Townsville - South

Townsville - South lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Townsville - South's population is around 5,840 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,073 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,767 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,546 in June 2024 and an additional 391 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2.8 persons per square kilometer. Townsville - South's growth rate of 22.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (6.9%) and the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 76.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. Exceptional growth is predicted over the period to 2041, with the area expected to grow by 5,214 persons, reflecting a gain of 84.2% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Townsville - South was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Townsville - South has seen approximately 84 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 421 homes. As of FY-26, 42 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling has accommodated around 2.4 new residents per year between FY-21 and FY-25, reflecting strong demand that supports property values. The average construction cost value for these dwellings is $286,000, which is below regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options.

In this financial year, $4.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Townsville - South has 315% more development activity per person, suggesting ample choice for buyers and robust developer interest. All new construction in the area consists of standalone homes, maintaining its traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes. With around 68 people per dwelling approval, Townsville - South exhibits characteristics of a growth area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is projected to add approximately 4,920 residents by 2041.

If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Townsville - South has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 101 projects likely affecting the area. Notable projects include Queensland Resources Common User Facility, SunHQ Hydrogen Hub, Iluka, and Wulguru Group Stuart Facility Expansion. The following details projects expected to have the 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.

AreaSearch assessment positions Townsville - South ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Townsville - South has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.9% as of September 2025, which is 1.2% lower than the Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation was broadly similar to Rest of Qld's 65.7%.

According to Census responses, a low 10.2% of residents worked from home. Employment among residents was concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and public administration & safety, with notable concentration in the latter at 1.8 times the regional average. Conversely, accommodation & food services showed lower representation at 3.6%, compared to the regional average of 8.3%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data.

Over a 12-month period ending September 2025, employment remained stable at 0.0% while labour force increased by 0.8%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.7 percentage points. This contrasted with Rest of Qld where employment grew by 1.7%, labour force expanded by 2.1%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 estimated national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Townsville - South's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 13.0% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Townsville - South SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $55,344 and an average income of $66,464. These figures are slightly lower than the national averages of $53,146 and $66,593 respectively for Rest of Qld. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, estimated median income is approximately $60,829 and average income is around $73,051 as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Townsville - South cluster around the 60th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that 34.5% of the population (2,014 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, similar to the region where 31.7% occupy this bracket. After housing costs, residents retain 88.5% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Townsville - South is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Townsville - South, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 99.7% houses and 0.3% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro Qld had 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Townsville - South was 43.0%, with the remainder either mortgaged (48.7%) or rented (8.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,655. The median weekly rent figure was $270, lower than Non-Metro Qld's $345. Nationally, Townsville - South's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Townsville - South features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 79.4% of all households, consisting of 32.6% couples with children, 39.1% couples without children, and 7.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 20.6%, with lone person households at 18.2% and group households comprising 2.0%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 19.3%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 42.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.5%) and certificates (32.8%). Educational participation is high, with 29.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.3% in primary education, 9.4% in secondary education, and 3.8% pursuing tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health outcomes in Townsville - South are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Health indicators in Townsville - South suggest below-average outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment as of August 2021.

Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were found to be slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover was approximately 52% of the total population, which is around 3,042 people, lagging behind the average SA2 area. The most common medical conditions in the area were arthritis, impacting 9.1% of residents, and mental health issues, affecting 8.3%. Conversely, 68.2% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.6% across Rest of Qld. Working-age residents showed an above-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area had 19.0% of residents aged 65 and over, totaling 1,111 people. Health outcomes among seniors were above average, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

Townsville - South is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Townsville - South had a cultural diversity below average, with 86.8% citizens, 89.2% born in Australia, and 96.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 55.6%, compared to 52.2% across Rest of Qld. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (33.1%), English (30.8%), and Irish (8.3%).

Notably, German (4.5%) was overrepresented compared to the regional average of 4.7%. New Zealand (0.8%) and Italian (3.5%) also showed divergences from their respective regional averages.

Townsville - South hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Townsville-South's median age is 44 years, which is marginally higher than the Rest of Qld average of 41 and considerably older than Australia's 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 65-74 are particularly prominent at 13.3%, while the 15-24 group is comparatively smaller at 9.8% compared to the Rest of Qld. Between 2021 and the present, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 11.2% to 12.7% of the population, while the 0 to 4 cohort increased from 5.6% to 6.8%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 16.5% to 14.5%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 14.9% to 13.5%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Townsville-South, with the 25 to 34 cohort projected to grow by 112%, adding 828 residents to reach a total of 1,568.