

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

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

Ipswich - Central's skilled workforce includes well-represented essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 9.3% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.1%.

As of June 2025, 3,170 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 5.2%, higher than Greater Brisbane's 4.1%. Workforce participation is lower at 55.1% compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and public administration & safety, with a strong specialization in the latter (1.5 times the regional level). Professional & technical services employ only 6.8% of local workers, below Greater Brisbane's 8.9%.

The area functions as an employment hub with 2.2 workers per resident, hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. During the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 1.1%, labour force increased by 0.2%, resulting in a unemployment fall of 0.8 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Brisbane's employment grew by 4.4%, labour force expanded by 4.0%, and unemployment fell by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but local growth patterns may differ based on industry-specific projections applied to Ipswich - Central's employment mix.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 30, 2022, Ipswich - Central had a median income among taxpayers of $49,506. The average income stood at $55,230 in this period. This is lower than national averages, which were $55,645 and $70,520 across Greater Brisbane respectively during the same year. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% from financial year ending June 30, 2022 to March 2025, estimated median income would be approximately $55,303 and average income would be around $61,697 as of this date. According to the Census conducted in August 2021, household incomes ranked at the 28th percentile in Ipswich - Central. Family incomes also ranked modestly at the 26th percentile, while personal incomes were at the 28th percentile in this area. Income distribution data shows that the predominant cohort comprises 28.8% of locals (1,993 people) with incomes ranging from $1,500 to $2,999 per year. This aligns with the surrounding region where this cohort also represents 33.3%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Ipswich - Central, with only 83.6% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 28th percentile nationally.

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

In Ipswich - Central, as determined by the most recent Census, 82.0% of dwellings were houses while 18.0% consisted of other types such as semi-detached properties and apartments. In Brisbane metropolitan area, this ratio was 88.4% to 11.6%. Home ownership in Ipswich - Central stood at 25.9%, similar to Brisbane metro's level. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (32.3%) or rented (41.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,500, lower than the Brisbane metro average of $1,517. The median weekly rent figure for Ipswich - Central was recorded at $280, compared to Brisbane metro's $300. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at an average of $1,863, while rents stood at $375.

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

Family households constitute 64.0% of all households, including 23.5% couples with children, 22.9% couples without children, and 16.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 36.0%, with lone person households at 32.2% and group households comprising 3.9%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

Educational attainment in Ipswich - Central aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Ipswich - Central trail regional benchmarks, with 22.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 30.5% in Greater Brisbane. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 15.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 38.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.0%) and certificates (27.4%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.7% in secondary education, 9.4% in primary education, and 5.2% pursuing tertiary education. 15 schools serve 8,056 students while Ipswich - Central demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 996) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 4 primary, 6 secondary, 5 K-12 schools. The area functions as an education hub with 116.4 school places per 100 residents – significantly above the regional average of 18.0 – attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments please refer to parent campus.

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

Ipswich - Central has 53 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 65 individual routes facilitating 3,985 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 254 meters to the nearest stop.

Daily service frequency averages 569 trips across all routes, equating to approximately 75 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Ipswich - Central is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Ipswich - Central faces significant health challenges, with various health conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. Only approximately 48% of the total population (~3,294 people) have private health cover, compared to 49.9% across Greater Brisbane and a national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 12.8 and 9.9% of residents respectively.

Conversely, 58.8% of residents claim to have no medical ailments, compared to 62.2% across Greater Brisbane. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.5% (1,350 people), compared to 15.3% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors are broadly similar to those of the general population.

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

Ipswich - Central had a cultural diversity rating below average, with 88.9% of its population being citizens, 85.9% born in Australia, and 93.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Ipswich - Central, accounting for 48.4% of people. While Judaism's representation was similar to Greater Brisbane at 0.1%, notable overrepresentation occurred among German (6.5%), Welsh (0.8%), and Scottish (8.9%) ancestry groups compared to regional averages of 6.4%, 0.6%, and 7.7% respectively.

The top three ancestry groups in Ipswich - Central were English at 28.3%, Australian at 26.0%, and Irish at 10.5%.

Ipswich - Central's median age exceeds the national pattern

Ipswich-Central has a median age of 41, which is higher than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 and Australia's figure of 38. The 55-64 age cohort is over-represented in Ipswich-Central at 13.5%, compared to the Greater Brisbane average. Conversely, the 25-34 age cohort is under-represented at 11.0%. Between 2021 and present, the 65-74 age group has grown from 9.0% to 10.1% of the population, while the 75-84 cohort increased from 5.8% to 6.8%. During this period, the 25-34 cohort declined from 12.6% to 11.0%, and the 45-54 group dropped from 14.2% to 12.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects a significant shift in Ipswich-Central's age profile, with the 75-84 cohort expected to surge dramatically from 472 to 1,239 people, an increase of 766 (162%).