North Stradbroke Island
Statistical Area - sa2

North Stradbroke Island is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

North Stradbroke Island's population is around 2,353 as of August 2025. This reflects an increase of 197 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,156 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 2,261 in June 2024 and an additional 45 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 8.5 persons per square kilometer. North Stradbroke Island's growth rate of 9.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's 7.6% and the national average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 94.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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 are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. These state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings are applied in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Population projections indicate a decline of 57 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, led by the 75 to 84 age group projected to expand by 162 people.

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

North Stradbroke Island has seen approximately 25 new homes approved annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 129 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-20 to FY-25 and one recorded so far in FY-26. This averages out to about 1.5 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over these five years, indicating a balanced supply and demand market with stable conditions. New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $661,000, reflecting a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties.

In FY-26, commercial approvals have totalled $67,000, suggesting a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Brisbane, North Stradbroke Island records around 66% of the building activity per person and places among the 60th percentile of areas assessed nationally for development activity. New development consists of 86.0% standalone homes and 14.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

With around 262 people per approval, North Stradbroke Island reflects a transitioning market in terms of population growth. Given stable or declining population forecasts, North Stradbroke Island may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

North Stradbroke Island has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 22ndth percentile nationally

"Five projects are identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area's performance. Key projects include the Southern Moreton Bay Islands Ferry Terminals Upgrade, Redland Hospital Expansion and Health & Wellness Precinct, and Redlands Coast Smart and Connected City Strategy.".

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

AreaSearch analysis reveals North Stradbroke Island recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

North Stradbroke Island has a skilled workforce with prominent tourism and hospitality sectors. Its unemployment rate was 6.3% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 4.5%.

As of June 2025, there are 1,053 residents employed, while the unemployment rate is 2.2% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation on North Stradbroke Island lags behind Greater Brisbane at 48.5% compared to 64.5%. Key industries for employment among residents are accommodation & food, health care & social assistance, and construction. The island has a notable concentration in accommodation & food with employment levels at 2.9 times the regional average.

Conversely, health care & social assistance is under-represented at 10.2% compared to Greater Brisbane's 16.1%. Limited local employment opportunities are suggested by the Census working population vs resident population count. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 4.5%, labour force by 4.6%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. In comparison, Greater Brisbane saw employment grow by 4.4% and unemployment fall by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23%, losing 8,070 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, with employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to North Stradbroke Island's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.0%% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, North Stradbroke Island's median income among taxpayers is $39,868. The average income was $55,485 in the same period. Both figures are below the national averages. In Greater Brisbane, the median income was $55,645 with an average of $70,520 during the same year. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, current estimates for North Stradbroke Island would be approximately $44,537 (median) and $61,982 (average). Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in North Stradbroke Island all fall between the 10th and 18th percentiles nationally. Income brackets show that the predominant cohort spans 26.5% of locals (623 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, which is consistent with broader trends across the broader area showing 33.3% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe on North Stradbroke Island, with only 84.6% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 12th percentile nationally.

North Stradbroke Island is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

North Stradbroke Island's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 83.9% houses and 16.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), similar to Brisbane metro's composition. Home ownership on North Stradbroke Island was higher than Brisbane metro at 49.0%, with the rest either mortgaged (23.1%) or rented (27.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,733, lower than Brisbane metro's average of $2,000 and the national average of $1,863. Median weekly rent on North Stradbroke Island was recorded at $300, significantly lower than Brisbane metro's $425 and the national figure of $375.

North Stradbroke Island features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 63.4% of all households, including 18.5% couples with children, 34.6% couples without children, and 10.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 36.6%, with lone person households at 32.8% and group households comprising 3.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

North Stradbroke Island faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

Educational qualifications in North Stradbroke Island lag behind regional benchmarks, with 24.8% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 30.5% in Greater Brisbane. This gap indicates potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 16.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 41.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (30.6%) being the most prevalent.

A significant portion of the population is actively pursuing formal education, with 10.1% in primary, 8.2% in secondary, and 2.2% in tertiary education. Dunwich State School serves North Stradbroke Island, enrolling 144 students as of a recent report. The island has varied educational conditions, with one school focusing exclusively on primary education and secondary options available in nearby areas. Local school capacity is limited, with 6.1 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.4, leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

North Stradbroke Island has 39 active public transport stops. All these stops are used by buses. There are two bus routes serving the island.

Together, these routes provide 259 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of public transport on the island is rated as good. Residents typically live 325 meters away from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are 37 bus trips per day across all routes. This means each stop gets about 6 weekly trips.

Health performance in North Stradbroke Island is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

North Stradbroke Island faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, at approximately 48% of the total population (around 1,120 people), compared to 54.2% in Greater Brisbane and the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis (10.0%) and mental health issues (8.3%).

About 62.1% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 64.6% in Greater Brisbane. Approximately 33.8% of residents are aged 65 and over (794 people), higher than the 25.3% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors on the island are strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

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

North Stradbroke Island, surveyed in June-August 2016, had a low cultural diversity with 85.2% citizens, 86.1% born in Australia, and 96.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the prevalent religion (45.0%). Buddhism was overrepresented at 1.9%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 1.0%.

Top ancestry groups were English (29.0%), Australian (22.6%), and Australian Aboriginal (11.0%), significantly higher than regional averages of 8.7% for English, 5.4% for Australian, and 2.0% for Australian Aboriginal. Notably, Scottish (10.4%) and Irish (10.3%) were overrepresented compared to regional figures of 8.9% and 8.6%, respectively; French was also slightly higher at 0.7%.

North Stradbroke Island ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

North Stradbroke Island has a median age of 52 years, which is notably higher than Greater Brisbane's median age of 36 years. This figure is also considerably older than the national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Greater Brisbane average, the 65-74 age cohort is significantly over-represented on North Stradbroke Island at 19.8%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 6.8%. This concentration of the 65-74 age group is well above the national average of 9.4%. Between 2021 and the present, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 8.6% to 11.9% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 8.1% to 9.6%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 age group has declined from 17.3% to 14.4%, and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 10.5% to 9.5%. Demographic modeling suggests that North Stradbroke Island's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to expand notably, increasing by 128 people (46%) from 280 to 409. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are projected to account for 100% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 45 to 54 and 55 to 64 age cohorts.