Pacific Pines - Gaven
Statistical Area - sa2

Pacific Pines - Gaven is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Pacific Pines - Gaven's population is 19,197 as of August 2025. This reflects a growth since the 2021 Census population of 18,308 people, an increase of 889 people (4.9%). The change was inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 19,170 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,169 persons per square kilometer. Pacific Pines - Gaven's growth rate is within 1.1 percentage points of the SA3 area's 6.0% growth, indicating competitive fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 52.0% of overall population gains recently.

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 are adopted, based on 2021 data released in 2023. These state projections lack age category splits; AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort where used. Population projections anticipate lower quartile growth nationally by 2041, with Pacific Pines - Gaven expected to expand by 243 persons over the next 17 years, an increase of 1.1% in total population.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Pacific Pines - Gaven, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Pacific Pines - Gaven has seen approximately nine new homes approved annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) produces development approval data on a financial year basis, totalling 46 approvals over the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25, with five approvals so far in FY-26. On average, 1.4 new residents per year have been added per dwelling constructed over these past five financial years. However, this has increased to 24.6 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating the area's growing popularity and potential supply constraints. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $350,000, reflecting more affordable housing options compared to regional norms.

There have been $28.1 million in commercial approvals this financial year, demonstrating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Pacific Pines - Gaven shows substantially reduced construction activity, with 81.0% below the regional average per person, which typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. This activity is also below national averages, suggesting maturity in the area that may be influenced by planning constraints. Recent building activity consists entirely of detached houses, preserving the area's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. Developers are constructing more detached housing than previously indicated by census data (78.0% increase), reflecting persistent strong demand for family homes.

The location has approximately 2118 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. Looking ahead, Pacific Pines - Gaven is projected to grow by 216 residents by the year 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Pacific Pines - Gaven has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 28 projects likely to affect the region. Notable initiatives include Arundel Hills Country Club Redevelopment, Weka Parklands Upgrade - Skate Park and Basketball Court, Pacific Pines Master Planned Community, and Pacific Pines State High School Junior Secondary Precinct. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Pacific Pines - Gaven demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Pacific Pines - Gaven has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 3.1% as of June 2025. The area experienced employment growth of 2.2% in the past year.

Residents' participation in the labour force is high at 71.4%, compared to the Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key industries for residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction employment is notably concentrated, being 1.3 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 0.3% versus the regional average of 4.5%.

Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by Census data. In the past year, employment increased by 2.2%, labour force by 2.1%, leaving unemployment broadly flat. This contrasts with Rest of Qld where employment grew by 1.8%, labour force expanded by 2.0%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 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%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years. Applying these projections to Pacific Pines - Gaven's industry mix suggests local growth of approximately the same rates, assuming constant population projections.

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

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Pacific Pines - Gaven had a median taxpayer income of $50,239 and an average income of $61,092. These figures are lower than the national averages of $50,780 and $64,844 respectively for Rest of Qld. As of March 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022 would be approximately $56,122 (median) and $68,246 (average). The 2021 Census ranked household income at the 71st percentile ($2,086 weekly), with personal income at the 54th percentile. Income analysis showed that 41.4% of the population (7,947 individuals) fell within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, mirroring regional trends where 31.7% occupied this bracket. High housing costs consumed 18.1% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 68th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th decile.

Pacific Pines - Gaven is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Pacific Pines - Gaven, as per the latest Census evaluation, 78.1% of dwellings were houses, with 21.9% being other types such as semi-detached, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 71.9% houses and 28.1% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Pacific Pines - Gaven was 18.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 50.2% and rented ones at 31.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,000, surpassing Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,950. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $470, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $435. Nationally, Pacific Pines - Gaven's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Pacific Pines - Gaven features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 87.0% of all households, including 46.5% couples with children, 24.0% couples without children, and 15.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 13.0%, with lone person households at 9.9% and group households making up 3.1%. The median household size is 3.1 people, larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.8.

The educational profile of Pacific Pines - Gaven exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational qualifications in Pacific Pines - Gaven show that 21.7% of residents aged 15+ have university degrees, compared to the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.2%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 41.1% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.5%) and certificates (28.6%). Educational participation is high, with 32.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 12.1% in primary, 9.9% in secondary, and 4.6% in tertiary education.

Pacific Pines - Gaven has four schools with a combined enrollment of 4,667 students, serving distinct age groups and demonstrating typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1027). The area functions as an education hub with 24.3 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 14.0.

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

Pacific Pines - Gaven has 57 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by five different routes that combined offer 407 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically living within 308 meters of the nearest stop.

On average, there are 58 daily trips across all routes, translating to about seven weekly trips per individual stop.

Pacific Pines - Gaven's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Pacific Pines - Gaven, with younger cohorts seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 50% of the total population (~9,598 people) has private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 7.9 and 7.4% of residents respectively. A total of 73.6% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 69.5% across Rest of Qld. The area has 10.8% of residents aged 65 and over (2,069 people), which is lower than the 16.7% in Rest of Qld.

Pacific Pines - Gaven was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Pacific Pines-Gaven was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 16.9% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 32.9% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Pacific Pines-Gaven, comprising 44.1% of people there, compared to 0.9% for Islam across Rest of Qld. The most notable overrepresentation was found in Islam, which comprises 2.0% of Pacific Pines-Gaven's population.

In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups are English (28.7%), Australian (23.5%), and Other (9.0%). There are also notable divergences in certain ethnic groups: New Zealand is overrepresented at 2.4%, Maori at 3.0%, and Korean at 0.8%.

Pacific Pines - Gaven's population is younger than the national pattern

The median age in Pacific Pines - Gaven is 35 years, which is lower than Rest of Qld's average of 41 years and under the national average of 38 years. The proportion of individuals aged 15-24 is notably higher at 15.3% compared to Rest of Qld's average, while those aged 65-74 are under-represented at 6.6%. According to post-2021 Census data, the percentage of the population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 13.9% to 15.3%, while the proportion of those aged 5 to 14 has decreased from 16.5% to 14.4%. By 2041, significant demographic changes are forecast for Pacific Pines - Gaven. The 25 to 34 age group is expected to grow by 23%, reaching 3,099 people from 2,514. Conversely, both the 55 to 64 and 5 to 14 age groups are projected to decrease in number.