Chart Color Schemes
This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
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Sales Activity
Curious about local property values? Filter the chart to assess the volume and appreciation (including resales) trends and regional comparisons, or scroll to the map below view this information at an individual property level.
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Sales Detail
Population
Kirwan - West has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch
Kirwan - West's population is 15,117 as of May 2026. This reflects a 173 person increase (1.2%) since the 2021 Census figure of 14,944 people. The change is inferred from ABS' June 2025 estimate of 15,115 and an additional 26 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,618 persons per square kilometer, higher than national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Natural growth contributed approximately 50.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.
AreaSearch adopts 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 (based on 2021 data) are used, applying proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Projections indicate a decline of 671 persons by 2041, but specific age cohorts like the 25 to 34 group are expected to grow by 319 people.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
The level of residential development activity in Kirwan - West is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch
Kirwan-West has averaged approximately five new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 26 homes. As of FY-26, three approvals have been recorded so far. The area's population decline suggests that new supply is likely meeting demand, providing good choices for buyers with an average construction cost value of $366,000 per property. In this financial year, $22.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating steady commercial investment activity.
Compared to the rest of Queensland, Kirwan-West records significantly lower building activity, 92.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. Nationally, building activity is also lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. Recent building activity consists entirely of detached houses, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character focused on family homes. With approximately 2782 people per dwelling approval, Kirwan-West reflects a highly mature market.
Given stable or declining population forecasts, housing pressure may be lessened in Kirwan-West, creating favourable conditions for buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Kirwan - West
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Kirwan - West has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally
Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 13 projects likely impacting the region. Notable ones include Kirwan Health Campus Expansion, Willowbank Estate, Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive) Upgrade, and Garbutt-Upper Ross Road Safety Improvements. The following list details those most relevant.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
TropiQ - Townsville Tropical Intelligence and Health Precinct
A 442-hectare tropical intelligence and health precinct, valued at approximately 5.9 billion dollars, being developed as a joint initiative of James Cook University, Townsville Hospital and Health Service, and Townsville City Council. Located 13km from the Townsville CBD adjacent to Townsville University Hospital and bordering Lavarack Barracks (Australia's largest Army base), TropiQ aims to be a global hub for tropical research, health innovation and defence simulation. Key components include the Townsville University Hospital expansion (originally 530 million dollars but now exceeding 1 billion dollars after cost escalations, with Stage 1 site works complete and Stage 2 retendered by the Crisafulli Government in late 2024), the 32 million dollar NQ Spark defence simulation facility, a Technology Innovation Complex, a proposed 100-bed private hospital, hotel accommodation, university-linked high school, aged care, childcare, multi-deck carparks and a residential development program on 100 hectares of JCU land. JCU's Stage 1 residential program is scheduled to deliver 250 to 300 dwellings on 16 hectares at the north-west entry, with the precinct ultimately accommodating around 10,000 residents. The precinct currently houses about 70 organisations and contributes 3.5 billion dollars to the regional economy annually, with output projected to grow to over 4.4 billion dollars by 2035.
Townsville University Hospital Expansion
A major staged expansion of Townsville University Hospital under the Queensland Government's Hospital Rescue Plan. The expansion will deliver at least 165 new overnight beds, additional operating theatres including a hybrid theatre, an expanded Emergency Department, satellite imaging facilities, an upgraded coronary care unit, a new rehab therapy unit and a rooftop integrated helipad. Stage 1A scope includes a new two-storey building on the Eastern Campus with 112 sub-acute beds, medical imaging and outpatient services, plus a three-storey refurbishment of the North Block adding 28 intensive and critical care beds and increased emergency capacity. Following the removal of Best Practice Industry Conditions in late 2024, Stage 2 was returned to market. The masterplan was finalised in December 2025 with Stage 1 now fast-tracked for completion in 2028. Registrations of Interest opened in November 2025 and a managing contractor for the next stage is expected to be appointed in 2026. Early works including a temporary helipad, additional staff parking and a new multi-storey carpark (more than 1,000 spaces, delivered by Hutchinson Builders, due 2029) are progressing alongside an eastern campus carpark expansion by Shamrock Civil.
Kirwan Health Campus Expansion
A 45.2 million dollar expansion of the Kirwan Health Campus involving the construction of a new two-storey Green Star-rated building and refurbishment of existing facilities. The project doubles the capacity for oral health services and significantly expands pre-natal and post-natal midwifery clinics. Key features include a new chiller plant, a 120-bay car park, and upgraded TeleHealth infrastructure to support clinical services for the growing North Queensland population.
Douglas Water Treatment Plant Clarifiers Upgrade
The project involved the installation of two new clarifiers at the Douglas Water Treatment Plant to double the number of clarifiers, enhancing water treatment capacity during tropical weather events and providing additional water security for Townsvilles growing population. The new infrastructure treats 950 litres per second through Module 3 and 1100 litres per second through Module 4.
Greater Ascot Estate
Greater Ascot is a carefully crafted masterplanned community in Shaw, Townsville, designed for families seeking a lasting sanctuary. On completion, the estate will be home to over 2,000 families with access to a vibrant town centre featuring a full-line grocer and specialty retail, 98 hectares of green spaces and parklands, and 6.85km of pedestrian and bike paths. The community includes Saint Benedict's Catholic School (opened 2018) and Mary Help of Christians Catholic College (opened 2025), providing seamless education from primary through secondary years. Located just 10 minutes from James Cook University, Tech NQ and TAFE Queensland, and within easy reach of Townsville CBD, the estate offers a blend of quiet exclusivity and convenient access to employment and amenities. The development features traditional neighbourhood planning principles with parks, adventure playgrounds, district sports fields, and a planned commercial town centre that will evolve to meet the community's growing needs.
Garbutt - Upper Ross Road (Riverway Drive) Stage 2 Duplication
Stage 2 upgrades a 3.1 km section of Riverway Drive in Kelso, including duplication to four lanes for ~1.6 km between Allambie Lane and Hammond Way, median treatments and right turn improvements on the remaining section to Dunlop Street, plus new/upgrade signalised intersections, active transport links and bus stop upgrades. The project targets safety, network reliability and congestion relief for the Upper Ross growth area.
AEIOU Townsville Centre Reconstruction
$1 million state-of-the-art early intervention and childcare centre for 40 children with autism in Idalia. Replacement facility after original centre destroyed by fire in March 2024. Expected completion mid-2024.
Willowbank Estate
Residential land estate by Parkside Land at the top end of Kirwan, adjacent to Tropics Golf Club. Active stages are selling with lots surrounding green open space and recreation facilities. Promotions have included a 12-month Tropics Golf Club membership per lot (T and Cs apply).
Employment
The employment environment in Kirwan - West shows above-average strength when compared nationally
Kirwan - West has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 3.4% as of December 2025. It has 7,969 residents in work, with an unemployment rate of 0.6% lower than Regional Qld's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation is 66.9%, compared to Regional Qld's 64.5%.
Census responses show that 4.7% of residents work from home. The dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and retail trade. Public administration & safety has an employment share 2.1 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 0.3%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, with a lower working population compared to resident population.
From December 2024 to December 2025, labour force increased by 0.2% while employment declined by 0.8%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.9 percentage points. In comparison, Regional Qld saw employment grow by 0.7%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Kirwan - West's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.5% over ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis
AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023 indicates Kirwan - West SA2's median income among taxpayers is $65,771, with an average of $74,298. This is above the national average and compares to Regional Qld's median of $53,146 and average of $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $73,243 (median) and $82,738 (average) as of March 2026. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Kirwan - West cluster around the 62nd percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 40.1% of residents (6,061 people), consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 31.7% in the same category. After housing, 86.4% of income remains for other expenses and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Kirwan - West is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region
Dwelling structure in Kirwan - West, as evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 92.7% houses and 7.3% other dwellings. In comparison, Regional Qld had 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kirwan - West was 26.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.3% and rented ones at 33.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, below Regional Qld's average of $1,655. The median weekly rent was $350, compared to Regional Qld's $345. Nationally, Kirwan - West's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Kirwan - West features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size
Family households account for 78.1% of all households, including 32.9% couples with children, 29.0% couples without children, and 15.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 21.9%, with lone person households at 18.5% and group households comprising 3.4%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Regional Queensland average of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Educational outcomes in Kirwan - West fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment
The area's university qualification rate is 18.3%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.0%) and certificates (29.4%). Educational participation is high, with 31.8% currently enrolled in formal education.
This includes primary education (10.9%), secondary education (10.5%), and tertiary education (4.9%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Kirwan - West has 28 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. Six different routes service these stops, collectively providing 1,296 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 330 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 94%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling.
According to the 2021 Census, only 4.7% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 185 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 46 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Kirwan - West is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts
Health data indicates significant health challenges in Kirwan - West, as assessed by AreaSearch through mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Notably, common health conditions are prevalent across both younger and older age groups.
Private health cover is high at approximately 56% of the total population (~8,480 people), compared to 52.5% in Regional Qld. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 9.5% and 8.4% of residents respectively. 67.4% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, similar to the 67.6% across Regional Qld. Working-age residents show a higher-than-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 15.7% of residents aged 65 and over (2,373 people), lower than the 20.4% in Regional Qld. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings largely in line with the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Kirwan - West ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics
Kirwan-West showed lower cultural diversity, with 86.7% born in Australia, 90.3% being citizens, and 92.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, at 58.2%, compared to 52.2% regionally. The top three ancestral groups were Australian (28.5%), English (27.5%), and Irish (8.3%).
Notably, Australian Aboriginal were overrepresented at 5.4% (vs regional 3.9%), Maori at 0.6% (vs 0.8%), and German at 3.9% (vs 4.7%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Kirwan - West's population is slightly younger than the national pattern
Kirwan - West's median age is 37 years, which is significantly below the Regional Queensland average of 41 and essentially aligned with Australia's median age of 38. In comparison to the Regional Queensland average, the 15-24 age cohort is notably over-represented at 14.6% locally, while those aged 75-84 are under-represented at 4.9%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75-84 age group has grown from 3.4% to 4.9% of the population. Conversely, the 5-14 age cohort has declined from 14.7% to 12.5%, and the 45-54 age group has dropped from 14.7% to 12.9%. Demographic modeling suggests that Kirwan - West's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the strongest projected growth in the 25-34 cohort at 12%, adding 243 residents to reach a total of 2,225. The demographic aging trend continues as residents aged 65 and older represent 57% of anticipated population growth. However, population declines are projected for the 65-74 and 35-44 age cohorts.