Mooloolah Valley

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

In the Mooloolah Valley statistical area (Lv2), the population was estimated at around 4,168 as of November 2025. This figure reflects a growth of 539 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,629. The change is inferred from the resident population of 3,756 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 124 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 228 persons per square kilometer. The Mooloolah Valley's growth of 14.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the non-metro area average of 8.8%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 82.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. Exceptional growth is predicted over the period to 2041, with the Mooloolah Valley expected to grow by 4,773 persons, reflecting an increase of 127.4% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Mooloolah Valley was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Mooloolah Valley has received approximately 39 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 196 homes. As of FY26, 24 approvals have been recorded. On average, each home built between FY21 and FY25 accommodates around 8.8 new residents per year.

Mooloolah Valley has seen significant demand exceeding supply, with new properties constructed at an average cost of $428,000. This financial year, there have been $7.2 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Rest of Qld, Mooloolah Valley shows around 75% of construction activity per person and ranks among the 84th percentile nationally.

Recent construction comprises 86.0% detached houses and 14.0% medium and high-density housing. At approximately 117 people per approval, Mooloolah Valley is considered a developing area. Future projections estimate an addition of 5,311 residents by 2041, potentially outpacing current development rates, which could heighten buyer competition and support price increases.

Mooloolah Valley has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects that could affect the region. Notable ones are Mooloolah Valley Retail Shops, Hillside Mooloolah Valley, Sunshine Coast New Planning Scheme - Mooloolah Valley Local Plan Area, and Landsborough to Nambour Rail Project. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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.

Employment performance in Mooloolah Valley ranks among the strongest 15% of areas evaluated nationally

Mooloolah Valley has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate as of September 2025 was 1.7%.

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data, 2,540 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 2.3% lower than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation was fairly standard at 62.6%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. The area has a particular employment specialization in construction, with an employment share 1.7 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 1.8% versus the regional average of 4.5%. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.8%, while employment declined by 1.3%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld experienced employment growth of 1.7% and labour force growth of 2.1%, with a rise in unemployment of 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov shows QLD employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, broadly in line with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest an expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mooloolah Valley's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

The suburb of Mooloolah Valley had median income among taxpayers of $49,165 and average income of $59,755 in financial year 2023. These figures compared to Rest of Qld's median income of $53,146 and average income of $66,593 respectively. By September 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% would be approximately $54,037 for median income and $65,677 for average income. According to the 2021 Census, household income ranked at the 61st percentile ($1,931 weekly) and personal income at the 42nd percentile in Mooloolah Valley. The largest income bracket comprised 35.0% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (1,458 residents), similar to the broader area where this cohort represented 31.7%. High housing costs consumed 16.9% of income in Mooloolah Valley, yet strong earnings placed disposable income at the 60th percentile and the suburb's SEIFA income ranking was in the 6th decile.

Mooloolah Valley is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

The dwelling structure in Mooloolah Valley, as per the latest Census, consisted of 98.2% houses and 1.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Qld's 93.2% houses and 6.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mooloolah Valley stood at 28.0%, with the rest being mortgaged (58.4%) or rented (13.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,996, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure was $420, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $400. Nationally, Mooloolah Valley's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,996 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Mooloolah Valley features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 81.3% of all households, including 38.9% couples with children, 31.3% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for 18.7%, with lone person households at 15.8% and group households comprising 2.5%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.6.

The educational profile of Mooloolah Valley exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Mooloolah Valley's residents aged 15+ have 22.9% with university degrees, compared to Australia's 30.4%. This indicates potential for educational development. Bachelor degrees are most common at 16.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 45.9% holding them, including advanced diplomas (14.0%) and certificates (31.9%).

Educational participation is high, with 32.9% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (12.4%), secondary (10.4%), and tertiary (4.3%).

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

Mooloolah Valley has two active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 41 different routes, together offering 606 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is limited, with residents typically located 1236 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 86 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 303 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mooloolah Valley's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Mooloolah Valley residents have relatively positive health outcomes.

The prevalence of common health conditions is low across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 51% of the total population (~2,120 people) has private health cover. Mental health issues are the most common medical condition, affecting 8.7% of residents, followed by arthritis at 8.1%. A total of 70.2% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 66.4% across the Rest of Qld. The area has 14.5% (604 people) of residents aged 65 and over, which is lower than the 20.1% in the Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

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

Mooloolah Valley, assessed in terms of cultural diversity as of the 2016 Census, had a population where 85.4% were Australian citizens and 81.3% were born in Australia. The majority spoke English only at home, comprising 96.6%. Christianity was the predominant religion, practiced by 40.5% of the population.

Judaism, however, was slightly overrepresented compared to the rest of Queensland, with 0.1% of Mooloolah Valley's population identifying as such. The top three ancestry groups were English (33.3%), Australian (29.4%), and Irish (8.6%). Notably, New Zealanders were overrepresented at 1.4%, Welsh were equally represented at 0.7%, and Germans were also overrepresented at 5.0%.

Mooloolah Valley's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Mooloolah Valley is 39 years, lower than Rest of Qld's average of 41 but close to the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows a prominence of 35-44 year-olds at 15.8%, while the 75-84 group is smaller at 4.5%. Between 2021 and now, the median age has decreased by 1 year from 40 to 39, indicating a younger demographic shift. Key changes include an increase in the 25-34 age group from 10.3% to 12.4%, and the 35-44 cohort from 14.1% to 15.8%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has declined from 10.2% to 8.8% and the 55-64 group dropped from 12.3% to 11.0%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Mooloolah Valley, with the 35-44 age group expected to grow by 152% (1,001 people), reaching 1,660 from 658.