Mount Pleasant - Glenella
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Mount Pleasant - Glenella are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Mount Pleasant - Glenella's population was around 12,127 as of Aug 2025. This figure reflects a growth of 569 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,558 people. The increase is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 12,028 in June 2024 and an additional 94 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 215 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Mount Pleasant - Glenella showed resilient growth with a compound annual growth rate of 0.9%, surpassing its SA3 area's growth. Overseas migration contributed approximately 38.6% to overall population gains recently, with natural growth and interstate migration also being positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024, based on 2022 data. For areas not covered post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections from 2023 are adopted, with proportional growth weightings applied to age cohorts in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023. Future demographic trends project an above median population growth for locations outside capital cities, with Mount Pleasant - Glenella expected to expand by 2,515 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, reflecting a total increase of 19.9% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Mount Pleasant - Glenella when compared nationally

Mount Pleasant - Glenella has seen approximately 43 new homes approved annually. Development approval data, produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, shows 216 homes were approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with an additional 5 approved in FY-26. On average, each dwelling built has resulted in around 2.8 new residents per year over these five years, reflecting strong demand that supports property values. The average construction cost value of new homes is $787,000, indicating developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year, $14.3 million worth of commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting moderate levels of commercial development in the area. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Mount Pleasant - Glenella has similar development levels per person, maintaining a balanced market consistent with the broader area, although recent periods have seen some moderation in development activity. The majority of new developments consist of detached dwellings (97.0%) with only 3.0% being attached dwellings, preserving the area's traditional low-density character and focus on family homes.

As of now, there are an estimated 442 people per dwelling approval in the area, suggesting a quiet, low-activity development environment. Looking ahead, Mount Pleasant - Glenella is projected to grow by 2,416 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting property price increases.

Mount Pleasant - Glenella has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 43rdth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified a total of 28 projects that could impact the area's performance. Key projects include Mackay Port Access Bruce Highway to Mackay Slade Point Road Stage 1, Magpies Sporting Club Redevelopment, Glenfields Park Refurbishment, and Mackay Ring Road - Stage Two. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

The exceptional employment performance in Mount Pleasant - Glenella places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Mount Pleasant - Glenella has a skilled workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 1.0%.

Over the past year, employment stability has been relative. There are 6,635 residents employed, with an unemployment rate 2.9% below Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation at 66.6%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, mining, and education & training. Mining has a notable concentration with employment levels at 3.4 times the regional average.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing have limited presence, with only 1.4% employment compared to 4.5% regionally. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Over the past year, employment increased by 0.5%, while labour force decreased by 0.3%, resulting in a unemployment fall of 0.8 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Qld where employment rose by 1.8% and unemployment rose by 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 unemployment rate is 4.5%, with national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth to be 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mount Pleasant - Glenella's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.1%% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ended June 30, 2022 shows median income in Mount Pleasant - Glenella was $60,731 and average income was $75,977. In comparison, Rest of Qld had a median income of $50,780 and an average income of $64,844. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% from June 2022 to March 2025, estimated current incomes would be approximately $67,843 (median) and $84,874 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Mount Pleasant - Glenella ranked between the 74th and 79th percentiles nationally. Income analysis revealed that 31.1% of residents (3,771 people) fell within the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to surrounding regions where 31.7% occupied this range. High weekly earnings exceeding $3,000 were achieved by 34.7% of households, indicating economic strength and elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retained 87.7% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th decile.

Mount Pleasant - Glenella is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Mount Pleasant - Glenella's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 94.4% houses and 5.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 85.1% houses and 14.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Pleasant - Glenella was at 35.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.7% and rented ones at 20.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,890, surpassing Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure in the area was $400, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $340. Nationally, Mount Pleasant - Glenella's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Mount Pleasant - Glenella features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 78.2% of all households, including 37.2% couples with children, 31.3% couples without children, and 8.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 21.8%, with lone person households at 19.4% and group households comprising 2.5%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.6.

Mount Pleasant - Glenella shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

Mount Pleasant - Glenella has 21.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees, compared to Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (15.7%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 39.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them. Advanced diplomas account for 9.1%, while certificates make up 30.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.5% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.4% in primary, 10.7% in secondary, and 3.3% in tertiary education. The region's five schools have a combined enrollment of 2,340 students. Mount Pleasant - Glenella has an ICSEA score of 991, indicating typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities. There are four primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups.

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

Mount Pleasant - Glenella has 24 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by six different routes that combined offer 553 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as limited, with residents on average located 624 meters from the nearest stop.

The overall service frequency averages 79 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 23 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Mount Pleasant - Glenella is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Mount Pleasant - Glenella shows better-than-average health outcomes.

Prevalence of common conditions is low among both younger and older age groups. Private health cover rate is high at approximately 57% (~6,924 people). The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (7.6%) and asthma (6.9%). 71.4% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 69.7% in the rest of Queensland. There are 17.2% seniors aged 65 and over (2,083 people). Health outcomes among seniors align with those of the general population.

Mount Pleasant - Glenella ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mount Pleasant-Glenella was found to have a low level of cultural diversity, with 88.1% of its population being Australian citizens and 84.0% born in Australia. English was the language spoken at home by 90.8%. Christianity was the predominant religion, making up 62.5% of the population, compared to 56.8% across the rest of Queensland.

The top three ancestral groups were English (27.5%), Australian (27.1%), and Irish (7.9%). Notably, Maltese residents were overrepresented at 3.5%, South African residents were also higher at 0.9%, and German residents matched regional levels at 4.7%.

Mount Pleasant - Glenella's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Mount Pleasant - Glenella has a median age of 40, close to Rest of Qld's figure of 41 and exceeding the national norm of 38. The 35-44 age group is strongly represented at 14.0%, compared to Rest of Qld, while the 65-74 cohort is less prevalent at 8.6%. Post the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group grew from 11.8% to 13.0%, and the 5-14 cohort declined from 14.8% to 13.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Mount Pleasant - Glenella's age profile will significantly evolve, with the 25-34 group growing by 35% (494 people) to reach 1,898 from 1,403. Conversely, numbers in the 15-24 age range are expected to fall by 31.