Longreach
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Longreach's population is approximately 3,758 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 111 people, a 3.0% rise from the 2021 Census total of 3,647. This change is inferred from ABS estimates and validated new addresses since June 2024. The population density ratio is 0.10 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Longreach has shown resilience with a -0.7% compound annual growth rate, outperforming its SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 59.6% of overall population gains recently.

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, based on 2021 data, are adopted. However, these state projections lack age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 and based on 2022 data. Future population trends suggest a decline by 2041, with an expected contraction of 139 persons. However, specific age cohorts are projected to grow, notably the 75 to 84 age group, which is expected to increase by 102 people.

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

Longreach has seen very limited development activity, averaging two approvals per year over five years from 2015 to 2019. This equates to a total of ten approvals during this period. The low development levels in Longreach reflect its rural nature, where housing needs specific to the local area typically drive development rather than broader market demand.

Due to the low number of approvals, yearly growth figures and relativities can vary significantly based on individual projects. Compared to the rest of Queensland and national patterns, Longreach has much lower development activity. The new developments consist of 62.0% detached houses and 38.0% attached dwellings, indicating an expanding range of medium-density options that cater to a mix of price brackets, from traditional family housing to more affordable compact alternatives. This is a significant departure from the existing housing patterns in Longreach, which are currently 90.0% houses. This shift suggests diminishing developable land availability and a response to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs.

With approximately 321 people per dwelling approval, Longreach exhibits characteristics of a low-density area. Given stable or declining population forecasts for the region, it is likely that Longreach will experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Longreach has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 36thth percentile nationally

Eleven projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include the Affordable Housing Project for Workers, Longreach Recreational Precinct, Longreach Water Security for Growth, and Longreach Solar Farm. The following list details these projects in order of likely significance.

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

Employment conditions in Longreach rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Longreach has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate was 1.3% in June 2025, showing relative employment stability over the past year compared to Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation is higher at 65.6%, against Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Dominant employment sectors include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and public administration & safety. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has a particularly high share of employment, at 3.5 times the regional level. Mining's presence is limited with 0.7% employment compared to 3.6% regionally.

Many residents may commute elsewhere for work based on Census working population data. From Jun-24 to Jul-25, employment increased by 0.3%, labour force by 0.5%, resulting in unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows QLD employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs) with a state unemployment rate of 4.2%. National unemployment is 4.5%, with national employment growth at 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 12.5% over ten years. Applying these projections to Longreach's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.9% over five years and 12.5% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Longreach had a median income among taxpayers of $55,089 and an average income of $62,056. These figures are lower than the national averages of $50,780 and $64,844 respectively for Rest of Qld. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest median income is approximately $61,540 and average income is around $69,323 as of March 2025. The 2021 Census data shows personal income ranks at the 72nd percentile with a weekly income of $938, while household income sits at the 39th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 34.7% of Longreach residents (1,304 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to metropolitan regions where 31.7% are in this category. Housing costs take up a manageable 90.9%, though disposable income is below average at the 47th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

In Longreach, as per the latest Census evaluation, 89.8% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 10.2% consisting of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other dwelling types. This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 92.7% houses and 7.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Longreach stood at 35.2%, with mortgaged properties at 25.5% and rented dwellings at 39.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $910 but significantly lower than the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent in Longreach was recorded at $200, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $160 and the national figure of $375.

Longreach features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 63.3% of all households, including 24.2% couples with children, 28.3% couples without children, and 10.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 36.7%, comprising 32.9% lone person households and 3.5% group households. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of Qld.

Educational outcomes in Longreach fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 19.5%, significantly below Australia's average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common, at 14.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 42.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 11.4% and certificates at 31.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.0% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.4% in primary, 8.3% in secondary, and 3.6% in tertiary education. Longreach has a robust network of six schools educating approximately 724 students, including four primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs (19.3 places per 100 residents vs regional average of 14.7), indicating the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health outcomes in Longreach are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Health indicators suggest below-average outcomes in Longreach, with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population (~1,901 people). Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 7.6 and 7.4% of residents respectively. A total of 68.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.5% across Rest of Qld. The area has 18.6% of residents aged 65 and over (697 people), which is lower than the 20.1% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Longreach is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Longreach was found to have a cultural diversity below average, with 83.1% of its population being citizens, 91.2% born in Australia, and 96.1% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Longreach is Christianity, accounting for 65.9% of the population, compared to 66.5% across the rest of Queensland. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups are Australian (32.0%), English (30.6%), and Irish (9.5%).

Notably, Maori are overrepresented at 1.0%, compared to 0.4% regionally; German representation is similar at 4.8% versus 4.6%; Scottish representation is higher at 8.7% compared to 7.6%.

Longreach's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Longreach is 39 years, slightly lower than Rest of Qld's average of 41 but close to the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are prominent at 14.7%, while those aged 75-84 are smaller at 5.6%. Since 2021, the 25-34 age group has grown from 12.8% to 14.7%, and the 75-84 cohort has increased from 4.5% to 5.6%. Conversely, the 55-64 age group has declined from 15.0% to 12.6%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Longreach's age structure. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to increase by 87 people (41%) from 211 to 299. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 63% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 35-44 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.