Palm Island

Palm Island is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of November 2025, Palm Island's estimated population is around 2,323. This reflects an increase of 185 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,138. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 26 persons per square kilometer. Palm Island's growth rate of 8.7% since the 2021 census exceeded that of its SA3 area (3.8%) and SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 99.0% 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. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data are applied where utilised. Future population trends project an above median growth for national non-metropolitan areas, with the Palm Island statistical area (Lv2) expected to expand by 403 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 17.4% over the 17 years.

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

Palm Island has seen approximately 13 dwelling approvals per year based on AreaSearch's analysis of ABS building approval data over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 69 homes from FY-20 to FY-24. As of FY-25, no approvals have been recorded yet.

On average, around 0.2 new residents arrive per new home annually between FY-21 and FY-25. New construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current expectations. The average expected construction cost of new properties is $351,000. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Palm Island has 191% more building activity per person.

Recent development consists solely of standalone homes, maintaining the area's low-density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. There are approximately 79 people per dwelling approval in the location, indicating an expanding market. AreaSearch projects Palm Island to grow by 404 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

AreaSearch has identified zero projects that could potentially impact the area's performance due to changes in local infrastructure or planning initiatives. Notable projects include the Bruce Highway upgrade program between Townsville and Ingham, the North and Far North Queensland Renewable Energy Zones (REZs), maintenance of the Queensland National Land Transport Network, and the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan SuperGrid. The following list provides details on those projects most likely to be relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Palm Island face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Palm Island has a mixed workforce comprising white and blue-collar jobs, with essential services well represented. Its unemployment rate is 70.2%, according to AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation.

As of September 2025136 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 66.1% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation on Palm Island lags significantly at 27.3%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and public administration & safety. Notably, health care & social assistance employment is at 2.0 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction is under-represented with only 2.4% of Palm Island's workforce compared to Rest of Qld's 10.1%. Limited local employment opportunities are suggested by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 1.6%, while employment declined by 10.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 4.0 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld experienced employment growth of 1.7% and labour force growth of 2.1%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. 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%, closely aligned with the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 indicate a projected expansion of national employment by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though growth rates vary significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Palm Island's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.7% over five years and 16.0% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that income in Palm Island is below the national average. The median income is $52,258 and the average is $63,468. This contrasts with Rest of Qld's figures where the median income is $53,146 and the average is $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Palm Island would be approximately $57,437 (median) and $69,758 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in Palm Island all fall between the 1st and 2nd percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that the largest segment comprises 27.3% earning $400 - $799 weekly (634 residents), contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket leads at 31.7%. The prevalence of lower-income residents (40.4% under $800/week) indicates constrained household budgets across much of the area. While housing costs are modest with 87.4% of income retained, the total disposable income ranks at just the 5th percentile nationally.

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

Palm Island's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 87.9% houses and 12.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 89.5% houses and 10.5% other dwellings. Home ownership on Palm Island was at 2.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 0.0% and rented at 97.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,213. Median weekly rent on Palm Island was $125, lower than Non-Metro Qld's $202 and the national average of $375. Nationally, Palm Island's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,167 compared to the Australian average of $1,863.

Palm Island has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households compose 75.9% of all households, including 27.6% couples with children, 11.2% couples without children, and 30.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 24.1%, with lone person households at 21.1% and group households comprising 3.7%. The median household size is 3.7 people, which is larger than the Rest of Qld average of 2.3.

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

In the area, university qualification rates are low at 7.3%, significantly below Australia's average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common among those with university qualifications (4.9%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.4%) and graduate diplomas (1.0%). Vocational pathways account for 22.6% of qualifications among residents aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 4.5% and certificates at 18.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 21.0% in primary education, 6.4% in secondary education, and 0.5% pursuing tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Palm Island's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Palm Island shows excellent health outcomes with both young and elderly cohorts having low prevalence of common health conditions. Its private health cover rate stands at approximately 52%, higher than the average SA2 area's 50.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are diabetes (7.2%) and heart disease (4.3%). A total of 83.9% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Rest of Qld's 66.2%. Only 7.2% of Palm Island's population is aged 65 and over (167 people), lower than Rest of Qld's 24.3%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Palm Island records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Palm Island's cultural diversity aligns with its region's average. Its population comprises 93.2% citizens, 97.8% born in Australia, and 56.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion on Palm Island, with 81.7%, compared to 70.7% across Rest of Qld.

In terms of ancestry, Australian Aboriginal comprises 72.6%, Other 16.4%, and Australian 4.6%. These figures contrast with regional averages: Australian Aboriginal at 8.1%, Other at 4.6%, and Australian at 27.4%.

Palm Island hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Palm Island's median age is 27 years, which is lower than the Rest of Qld average of 41 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Rest of Qld, Palm Island has a higher percentage of residents aged 5-14 (19.4%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (5.2%). This 5-14 concentration is higher than the national average of 12.2%. Between 2021 and present, the population aged 35 to 44 has increased from 11.1% to 12.5%, while the 25 to 34 cohort has risen from 15.4% to 16.6%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 11.6% to 10.1%, and the 5 to 14 group has dropped from 20.8% to 19.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Palm Island's age profile. The 25 to 34 age cohort is expected to grow steadily, increasing by 116 people (30%) from 385 to 502. Meanwhile, the 15 to 24 and 5 to 14 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.