Wulguru - Roseneath

Wulguru - Roseneath has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Wulguru - Roseneath's population is around 6,345 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 254 people (4.2%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,091 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,345 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 49 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 99 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Wulguru - Roseneath's 4.2% growth since the census positions it within 2.9 percentage points of the SA4 region (7.1%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth, which contributed approximately 47.7% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers, including overseas migration and interstate migration, were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, are adopted. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence, where utilised, AreaSearch is applying proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Anticipating future population dynamics, lower quartile growth of Australia's non-metropolitan areas is anticipated, with the area expected to increase by 5 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 0.1% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Wulguru - Roseneath according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Wulguru - Roseneath has minimal residential development activity with 1 dwelling approval annually (5 dwellings over the five-year period). Such low development levels are characteristic of rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is naturally limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. Note: with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures and relativities can vary considerably based on individual projects.

Wulguru - Roseneath naturally has much lower development activity compared to the Rest of Qld. This activity level is similarly below national patterns.

Future projections show Wulguru - Roseneath adding 5 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 20 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include SunHQ Hydrogen Hub, Queensland Resources Common User Facility, Iluka, and Wulguru Group Stuart Facility Expansion, with the list below detailing those likely to be of 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.

Employment conditions in Wulguru - Roseneath face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Wulguru - Roseneath has a balanced workforce spanning white and blue collar employment, with essential services sectors well represented, and an unemployment rate of 6.8%. As of December 2025, 2,287 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.8% above Regional Qld's rate of 4.0%, and workforce participation lags significantly (44.5% compared to Regional Qld's 65.4%). Based on Census responses, a low 4.9% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and retail trade. The area has a particular employment specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level. On the other hand, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 0.6% of Wulguru - Roseneath's workforce compared to 4.5% in Regional Qld. While local employment opportunities exist in the area, it appears many residents commute elsewhere for work, based on the count of Census working population to local population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.1% while employment declined by 1.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.5 percentage points. This compares to Regional Qld, where employment grew by 0.7%, labour force expanded by 1.0%, and unemployment rose 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Wulguru - Roseneath. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Wulguru - Roseneath's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 12.9% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Wulguru - Roseneath SA2's income level is below the national average according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Wulguru - Roseneath SA2's median income among taxpayers is $49,359 and the average income stands at $58,165, which compares to figures for Regional Qld's of $53,146 and $66,593 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $54,250 (median) and $63,929 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes all rank modestly in Wulguru - Roseneath, between the 30th and 36th percentiles. The earnings profile shows the predominant cohort spans 33.3% of locals (2,112 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, aligning with the region where this cohort likewise represents 31.7%. After housing, 86.4% of income remains for other expenses.

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

Dwelling structure within Wulguru - Roseneath, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 90.0% houses and 10.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional Qld's 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Wulguru - Roseneath was in line with that of Regional Qld, at 33.9%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (36.4%) or rented (29.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well below the Regional Qld average at $1,300, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $283, compared to Regional Qld's $1,655 and $345. Nationally, Wulguru - Roseneath's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

Wulguru - Roseneath has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 68.0% of all households, comprising 24.1% couples with children, 27.7% couples without children, and 14.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 32.0%, with lone person households at 28.5% and group households comprising 3.5% of the total. The median household size of 2.4 people is smaller than the Regional Qld average of 2.5.

Wulguru - Roseneath faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (11.3%) substantially below the Australian average of 30.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 8.3%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.6%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.4%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 30.8% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (7.1%) and certificates (23.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 41.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 15.5% in primary education, 12.6% in secondary education, and 6.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 33 active transport stops operating within Wulguru - Roseneath, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 2 individual routes, collectively providing 186 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 306 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward, and the car remains the dominant mode at 94%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling. A relatively low 4.9% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 26 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 5 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Wulguru - Roseneath is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Wulguru - Roseneath faces significant health challenges, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 48% of the total population (~3,058 people). This compares to 52.5% across Regional Qld. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 10.3 and 9.9% of residents, respectively, while 62.8% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 67.6% across Regional Qld. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 18.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,172 people), which is lower than the 20.4% in Regional Qld. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Wulguru - Roseneath was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 73.1% of its population being citizens, 91.6% born in Australia, and 96.0% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Wulguru - Roseneath is Christianity, which makes up 53.9% of the population. This compares to 52.2% across Regional Qld.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Wulguru - Roseneath are Australian, comprising 29.3% of the population, English, comprising 28.9% of the population, and Irish, comprising 9.3% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Australian Aboriginal is notably overrepresented at 6.5% of Wulguru - Roseneath (vs 3.9% regionally), German at 4.1% (vs 4.7%) and Scottish at 8.0% (vs 7.8%).

Wulguru - Roseneath's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The 39-year median age in Wulguru - Roseneath is somewhat lower than Regional Qld's average of 41, though very close to the 38-year national average. The age profile shows 35 - 44 year-olds are particularly prominent (16.4%), while the 5 - 14 group is comparatively smaller (8.9%) than in Regional Qld. In the period since 2021, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 15.1% to 16.4% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 5.4% to 6.4%. Conversely, the 15 to 24 cohort has declined from 12.0% to 10.4% and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 13.4% to 12.3%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Wulguru - Roseneath's age structure. The 85+ age cohort is projected to rise substantially, expanding by 108 people (79%) from 137 to 246. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 82% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. On the other hand, the 25 to 34 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.