Kirwan - West

Kirwan - West has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Kirwan - West's population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, stood at 15,204 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 260 individuals, a 1.7% rise from the 2021 Census count of 14,944 people. The change was inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 15,209 in June 2024 and an additional 27 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,627 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Natural growth contributed approximately 61.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 were used, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort were applied where utilized. Projected demographic shifts indicate a decline in overall population by 659 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, notably the 25 to 34 age group projected to grow by 422 people.

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, one approval has been recorded so far. The area's population decline suggests that new supply is likely meeting demand, providing good options 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 Qld, Kirwan-West records significantly lower building activity, being 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 less intense in Kirwan-West, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Kirwan - West has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Area infrastructure significantly impacts performance. AreaSearch identified 13 potential impact projects. Key ones are Kirwan Health Campus Expansion, Willowbank Estate, Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive) Upgrade, Garbutt-Upper Ross Road Safety Improvements. Below lists the most relevant ones.

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 employment environment in Kirwan - West shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Kirwan-West has a skilled workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate is 3.5%.

In this month, 8,081 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.6% lower than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation stands at 68.3%, exceeding Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and retail trade. The area has a strong specialization in public administration & safety with an employment share 2.1 times the regional level.

However, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 0.3% of Kirwan-West's workforce compared to Rest of Qld's 4.5%. Limited local employment opportunities are suggested by Census data comparing working population and resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force increased by 0.3%, while employment declined by 0.7%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.9 percentage points in Kirwan-West. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment growth of 1.7% and a labour force expansion of 2.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data up to 25-Nov-25 shows Queensland employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. National employment forecasts from May-25 indicate a projected expansion of 6.6% 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, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

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 2022 indicates that Kirwan - West SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $62,946 and an average of $71,397. This was above the national average. Rest of Qld had a median income of $50,780 and an average of $64,844 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Kirwan - West's median income would be approximately $71,752 and its average income would be around $81,385 as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows that incomes in Kirwan - West cluster around the 62nd percentile nationally. The dominant income bracket is $1,500 - $2,999 with 40.1% of residents (6,096 people). After housing costs, 86.4% of income remains for other expenses. Kirwan - West's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Kirwan-West, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 92.7% houses and 7.3% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro Qld had 81.3% houses and 18.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kirwan-West was 26.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 40.3% and rented dwellings at 33.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, aligning with Non-Metro Qld's average. The median weekly rent figure was $350, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $305. Nationally, Kirwan-West's median monthly mortgage repayments were lower at $1,517 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were also lower at $350 compared to the national figure of $375.

Kirwan - West features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 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 comprise the remaining 21.9%, with lone person households at 18.5% and group households making up 3.4%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

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 the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are 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 - advanced diplomas account for 11.0% and certificates for 29.4%. Educational participation is high at 31.8%, including 10.9% in primary education, 10.5% in secondary education, and 4.9% pursuing tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 31.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.9% in primary education, 10.5% in secondary education, and 4.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis indicates 28 active stops operating within Kirwan - West. These are served by a mix of buses along six routes, offering 1,296 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 330 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 185 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 46 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Kirwan - West is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts

Kirwan-West faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent among its residents, particularly among older age cohorts at a considerably higher degree.

Approximately 55% of the total population (~8,362 people) have private health cover. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, affecting 9.5% and 8.4% of residents respectively. 67.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.8% across the Rest of Qld. The area has 15.1% of residents aged 65 and over (2,292 people). Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those in the broader population.

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 cultural diversity below average, with 86.7% born in Australia, 90.3% being citizens, and 92.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated Kirwan-West at 58.2%, compared to 52.7% regionally. Top three ancestral groups were Australian (28.5%), English (27.5%), and Irish (8.3%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal was overrepresented at 5.4% (vs regional 5.0%), Maori at 0.6% (vs 0.5%), and German at 3.9% (vs regional 4.0%).

Kirwan - West's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Kirwan-West's median age is 37 years, which is significantly below the Rest of Queensland average of 41 years, and essentially aligned with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Queensland average, individuals aged 15-24 are notably over-represented in Kirwan-West at 14.8%, while those aged 75-84 are under-represented at 4.7%. As per the 2021 Census, the age group 75 to 84 has grown from 3.4% to 4.7% of Kirwan-West's population. Conversely, the age group 5 to 14 has declined from 14.7% to 12.8%, and the age group 45 to 54 has decreased from 14.7% to 13.5%. Demographic modeling indicates that Kirwan-West's age profile will significantly evolve by 2041. The age group 25 to 34 is projected to grow the strongest at 17%, adding 333 residents to reach a total of 2,316. Population growth will be driven by residents aged 65 and older representing 51% of anticipated growth. However, population declines are projected for the age groups 65 to 74 and 35 to 44 years old.