Lakes Creek
Statistical Area - sa2

Lakes Creek has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Lakes Creek's population was around 5,041 as of August 2025. This reflected an increase of 161 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,880 people. The change was inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 5,039 in June 2024 and 73 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 299 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 53.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, 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 are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Future population trends suggest a median increase just below national non-metropolitan areas by 2041, with the area expected to grow by 314 persons, recording a gain of 6.2% over the 17 years.

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

Lakes Creek has seen minimal construction activity with only 3 new dwelling approvals annually on average over the past five years, totalling 19. This low level of development is typical in rural areas due to modest housing needs and limited construction activity driven by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It should be noted that yearly growth figures can vary significantly based on individual projects with such low approval numbers.

Lakes Creek has had substantially lower development levels compared to the Rest of Qld, and this activity level is also below national patterns. All recent development in Lakes Creek has been detached dwellings, primarily family homes suited for those seeking a rural lifestyle. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 2826 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. Future projections indicate that Lakes Creek will add approximately 312 residents by 2041.

If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Lakes Creek has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 29thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects expected to affect the region. Notable projects include Dual Occupancy Development at 259 Rockonia Road, Abattoir Alterations and Additions at 484 Lakes Creek Road, Thozet Road - Rockonia Road Traffic Signals Installation, and Land Based Recreational Fishing Platform - Donovan Park. The following list details those considered most relevant.

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

Employment performance in Lakes Creek has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Lakes Creek's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs. Manufacturing and industrial sectors are prominent, with an unemployment rate of 8.0% and an estimated employment growth of 3.5% in the past year.

As of June 2025, 2623 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.0%, higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation is at 61.5%, slightly above Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and retail trade. Manufacturing is particularly specialized, with an employment share 2.5 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 0.7% compared to 4.5% regionally.

Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by Census data on working population versus resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in Sep-25, employment increased by 3.5%, while labour force grew by 5.1%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 1.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment growth of 1.8% and labour force growth of 2.0%, with a 0.2 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. State-level data shows Queensland employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8070 jobs) to Sep-25, with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, compared to national rates of 4.5% and national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally, with varying growth patterns across industries. Applying these projections to Lakes Creek's employment mix suggests local growth could be approximately 5.6% over five years and 12.5% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Lakes Creek's median income among taxpayers was $50,558 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $59,671 during the same period. This compares to figures for Rest of Qld which were $50,780 and $64,844 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $56,478 (median) and $66,658 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Lakes Creek all rank modestly, between the 26th and 35th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 32.7% of locals (1,648 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category. After housing costs, 85.3% of income remains, ranking at the 28th percentile nationally.

Lakes Creek is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Lakes Creek, as per the latest Census, 88.9% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 11.1% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. This is similar to Non-Metro Qld's dwelling composition of 88.5% houses and 11.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Lakes Creek stood at 28.1%, with mortgaged dwellings making up 36.7% and rented ones accounting for 35.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,517. The median weekly rent in Lakes Creek was $260, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $300 and the national average of $375 for mortgage repayments and $450 for rents.

Lakes Creek features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 67.7% of all households, including 27.0% couples with children, 24.7% couples without children, and 14.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 32.3%, with lone person households at 27.1% and group households making up 5.0%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which matches the average for the Rest of Qld.

Lakes Creek faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 11.4%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common (8.4%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.6%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (7.5%) and certificates (31.4%).

Educational participation is high at 29.5%, with 11.9% in primary education, 8.8% in secondary education, and 3.2% pursuing tertiary education. Lakes Creek State School and Mount Archer State School serve a total of 702 students, focusing exclusively on primary education. Secondary options are available in surrounding areas. The area has 13.9 school places per 100 residents, lower than the regional average of 17.6, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health performance in Lakes Creek is well below average with considerably higher than average prevalence of common health conditions and to an even higher degree among older age cohorts

Lakes Creek faces significant health challenges with a higher prevalence of common conditions compared to averages. Mental health issues affect 10.1% and arthritis impacts 8.9% of residents. Only 50% have private health cover, lower than Rest of Qld's 53.2%.

Nationally, the average is 55.3%. Though 65.5% report no medical ailments, this is slightly higher than Rest of Qld's 64.7%. Lakes Creek has 15.2% seniors aged 65 and over (766 people), lower than Rest of Qld's 18.5%. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention due to existing challenges.

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

Lakes Creek had a cultural diversity score below average, with 85.5% of its population being citizens, 86.4% born in Australia, and 89.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Lakes Creek, making up 51.1% of people, compared to 56.3% across Rest of Qld. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (29.6%), English (28.5%), and Australian Aboriginal (7.7%).

Notably, Vietnamese were overrepresented at 1.2%, compared to the regional average of 0.2%. Similarly, German was represented at 4.4% versus 4.9%, and Filipino at 1.5% versus 1.0%.

Lakes Creek's population is younger than the national pattern

The median age in Lakes Creek is 35 years, which is lower than Rest of Qld's average of 41 years and under the national average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Qld average, the 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 14.6% in Lakes Creek, while the 75-84 year-olds are under-represented at 4.7%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 65 to 74 age group has grown from 8.1% to 9.0% of the population. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 15.5% to 14.6%. Population forecasts for Lakes Creek indicate substantial demographic changes by 2041. Leading this shift, the 25 to 34 age group is projected to grow by 19%, reaching 872 people from 734. Meanwhile, both the 45 to 54 and 15 to 24 age groups are forecasted to have reduced numbers.