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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
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Population
Avenell Heights is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends
As of February 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Avenell Heights is around 5,199. This figure reflects an increase of 171 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,028. The latest estimate is based on AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and analysis of ABS data up to June 2024. The population density in Avenell Heights is approximately 1,704 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed around 56% of overall population gains during recent periods.
For projections, AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections from 2023 are adopted, applying proportional growth weightings based on ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023. Looking ahead, population projections indicate a growth of 438 persons to 2041 for the suburb of Avenell Heights, reflecting an increase of approximately 8.2% over the 17-year period.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential development activity is lower than average in Avenell Heights according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets
Avenell Heights saw an average of two development approvals per year between 2015 and 2019, totalling 13 dwellings over the five-year period. This limited activity reflects the area's rural nature, with development primarily driven by local housing needs rather than broader market demand. The small sample size means individual projects can significantly influence annual growth statistics.
Compared to Rest of Qld and national averages, Avenell Heights has substantially lower development levels. New building activity comprised 67% detached dwellings and 33% townhouses or apartments, indicating an expanding range of medium-density options. With approximately 1479 people per approval, the area shows signs of maturity and established population. By 2041, AreaSearch quarterly estimates suggest Avenell Heights will gain 424 residents.
At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Infrastructure
Avenell Heights has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally
Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects likely to affect this region. Notable projects include New Bundaberg Hospital, St Vincent de Paul Social Housing Walkervale Bundaberg, Walkervale Social Housing Development, and 432-434 Goodwood Road Land Lease Community Site. The following list details those most relevant.
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INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Queensland Energy Roadmap 2025
The Queensland Energy Roadmap 2025 is a strategic framework focused on delivering affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy through 2035. Key initiatives include a $1.6 billion Electricity Maintenance Guarantee for existing assets, a $400 million Energy Investment Fund to catalyze private sector renewables (solar, hydro) and storage, and a mandate for at least 2.6 GW of new gas generation by 2035. The plan formally repealed previous state renewable energy targets via the Energy Roadmap Amendment Act 2025 while maintaining a net-zero by 2050 commitment. It prioritizes the CopperString transmission project and renames Renewable Energy Zones to 'Regional Energy Hubs' to facilitate market-led development.
Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro Project
The Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro Project is a 2 GW / 20 GWh energy storage facility designed to repurpose the Mount Rawdon gold mine's open pit into a lower reservoir. The project includes a new upper reservoir, underground power station, and a transmission line connecting to the Powerlink network. It is designated as a Coordinated Project by the Queensland Government and is currently undergoing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process, with a project declaration lapse date of 16 December 2026.
New Bundaberg Hospital
The $1.2 billion New Bundaberg Hospital is a six-storey greenfield public hospital development in Thabeban. It will feature a rooftop helipad, an expanded emergency department, and over 400 beds including acute, mental health, and intensive care services. The facility serves as the anchor for the broader Bundaberg Health and Enterprise Precinct, incorporating teaching, training, and research spaces to support the growing Wide Bay region.
Paradise Dam Improvement Project (New Dam Wall)
The project involves the construction of a new roller-compacted concrete dam wall approximately 90m downstream of the existing structure to restore the dam to its original 300,000 ML capacity. Following the identification of irreparable foundation and concrete durability issues in the original wall, the replacement structure will be built to modern safety standards with a 100-year design life. Works include the partial demolition of the existing spillway, construction of a new secondary spillway, and significant river diversion. Early works including road upgrades were completed in late 2025, with main wall construction scheduled to commence in 2028.
Building Future Hospitals Program
Queensland's Hospital Rescue Plan is a landmark $18.5 billion infrastructure initiative delivering over 2,600 new and refurbished public hospital beds by 2032. The program includes the construction of three new hospitals in Coomera, Bundaberg, and Toowoomba, alongside major expansions at Ipswich (Stage 2), Logan, Princess Alexandra, and Townsville University hospitals. It also encompasses satellite hospitals and a statewide cancer network to address the needs of a growing and aging population.
Bruce Highway Upgrade Program
The Bruce Highway Upgrade Program is a multi-decade infrastructure initiative improving the 1,677km corridor between Brisbane and Cairns. As of early 2026, the program is focused on the $9 billion Targeted Safety Program, which includes over 80 active or planned projects such as the Rockhampton Ring Road, Tiaro Bypass, and extensive wide centre line treatments. The program aims to achieve a minimum three-star safety rating by 2032 through road widening, flood immunity upgrades, and intersection improvements.
Bundaberg Aquatic Centre
A state-of-the-art year-round aquatic facility featuring a covered 50m FINA-standard 10-lane competition pool, an indoor 25m lap pool, a heated program/hydrotherapy pool with accessible ramp entry, multipurpose rooms, Reformer Pilates studio, cafe, and equitable access features including ramps, lifts, and hoists. Co-located with the Bundaberg Multiplex to form a high-performance sports precinct. Includes sustainability features such as solar arrays, hybrid heating, and rainwater harvesting. Provides fitness, education, therapy, competition, and recreation opportunities for all ages and abilities, with approximately 165 parking spaces.
Bundaberg Solar Farm
A 100 MW solar photovoltaic farm located in the Bundaberg region, approximately 360 kilometers north of Brisbane. The facility features 168,399 solar modules installed across 146 hectares and is expected to have a 25-year lifespan. The project will generate approximately 200 GWh of clean energy annually, enough to power around 36,000 homes and offset 104,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. Construction is being delivered by Monford Group as EPC contractor, with commercial operation expected to commence in Q3-Q4 2025. The project includes a Power Purchase Agreement with Telstra for 153 GWh per annum.
Employment
Avenell Heights has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks
Avenell Heights has a balanced workforce comprising white and blue-collar jobs, with essential services well represented. The unemployment rate in September 2025 was 5.6%, having grown by an estimated 10.1% over the previous year. This figure is 1.5% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%.
Workforce participation in Avenell Heights stands at 56.8%, significantly lower than Rest of Qld's 65.7%. Only 4.3% of residents work from home, although Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training, with a particularly strong specialization in the former at 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 7.6% compared to the regional average of 10.1%.
The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population count versus resident population. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 10.1%, while labour force grew by 9.9%, leading to a unemployment rate decrease of 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld experienced employment growth of 1.7% and labour force growth of 2.1%, with an unemployment rate increase of 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Avenell Heights' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis
AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that in Avenell Heights, the median income among taxpayers is $41,775 and the average is $51,621. This is lower than the national average. In comparison, Rest of Qld has a median income of $53,146 and an average of $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $45,915 (median) and $56,737 (average). Census data indicates that household, family and personal incomes in Avenell Heights fall between the 5th and 8th percentiles nationally. The income distribution shows that 30.0% of residents (1,559 people) earn within the $400 - 799 bracket, unlike regional trends where 31.7% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Avenell Heights, with only 84.1% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 7th percentile nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Avenell Heights is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
Dwelling structure in Avenell Heights, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 80.0% houses and 20.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Avenell Heights was at 37.7%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (26.3%) or rented (36.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,200, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $270. Nationally, Avenell Heights's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, as reported on 1 July 2021, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375 for the same period.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Avenell Heights features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size
Family households constitute 64.3% of all households, including 18.8% couples with children, 28.7% couples without children, and 15.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 35.7%, with lone person households at 32.8% and group households making up 3.0%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
The educational profile of Avenell Heights exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics
The area's university qualification rate is 12.4%, 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 type of university qualification in the area, with 9.1% of residents holding one. Graduate diplomas and postgraduate qualifications follow, at 1.8% and 1.5% respectively.
Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 37.4% of residents aged 15 and above holding them. Advanced diplomas account for 7.7%, while certificates make up 29.7%. Educational participation is high in the area, with 25.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in primary education, 8.8% in secondary education, and 2.8% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Avenell Heights has 20 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by two routes that together offer 83 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 172 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 96%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.2 per dwelling, below the regional average.
According to the 2021 Census, only 4.3% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 11 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 4 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Avenell Heights is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts
Avenell Heights faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high across a range of health conditions that affect both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, with approximately 48% of the total population (~2,477 people) having it, compared to 52.5% in the rest of Queensland and the national average of 55.7%.
The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (12.1%) and mental health issues (10.7%), while 54.7% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 67.6% in the rest of Queensland. Working-age individuals face notable health challenges due to high chronic condition rates. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over (28.1%, or 1,460 people) than the rest of Queensland (20.4%). While national rankings for senior health outcomes are broadly in line with the general population, some challenges exist among this age group.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Avenell Heights is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics
Avenell Heights showed lower cultural diversity, with 90.6% citizens, 90.1% born in Australia, and 95.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion at 59.3%, compared to 52.2% regionally. Top ancestry groups were English (31.9%), Australian (30.5%), and German (7.5%).
Notably, Australian Aboriginal (4.8%) and Maltese (0.4%) had similar representation to the regional average, while Korean was slightly lower at 0.2%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Avenell Heights hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide
Avenell Heights's median age of 46 years is significantly higher than Rest of Qld's 41 and the national average of 38. Compared to Rest of Qld, Avenell Heights has a higher percentage of residents aged 75-84 (10.7%) but fewer residents aged 35-44 (10.8%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 25-34 has increased from 10.0% to 12.1%. Meanwhile, the age group of 55-64 has decreased from 13.4% to 12.0%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 11.5% to 10.4%. By 2041, Avenell Heights is expected to see significant changes in its age composition. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 59%, reaching 389 people from 244. Residents aged 65 and older will represent half of the population growth. Conversely, both the 55-64 and 5-14 age groups are expected to decrease in number.