Mountain Creek
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Mountain Creek's population was 12,340 as of August 2025, based on AreaSearch's analysis. This figure reflects a growth of 390 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,950. The increase is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 12,310 in June 2024 and an additional 20 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 1,674 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Mountain Creek has shown resilient growth with a compound annual growth rate of 2.1%, outperforming its SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 71.0% of overall population gains in recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024, with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections from 2023 are adopted, based on 2021 data. However, these state projections lack age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data for each age cohort. According to projections, Mountain Creek's population is expected to decline by 211 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts like the 75 to 84 group are projected to grow, with an increase of 235 people over this period.

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

Mountain Creek has granted approximately 11 residential properties approval per year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 57 homes were approved annually, with 6 approvals recorded so far in FY-26. On average, for every home built over the past five financial years, 4.4 new residents have moved into Mountain Creek.

This high demand coupled with limited supply typically drives price growth and increases buyer competition. The average construction cost value of new homes is $454,000, which is below regional levels, offering more affordable housing options for buyers. Mountain Creek has registered $4.1 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating its predominantly residential nature. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Mountain Creek shows significantly reduced construction activity, with an 81.0% lower average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. However, building activity has accelerated in recent years, though it remains below national averages, suggesting possible planning constraints. Recent construction in Mountain Creek comprises 36.0% standalone homes and 64.0% medium to high-density housing.

This shift towards denser development provides accessible entry options, appealing to downsizers, investors, and first-time buyers. This marks a significant change from the existing housing pattern, which is currently 78.0% houses, indicating diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. Mountain Creek has approximately 663 people per dwelling approval, reflecting a highly mature market. With population projections showing stability or decline, Mountain Creek should see reduced housing demand pressures in the future, benefiting potential buyers.

Mountain Creek has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

Ten projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area, significantly influencing its performance due to changes in local infrastructure and planning initiatives. Key projects include Sunshine Motorway, Mooloolah River Interchange Upgrade (Stage 1), Sunshine Motorway Mooloolah River Interchange Upgrade, Karawatha Drive Cycle Track, and Mountain Creek Station (The Wave Stage 3 Metro). 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 labour market strength in Mountain Creek positions it well ahead of most Australian regions

Mountain Creek's workforce is skilled with prominent representation in essential services sectors. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate stands at 1.9%.

This figure is 2.0% below Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation is high at 70.8%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Residents are primarily employed in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Agriculture, forestry & fishing, however, is under-represented with only 0.6% of Mountain Creek's workforce, compared to 4.5% in Rest of Qld.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data comparisons. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Mountain Creek's labour force decreased by 2.3%, with employment down by 1.5%, leading to a 0.8 percentage point drop in unemployment. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment rise by 1.8% during the same period. State-level data for Sep-25 shows Queensland employment contracted by 0.23%, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mountain Creek's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

Mountain Creek's median income among taxpayers was $51,245 according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year ended 30 June 2022. The average income stood at $67,291 in Mountain Creek during this period. In comparison, Rest of Qld's median and average incomes were $50,780 and $64,844 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 11.71% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, current estimates for Mountain Creek would be approximately $57,246 (median) and $75,171 (average). The 2021 Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Mountain Creek cluster around the 60th percentile nationally. In this area, 37.8% of locals (4,664 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, which mirrors the broader area where 31.7% occupy this bracket. High housing costs consume 19.1% of income in Mountain Creek, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 56th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

Mountain Creek's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 77.9% houses and 22.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 74.1% houses and 25.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mountain Creek was at 23.0%, with the remaining dwellings being mortgaged (40.0%) or rented (37.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,950, below Non-Metro Qld's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $500, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $465. Nationally, Mountain Creek's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Mountain Creek features high concentrations of family households and group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 80.6% of all households, including 38.3% couples with children, 25.2% couples without children, and 16.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 19.4%, with lone person households at 15.2% and group households comprising 4.3%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.6.

The educational profile of Mountain Creek exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Mountain Creek trail regional benchmarks show that 25.0% of residents aged 15+ have university degrees, compared to 30.4% nationally. This gap suggests potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are the most common (17.9%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 40.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 12.7% and certificates at 27.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 33.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.1% in primary education, 10.8% in secondary education, and 4.9% pursuing tertiary education. Mountain Creek's 3 schools have a combined enrollment of 3,666 students. The ICSEA score for these schools is 1049, indicating typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities. Education provision is balanced, with 2 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs (29.7 places per 100 residents vs 20.9 regionally), suggesting the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Mountain Creek has 31 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by three different routes that together offer 387 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is considered good, with residents typically living 289 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 55 trips per day across all routes, which equates to about 12 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mountain Creek's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows Mountain Creek performs well in health metrics across all age groups.

Young and older residents alike have low prevalence of common conditions. Private health cover is high at approximately 53%, covering around 6,589 people. Mental health issues and asthma are most prevalent, affecting 8.3% and 7.9% respectively. A total of 72.4% report no medical ailments, compared to 69.0% in the rest of Queensland. Mountain Creek has 13.0% residents aged 65 and over (1,606 people), lower than Rest of Qld's 20.2%. Despite this, seniors' health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Mountain Creek was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mountain Creek, surveyed in the year 2016, had a higher than average cultural diversity. 8.3% of its residents spoke a language other than English at home, while 25.5% were born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, practiced by 44.8% of Mountain Creek's population.

Notably, Judaism was represented at twice the rate of the Rest of Queensland, with 0.2% of Mountain Creek's population identifying as Jewish. In terms of ancestry, the most common groups were English (32.2%), Australian (25.6%), and Scottish (8.2%). Among other ethnicities, New Zealanders were overrepresented at 1.3%, South Africans at 1.0%, and French individuals at 0.7%.

Mountain Creek's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

At age 37 years, Mountain Creek's median age is significantly below the Rest of Qld average of 41 years, aligning with the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Qld average, the 45-54 cohort is notably over-represented at 15.4% locally, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 7.9%. Following the census on 2021-08-11, the 15 to 24 age group grew from 13.0% to 14.3%, and the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 3.0% to 4.2%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort declined from 16.7% to 14.8%. By 2041-08-11, demographic modeling suggests Mountain Creek's age profile will evolve significantly. The 75 to 84 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 41%, adding 210 residents to reach 724. Demographic aging continues as residents aged 65 and older represent 69% of anticipated growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 45-54 and 55-64 cohorts.