Gympie

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

As of Nov 2025, Gympie's population is estimated at around 11,871 people. This reflects a growth of 516 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,355. The increase is inferred from an estimated resident population of 11,650 by AreaSearch following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 749 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Interstate migration contributed approximately 60% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. Note that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data are applied where utilized. Future population dynamics anticipate a growth just below the median of national non-metropolitan areas, with Gympie expected to grow by 1,145 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 8.6% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Gympie when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Gympie has seen approximately 66 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 333 homes. As of FY26, 59 approvals have been recorded. On average, between FY21 and FY25, only 0.9 new residents per year were associated with each dwelling constructed, indicating supply meeting or exceeding demand. The average construction value for these dwellings was $331,000, below regional norms, suggesting more affordable housing options.

This financial year has seen $30.3 million in commercial approvals registered, reflecting strong local business investment. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Gympie shows around 63% of the construction activity per person while placing among the 82nd percentile nationally for building activity. Recent years have seen an acceleration in this activity. New development consists of 67.0% standalone homes and 33.0% attached dwellings, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments providing options across different price points, marking a significant shift from the current housing pattern of 85.0% houses.

Gympie has around 128 people per dwelling approval, indicating characteristics of a low density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Gympie is expected to grow by approximately 1,024 residents through to 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.

Gympie has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 15 projects likely to affect the area. Notable projects include Gympie Civic Centre Revitalisation (Civic Centre Remediation), Gympie Regional Housing Action Plan Implementation, Gympie Region Planning Scheme Review, and Cooroy To Curra - Section D - Southern Contract. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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The labour market performance in Gympie lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Gympie has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs well represented. Essential services sectors are prominent.

The unemployment rate in June 2025 was 8.4%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 5.1%. As of June 2025, 4990 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 4.5%, higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Gympie was 47.9%, significantly lower than Rest of Qld's 59.1%.

Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Manufacturing shows notable concentration with levels at 1.8 times the regional average. Conversely, mining has lower representation at 1.6% compared to the regional average of 3.6%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census working population data. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 5.1%, labour force by 7.2%, leading to an unemployment rise of 1.9 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Qld where employment grew by 1.8%, labour force expanded by 2.0%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest potential future demand in Gympie. Over five years, national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% and over ten years by 13.7%. Applying these projections to Gympie's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.9% over ten years.

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 2022 indicates Gympie's median income among taxpayers is $40,971, with an average of $49,605. This is lower than the national average. The Rest of Qld has a median income of $50,780 and an average of $64,844. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, current estimates for Gympie's median income are approximately $46,703 as of September 2025, with the average being around $56,545. The 2021 Census shows household, family and personal incomes in Gympie fall between the 4th and 7th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals 31.6% of Gympie's population (3,751 individuals) have incomes within the $400 - 799 range, unlike broader trends where 31.7% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Gympie, with only 81.3% of income remaining, ranking at the 4th percentile nationally.

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

In Gympie, as per the latest Census evaluation, 85.0% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 14.9% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other dwelling types. This contrasts with Non-Metro Qld's figures of 91.8% for houses and 8.2% for other dwellings. Home ownership in Gympie stood at 33.6%, with mortgaged properties accounting for 27.8% and rented dwellings making up 38.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,200, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,326. The median weekly rent in Gympie was recorded at $295, compared to Non-Metro Qld's figure of $290. Nationally, Gympie's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 61.5% of all households, including 19.5% couples with children, 23.7% couples without children, and 17.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up 38.5%, with lone person households at 34.7% and group households comprising 3.9%. The median household size is 2.3 people, smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.4.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 12.5%, substantially lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 9.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.0%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 41.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.1%) and certificates (32.2%). Educational participation is high at 26.6%, with 10.2% in primary, 8.9% in secondary, and 2.6% in tertiary education.

Gympie has a robust network of 9 schools educating approximately 4,016 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 965) and balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes 4 primary, 4 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. Gympie functions as an education hub with 33.8 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 13.7, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Gympie's public transport system has 52 active stops currently operating, all of which are bus services. These stops are served by nine distinct routes that together facilitate 191 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport in Gympie is considered good, with residents on average located 277 meters from their nearest transport stop.

On average, there are 27 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately three weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Gympie is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Gympie faces significant health challenges, with various conditions impacting both younger and older residents. Private health cover stands at approximately 47%, covering around 5,562 people, which is lower than the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues affect 12.3% of residents, while arthritis impacts 10.8%. About 57.0% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 60.3% in the rest of Queensland. Residents aged 65 and over make up 22.7%, totaling approximately 2,694 people, which is lower than the 25.4% in the rest of Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly aligned with those of the general population.

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

Gympie's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 90.4% of its population being citizens and 88.5% born in Australia. The majority, 96.0%, spoke English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 47.4% of Gympie's population.

Notably, the 'Other' category comprised 0.8% of Gympie's population compared to 0.6% across the rest of Queensland. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups were English (31.9%), Australian (31.6%), and Irish (8.4%). There were notable variations in the representation of certain ethnic groups: German was overrepresented at 4.8% compared to 5.8% regionally, New Zealand at 0.8% versus 0.7%, and Australian Aboriginal at 3.8% versus 3.0%.

Gympie hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Gympie is 42 years, close to Rest of Qld's average of 41 years but well above Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Qld average, the cohort aged 85 and over is notably higher at 3.9% locally while those aged 45-54 are under-represented at 10.6%. As per the 2021 Census, the population aged 25 to 34 has grown from 11.5% to 12.6%, whereas the cohort aged 65 to 74 has declined from 11.5% to 10.5%. By 2041, significant demographic changes are forecast for Gympie. The cohort aged 25 to 34 is projected to expand by 373 people (25%), growing from 1,495 to 1,869. Conversely, the cohorts aged 5-14 and 55-64 are expected to experience population declines.