Blackwater

Blackwater has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As of November 2025, Blackwater's population is estimated at around 4948 people. This reflects an increase of 246 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4702 people. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population being 4919 as of June 2024, based on the latest ERP data release by the ABS, and an additional 40 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of approximately 7.5 persons per square kilometer. Blackwater's growth rate of 5.2% since the census is within 1.0 percentage point of the SA3 area's growth rate of 6.2%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Natural growth contributed about 84.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections for years post-2032, based on 2021 data and released in 2023. The suburb is projected to increase by 231 persons to 2041, reflecting a total gain of 5.0% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Blackwater, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Blackwater has averaged approximately three dwelling approvals per year over the past five years, totaling 19. This low level of development is typical in rural areas where housing demand is modest and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. Yearly growth figures can vary significantly due to the small number of approvals.

Blackwater's development levels are substantially lower than those of the rest of Queensland and below national averages. The new building activity consists of 80% detached houses and 20% attached dwellings, reflecting rural preferences for space and privacy. As of the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, there are approximately 705 people per dwelling approval in Blackwater. By 2041, Blackwater's population is projected to grow by 248 residents.

If current construction levels continue, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Blackwater has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 39thth percentile nationally

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified three major projects potentially impacting the area: Bringing Blackwater Back into the Planning Scheme (scheduled for completion on 31-05-2024), Blackwater Multipurpose Health Service Renewal (commenced in June 2021, with no specified completion date), Blackwater Solar Farm (expected to be operational from September 2023), and Blackwater South Coking Coal Project (commencement date not specified).

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Blackwater shows employment indicators that trail behind approximately 70% of regions assessed across Australia

Blackwater's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominent. The unemployment rate was 8.5% in June 2024, showing a growth of 2.3% from the previous year, according to AreaSearch data aggregation.

As of June 2025, 3,052 residents are employed, an increase of 2.3%, while the unemployment rate is 4.6%. The workforce participation rate is 67.1%, above Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key industries include mining (12.5 times the regional average), accommodation & food services, and education & training. However, health care & social assistance is under-represented at 3.7% compared to Rest of Qld's 16.1%.

Employment opportunities appear limited locally based on Census data comparison. Over June 2024 to June 2025, employment increased by 2.3%, labour force by 4.6%, raising the unemployment rate by 2.0 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment grow by 1.8%, labour force expand by 2.0%, and unemployment rise by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's Sep-22 national employment forecasts project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Blackwater's employment mix suggests local employment could grow by 4.2% in five years and 10.4% in ten years, although this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Blackwater's median income among taxpayers is $91,875. The average income in Blackwater during this period was $105,278. Nationally, Blackwater's incomes ranked in the top percentile. In comparison, Rest of Qld had a median income of $50,780 and an average of $64,844. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Blackwater's median income would be approximately $104,728 as of September 2025, with the average estimated to be around $120,006 by that date. According to 2021 Census figures, incomes in Blackwater rank highly nationally, between the 86th and 93rd percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. In terms of income distribution, 36.3% of individuals in Blackwater earn between $1,500 and $2,999, reflecting a pattern seen across the region where 31.7% of individuals fall within this earnings band. Economic strength is evident with 37.7% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 91.4% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power.

Blackwater is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Blackwater, as per the latest Census evaluation, 92.7% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 7.3% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Non-Metro Qld's distribution of 86.6% houses and 13.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Blackwater stood at 11.1%, with mortgaged properties at 23.7% and rented dwellings at 65.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,500. Weekly rent in Blackwater was recorded at $220, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $250. Nationally, Blackwater's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Blackwater has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 70.9% of all households, including 32.8% couples with children, 24.5% couples without children, and 12.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 29.1%, with lone person households at 25.9% and group households comprising 3.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, aligning with the average for the Rest of Queensland.

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

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 most common at 9.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 48.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas comprise 7.1% and certificates make up 41.3%.

Educational participation is high at 39.0%, including 16.9% in primary education, 11.6% in secondary education, and 3.7% pursuing tertiary education. Blackwater's 3 schools have a combined enrollment of 914 students as of the latest data. The area has varied educational conditions (ICSEA: 861). Education provision is balanced with 2 primary and 1 secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents stand at 18.5, below the regional average of 32.9, indicating some students may attend schools in nearby areas.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Blackwater's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Blackwater's health outcomes show excellent results across all age groups. Both younger and older residents have a low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 69% of the total population (3,409 people), compared to 58.4% in the rest of Queensland and 55.3% nationally.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 8.9 and 7.9% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 75.1%, report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.5% in the rest of Queensland. Blackwater has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 5.0% (247 people), compared to 10.7% in the rest of Queensland. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong and align with the general population's health profile.

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

Blackwater exhibited lower cultural diversity, with 77.9% of its population being citizens, 88.0% born in Australia, and 95.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Blackwater, accounting for 47.0% of residents, compared to 56.8% across the Rest of Qld. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (33.4%), English (26.9%), and Irish (7.3%).

Notably, Maori representation was higher at 2.3%, compared to 1.4% regionally, while Australian Aboriginal stood at 7.2% versus 6.6%, and German at 4.0% against 4.7%.

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

Blackwater's median age is 30 years, which is lower than Queensland's average of 41 and Australia's average of 38. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Blackwater has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (19.9%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (3.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the current time, the proportion of Blackwater's population aged 25 to 34 has increased from 18.0% to 19.9%, while the proportion of residents aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 13.6% to 12.3%. By 2041, projections indicate significant demographic changes in Blackwater. The 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 21%, adding 211 residents and reaching a total of 1,196. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 45-54 and 55-64 age groups.