Ooralea - Bakers Creek

Ooralea - Bakers Creek lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Ooralea - Bakers Creek's population was around 6,678 as of November 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This figure represents a growth of 737 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,941. The increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,514 in June 2024 and an additional 162 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 137 persons per square kilometer. Ooralea - Bakers Creek's growth rate of 12.4% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (6.6%) and the SA4 region, indicating it as a growth leader. Interstate migration contributed approximately 59.4% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are used, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so proportional growth weightings from the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) are applied for each age cohort where necessary. Demographic trends forecast a significant population increase in the top quartile of Australian non-metropolitan areas, with Ooralea - Bakers Creek expected to expand by 2,129 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 29.4% over the 17-year period based on the latest annual ERP population numbers.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Ooralea - Bakers Creek among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Ooralea - Bakers Creek has granted approximately 39 residential property approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 197 homes. As of FY26, ten approvals have been recorded. Each year, an average of 4.6 people move to the area for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25. This high demand exceeds new supply, leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.

The average construction cost of new properties is $280,000, below the regional average, offering more affordable housing options. In FY26, commercial approvals have reached $83.3 million, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Ooralea - Bakers Creek shows 81.0% higher new home approvals per person. Recent development has been exclusively detached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

The estimated population count is 419 people per dwelling approval. By 2041, Ooralea - Bakers Creek is projected to add 1,965 residents, with building activity keeping pace with growth projections despite heightened buyer competition as the population grows.

Ooralea - Bakers Creek has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 22 projects that could affect the region. Notable ones include Mackay Technology Park, The Gardens at Ooralea, Ooralea Local Plan, and Mackay Aquatic and Recreation Complex (Mackay ARC). Below is a list of those most likely to be relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Ooralea - Bakers Creek performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Ooralea - Bakers Creek has a skilled workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 2.0% as of September 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.1%. There were 3,787 residents employed while the unemployment rate was 2.1% lower than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation was higher at 66.2%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, mining, and retail trade.

Mining is particularly strong with an employment share 3.7 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing employs just 1.3% of local workers, below Rest of Qld's 4.5%. The area functions as an employment hub with 2.0 workers per resident, attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.1%, labour force grew by 4.7%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment rise by 1.7% and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows Queensland employment contracted by 0.01%, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Ooralea - Bakers Creek's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.6% over ten years.

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

The Ooralea - Bakers Creek SA2 had one of the highest income levels in Australia according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers was $65,632 and the average income stood at $82,064, compared to figures for Rest of Qld which were $50,780 and $64,844 respectively. As of September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $74,814 (median) and $93,545 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022. Census data shows household, family and personal incomes in Ooralea - Bakers Creek cluster around the 74th percentile nationally. The earnings profile indicates that 37.0% of the population (2,470 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, mirroring the region where 31.7% occupy this bracket. A substantial proportion of high earners, at 30.3%, indicates strong economic capacity throughout Ooralea - Bakers Creek. Housing accounts for 13.6% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 78th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Ooralea - Bakers Creek is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

In Ooralea - Bakers Creek, as per the latest Census, 90.9% of dwellings were houses while 9.1% consisted of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. In comparison, Non-Metro Qld had 85.1% houses and 14.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ooralea - Bakers Creek was at 29.7%, similar to Non-Metro Qld's rate. Mortgaged properties constituted 43.8% and rented ones made up 26.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,820, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent was recorded at $410 compared to Non-Metro Qld's $340. Nationally, Ooralea - Bakers Creek's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863 while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Ooralea - Bakers Creek has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 75.7% of all households, including 36.2% couples with children, 28.2% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 24.3%, with lone person households at 20.7% and group households making up 3.6%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.6.

Ooralea - Bakers Creek faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 17.2%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 42.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 7.5% and certificates at 34.8%. Educational participation is high, with 32.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 12.4% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 5.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis indicates ten active transport stops operating within Ooralea-Bakers Creek, comprising a mix of bus services. These stops are serviced by two individual routes, collectively providing 155 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as moderate, with residents typically located 526 meters from the nearest transport stop.

Service frequency averages 22 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 15 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Ooralea - Bakers Creek is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population and nearer the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Ooralea-Bakers Creek shows superior health outcomes with lower prevalence of common conditions among its general population compared to older and at-risk cohorts nationally, averaging near the national norm. Approximately 61% (4060 people) have private health cover, higher than Rest of Qld's 57.0%. Nationally, it is 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.8% each. 72.9% report no medical ailments, compared to Rest of Qld's 69.7%. 14.3% (957 people) are aged 65 and over, lower than Rest of Qld's 16.2%. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Ooralea - Bakers Creek ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Ooralea-Bakers Creek shows cultural diversity below average, with 86.0% citizens, 84.3% born in Australia, and 88.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, at 60.3%, compared to 56.8% regionally. Top ancestry groups are Australian (29.7%), English (26.3%), and Irish (7.3%).

Notably, Maltese (3.1%) and Filipino (3.8%) populations exceed regional averages of 2.4% and 1.5%, respectively, while Maori representation is slightly higher at 0.7%.

Ooralea - Bakers Creek's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Ooralea-Bakers Creek has a median age of 36, which is lower than Queensland's figure of 41 and Australia's figure of 38. Compared to Queensland's average, Ooralea-Bakers Creek has an over-representation of the 35-44 age group (15.8%) and an under-representation of the 65-74 age group (8.0%). Between 2021 and now, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 12.2% to 13.1%, while the 45 to 54 age group has decreased from 11.9% to 11.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Ooralea-Bakers Creek's age profile. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to expand by 426 people (42%), from 1,017 to 1,444. Meanwhile, the 5 to 14 age group is expected to grow by a modest 2% (15 people).