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 was around 5,850 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 1,083 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 4,767 people. The change was 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 equated to a density ratio of 2.8 persons per square kilometer. Townsville - South's growth rate of 22.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's 6.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 76.5% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth and overseas migration were positive factors.

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 released in 2023 based on 2021 data were adopted. Exceptional growth was predicted over the period to 2041 with the area expected to grow by 5,214 persons reflecting an overall gain of 83.9%.

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 dwellings. In FY-26 so far, 37 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling accommodates about 2.4 new residents per year between FY-21 and FY-25, reflecting strong demand that supports property values. The average construction cost of these homes is $428,000, below regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options for purchasers.

This financial year has seen $4.4 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating the area's predominantly 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 in the area. All new constructions have been standalone homes, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character with a focus on family dwellings. 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 4,910 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 moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 46thth percentile nationally

Area infrastructure significantly impacts performance. AreaSearch identified 101 potential influence projects. Notable ones are Queensland Resources Common User Facility, SunHQ Hydrogen Hub, Iluka, and Wulguru Group Stuart Facility Expansion.

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

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AreaSearch analysis indicates Townsville - South maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Townsville - South has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate is 3.1%.

As of June 2025, 2736 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.8% lower than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation is similar to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and public administration & safety. The area shows strong specialization in public administration & safety with an employment share of 1.8 times the regional level.

Accommodation & food employs only 3.6% of local workers, below Rest of Qld's 8.3%. Labour force decreased by 2.1% and employment decreased by 3.2% in a 12-month period ending June 2025, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 1.1 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Qld recorded employment growth of 1.8%, labour force growth of 2.0%, with unemployment rising 0.2 percentage points. State-level data to Nov-25 shows QLD employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, broadly in line with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 estimate growth rates of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Townsville - South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, assuming constant population projections.

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 released for financial year 2022 shows Townsville - South SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $53,085 and an average income of $64,517. Nationally, the median was $50,780 and the average was $64,844. By September 2025, these figures are estimated to be approximately $60,512 (median) and $73,543 (average), based on a 13.99% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. The 2021 Census data indicates that incomes in Townsville - South cluster around the 60th percentile nationally. Specifically, 34.5% of residents (2,018 individuals) fall within the $1,500 to $2,999 income range, similar to the surrounding region where 31.7% occupy this bracket. After housing costs, residents retain 88.5% of their income, reflecting 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

Townsville - South's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 99.7% houses and 0.3% 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 Townsville - South stood at 43.0%, with the rest being mortgaged (48.7%) or rented (8.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,517. Median weekly rent in Townsville - South was $270, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $305. Nationally, Townsville - South's mortgage repayments were lower ($1,733 vs $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 account for 79.4% of all households, including 32.6% couples with children, 39.1% couples without children, and 7.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute 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 stands at 19.3%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common, with a rate of 13.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 3.6% and graduate diplomas at 2.5%. Vocational credentials are prevalent among residents aged 15 and above, with 42.3% holding such qualifications. Advanced diplomas account for 9.5%, while certificates make up 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

Townsville - South has below-average health indicators, with common health conditions slightly more prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts compared to the average SA2 area.

Private health cover is present at approximately 52% of the total population (~3,036 people), which is higher than the average rate. The most common medical conditions are arthritis (9.1%) and mental health issues (8.3%). Around 68.2% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 67.8% across Rest of Qld. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.0% (1,113 people), compared to the state average of 14.9%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

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 showed lower cultural diversity, with 86.8% citizens, 89.2% born in Australia, and 96.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated Townsville - South at 55.6%, compared to 52.7% regionally. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (33.1%), English (30.8%), and Irish (8.3%).

Notably, German (4.5%) was overrepresented in Townsville - South versus the regional average of 4.0%. New Zealand (0.8%) and Italian (3.5%) also showed slight variations from their respective regional averages of 0.7% and 3.6%.

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

Townsville-South's median age is 44 years, which is slightly higher than the Rest of Queensland average of 41 years and considerably older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The age profile reveals that individuals aged 65-74 are particularly prominent, making up 13.3% of the population, while those aged 15-24 constitute a smaller proportion at 9.8%. Between 2021 and the present, the 25 to 34 age group has increased from 11.2% to 12.7%, and the 0 to 4 cohort has risen from 5.6% to 6.8%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 age group has decreased from 16.5% to 14.5%, and the 45 to 54 age group has dropped from 14.9% to 13.5%. Population forecasts for 2041 suggest significant demographic shifts in Townsville-South, with the 25 to 34 cohort projected to grow by 112%, adding 826 residents to reach a total of 1,568.