Proserpine

An assessment of population growth drivers in Proserpine reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

The population of the Proserpine statistical area (Lv2) is estimated to be around 3,850 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 236 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,614 people. The recent resident population estimate by AreaSearch is 3,754, based on examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This equates to a density ratio of 164 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Proserpine has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.1%, outperforming its SA4 region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 87.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year, and Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections for years post-2032 based on 2021 data. 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. Future demographic trends project above median population growth for Australia's regional areas. By 2041, the Proserpine (SA2) is expected to grow by 782 persons, reflecting a total gain of 20.2% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Proserpine according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Proserpine saw approximately 4 new home approvals annually between FY2017 and FY2021, totalling around 20 homes. As of FY26, there have been 0 approvals recorded. Over these years, an average of 15.7 people moved to the area for each dwelling built.

This high demand coupled with limited supply has led to price growth and increased buyer competition in Proserpine's premium housing market, where new dwellings are developed at an average cost of $1,715,000. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Proserpine records significantly lower building activity, 85.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained development has typically reinforced demand and pricing for existing dwellings. However, there has been a recent increase in development activity. New construction in Proserpine is exclusively standalone homes, preserving its low-density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers despite density pressures.

Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests, indicating strong demand for family homes. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 694 people. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Proserpine is projected to grow by 778 residents by 2041. If current construction levels continue, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth in the area.

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

Area infrastructure changes significantly impact performance. AreaSearch identified four projects likely affecting the region: Proserpine Replacement Police Facility and Courthouse, Proserpine Hospital Acute Primary Care Clinic Upgrade, Proserpine-Shute Harbour Road Upgrades (Hamilton Plains Flood Immunity and Cannonvale Capacity), and Proserpine Urban Expansion Water and Sewer Infrastructure. Most relevant details follow.

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

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Proserpine has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Proserpine has a balanced workforce comprising both white and blue collar jobs. The manufacturing and industrial sectors are prominent.

Its unemployment rate was 4.4% in September 2025, which is 0.3% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.4%, based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 1,732 residents are employed, with workforce participation at 56.0%, below Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Employment is concentrated in retail trade, health care & social assistance, and construction.

Retail trade has a notable concentration, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. Health care & social assistance, however, has limited presence with 12.6% employment compared to 16.1% regionally. The area may offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 4.4%, while labour force increased by 4.3%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment grow by 1.7%, labour force expand by 2.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Proserpine's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.7% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023 shows Proserpine had a median taxpayer income of $47,601 and an average income of $60,565. These figures are below the national averages of $53,146 and $66,593 respectively for Rest of Qld. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $52,318 (median) and $66,567 (average). Census data reveals Proserpine's household, family and personal incomes all fall between the 11th and 22nd percentiles nationally. The largest income segment comprises 29.7% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (1,143 residents), similar to metropolitan regions where this cohort represents 31.7%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Proserpine, with only 84.0% of income remaining, ranking at the 13th percentile nationally.

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

Proserpine's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, was 78.6% houses and 21.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Qld's 74.7% houses and 25.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Proserpine stood at 32.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.4% and rented ones at 37.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, below Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,700, and the median weekly rent was $260, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $350. Nationally, Proserpine's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Proserpine features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 65.4% of all households, including 23.6% couples with children, 25.5% couples without children, and 15.6% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 34.6%, with lone person households at 32.2% and group households making up 2.3%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of Qld.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 10.2%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.3%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.2%) and postgraduate qualifications (0.7%). Vocational credentials are held by 41.8% of residents aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 7.5% and certificates at 34.3%. Educational participation is high, with 26.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 11.3% in primary education, 9.4% in secondary education, and 1.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Proserpine has ten active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by one route in total, resulting in 94 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good access to transportation, with an average distance of 264 meters to the nearest stop.

Buses run approximately 13 times daily across all routes, equating to about nine weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Proserpine is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Proserpine faces significant health challenges, as indicated by health data.

Both younger and older age groups have notable prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 51% (~1,971 people) of Proserpine's total population has private health cover, which is relatively low compared to other areas. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions in Proserpine, affecting 9.8 and 8.9% of residents respectively. However, 62.4% of residents claim to be completely free from medical ailments, compared to 73.3% across the rest of Queensland. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 23.3% (897 people) compared to 15.4% in the rest of Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, generally aligning with the overall population's health profile.

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

Proserpine's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 89.6% of its population being citizens born in Australia who speak English only at home. Christianity is the main religion in Proserpine, comprising 56.6%, compared to 45.3% across the rest of Queensland. The top three ancestry groups are English (32.2%), Australian (29.0%), and Irish (8.0%).

Notably, New Zealanders are overrepresented at 1.0% in Proserpine versus 1.1% regionally, while Australian Aboriginal people are at 4.3% compared to 2.3%, and Germans are at 4.1% compared to 4.3%.

Proserpine's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Proserpine is 42 years, close to Rest of Qld's average of 41 and well above Australia's median of 38. The 75-84 age group is notably over-represented in Proserpine at 9.1%, compared to the Rest of Qld average, while those aged 25-34 are under-represented at 10.1%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15-24 age group has grown from 11.3% to 12.1%, while the 5-14 cohort has declined from 13.7% to 12.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes in Proserpine. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 189 people (54%), from 350 to 540. Meanwhile, the 15-24 cohort is projected to decline by 2 people.