Waterford West
Statistical Area - sa2

Waterford West has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Waterford West's population, as of Aug 2025, is around 8,574. This figure reflects a growth of 759 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,815. The increase was inferred from ABS data; Waterford West had an estimated resident population of 8,496 in June 2024 and 59 new addresses were validated after the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,443 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Waterford West's growth rate of 9.7% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (7.7%) and the national average. Overseas migration contributed approximately 43.6% to overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration being positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 using a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections lack age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 using a base year of 2022. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median of national areas by 2041, with Waterford West expected to expand by 874 persons over this period, reflecting a total increase of 9.3%.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Waterford West among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Waterford West has averaged approximately 33 new dwelling approvals per year. Development approval data is provided by the ABS on a financial year basis, showing 166 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, with an additional 9 approved so far in FY26. Over these five years, an average of 4.2 people have moved to the area for each dwelling built, indicating that demand significantly outstrips supply, which typically exerts upward pressure on prices and intensifies competition among buyers. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $277,000, below regional levels, suggesting more accessible housing options for buyers.

This financial year has seen $3.6 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's predominantly residential nature. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Waterford West maintains similar construction rates per person, maintaining market equilibrium with surrounding areas. Recent construction consists of 40.0% standalone homes and 60.0% townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living and providing more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shift contrasts with the area's current housing stock, which is 77.0% houses, suggesting decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting evolving lifestyles and demand for diverse, affordable housing options. The location has approximately 892 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market.

Looking ahead, Waterford West is projected to gain 796 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, offering favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Waterford West has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 14 projects likely impacting the region. Notable projects include Yarrabilba Priority Development Area, The Parks at Stoneleigh Estate, Coomera Connector Stage 1, and Logan Motorway Upgrade (Gateway Motorway to Murtha Road). Relevant projects are listed below.

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

Waterford West shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Waterford West has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. The construction sector is prominent, with an unemployment rate of 6.6% and estimated employment growth of 7.0% over the past year.

As of June 2025, there are 3,809 residents employed, but the unemployment rate stands at 2.5% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation is significantly lower at 50.9%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, construction, and manufacturing. Manufacturing has particularly high concentration with levels at 1.7 times the regional average.

However, professional & technical services employ only 3.3% of local workers, lower than Greater Brisbane's 8.9%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparison between working population and resident population. In the past year, employment increased by 7.0%, while labour force grew by 4.9%, leading to a 1.9 percentage point decrease in unemployment rate. By contrast, Greater Brisbane had employment growth of 4.4% and unemployment fell by 0.4%. As of Sep-25, Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23%, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Waterford West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.9% over five years and 12.7% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

Waterford West's median taxpayer income was $50,190 and average was $53,837 in financial year 2022. This is lower than national averages, with Greater Brisbane's median at $55,645 and average at $70,520. By March 2025, estimated median income would be approximately $56,067 and average $60,141, based on a 11.71% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Waterford West fall between the 15th and 17th percentiles nationally. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 dominated with 30.9% of residents (2,649 people), similar to regional levels at 33.3%. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 80.8% of income remaining, ranking at the 15th percentile.

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

Waterford West's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 76.6% houses and 23.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Brisbane metro's 82.9% houses and 17.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Waterford West was at 26.2%, similar to Brisbane metro, with the rest being mortgaged (32.4%) or rented (41.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,452, below Brisbane's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent was $320, compared to Brisbane's $360. Nationally, Waterford West's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,452 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Waterford West features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 67.2% of all households, including 27.9% couples with children, 21.6% couples without children, and 16.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 32.8%, with lone person households at 28.5% and group households making up 4.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.8.

Waterford West faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 12.8%, considerably lower than Greater Brisbane's average of 30.5%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 41.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (9.6%) and certificates (31.5%).

Educational participation is high at 33.6%, including 13.4% in primary, 9.7% in secondary, and 3.4% in tertiary education. Educational provision includes Waterford West State School and Marsden State High School, serving a total of 4,633 students. The area offers 54.0 school places per 100 residents, significantly higher than the regional average of 19.3, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

The transport analysis indicates 25 active stops operating in Waterford West, all of which are bus services. These stops are covered by nine different routes that together facilitate 732 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good access to public transport, with an average distance of 311 meters to the nearest stop.

On average, there are 104 trips per day across all routes, translating to about 29 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Waterford West is well below average with considerably higher than average prevalence of common health conditions and to an even higher degree among older age cohorts

Waterford West faces significant health challenges with a substantially higher prevalence of common health conditions compared to the average. This is particularly true for older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 47% of the total population (~4,029 people), which is lower than the Greater Brisbane average of 50.0% and the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis (affecting 9.1% of residents) and asthma (affecting 9.0%). However, 65.0% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 66.8% across Greater Brisbane. Waterford West has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 17.8%, with 1,527 people falling into this age category, compared to the Greater Brisbane average of 16.7%. Health outcomes among seniors in the area require more attention than those for the broader population.

Waterford West was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Waterford West has a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 23.9% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 34.8% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Waterford West, accounting for 47.1% of the population. However, Islam is more prevalent here compared to Greater Brisbane, making up 6.0% versus 3.3%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (25.3%), Australian (22.3%), and Other (16.1%), which is significantly higher than the regional average of 10.9%. Notably, Maori (4.0%) and Samoan (3.0%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 2.6% and 1.5%, respectively. New Zealand ethnicity is also present at 1.0%, slightly lower than the regional average of 1.4%.

Waterford West's population is younger than the national pattern

Waterford West's median age is 35 years, nearly matching Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years but younger than Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Waterford West has a higher percentage of residents aged 5-14 (14.8%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (12.2%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the percentage of residents aged 15-24 has increased from 13.2% to 14.4%, while the percentage of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 14.1% to 12.2%. By 2041, Waterford West's population is forecasted to experience significant demographic changes. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to grow by 50%, adding 288 residents to reach a total of 865. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 62% of the population growth, indicating an aging trend in demographics. Conversely, declines are projected for the 5-14 and 0-4 age cohorts.