Ooralea

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of Nov 2025, Ooralea's estimated population is around 3,954. This reflects an increase of 263 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,691. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 3,832 residents following examination of ABS ERP data release in Jun 2024 and validation of two new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 718 persons per square kilometer, similar to averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Ooralea's growth rate of 7.1% since the 2021 Census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 6.8%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 59.0% of overall population gains, although all drivers including overseas migration and natural growth were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. 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 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 based on 2022 data for each age cohort. Anticipating future population dynamics, a significant increase is forecasted for the top quartile of Australia's non-metropolitan areas. According to aggregated SA2-level projections, Ooralea is expected to increase by 1,323 persons to reach 5,277 by 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 36.1% over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Ooralea shows an average of around 9 new dwelling approvals per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 45 homes were approved, with another 3 so far in FY-26.

This averages out to about 12.8 people moving to the area for each dwelling built over these years. Supply is lagging demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New properties are constructed at an average value of $478,000, moderately above regional levels, indicating quality construction emphasis. Compared to Rest of Qld, Ooralea records about 67% of the building activity per person, placing it among the 30th percentile nationally, offering limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes.

This reflects the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. All new constructions have been detached dwellings, preserving low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. There are estimated to be 535 people in the area per dwelling approval. By 2041, Ooralea is forecasted to gain 1,429 residents. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Ooralea has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are Mackay Technology Park, The Gardens at Ooralea, Ooralea Local Plan, and Mackay Aquatic and Recreation Complex (Mackay ARC). Below is a list of 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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Ooralea performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Ooralea has a skilled workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Its unemployment rate was 1.6% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 4.3% over the past year.

This is based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 2,330 residents were in work while the unemployment rate was 2.5% below Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation was at 69.4%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Employment among residents was concentrated in health care & social assistance, mining, and retail trade.

Mining had particularly notable concentration with employment levels at 3.8 times the regional average. Construction, however, had limited presence with 6.0% employment compared to 10.1% regionally. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 4.3% while labour force increased by 4.7%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. By comparison, Rest of Qld recorded employment growth of 1.7%, labour force growth of 2.1%, with unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. To provide broader context, 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%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer further insight into potential future demand within Ooralea. These projections suggest national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Ooralea's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.9% over five years and 12.8% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023, Ooralea's median income among taxpayers is $69,100, with an average of $86,401. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to the Rest of Qld's median of $53,146 and average of $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Ooralea would be approximately $75,948 (median) and $94,963 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Ooralea rank highly nationally, between the 78th and 80th percentiles. In terms of income distribution, 36.6% of the population (1,447 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly income range, aligning with the surrounding region where this cohort represents 31.7%. Notably, a significant 33.2% earn above $3,000 weekly, indicating pockets of prosperity that contribute to robust local economic activity. After housing costs, residents retain 87.0% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Ooralea is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Ooralea, as per the latest Census evaluation, 92.5% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 7.5% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. This is compared to Non-Metro Qld's figures of 85.1% houses and 14.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ooralea stood at 31.6%, aligning with Non-Metro Qld's rate, while mortgaged properties accounted for 42.2% and rented dwellings made up 26.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,820, surpassing Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,733. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent figure in Ooralea was recorded at $440, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $340. Nationally, Ooralea's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially higher than the national figure of $375.

Ooralea features high concentrations of group households and family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 77.7% of all households, including 37.4% couples with children, 29.6% couples without children, and 9.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 22.3%, with lone person households at 17.3% and group households making up 4.2%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.6.

Ooralea shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's university qualification rate is 19.2%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 7.3% and certificates at 33.7%. Educational participation is high, with 31.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 11.8% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 6.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Ooralea has six active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with one route currently in operation. This single route collectively provides 130 weekly passenger trips across all stops.

The accessibility of public transport in Ooralea is rated as good, with residents typically located approximately 389 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, service frequency across all routes stands at 18 trips per day, which equates to about 21 weekly trips per individual stop.

Ooralea's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though slightly higher across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Ooralea. The prevalence of common health conditions is low among the general population but slightly higher among older, at-risk cohorts. Approximately 61% of the total population (2,429 people) has private health cover, compared to 58.1% across Rest of Qld and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 6.8% and 6.7% of residents respectively. A total of 74.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.7% across Rest of Qld. Ooralea has 14.9% of residents aged 65 and over (589 people), which is lower than the 16.2% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those for the broader population, despite being above average.

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

Ooralea's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 88.1% of its population being citizens, 85.7% born in Australia, and 88.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Ooralea, comprising 61.0% of people, compared to 56.8% across Rest of Qld. The top three ancestry groups in Ooralea are Australian (28.9%), English (26.6%), and Irish (7.9%).

Notably, Maltese are overrepresented at 3.1% (vs regional 2.4%), Filipino at 2.2% (vs 1.5%), and Maori at 0.8% (vs 0.6%).

Ooralea's population is younger than the national pattern

The median age in Ooralea is 35, which is lower than the Rest of Qld's average of 41 and under the national average of 38. Compared to the Rest of Qld average, the 35-44 age cohort is over-represented at 16.5% locally, while the 65-74 age group is under-represented at 8.3%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 85+ age group has increased from 1.1% to 2.0% of the population, whereas the 5 to 14 cohort has decreased from 13.6% to 12.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Ooralea. The 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 49%, adding 281 people and reaching a total of 859, up from 577. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age group is expected to grow modestly by 7%, with an increase of 33 residents.