Mossman

Mossman 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 November 2025, Mossman's population is estimated at approximately 2,094 people. This figure represents an increase of 159 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,935. AreaSearch validated this estimate using resident population data from ERP, released by ABS in June 2024, and an additional 69 new addresses confirmed after the Census date. Mossman's population density is calculated at 173 persons per square kilometer. Mossman's growth rate of 8.2% since the 2021 Census exceeds that of its SA3 area (6.5%) and SA4 region, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 55% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including overseas migration and natural growth being positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections from 2023 based on 2021 data are used. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 using 2022 data for each age cohort. Future population dynamics project an above-median growth for the area, with Mossman expected to increase by 303 persons to reach a total of 2,497 by 2041. This reflects an overall increase of approximately 11.5% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Mossman recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Mossman shows an average of around 9 new dwelling approvals per year over the past 5 financial years, totalling an estimated 47 homes. As of FY-26, 7 approvals have been recorded. Each new dwelling has averaged 2.2 new residents per year between FY-21 and FY-25. The average construction cost value for these dwellings is $312,000, below the regional average.

In FY-26, $27.9 million in commercial approvals have been registered. Mossman has had 14.0% more development per person than the rest of Qld over the past 5 years. All recent building activity consists of detached houses, maintaining the area's low density nature with 83.0% of dwellings being detached at Census.

There are approximately 225 people per dwelling approval in Mossman, indicating room for growth. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Mossman is expected to grow by 240 residents through to 2041. Existing development levels seem aligned with future requirements, maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

Mossman has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 6thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified four projects that could impact the area's performance due to changes in local infrastructure and planning initiatives. These key projects are: Mossman River Alternate Water Intake Project, Mossman River Intake (Alternate Water Intake Project), Principal Cycle Network - Mossman to Newell Beach, and Principal Cycle Network: Cooya Beach to Mossman (stage 3) & Cooya Beach Road (stage 2). The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch assessment indicates Mossman faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Mossman's workforce is balanced across white and blue collar jobs, with lifestyle and retail sectors prominently represented. Its unemployment rate was 7.3% as of June 2025, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

In June 2025881 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 3.3% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Mossman lagged at 52.6%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Dominant employment sectors included retail trade, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food. Retail trade had notable concentration with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance had limited presence at 11.8% compared to 16.1% regionally. The area offered limited local employment opportunities, indicated by Census working population vs resident population count. Over the 12 months to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.9%, alongside a 4.2% employment decline, causing unemployment to rise by 2.3 percentage points. Rest of Qld recorded employment growth of 1.8% and labour force growth of 2.0%, with unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 offer further insight into potential future demand within Mossman. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, suggest national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Mossman's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 5.6% over five years and 12.1% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

Mossman's median taxpayer income was $41,672 and average was $49,539 in financial year 2022, according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is lower than the national average of $50,780 and $64,844 respectively for Rest of Qld. By September 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% indicate median income will be approximately $47,502 and average will be around $56,470. The 2021 Census shows Mossman's household, family, and personal incomes fall between the 13th and 15th percentiles nationally. In Mossman, 30.0% of individuals earn between $1,500 - 2,999 annually, similar to the surrounding region at 31.7%. After housing costs, 85.0% of income remains in Mossman, ranking at the 15th percentile nationally.

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

Dwelling structure in Mossman, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 9 August 2016, consisted of 82.7% houses and 17.2% other dwellings including semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings, compared to Non-Metro Qld's 74.1% houses and 25.9% other dwellings. As of this Census date, the level of home ownership within Mossman was at 33.2%, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 25.7% and rented dwellings making up 41.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area, as recorded on this date, was $1,300, while the median weekly rent figure stood at $250. In comparison, Non-Metro Qld's averages were $1,517 for monthly repayments and $310 for weekly rents. Nationally, Mossman's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, as reported in 2016, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375 recorded during the same period.

Mossman features high concentrations of lone person households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 65.5% of all households, including 23.6% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 14.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 34.5%, with lone person households at 31.5% and group households at 3.3%. The median household size is 2.4 people, larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.3.

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

The area has educational challenges with university qualification rates at 13.3%, significantly below the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 9.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.1%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 45.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (8.1%) and certificates (37.3%).

Educational participation is high at 31.7%, including 14.1% in primary education, 10.9% in secondary education, and 1.4% pursuing tertiary education. Mossman's four schools have a combined enrollment of 996 students. The area has varied educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 929. Education provision is balanced with three primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. The area functions as an education hub with 47.6 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 11.5, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments please refer to parent campus.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health performance in Mossman is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Mossman faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 47% of the total population (around 980 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and arthritis, impacting 7.3 and 7.0% of residents respectively, while 67.8% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 71.7% across the rest of Queensland. The area has 23.9% of residents aged 65 and over (around 500 people), which is higher than the 21.7% in the rest of Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Mossman ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mossman's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 85.9% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (85.7%), and speaking English only at home (90.6%). The predominant religion in Mossman is Christianity, comprising 49.1% of the population, compared to 42.7% across the rest of Queensland. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups represented in Mossman are Australian (24.6%), English (24.6%), and Australian Aboriginal (13.7%), which is significantly higher than the regional average of 5.8%.

Notably, certain ethnic groups have different representations: New Zealanders make up 1.2% of Mossman's population compared to 0.9% regionally, Welsh people comprise 0.7% versus 0.5%, and Italians constitute 5.1% versus 4.3%.

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

Mossman's median age is 43 years, which is higher than the Rest of Qld average of 41 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The 65-74 age group comprises 13.1% of Mossman's population, compared to Rest of Qld, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 9.1%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 15 to 24 age group grew from 10.8% to 12.3%, and the 65 to 74 cohort increased from 11.9% to 13.1%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort declined from 15.9% to 13.7%, and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 13.2% to 12.1%. Demographic modeling suggests Mossman's age profile will significantly evolve by 2041, with the 85+ cohort projected to grow by 83%, adding 64 residents to reach 142. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 66% of population growth, indicating demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 15 to 24 and 5 to 14 cohorts.