Torres Strait Islands

Torres Strait Islands has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, the population of the Torres Strait Islands is around 4,292 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 168 people (4.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,124 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,289 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 5 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 8.8 persons per square kilometer, providing ample space per person. The Torres Strait Islands's 4.1% growth since the census positions it within 0.2 percentage points of the SA4 region (4.3%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth, which contributed approximately 96.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, are adopted. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence, where utilized, AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Anticipating future population dynamics, lower quartile growth for locations outside of capital cities is expected, with the area expected to increase by 211 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 4.8% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Torres Strait Islands is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Torres Strait Islands experiences very limited development activity, averaging 1 approval per year (minimal dwellings over the five-year period). Such low development levels are characteristic of rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is naturally limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. Note: given the small number of approvals, individual development projects can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics.

Torres Strait Islands shows significantly less construction activity than the Rest of Qld. This activity level is similarly below national patterns.

Torres Strait Islands has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 0 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Queensland National Land Transport Network Maintenance, the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan SuperGrid, the Queensland Energy Roadmap, and the Network Optimisation Program - Rail, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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.

Employment conditions in Torres Strait Islands face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Torres Strait Islands features a balanced workforce spanning white and blue collar employment, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of 18.7%, and 0.6% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 1,070 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 14.7% above Regional Qld's rate of 4.0%, showing room for improvement, and workforce participation lags significantly (42.7% compared to Regional Qld's 65.4%). Based on Census responses, a low 2.2% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Employment among residents is concentrated in public administration & safety, education & training, and health care & social assistance. The area has a particular employment specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share of 5.9 times the regional level. In contrast, accommodation & food employs just 2.7% of local workers, below Regional Qld's 8.3%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 0.6% while the labour force decreased by 1.9%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 2.0 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional Qld, where employment rose by 0.7%, the labour force grew by 1.0%, and unemployment rose 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Torres Strait Islands. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Torres Strait Islands's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Torres Strait Islands SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $52,725 with the average level standing at $62,273. This is below the national average and compares to levels of $53,146 and $66,593 across Regional Qld respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $57,950 (median) and $68,444 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Torres Strait Islands all fall between the 1st and 2nd percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows the predominant cohort spans 31.3% of locals (1,343 people) in the $800 - 1,499 category, contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 31.7%. With 40.1% earning under $800 per week, this suburb faces considerable income constraints affecting local spending patterns. While housing costs are modest with 87.6% of income retained, the total disposable income ranks at just the 5th percentile nationally.

Torres Strait Islands is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure within Torres Strait Islands, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 95.8% houses and 4.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional Qld's 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Torres Strait Islands lagged that of Regional Qld, at 6.5%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (0.3%) or rented (93.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well below the Regional Qld average at $0, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $130, compared to Regional Qld's $1,655 and $345. Nationally, Torres Strait Islands's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

Torres Strait Islands features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 78.1% of all households, comprising 36.4% couples with children, 11.0% couples without children, and 28.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 21.9%, with lone person households at 21.4% and group households comprising 0.8% of the total. The median household size of 3.5 people is larger than the Regional Qld average of 2.5.

Torres Strait Islands faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (4.9%) substantially below the Australian average of 30.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 3.3%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.3%) and postgraduate qualifications (0.3%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 48.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (6.4%) and certificates (41.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 21.2% in primary education, 6.7% in secondary education, and 0.4% pursuing tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Torres Strait Islands's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data indicates relatively positive outcomes for Torres Strait Islands residents, with AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and health conditions showing results broadly in line with national benchmarks. The prevalence of common health conditions is quite low across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~2,163 people). This compares to 52.5% across Regional Qld. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be diabetes and asthma, impacting 9.3 and 3.8% of residents, respectively, while 82.0% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 67.6% across Regional Qld. The area has 9.3% of residents aged 65 and over (401 people), which is lower than the 20.4% in Regional Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than those of the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Torres Strait Islands was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Torres Strait Islands was found to be above average in terms of cultural diversity, with 3.5% of its population born overseas and 93.1% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Torres Strait Islands is Christianity, which makes up 86.6% of people in Torres Strait Islands. This compares to 52.2% across Regional Qld.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Torres Strait Islands are Other, comprising 79.3% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 6.9%, Australian Aboriginal, comprising 14.8% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 3.9%, and Australian, comprising 2.0% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 26.5%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Samoan is notably overrepresented at 0.3% of Torres Strait Islands (vs 0.2% regionally).

Torres Strait Islands hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

At 28 years, the median age of the Torres Strait Islands is materially younger than the Regional Qld average of 41 and significantly lower than the 38-year national average. Relative to Regional Qld, the Torres Strait Islands has a higher concentration of 5 - 14 residents (18.8%) but fewer 65 - 74 year-olds (6.3%). This 5 - 14 concentration is well above the national 12.1%. Post-2021 Census data shows demographic aging is evident, with the median age advancing from 27 to 28 years. Key changes show the 45 to 54 age group has grown from 10.1% to 12.4% of the population, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 12.8% to 14.8%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 21.4% to 18.8% and the 15 to 24 group dropped from 13.6% to 11.8%. Demographic modeling suggests the Torres Strait Islands's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 45 to 54 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 32%, adding 171 residents to reach 703. On the other hand, the 15 to 24 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.