Weipa

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

Weipa's population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, stands at approximately 4,298 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 201 individuals (4.9%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 4,097 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,281 reported by the ABS as of June 2024, along with an additional 7 validated new addresses post the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 272 persons per square kilometer, indicating ample space per person and potential for further development. Weipa's growth rate of 4.9% since the 2021 census outperformed the SA4 region's growth of 4.5%, positioning it as a regional growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 77.8% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving area population growth.

AreaSearch employs 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; thus, AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings aligned with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Looking ahead, lower quartile growth is anticipated for locations outside capital cities. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, the area is projected to increase by 157 persons to reach 2041, reflecting a total gain of 3.3% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Weipa recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Weipa has received approximately 7 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 37 homes. As of FY26, 6 approvals have been recorded. On average, 4.6 people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25. This high demand has led to price growth and increased buyer competition, with new dwellings valued at an average of $623,000, indicating a focus on premium properties.

Commercial approvals this financial year have reached $9.8 million, showing moderate commercial development activity. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Weipa records around 56% of building activity per person and ranks among the 53rd percentile nationally in terms of construction activity. However, recent market maturity suggests possible development constraints. New developments consist of 86.0% detached houses and 14.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Weipa's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes.

Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (64.0% at Census), indicating strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. With around 325 people per dwelling approval, Weipa exhibits characteristics of a low-density area. Future projections estimate Weipa to add 140 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 very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

No infrastructure changes or major projects were identified by AreaSearch that could significantly impact the area. Key initiatives include Queensland National Land Transport Network Maintenance, Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan SuperGrid, Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, and Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.

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

Weipa's workforce is skilled with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 0.9% as of September 2025.

There were 2799 residents employed at this time, with an unemployment rate 3.2% below the Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation was higher than standard (76.3% compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%). Dominant employment sectors were mining, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Mining had a particularly high share of employment at 11.3 times the regional level, while construction had limited presence with 3.6% employment compared to the regional rate of 10.1%.

Some residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, labour force decreased by 0.7% and employment declined by 0.6%, leaving unemployment broadly flat in Weipa. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment growth of 1.7%. As of 25-Nov-25, Queensland's employment had contracted by 0.01% with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, closely matching the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Weipa's employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 4.5% over five years and 11.2% over ten years, though this is an illustrative extrapolation not accounting for localized population projections.

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

The Weipa SA2 had one of the highest income levels in Australia according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers was $81,418 and the average income stood at $86,215, which compared to figures for Rest of Qld of $50,780 and $64,844 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $92,808 (median) and $98,276 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, household, family and personal incomes in Weipa all ranked highly nationally, between the 96th and 98th percentiles. The distribution showed that the largest segment comprised 39.3% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (1,689 residents), consistent with broader trends across the region showing 31.7% in the same category. A significant 49.3% earned above $3,000 weekly, reflecting pockets of prosperity driving robust local economic activity. Housing accounted for 14.9% of income while strong earnings ranked residents within the 96th percentile for disposable income and the area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.

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

In Weipa, as per the latest Census evaluation, 63.8% of dwellings were houses while 36.2% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Non-Metro Qld's 82.5% houses and 17.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Weipa stood at 10.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.4% and rented ones at 64.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,063, exceeding the Non-Metro Qld average of $1,863, while the median weekly rent was $500, significantly higher than Non-Metro Qld's $140 and the national average of $375.

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

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

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

The area's university qualification rate is 17.9%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 13.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 52.8% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 9.5% and certificates at 43.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 37.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.7% in primary education, 10.6% in secondary education, and 3.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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 excellent results, with typical common health conditions seen across both young and elderly age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 63% of Weipa's total population (2,720 people), compared to 49.9% in Rest of Qld and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 5.4 and 4.5% of residents respectively.

A total of 83.5% of Weipa's residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 79.2% in Rest of Qld. The area has a lower proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 3.9% (169 people), compared to 11.5% in Rest of Qld.

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

Weipa's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 84.4% of its population being Australian citizens, 88.7% born in Australia, and 89.2% speaking English only at home as their primary language. Christianity was the predominant religion in Weipa, accounting for 43.3% of the population. However, Hinduism showed significant overrepresentation, comprising 0.8% of Weipa's population compared to the regional average of 0.2%.

In terms of ancestry, Australian heritage was most prevalent at 27.2%, significantly higher than the regional average of 15.4%. English ancestry followed at 23.1%, also notably higher than the regional average of 14.2%. Other ancestry made up 13.7% of Weipa's population, which was lower than the regional average of 28.1%. There were notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Australian Aboriginal heritage was overrepresented at 11.0%, compared to the regional average of 25.3%; Filipino heritage was also overrepresented at 1.5% versus the regional average of 0.6%; Maori heritage, however, showed minimal divergence from the regional average at 0.6%.

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

Weipa's median age is 30 years, which is considerably lower than the Rest of Qld average of 41 years, and also younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Weipa has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (20.4%), but fewer residents aged 65-74 (2.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is well above the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the current time, the proportion of the population aged 25 to 34 has grown from 19.4% to 20.4%, while the proportion of residents aged 45 to 54 has declined from 13.9% to 12.8%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Weipa, with the strongest projected growth in the 35-44 age cohort (18%), adding 128 residents to reach a total of 835. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 55-64 and 45-54 age cohorts.