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This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
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ABS ERP | -- people | --
2021 Census | -- people
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Rockhampton City has an estimated 3,349 residents. Density is about 65 people per square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
According to the analysis by AreaSearch, the resident count of Rockhampton City stands at approximately 3,349 as of May 2026. This represents a decline of 15 individuals (0.4%) from the 2021 Census, which recorded 3,364 residents. This population shift is calculated utilizing the ABS estimated resident population of 3,345 from June 2025 combined with 52 validated new addresses registered after the Census. The current population translates to a density of 65 persons per square kilometer, indicating low density and capacity for future expansion. The main driver of population growth in this locality was overseas migration, which served as the exclusive contributor to population increases in recent times.
Projections from ABS and Geoscience Australia, published in 2024 with a 2022 baseline, are used by AreaSearch for each SA2 region. For areas lacking this data, and for all periods after 2032, projections from the Queensland State Government released in 2023 (using 2021 data) are substituted. Because the state-level projections omit age breakdowns, AreaSearch allocates growth across age cohorts proportionally based on the 2023 ABS Greater Capital Region projections (using 2022 baseline data). Based on these anticipated demographic trends, growth is expected to align with the lowest quartile of non-metropolitan Australia, with the local population projected to rise by 89 individuals by 2041 compared to the most recent annual ERP figures, representing a 16-year increase of 2.5%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
70 new dwellings have been approved in Rockhampton City over the past five years, an average of 14 a year. That is 4.1 approvals per 1,000 residents. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 22, running ahead of that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this SA2 boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
In Rockhampton City, residential approvals average approximately 14 homes annually, accumulating to 70 properties over the preceding 5 financial years. Records for FY-26 show 21 approvals to date. Given the decline in local population, the housing supply has stayed sufficient to meet demand, maintaining a balanced market with diverse choices for buyers, while newly constructed properties have an average value of $448,000. Additionally, commercial approvals have reached $44.2 million this financial year, indicating a high volume of commercial development. Rockhampton City matches the construction rates per capita of the Rest of Qld, keeping market conditions balanced in line with the broader region despite a recent deceleration in development.
Modern building activity consists of 14.0% detached houses and 86.0% medium to high-density dwellings. This focus on high-density options offers affordable entry points and suits downsizers, real estate investors, and first-time buyers. This represents a clear shift from the current housing stock (where houses make up 76.0%), pointing to a scarcity of developable land alongside changing lifestyle choices and demand for affordable options. The ratio of 475 people per single home approval highlights a quiet development sector with low activity levels. Projections indicate Rockhampton City will add 85 residents by 2041, based on the latest quarterly calculations by AreaSearch. If current building rates persist, the supply of homes should easily satisfy demand, maintaining positive conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond the current projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Rockhampton City
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 7 current infrastructure and development projects inside Rockhampton City, worth an estimated $37 million. A further 65 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $10.2 billion. 22 are already under construction and 18 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, communities and energy. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local infrastructure updates, planning decisions, and major projects are key drivers of regional performance. AreaSearch has identified 20 projects with the potential to influence the local area. Principal developments include the Browne Park Redevelopment, the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens and Zoo Redevelopment, the Central Queensland Defence Industry Precinct Business Case, and the Rockhampton Museum of Art, with key details of the most significant works provided below.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Rockhampton Museum of Art
Three storey regional art museum built by Rockhampton Regional Council on Quay Street, opened in 2022. Around 4,700 sqm GFA with multiple exhibition spaces, learning studios, shop and a cafe, positioned on the Fitzroy River waterfront (Tunuba).
Browne Park Redevelopment
A major redevelopment project to upgrade Browne Park, including a new 3,500-seat grandstand, changerooms, amenities, food/beverage outlets, corporate and media facilities. The project aims to improve the facility and attract larger sporting and cultural events to Rockhampton.
Central Queensland Defence Industry Precinct Business Case
Supported by $1 million in Queensland Government funding, this business case aims to develop Central Queensland as a strategic hub for Australia's defence industry, leveraging the region's geographic location, ports, airports, and military training facilities.
Rockhampton Region Planning Scheme
The primary planning scheme for the Rockhampton Region, guiding future growth and development over a ten-year horizon. It identifies appropriate land uses, prevents incompatible developments, and commenced on 24 August 2015, with ongoing amendments and reviews. The overarching planning scheme for the Rockhampton Region, including Bajool, it guides land use, development, and environmental management.
Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP)
Forms an integral part of the Rockhampton Region Planning Scheme, the LGIP guides the provision of trunk infrastructure. The current version commenced in March 2020, with a five-year review currently in progress to update planning assumptions and infrastructure plans.
Rockhampton Region Economic Development Strategy and Action Plans 2023-2028
A strategic framework developed by Advance Rockhampton to guide the region's economic growth and leverage opportunities. It focuses on key pillars such as future jobs, investment attraction, infrastructure, regional promotion, collaboration, and talent retention.
Rockhampton Botanic Gardens and Zoo Redevelopment
Multi-stage redevelopment of the heritage-listed Rockhampton Botanic Gardens and Zoo including a new visitor hub, upgraded animal exhibits, improved visitor amenities, playground upgrades, enhanced gardens and conservation facilities. Major visitor infrastructure has been completed and additional enclosure and site enhancement works continue as part of the long-term redevelopment program.
Rockhampton Large Format Retail Centre (Anaconda anchor)
A large format retail development on the corner of Yaamba Road (Bruce Highway) and Moores Creek Road in Park Avenue, anchored by a 2,500 square metre Anaconda showroom. Following an approved change application in March 2025, the project now comprises six showroom tenancies plus advertising signage, with the previously proposed shopping centre, smaller shops and 24-hour service station components removed. The site provides 258 car parking spaces and is owned by the Spotlight Retail Group through SPG Developments.The development brings additional outdoor, lifestyle and homewares retail to the northern Rockhampton retail strip on the Bruce Highway.
1,436 residents of Rockhampton City are employed, from a labour force of 1,665. Unemployment sits at 13.8%, with participation at 60.8%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.6% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 7,228, about 2.2 times the resident population, so the area draws in more workers than it sends out. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
The labor force in Rockhampton City is distributed across white and blue collar roles, with strong representation in essential services, alongside an unemployment rate of 13.8% and a 5.0% rise in estimated jobs over the last year. In March 2026, employed residents numbered 1,436, while the local unemployment rate was 9.8% higher than the Regional Qld rate of 3.9%, showing potential for improvement, and the participation rate was lower than average (60.8% compared to 64.3% in Regional Qld). According to Census data, a modest 5.1% of the workforce operated from home, though this figure was influenced by pandemic-related lockdowns.
Local jobs are predominantly found in health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and construction. The accommodation & food sector is highly represented, with employment density reaching 1.6 times the Regional Qld average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is underrepresented at 1.7% compared to the regional average of 4.5%. With a ratio of 2.8 workers for every resident at the time of the Census, the area acts as a major employment center, importing labor from adjacent districts to fill its surplus of jobs. AreaSearch assessment of SALM and ABS statistics shows that over the 12-month period, employment rose by 5.0% while the workforce shrank by 5.0%, leading to a decrease of 8.2 percentage points in the unemployment rate. In comparison, Regional Qld experienced a 0.1% increase in employment, a 0.3% expansion of the labor force, and a 0.1 percentage point increase in unemployment. National employment forecasts from May-25 by Jobs and Skills Australia provide context for future workforce demands in Rockhampton City. These five and ten-year forecasts have been applied to the local workforce structure to model future growth. Nationally, employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though rates vary by sector. Applying these industry weightings to the Rockhampton City employment profile indicates a local employment expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this is a basic weighting extrapolation and excludes local population dynamics.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Rockhampton City is $1,061 a week (about $55,000 a year), with median personal income at $613 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $47,927 a year against an average of $59,663. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
Based on AreaSearch's compilation of postcode-level ATO data from the 2023 financial year, taxpayers in the Rockhampton City SA2 recorded a median income of $47,927 and an average income of $59,663. These figures are below national benchmarks and compare to median and average incomes of $53,146 and $66,593 in Regional Qld. Adjusted for a Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since the 2023 financial year, estimated figures as of March 2026 would be around $53,372 for the median and $66,441 for the average. Census data from 2021 places personal, family, and household incomes in Rockhampton City between the 5th and 13th percentiles nationally.
Income distribution data shows that 26.9% of residents (900 people) earn within the $800 - 1,499 bracket, whereas the dominant bracket regionally is $1,500 - 2,999 at 31.7%. Financial pressure from housing is high, with residents retaining only 83.2% of their income, placing the area in the 6th percentile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Rockhampton City had 1,323 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 76% detached houses and 18% apartments. 26% are owned with a mortgage, 46% rented and 28% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $250 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,073 a month. Rent absorbs 23.6% of household income here and mortgage repayments 23.3%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
According to the last Census, the housing mix in Rockhampton City consisted of 75.7% detached houses and 24.3% alternative dwellings (including townhouses, apartments, and other types), compared to 76.4% houses and 23.6% alternative dwellings across Regional Qld. Home ownership rates in Rockhampton City stood at 28.3%, lower than the regional average, with the remaining properties occupied by mortgage holders (25.8%) or tenants (45.9%). The median mortgage payment of $1,073 per month was significantly below the Regional Qld average of $1,655, while the median weekly rent of $250 also sat below the regional benchmark of $345.
On a national scale, Rockhampton City's housing costs are low, with mortgage payments well under the Australian average of $1,863 and rents substantially below the national average of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Rockhampton City counted 1,323 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.1 people each. 14% are couples with children, fewer than in 95% of areas nationally, against 20% couples without children. 41% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.9 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families make up 54.8% of all households, consisting of couples with children at 13.5%, couples without children at 19.7%, and single parent households at 17.9%. The other 45.2% are non-family households, which are mostly single persons (41.0%) along with group households (4.5%). The median household size is 2.1 persons, which is smaller than the Regional Qld average of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
14.3% of adults in Rockhampton City hold a university qualification, including 9.6% with a bachelor degree and 2.9% with postgraduate qualifications, lower than 93% of areas nationally. A further 31.2% hold a vocational qualification. 3 schools serve the area, with 230 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 873 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Educational outcomes in the area show that university completion rates (14.3%) are much lower than the Australian benchmark of 30.4%, pointing to opportunities for targeted educational programs. Among degree holders, bachelor qualifications are most common at 9.6%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 2.9% and graduate diplomas at 1.8%. Vocational education is highly prevalent, with 37.8% of residents aged 15 and over holding technical qualifications, split between advanced diplomas (6.6%) and certificates (31.2%). Enrolment rates are high, with 27.3% of the population participating in formal studies. This total comprises 10.7% of residents in primary schools, 6.6% in secondary schools, and 4.4% in higher education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Getting around Rockhampton City means driving: households keep an average of 1.0 vehicles, and no scheduled public transport appears in the current timetable feeds. Service data is built from operators' published GTFS timetables; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
57.5% of residents in Rockhampton City report no long-term health condition, a less healthy profile than 96% of areas nationally. 8.4% need daily assistance with core activities, and 48.9% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 9.5 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality data and chronic illness rates highlights notable health issues in Rockhampton City, affecting multiple age brackets. Furthermore, the rate of private health insurance is low, covering approximately 49% of the population (~1,637 people), compared to 52.5% in Regional Qld and a national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent health issues among residents are mental health conditions (12.0%) and arthritis (10.5%), while 57.5% of the population reported no chronic conditions, compared to 67.6% across Regional Qld. Chronic health issues are elevated among the working-age cohort. Residents aged 65 and older represent 17.6% of the population (591 people), which is lower than the Regional Qld proportion of 20.4%.
Seniors face some health difficulties, with their national health rankings aligning closely with the broader local population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Rockhampton City is largely Australian-born, at 88.7% of residents, with 6.3% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (29.9%) and Australian (29.4%). 7.5% of residents identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity metrics in Rockhampton City are lower than average, with citizenship at 84.7%, Australian-born residents at 88.7%, and English-only speakers at 93.7%. Christianity is the primary religious affiliation, representing 51.3% of the local population, compared to 52.2% across Regional Qld. In terms of family heritage, the primary ancestry groups in Rockhampton City are English at 29.9%, Australian at 29.4%, and Irish at 9.0%. There are notable differences compared to regional averages, with Australian Aboriginal residents making up 7.5% of the population (compared to 3.9% regionally), German ancestry at 5.1% (compared to 4.7%), and Maori ancestry at 0.7% (compared to 0.8%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Rockhampton City is 40. That is 1 year younger than at the 2021 Census. 26.3% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The median age in Rockhampton City is 40, which is close to the Regional Qld average of 41 and slightly older than the national median of 38. The 25 - 34 cohort is highly represented at 15.7% of the population relative to Regional Qld, while the 75 - 84 cohort is smaller at 5.4%. Since the 2021 Census, the proportion of children aged 0 to 4 grew from 4.8% to 6.7%, and the 25 to 34 cohort increased from 14.3% to 15.7%. Conversely, the 15 to 24 age bracket shrank from 13.2% to 10.6%, and the 45 to 54 cohort fell from 13.0% to 11.6%.
Age modeling suggests that by 2041, the age profile will shift, led by a 15% increase in the 25 to 34 cohort (adding 77 people to reach 603 from 525), alongside population decreases in the 45 to 54 and 15 to 24 brackets.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Rockhampton City
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Aug 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the SA2 boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to May 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to May 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Jun 2026 2 months ago headline measures · May 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Aug 2026 this month all 21 measures |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Aug 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Aug 2025 about a year ago all 7 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Aug 2025. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 5 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Aug 2026 this month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 52 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for May 2026, not a 2021 count (3,364 at the 2021 Census → 3,349 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to May 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (308031217). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.