Chart Color Schemes
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
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Little Mountain has an estimated 11,582 residents, up from 11,068 at the 2021 Census — a change of 514 people, or 4.6%. Growth has averaged 0.7% a year over five years. 239 new addresses have been validated here since Census night. That puts 1,530 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
As of Aug 2026, the suburb of Little Mountain has an estimated population of approximately 11,582, based on AreaSearch assessments incorporating post-Census validated new addresses alongside ABS updates across the broader region. This represents an expansion of 514 people (4.6%) compared with the 11,068 people recorded at the 2021 Census. These findings build upon the ABS June 2025 ERP release, where AreaSearch determined a resident count of 11,414, combined with 239 validated new addresses added following the Census. The suburb of Little Mountain records a population density of 1,530 persons per square kilometer, exceeding the typical level seen across nationally evaluated regions.
Inflow from interstate migration served as the primary growth catalyst, generating roughly 76.0% of recent population gains, with natural growth and overseas arrivals also contributing positively. Projections for each SA2 region are drawn from ABS/Geoscience Australia figures published in 2024 using 2022 baseline figures. Where data is unavailable or extends beyond 2032, Queensland State Government SA2 projections published in 2023 (utilising 2021 data) are used instead. Because the state-level models omit age-specific breakdowns, AreaSearch allocates cohort-specific proportional growth weightings consistent with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections published in 2023 from 2022 data. Future demographic forecasts indicate the suburb of Little Mountain will experience population expansion exceeding the median for non-metropolitan Australia, adding 2,106 persons by 2041 across aggregated SA2 projections, representing an overall increase of 16.7% across the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
305 new dwellings have been approved in Little Mountain over the past five years, an average of 61 a year. That is 2.8 approvals per 1,000 residents. Of the 35 dwellings approved in the latest reporting year, 60% were detached houses and the rest townhouses or apartments. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 25, well below that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this Suburb (SAL) boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
Analysis of ABS building approvals by AreaSearch indicates that residential construction in Little Mountain has averaged approximately 61 dwellings annually, amounting to around 305 homes across the past 5 financial years. A total of 25 approvals have been lodged during FY-25 to date. Between FY-21 and FY-25, the area added an average of 2.5 new residents per annum for each constructed dwelling, indicating sustained demand that underpins local property markets. Approved dwellings show an average expected construction cost of $466,000, aligning with regional standards. In addition, commercial approvals have reached $35,000 this financial year, underscoring the area's predominantly residential character.
Relative to Rest of Qld, property development in Little Mountain is considerably subdued, tracking 80.0% below the per-capita regional benchmark. Limited construction volume generally bolsters pricing power and buyer competition across established properties. Activity is similarly subdued against national metrics, pointing toward planning constraints and an established, mature urban environment. Recent construction approvals comprise 60.0% detached dwellings alongside 40.0% attached dwellings, introducing a broader selection of townhouses and units across diverse budgets, ranging from standalone family residences to compact options. This trend diverges markedly from the prevailing housing stock (currently 85.0% houses), highlighting limited supply of greenfield land alongside shifting resident preferences and affordability considerations. Recording approximately 431 people per dwelling approval, the market exhibits established structural characteristics. Moving forward, projections from the latest quarterly AreaSearch figures indicate Little Mountain will gain 1,938 residents through to 2041. While ongoing building activity is tracking in line with projected expansion, buyer competition could intensify alongside steady demographic growth.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Little Mountain
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 7 current infrastructure and development projects inside Little Mountain, worth an estimated $1.05 billion. A further 55 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $13.4 billion. 28 are already under construction and 21 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, transport & logistics and communities, precincts & urban renewal. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local economic and social trajectory is significantly guided by major project delivery, transport networks, and urban planning schemes. AreaSearch has pinpointed 18 projects expected to influence the surrounding region, highlighted by the Aura District Sports Parks, Aura (Caloundra South) Infrastructure, Honey Farm Sport and Recreation Precinct, and Heritage Lane Estate Little Mountain.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Aura District Sports Parks
Program to deliver 10 sporting grounds totalling 70 hectares across the Aura masterplanned community. Four venues are now open, including the Baringa Sports Complex (AFL fields, tennis and pickleball courts) and Nirimba Rugby League Grounds, joining the earlier Nirimba Sports Complex and Baringa Football Grounds. Sunshine Coast Council maintains the grounds, with clubhouses managed by local sporting clubs.
Heritage Lane Estate Little Mountain
Exclusive residential estate featuring only 13 lots with Lot 13 being 1535sqm. Premium land parcels designed for custom homes in established Little Mountain location with bushland backdrop and no passing traffic.
Aura Business Park
Major commercial and industrial employment precinct within Stockland's Aura masterplanned community. The business park accommodates industrial, logistics, office, technology, research, light manufacturing and showroom uses. Development continues through staged land releases, with most industrial lots sold and developed while new innovation precincts and commercial stages remain under construction.
Sunshine Coast Industrial Park
The Sunshine Coast Industrial Park is a 215-hectare major regional industrial hub delivered by Economic Development Queensland. Designed for medium to high-impact manufacturing, logistics, and large-scale industrial activities, Stage 2 delivers fully serviced industrial lots with direct Bruce Highway access.
Bruce Highway Upgrade - Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway (CR2SM)
A $932 million upgrade of a 7 km section of the Bruce Highway between Caloundra Road and the Sunshine Motorway. Delivered six lanes at 110 km/h, major interchange upgrades including Australia's first Diverging Diamond Interchange at Caloundra Road, a new two-way Frizzo Connection Road service road, improved flood immunity, Intelligent Transport Systems, over 9 km of active transport paths and crossings, and new service roads. Practical completion to traffic occurred in July 2021, with all construction works finalised by August 2022.
Banksia Apartments Little Mountain
A $23.1 million social housing development featuring 40 units for seniors aged 55+ and First Nations seniors aged 45+, plus 10 Specialist Disability Accommodation units. Built to gold and platinum Liveable Housing Australia design guidelines and located within the integrated Churches of Christ Little Mountain Campus, which includes aged care, aquatic centre, cafe and community facilities.
Serenity Little Mountain
Boutique development of 40 luxury terrace homes designed for owner occupiers. Features spacious three bedroom layouts with private courtyards and spaces that capture natural light and coastal breezes. Located just minutes from Caloundra CBD.
Caloundra Road and Bellvista Boulevard Intersection Upgrade, Planning and Design
Preliminary planning is underway for a future upgrade of the intersection, which is a key link between the Bruce Highway, Caloundra, and the Aura community. The upgrade, part of the Queensland Government's Caloundra Congestion Busting Plan, aims to boost capacity, improve safety and traffic flow, and reduce congestion, potentially by adding slip lanes and signalisation.
5,301 residents of Little Mountain are employed, from a labour force of 5,488. Unemployment sits at 3.4%, with participation at 57.7%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.6% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 9,112, about 79% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Statistical area aggregations from AreaSearch indicate that Little Mountain possesses a capable workforce with strong representation in essential services, alongside an unemployment rate of 3.4%. By March 2026, employed residents numbered 5,301, with the local jobless rate sitting 0.5% lower than the 3.9% recorded across Regional Qld, while labor participation stands considerably lower at 57.7% versus 64.2% regionally. Census records show that 13.5% of working residents operated from home, though figures may reflect Covid-19 restrictions in place at the time. The primary industry sectors employing local residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.
Construction activity features prominently, maintaining a concentration 1.4 times greater than the regional benchmark. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing accounts for merely 0.6% of the workforce, well under the 4.5% seen across Regional Qld. Census comparisons between local workers and resident totals suggest that the suburb's residential focus yields fewer employment positions within its immediate borders. Over the 12 months leading to March 2026, aggregated ABS and SALM figures evaluated by AreaSearch show that local labor supply contracted by 5.3% while total employment fell by 6.1%, driving an increase in the unemployment rate of 0.9 percentage points. Over the same timeframe, Regional Qld experienced a 0.1% rise in employment, a 0.3% increase in the labor force, and a 0.1 percentage points rise in unemployment. Long-term labor expectations can be informed by Jobs and Skills Australia projections released in Mar-26. Applying these national five- and ten-year sectoral outlooks to the local employment distribution suggests local workforce positions could grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, mirroring national overall forecasts of 6.6% and 13.7% over the respective periods (this represents a direct proportional weighting without factoring in specific local demographic projections).
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Little Mountain is $1,636 a week (about $85,000 a year), with median personal income at $705 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $46,524 a year against an average of $59,399. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
ATO records at postcode level for financial year 2023 analysed by AreaSearch show median taxpayer earnings in the suburb of Little Mountain at $46,524, alongside an average of $59,399. These metrics sit below national figures and trail the Regional Qld median of $53,146 and average of $66,593. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since financial year 2023 yields updated estimates of roughly $51,809 (median) and $66,147 (average) by March 2026. Across personal, family, and household levels, Census earnings sit modestly within the 29th to 43rd percentiles. The primary income bracket covers 32.7% of residents (3,787 people) earning $1,500 - 2,999, mirroring the wider metropolitan proportion of 31.7%.
Household budgets face considerable strain, with 83.0% of earnings retained after shelter costs (43rd percentile), while the area falls into the 5th decile on the SEIFA income index.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Little Mountain had 3,813 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 85% detached houses and 2% apartments. 41% are owned with a mortgage, 19% rented and 40% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $461 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,000 a month. Rent absorbs 28.2% of household income here and mortgage repayments 28.2%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
According to the most recent Census, the housing landscape in Little Mountain consisted of 85.0% separate houses and 15.0% other dwellings (incorporating semi-detached homes, units, and alternative formats), compared with 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings across Regional Qld. Outright property ownership reached 39.8%, noticeably outperforming the regional level, while 41.3% of homes carried a mortgage and 18.9% were tenanted. Monthly mortgage commitments averaged a median of $2,000 locally, exceeding the Regional Qld benchmark of $1,655 and the national median of $1,863. Similarly, median weekly rents of $461 surpassed the Regional Qld figure of $345 and the Australian average of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Little Mountain counted 3,813 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.7 people each. 36% are couples with children, against 31% couples without children. 21% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.9 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Family units constitute the predominant living arrangement at 77.3% of all households, consisting of 35.5% couples with children, 30.9% couples without children, and 10.2% single parent arrangements. Non-family households represent 22.7%, encompassing single-person households at 21.0% and shared living setups at 1.7%. The typical household accommodates a median of 2.7 people, exceeding the 2.5 person benchmark recorded across Regional Qld.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
18.5% of adults in Little Mountain hold a university qualification, including 13.5% with a bachelor degree and 2.7% with postgraduate qualifications, higher than 91% of areas nationally. A further 31.1% hold a vocational qualification. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Educational attainment reveals notable gaps in higher education, with university qualification levels at 18.5%, substantially trailing the 30.4% national standard. Among tertiary qualifications, bachelor degrees represent 13.5%, postgraduate credentials account for 2.7%, and graduate diplomas stand at 2.3%. Vocational training remains prominent, as 43.6% of residents aged 15+ possess vocational accreditations, comprising 31.1% holding certificates and 12.5% holding advanced diplomas. Formal study engagement is substantial across the community, with 30.5% of locals actively enrolled in educational courses. This comprises 10.9% attending secondary institutions, 10.7% in primary schooling, and 3.9% undertaking tertiary programs.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Getting around Little Mountain means driving: households keep an average of 1.6 vehicles, and no scheduled public transport appears in the current timetable feeds. Service data is built from operators' published GTFS timetables; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
65.8% of residents in Little Mountain report no long-term health condition. 7.6% need daily assistance with core activities, and 50.7% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 6.3 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
AreaSearch evaluations of chronic illness and mortality indicate prominent health hurdles across Little Mountain, with standard medical conditions evident across younger and older age brackets, while private health insurance adoption is modest at around 51% of residents (~5,876 people). Arthritis and mental health conditions constitute the most prevalent diagnosed ailments, affecting 10.2% and 8.0% of the population, respectively, while 65.8% of individuals reported no long-term medical conditions compared to 67.6% across Regional Qld. General health indicators among working-age individuals align closely with standard norms. Residents aged 65 and over account for 23.7% of the community (2,744 people), tracking higher than the 20.3% regional benchmark, with senior health indicators showing specific challenges while broadly aligning with national rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Little Mountain is largely Australian-born, at 78.1% of residents, with 4.8% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (35.1%) and Australian (26.3%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity metrics across Little Mountain sit below broader averages, with Australian-born residents comprising 78.1% of the population, citizenship standing at 88.1%, and 95.2% using exclusively English in domestic settings. Christianity represents the primary religious denomination, accounting for 53.2% of residents compared to 52.2% across Regional Qld. Examining parental countries of birth, the leading ancestries in Little Mountain are English at 35.1% (well above the 29.6% regional benchmark), Australian at 26.3%, and Scottish at 8.9%. Variations are also apparent across other cultural backgrounds, with New Zealand ancestry recorded at 1.0% (versus 0.9% regionally), South Australian ancestry at 0.7% (versus 0.5%), and Maori heritage at 0.7% (versus 0.8%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Little Mountain is 44, older than 76% of areas nationally. 21.0% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The age distribution of Little Mountain aligns closely with Regional Qld patterns, showing a maximum variance of 4.0 percentage points across cohorts. The estimated median age stands at 44, matching the 2021 Census figure while remaining 3 years above the Regional Qld median of 41 and higher than the national median of 38 recorded at that time. Since the Census, the most apparent shift occurred across the 25 - 44 demographic, expanding from 20.1% to an estimated 21.5%. By 2041, senior demographics (65+) are projected to capture the bulk of local growth, expanding by 779 residents (28%) to a total of 3,524.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Little Mountain
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Oct 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Oct 2026 this month headline measures · Sep 2026 baseline |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Oct 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Jul 2026 3 months ago all 7 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Jul 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 7 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Sep 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Sep 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 239 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (11,068 at the 2021 Census → 11,582 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL31667). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.