South Townsville - Railway Estate
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in South Townsville - Railway Estate reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

South Townsville - Railway Estate's population was around 5,596 as of November 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This reflected an increase of 300 people from the 2021 Census figure of 5,296. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,571 in June 2024 and an additional 25 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 609 persons per square kilometer. South Townsville - Railway Estate's growth rate of 5.7% since the census was within 1.2 percentage points of the SA4 region's growth rate of 6.9%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 62.3% of overall population gains in recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 were used, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. These state projections did not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applied proportional growth weightings from the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort. Future demographic trends suggest a population increase just below the median of locations outside capital cities. The area is expected to expand by 646 persons to 2041 based on latest population numbers, recording an overall gain of 11.1% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in South Townsville - Railway Estate according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

South Townsville - Railway Estate has seen approximately five new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 27 homes. As of FY-26, five approvals have been recorded. On average, 8.1 new residents per year arrive for each dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This indicates supply is lagging demand, potentially leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $353,000. In the current financial year, $56.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting strong commercial development momentum. However, South Townsville - Railway Estate records markedly lower building activity compared to the rest of Queensland and nationally, reflecting its maturity and possible planning constraints. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. Recent development has consisted entirely of detached houses, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

Notably, developers are constructing more detached housing than the existing pattern implies (62.0% at Census), indicating persistent strong demand for family homes despite densification trends. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1084 people, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. Future projections show South Townsville - Railway Estate adding 621 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

South Townsville - Railway Estate has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 31stth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 19 projects likely to affect the region. Notable initiatives include The Hive at 10-15 The Strand Masterplan, Weststate Private Hospital, Marina Residences, and Port of Townsville Channel Upgrade. The following list details those expected to be most 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.

South Townsville - Railway Estate shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

South Townsville - Railway Estate has an unemployment rate of 5.9%. As of June 2025, it has 3,068 residents in work, with an unemployment rate of 5.9%, compared to the Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation is at 63.6%, similar to the regional level of 59.1%. Key industries for employment are health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and accommodation & food services. The area specializes in public administration & safety, with an employment share twice the regional level. However, agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 0.7% compared to the regional average of 4.5%.

The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.6, indicating higher-than-average local employment opportunities. Over the year ending June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.0%, with a corresponding 3.9% decline in employment, leading to an unemployment rate increase of 1.9 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment growth of 1.8% and labour force growth of 2.0%, with a slight rise in unemployment. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to South Townsville - Railway Estate's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.5% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

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

South Townsville - Railway Estate had a median income of $54,562 and an average income of $74,252 in financial year 2022, according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This compares to figures for Rest of Qld's median income of $50,780 and average income of $64,844. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $62,195 (median) and $84,640 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals personal income ranks at the 66th percentile ($894 weekly), while household income sits at the 37th percentile. Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 33.0% of the community (1,846 individuals). Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.1% of income remaining, ranking at the 38th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

South Townsville - Railway Estate displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

South Townsville - Railway Estate's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 62.5% houses and 37.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 81.3% houses and 18.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Townsville - Railway Estate was at 23.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.6% and rented ones at 45.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,473, below Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,517. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $300, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $305. Nationally, South Townsville - Railway Estate's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

South Townsville - Railway Estate features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 56.8% of all households, including 17.2% couples with children, 26.8% couples without children, and 10.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 43.2%, with lone person households at 37.3% and group households comprising 6.2%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

Educational outcomes in South Townsville - Railway Estate fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 25.5% of residents aged 15+, exceeding the SA4 region average of 20.1% and that of Rest of Qld (20.6%). Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 17.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 5.2% and graduate diplomas at 2.8%. Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 39.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas at 10.9% and certificates at 28.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.1% in primary education, 8.0% in tertiary education, and 7.8% pursuing secondary education. South Townsville - Railway Estate's 3 schools have combined enrollment reaching 1,115 students. The area demonstrates varied educational conditions across South Townsville - Railway Estate. Education provision is balanced with 2 primary and 1 secondary schools serving distinct age groups.

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

South Townsville - Railway Estate has 26 active public transport stops operating within it. These stops are served by a mix of buses along two individual routes, collectively providing 145 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 211 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 20 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 5 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in South Townsville - Railway Estate is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

South Townsville - Railway Estate faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent among both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 56% (~3,161 people) have private health cover, compared to 53.3% across the rest of Queensland.

Mental health issues affect about 10.7% of residents, while arthritis impacts around 8.1%. About 67.8% report having no medical ailments, similar to the 67.8% reported in the rest of Queensland. The area has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 14.9% (831 people), performing better than the general population in health metrics.

South Townsville - Railway Estate ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

South Townsville-Railway Estate exhibited lower cultural diversity, with 83.6% being citizens, 84.8% born in Australia, and 92.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 49.1%. Judaism's representation was notably higher at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% regionally.

The top ancestry groups were English (28.5%), Australian (24.7%), and Irish (10.3%). Scottish (9.2%) and French (0.7%) were overrepresented, while Australian Aboriginal was slightly underrepresented at 4.6%.

South Townsville - Railway Estate's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in South Townsville - Railway Estate was 38 years as of the 2021 Census, which is slightly below Queensland's average of 41 but aligns with Australia's median age of 38. The 25-34 age group constituted 19.6% of the population in South Townsville - Railway Estate, higher than Rest of Qld's percentage and significantly above the national average of 14.5%. The 5-14 cohort, however, was less prevalent at 7.9%. Post-2021 Census data shows a decrease in median age from 39 to 38 years between 2016 and 2021. During this period, the 25-34 age group grew from 16.1% to 19.6%, while the 5-14 cohort declined from 9.8% to 7.9%. The 45-54 group also saw a decrease, dropping from 14.2% to 12.5%. By 2041, South Townsville - Railway Estate's age composition is projected to shift significantly. The 25-34 age cohort is expected to grow by 33%, increasing from 1,098 to 1,456 people. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 55-64 and 5-14 cohorts.