Moffat Beach - Battery Hill
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Moffat Beach - Battery Hill reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of Aug 2025, Moffat Beach - Battery Hill's population is approximately 8,340. This figure represents an increase of 210 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 8,130. The growth from June 2024's estimated resident population of 8,285, combined with 67 new addresses validated since the Census date, suggests this rise. With a population density of 2,144 persons per square kilometer, it exceeds the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of recent population gains in the area.

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 based on 2022 data for each age cohort. Future population trends indicate a median increase below Australian non-metropolitan areas, with an expected rise of 806 persons to 2041, resulting in a total gain of 9.0% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Moffat Beach - Battery Hill according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Moffat Beach - Battery Hill has seen approximately 29 dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that from Financial Year 21 to Financial Year 25, around 149 approvals were granted, with an additional five approved in Financial Year 26 so far. On average, about 0.6 new residents per year per dwelling have been recorded over the past five financial years. This suggests that supply is meeting or exceeding demand, offering greater buyer choice and potential for population growth above projections.

The average construction cost value of new homes is approximately $940,000, indicating that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In this financial year alone, around $4.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's predominantly residential nature. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Moffat Beach - Battery Hill has significantly less development activity, approximately 76.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. New building activity is also lower than the national average, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints.

The area consists mainly of detached dwellings, with around 83.0% being detached compared to 17.0% attached. This preserves the area's suburban nature and attracts space-seeking buyers. With approximately 319 people per approval, Moffat Beach - Battery Hill is considered a low-density area. By 2041, it is projected that around 751 residents will be added to the area. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Moffat Beach - Battery Hill has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 17thth percentile nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence a region's performance. AreaSearch has identified 25 potential impact projects. Key initiatives include Moffat Beach Seawall Reconstruction Project, Ascend Kings Beach, Caloundra Transport Hub, and Solara Kings Beach. Relevant projects are listed below for further detail.

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

While Moffat Beach - Battery Hill retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.2%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Moffat Beach - Battery Hill has an educated workforce with a low unemployment rate of 3.2% as of June 2025. It has 4,243 residents in work, with a 0.7% lower unemployment rate than the Rest of Qld's 3.9%.

Workforce participation is at 56.4%, slightly below Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Health care & social assistance is particularly notable with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. However, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 0.7% of the workforce compared to Rest of Qld's 4.5%.

The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities based on Census data. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, labour force decreased by 2.3% and employment declined by 1.2%, resulting in an unemployment rate drop of 1.1 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment growth of 1.8% and labour force expansion of 2.0%, with a slight unemployment increase of 0.2 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows QLD employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. National comparisons show QLD's employment growth lagging behind the national figure of 0.26%, but its unemployment rate is lower at 4.2% compared to the national rate of 4.5%. 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. Applying these projections to Moffat Beach - Battery Hill's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.1%% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 indicates that Moffat Beach - Battery Hill had a median income among taxpayers of $48,768 and an average of $62,264. These figures are below the national average. In comparison, Rest of Qld had a median income of $50,780 and an average of $64,844. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Moffat Beach - Battery Hill would be approximately $54,479 (median) and $69,555 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Moffat Beach - Battery Hill rank modestly, between the 36th and 37th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 28.0% of residents (2,335 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket, which is similar to the metropolitan region where this cohort represents 31.7%. Housing affordability pressures in Moffat Beach - Battery Hill are severe, with only 82.8% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 35th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Moffat Beach - Battery Hill is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Moffat Beach - Battery Hill, as per the latest Census, 72.3% of dwellings were houses, with 27.7% being other types such as semi-detached units or apartments. This is comparable to Non-Metro Qld's figures of 70.4% houses and 29.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in the area stood at 39.6%, with mortgaged properties making up 29.3% and rented dwellings comprising 31%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,950. Weekly rent in the area was recorded at $400, compared to Non-Metro Qld's figure of $450. Nationally, Moffat Beach - Battery Hill's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceed the national figure of $375.

Moffat Beach - Battery Hill has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households make up 68.9% of all households, including 24.9% couples with children, 32.1% couples without children, and 11.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 31.1%, with lone person households at 27.5% and group households making up 3.6%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

The educational profile of Moffat Beach - Battery Hill exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 29.5% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Rest of Qld average of 20.6%. This figure also exceeds that of the SA3 area at 23.6%, indicating a strong emphasis on higher education in the community. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 20.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%).

Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 36.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 11.8% and certificates at 24.5%. Educational participation is notably high, with 26.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.7% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 4.6% pursuing tertiary education. Moffat Beach - Battery Hill's schools have a combined enrollment of 1,149 students. The area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1040) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes two primary schools and one K-12 school.

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

Moffat Beach - Battery Hill has 29 active public transport stops. These are served by four different bus routes, offering a total of 848 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good access to these services, with an average distance of 213 meters to the nearest stop.

On average, there are 121 trips per day across all routes, which means each stop gets about 29 weekly trips.

Health performance in Moffat Beach - Battery Hill is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Moffat Beach - Battery Hill faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is approximately 51% of the total population (~4,261 people), slightly lagging behind the average SA2 area. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 10.5% and 8.3% of residents respectively. 65.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 66.2% across Rest of Qld. The area has 24.8% of residents aged 65 and over (2,066 people), which is higher than the 22.3% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Moffat Beach - Battery Hill ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Moffat Beach-Battery Hill, surveyed in August 2016, had low cultural diversity with 88.4% citizens, 81.4% born in Australia, and 95.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion (49.1%), slightly below Queensland's average of 50.0%. Top ancestral groups were English (33.4%), Australian (25.9%), and Irish (10.5%).

Notably, Scottish ancestry was higher than regional averages (9.3% vs 8.8%), as was German (5.1% vs 4.6%) and New Zealand (0.9% vs 1.1%).

Moffat Beach - Battery Hill hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Moffat Beach - Battery Hill is 48, which is higher than Rest of Qld's figure of 41 and significantly above the national norm of 38. The 55-64 age group comprises 16.3%, compared to Rest of Qld, while the 5-14 cohort makes up 9.5%. This concentration in the 55-64 group is well above the national figure of 11.2%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 8.9% to 10.3%, while the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 14.0% to 12.2% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 10.8% to 9.5%. By 2041, Moffat Beach - Battery Hill is expected to see notable demographic shifts. The 25 to 34 age group will grow by 24%, reaching 1,063 people from 856. The aging population dynamic is clear, with those aged 65 and above comprising 53% of projected growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 55 to 64 cohorts.