Weipa
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Weipa's population, as of August 2025, is approximately 4,301 people. This figure represents an increase of 204 individuals since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 4,097. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,281 in June 2024 and an additional 8 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 272 persons per square kilometer, offering significant space per person and potential room for further development. Weipa's growth rate of 5.0% since the 2021 census surpassed the SA4 region's 3.7%, positioning it as a growth leader within the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 77.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses 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 are adopted, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 using 2022 data. Looking ahead, lower quartile growth is anticipated for locations outside capital cities. Based on the latest population numbers, Weipa is expected to increase by 157 persons to reach 4,458 by 2041, marking a total gain of 3.2% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Weipa when compared nationally

Weipa has received approximately seven dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports 37 approvals across the past five financial years from FY21 to FY25, with none recorded so far in FY26. An average of 4.6 new residents per year accompanies each home built during these years, indicating demand outpaces supply. New dwellings are developed at an average cost of $941,000, targeting the premium segment.

This financial year has seen $9.8 million in commercial approvals, indicating moderate commercial development activity. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Weipa records around 56% of building activity per person and is among the 54th percentile nationally, with recent intensification in construction activity. New developments consist of 86.0% detached houses and 14.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining low density character and focusing on family homes. Future projections suggest Weipa adding 137 residents by 2041, and current development rates should comfortably meet demand.

Future projections show Weipa adding 137 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Weipa has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 21stth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified zero projects that could potentially impact the area's performance. Notable initiatives include Queensland National Land Transport Network Maintenance, National Electricity Market: Renewable Energy Zone Expansions, Network Optimisation Program - Rail, and Enabling Digital Health Services for Regional and Remote Australia. The following list details those considered most relevant.

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

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Weipa performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Weipa has a skilled workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Its unemployment rate is 1.0%, lower than the Rest of Qld's 3.9%.

Employment stability has been maintained over the past year. As of June 2025, 2798 residents are employed. The area's unemployment rate is 3.0% below the regional average, with workforce participation at 76.3%, significantly higher than Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Dominant employment sectors include mining, healthcare & social assistance, and education & training.

Mining is particularly specialized, with an employment share 11.3 times the regional level. Construction has limited presence at 3.6% compared to the regional 10.1%. Some residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the past year (Jun-24 to Jun-25), employment increased by 0.0%, labour force by 0.2%, raising unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points, while Rest of Qld saw employment grow by 1.8% and labour force expand by 2.0%. State-level data (Sep-25) shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% (-8070 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, compared to the national rate of 4.5% and national employment growth of 0.26%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but industry-specific projections suggest Weipa's growth may be around 4.5%% over five years and 11.2% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

Weipa's median income among taxpayers was $81,418 according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The average income stood at $86,215 in the same period. This compares with figures of $50,780 and $64,844 respectively for Rest of Qld. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $90,952 (median) and $96,311 (average) as of March 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, household, family, and personal incomes in Weipa all rank highly nationally, between the 97th and 98th percentiles. The largest segment of earners comprises 39.3% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (1,690 residents). A significant 49.3% earn above $3,000 weekly. Housing accounts for 14.9% of income, and strong earnings rank residents within the 96th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Weipa displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The latest Census evaluation shows that dwelling structures in Weipa comprised 63.8% houses and 36.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Qld's 82.5% houses and 17.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Weipa was at 10.3%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (25.4%) or rented (64.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,063, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $500. Nationally, Weipa's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

Weipa features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 76.3 percent of all households, including 42.1 percent that are couples with children, 26.4 percent consisting of couples without children, and 7.3 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 23.7 percent, with lone person households making up 19.4 percent and group households comprising 4.0 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of Queensland.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 17.9%, significantly below the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 13.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 52.8% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (9.5%) and certificates (43.3%).

Educational participation is high at 37.4%, including 14.7% in primary education, 10.6% in secondary education, and 3.6% pursuing tertiary education. Weipa's 3 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,196 students. The educational mix includes 1 primary school and 2 K-12 schools. The area functions as an education hub with 27.8 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 15.4, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Weipa's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Weipa's health outcomes show notable results, with common health conditions observed similarly across both young and elderly age groups. Private health cover rate is exceptionally high at approximately 63%, affecting 2,722 people, compared to Queensland's average of 49.9% and Australia's national average of 55.3%. Asthma and mental health issues are the most prevalent conditions, impacting 5.4% and 4.5% of residents respectively, while 83.5% report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 79.2% across Queensland as a whole.

The area has 3.9%, or 169 people, aged 65 and over, which is lower than the 11.5% seen in the rest of Queensland.

Weipa ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Weipa exhibited cultural diversity lower than average, with 84.4% citizens, 88.7% born in Australia, and 89.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated as the main religion at 43.3%. Hinduism showed overrepresentation at 0.8%, compared to 0.2% regionally.

Ancestry wise, Australian (27.2%) was substantially higher than regional average of 15.4%, English (23.1%) also higher than the regional average of 14.2%, while Other (13.7%) was notably lower than regional average of 28.1%. Noteworthy differences existed in Australian Aboriginal representation at 11.0% (vs regional 25.3%), Filipino at 1.5% (vs regional 0.6%), and Maori at 0.6% (vs regional 0.4%).

Weipa hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Weipa's median age is 30 years, which is lower than the Rest of Qld average of 41 years and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Weipa has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (20.4%), but fewer residents aged 65-74 (2.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of Weipa's population aged 25 to 34 has increased from 19.4% to 20.4%, while the percentage of residents aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 13.9% to 12.8%. By 2041, significant demographic changes are projected for Weipa. The population aged 35 to 44 is expected to grow by 18%, adding 127 residents to reach a total of 835 in that age group. Conversely, population declines are forecast for the 55 to 64 and 45 to 54 age groups.