Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of November 2025, Airlie Beach's population is estimated at around 1,553. This reflects an increase of 241 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,312. The current estimate is inferred from AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and the resident population of 1,520, based on ABS ERP data released in June 2024. This results in a density ratio of 509 persons per square kilometer. Airlie Beach's growth rate of 18.4% since the 2021 Census exceeded both the SA4 region (7.5%) and non-metro areas, marking it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 57.99999999999999% to overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections from 2023, based on 2021 data, are used. Proportional growth weightings are applied to these state projections in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data. Considering projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase is forecast for Airlie Beach by 2041, with an expected growth of 589 persons and a total increase of 32.6% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Airlie Beach among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Airlie Beach has seen approximately 13 new homes approved annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Between FY21 and FY25, around 66 homes were approved, with a further 6 approved in FY26. This results in an average of 3.1 new residents per year for every home built over the past five financial years.

Supply is lagging demand, indicating heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New homes are being constructed at an average value of $1,982,000, targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY26, $13.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting balanced commercial development activity.

Compared to the rest of Queensland, Airlie Beach has slightly more development, at 43.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. New development consists of 67.0% detached dwellings and 33.0% attached dwellings, offering a mix of opportunities across price brackets. However, new construction favours detached housing more than current patterns suggest (31.0% at Census), indicating ongoing robust demand for family homes despite increasing density pressures. Airlie Beach shows characteristics of a growth area with around 111 people per dwelling approval. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Airlie Beach is expected to grow by 506 residents through to 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Airlie Beach has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 45thth percentile nationally

The performance of a region is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified nine such projects that could potentially impact the area. Notable among these are the Shute Harbour Road Upgrade, Whitsunday Cultural Arts Centre, Whitsunday Regional Sports Precinct (Cannonvale), and Whitsunday Technology Innovation Hub. The following list provides details on those considered most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Airlie Beach remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Airlie Beach has a well-educated workforce. The tourism and hospitality sectors are prominent.

The unemployment rate was 4.3% in the past year. Employment grew by an estimated 1.4%. As of June 2025933 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, which is 0.4% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation is standard at 63.8%.

Dominant employment sectors include accommodation & food, transport, postal & warehousing, and health care & social assistance. Accommodation & food has a notable concentration with levels at 3.9 times the regional average. Health care & social assistance has limited presence at 7.0% compared to the regional average of 16.1%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 1.4%, while labour force decreased by 1.2%, causing a fall in unemployment rate by 2.5 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Qld saw employment grow by 1.8% and labour force expand by 2.0%, with unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, issued in Sep-22, project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Airlie Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.9% over five years and 12.2% over ten years.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

Airlie Beach had a median taxpayer income of $52,497 and an average income of $67,309 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This was slightly above the national average for that period. The median income in Rest of Qld was $50,780 with an average income of $64,844 during the same financial year. Based on a 13.99% growth in wages since then, estimated current incomes would be approximately $59,841 (median) and $76,726 (average) as of September 2025. In the 2021 Census, personal income ranked at the 71st percentile ($932 weekly), while household income was at the 39th percentile. Income distribution showed that 33.0% of locals (512 people) fell into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to the surrounding region where 31.7% occupied this bracket. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 82.9% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 39th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

Airlie Beach features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Airlie Beach's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 31.2% houses and 68.8% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro Qld had 74.7% houses and 25.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Airlie Beach stood at 32.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 17.1% and rented ones at 50.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,925, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,700. The median weekly rent in Airlie Beach was $380, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $350. Nationally, Airlie Beach's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Airlie Beach features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 49.9% of all households, including 10.3% couples with children, 34.6% couples without children, and 4.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 50.1%, with lone person households at 39.6% and group households comprising 10.1%. The median household size is 1.8 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.4.

Airlie Beach demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Airlie Beach's educational attainment is notably higher than broader averages. 29.7% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 15.6% in the SA4 region and 17.7% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are most common at 22.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 44.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 15.7% and certificates at 28.3%.

Currently, 23.8% of the population is actively pursuing formal education: 5.5% in tertiary, 5.3% in secondary, and 4.7% in primary education. Educational facilities appear to be located outside Airlie Beach's immediate boundaries, requiring residents to access schools in neighboring areas.

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

Airlie Beach has nine active public transport stops operating currently. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totaling one individual route. The weekly passenger trips facilitated by these stops amount to 231.

Residents' accessibility to transport is rated good, with an average distance of 379 meters to the nearest stop. The service frequency averages 33 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 25 weekly trips per individual stop.

Airlie Beach's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Airlie Beach with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups.

The rate of private health cover is fairly high at approximately 54% of the total population (~836 people). The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 6.8 and 6.1% of residents respectively, while 76.8% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 73.3% across Rest of Qld. The area has 13.9% of residents aged 65 and over (215 people), which is lower than the 15.4% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Airlie Beach 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

Airlie Beach exhibited greater cultural diversity than most local markets, with 13.6% of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 36.8% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Airlie Beach, comprising 36.7% of its population. However, Judaism showed significant overrepresentation, making up 0.5% compared to the regional average of 0.1%.

In terms of ancestry, the top groups were English (33.1%), Australian (20.2%), and Irish (10.1%). Notably, Spanish (1.3%) was overrepresented compared to the regional average of 0.6%, as were New Zealanders (1.2% vs 1.1%) and French individuals (0.8% vs 0.6%).

Airlie Beach hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Airlie Beach has a median age of 40, close to Rest of Qld's figure of 41 but exceeding the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group is strongly represented at 28.3% compared to Rest of Qld, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 2.2%. This concentration in the 25-34 group is well above the national figure of 14.5%. According to the 2021 Census, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 26.5% to 28.3%, while the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 4.0% to 2.2%. The 55 to 64 group also dropped from 16.6% to 15.6%. Demographic modeling suggests Airlie Beach's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 25 to 34 group growing by 49%, adding 214 people and reaching 654 from 439. The 85+ group is projected to grow at a more modest rate of 0%, adding only 3 residents.