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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
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Proserpine has an estimated 3,782 residents, up from 3,614 at the 2021 Census — a change of 168 people, or 4.6%. Growth has averaged 0.7% a year over five years. That puts 162 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
As of Aug 2026, the population of the suburb of Proserpine is estimated at roughly 3,782, according to AreaSearch's evaluation of regional ABS releases and post-Census validated addresses. Compared to the 2021 Census tally of 3,614 people, this represents an addition of 168 people (4.6%). This adjustment stems from an Estimated Resident Population (ERP) figure of 3,756 determined by AreaSearch following the ABS June 2025 data release, alongside 4 validated new addresses recorded since the Census. With a density of 161 persons per square kilometer, the locality offers generous living space and room for upcoming residential expansion.
Population gains have been powered predominantly by interstate arrivals, who accounted for about 87.0% of recent population additions. Projections for the suburb of Proserpine utilise 2024 ABS/Geoscience Australia figures based on 2022 benchmarks across individual SA2 boundaries, supplemented after 2032 or where unavailable by 2023 Queensland State Government projections based on 2021 numbers. Because state releases omit age brackets, AreaSearch apportions cohort shares using 2023 ABS Greater Capital Region data based on 2022 benchmarks. Looking forward, the suburb of Proserpine is slated to outpace median non-metropolitan growth nationwide, expanding by 672 persons by 2041 across aggregated SA2 projections, representing a 17.1% gain across the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Detail
Residential construction in Proserpine remains modest, registering an average of 1 approvals per year, or 6 dwellings across the five-year period. Such subdued building numbers align with rural settings where construction volume is tempered by restrained demand and infrastructure thresholds. Given the small baseline, year-to-year rates and comparisons can shift sharply due to single developments. Building activity in Proserpine falls substantially short of Rest of Qld and remains far under nationwide standards. Recent residential building has consisted entirely of standalone homes, matching local lifestyle choices for privacy and acreage. Builders are constructing detached houses at rates exceeding the existing housing breakdown (79.0% at Census), underscoring enduring appetite for traditional family dwellings.
A ratio of 750 people per building approval highlights this quiet construction pace. Long-term forecasts suggest Proserpine will add 646 residents by 2041 based on latest quarterly estimates. If construction remains at current levels, housing creation could trail demographic expansion, adding pressure on buyers and providing upwards support for dwelling values.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Proserpine
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 4 current infrastructure and development projects inside Proserpine, worth an estimated $88 million. A further 56 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $33.8 billion. 18 are already under construction and 30 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans transport & logistics, residential development and environmental & disaster management. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local capital works, planning policies, and public investments play a defining role in regional outcomes. AreaSearch has pinpointed 4 major initiatives influencing the locality, including the Proserpine Replacement Police Facility and Courthouse, the Proserpine Hospital Clinical Assimilation Training Area and Acute Primary Care Clinic Upgrade, the Proserpine - Shute Harbour Road Upgrades (Hamilton Plains Flood Immunity and Cannonvale Capacity), and the Proserpine Urban Expansion Water and Sewer Infrastructure.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Proserpine Replacement Police Facility and Courthouse
The Proserpine Replacement Police Facility and Courthouse project delivers a modernised, cyclone-resilient law enforcement and justice facility replacing older damaged infrastructure. Managed by QBuild for the Queensland Police Service and Department of Justice and Attorney-General, the single-storey station includes interview rooms, holding cells, and trauma-informed support spaces. Main construction commenced in early 2026 following site preparation.
Proserpine Hospital Clinical Assimilation Training Area and Acute Primary Care Clinic Upgrade
The Proserpine Hospital Clinical Assimilation Training Area and Acute Primary Care Clinic Upgrade is a $7.9 million health project delivered by Mackay Hospital and Health Service and Queensland Health. Located at 26-32 Taylor Street, the project refurbishes clinical training spaces and primary care assessment rooms while introducing a four-chair renal dialysis service. Construction is underway with delivery scheduled in 2026.
Proserpine Urban Expansion Water and Sewer Infrastructure
Construction of approximately 4.8km of new trunk water mains to unlock greenfield land in Proserpine, funded through the Queensland Government's $2 billion Residential Activation Fund. The $5.65 million grant to Whitsunday Regional Council forms part of the Build Whitsundays program and is designed to enable future housing developments by delivering water and sewer infrastructure capable of supporting approximately 178 new homes. A detailed design tender for three sections of trunk watermain (totalling approximately 5km) was issued in September 2025, confirming the project is in the design phase ahead of construction.The broader Residential Activation Fund round one has committed almost $1 billion across Queensland, unlocking more than 98,000 new homes statewide.
Proserpine - Shute Harbour Road Upgrades (Hamilton Plains Flood Immunity and Cannonvale Capacity)
Multi-stage infrastructure upgrade along Proserpine-Shute Harbour Road delivering flood immunity and capacity improvements. Scope includes raising a 1.4km section across Hamilton Plains to reduce flood closures from 17 hours to under one hour in a 1-in-10-year event, alongside four-lane widening between Paluma Road and Valley Drive in Cannonvale with intersection and active transport upgrades.
Edenvale (Cannon Valley Master Planned Community)
Edenvale is a 102.2-hectare master planned community proposed by Alder Developments at Cannon Valley, fronting Shute Harbour Road and Gregory Cannon Valley Road on the main arterial route into Airlie Beach. The development application, lodged with Whitsunday Regional Council, proposes more than 900 diverse dwellings including apartments, townhouses and residential lots, alongside a mixed-use precinct with retail, commercial and possible educational or medical facilities. More than 40 percent of the site (around 44 hectares) is set aside for green space, parks, wetlands and pathways, with delivery planned across more than 20 stages over approximately 10 years.The site is zoned Emerging Community under the Proserpine to Airlie Beach Structure Plan 2022. Community consultation sessions were held on site in early 2025, and as of mid-2026 the development application had not yet received council approval.
ALDI Cannonvale
ALDI supermarket at 7-11 Central Avenue, Cannonvale. The development includes a modern supermarket with approximately 1,107 sqm of retail floor space, customer parking, new access from Galbraith Park Drive, footpath improvements and associated road upgrades. The store officially opened in March 2026 as ALDI's first location in the Greater Whitsunday region.
Cannonvale Community Hub
A 1,882m2 multi-purpose facility including a modern library, customer service centre, meeting rooms, business and education spaces, and disaster resilience infrastructure. Construction commenced in early May 2026.
Cannonvale Agricultural Innovation Centre
Research and demonstration facility for tropical agriculture, featuring greenhouse complexes, field trial areas, and education facilities to support sustainable farming practices in the region.
1,709 residents of Proserpine are employed, from a labour force of 1,795. Unemployment sits at 4.8%, with participation at 58.6%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 5.7% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 2,936, about 78% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Proserpine maintains a varied labour pool across blue and white-collar roles, supported by manufacturing and industrial activities, an unemployment rate of 4.8%, and a 3.1% annual rise in estimated jobs according to AreaSearch figures. As of March 2026, 1,709 residents are employed, though joblessness stands 0.9% above the 3.9% recorded in Regional Qld, and labour participation trails at 58.6% compared to 64.2% across Regional Qld. Census records show just 5.3% of workers based at home, though pandemic restrictions were relevant at that time. Key industries for local workers include retail trade, health care & social assistance, and construction.
Retail trade features prominently, with local representation reaching 1.3 times the regional average. Conversely, health care & social assistance accounts for only 12.6% of local employment, trailing Regional Qld's 16.1%. Comparing resident counts with local working numbers indicates constrained job capacity within the immediate district. AreaSearch analysis of ABS and SALM series shows that during the 12 months to March 2026, local employment grew by 3.1% against a 5.3% workforce expansion, lifting the jobless rate by 2.0 percentage points. In Regional Qld, employment edged up 0.1%, the workforce grew 0.3%, and unemployment rose 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts from Mar-26 project national employment to grow 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with divergence by sector. When applied to the local workforce composition, these projections indicate potential job growth in Proserpine of 5.7% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, representing a simple structural weighting that does not factor in local demographic projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Proserpine is $1,175 a week (about $61,000 a year), with median personal income at $668 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $47,601 a year against an average of $60,565. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
ATO postcode data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023 indicates Proserpine recorded a median taxpayer income of $47,601 and an average of $60,565, falling short of national figures as well as Regional Qld benchmarks of $53,146 and $66,593. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since financial year 2023, updated figures reach approximately $53,008 (median) and $67,445 (average) as of March 2026. At the 2021 Census, household, family and individual earnings ranked between the 11th and 22nd percentiles across Australia. The $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket accounts for 29.7% of local earners (1,123 individuals), close to the 31.7% seen regionally.
Affordability pressures leave residents with 84.0% of disposable earnings, placing the area in the 13th percentile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Proserpine had 1,369 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 79% detached houses and 14% apartments. 30% are owned with a mortgage, 37% rented and 33% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $260 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,300 a month. Rent absorbs 22.1% of household income here and mortgage repayments 25.5%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
According to the latest Census, the housing stock in Proserpine comprised 78.6% separate houses and 21.3% other dwellings including apartments and semi-detached units, compared to 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings in Regional Qld. Outright home ownership stood at 32.6%, matching Regional Qld, while 30.4% were mortgaged and 37.0% rented. Median monthly mortgage payments of $1,300 and median weekly rents of $260 sat well below Regional Qld figures of $1,655 and $345, while also tracking significantly lower than Australian averages of $1,863 for mortgages and $375 for rents.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Proserpine counted 1,369 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.4 people each. 24% are couples with children, against 26% couples without children. 32% of households are people living alone, and families average 2.1 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families constitute 65.4% of households, consisting of 23.6% couples with children, 25.5% childless couples, and 15.6% single parents. Non-family living arrangements make up 34.6%, with single-person residences representing 32.2% and group houses 2.3%. Average household size is 2.4 people, slightly beneath the 2.5 average for Regional Qld.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
10.2% of adults in Proserpine hold a university qualification, including 8.3% with a bachelor degree and 0.7% with postgraduate qualifications, lower than 77% of areas nationally. A further 34.3% hold a vocational qualification. 3 schools serve the area, with 2,461 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 989 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Attainment of higher education qualifications in the locality sits at 10.2%, well beneath the national benchmark of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees account for 8.3%, alongside graduate diplomas at 1.2% and postgraduate degrees at 0.7%. Vocational education is strongly represented, with 41.8% of individuals aged 15+ holding trade credentials, consisting of 7.5% with advanced diplomas and 34.3% with certificates. Participation in study is robust, with 26.9% of the local population engaged in educational programs. This comprises 11.3% attending primary school, 9.4% in high school, and 1.7% enrolled in higher education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Getting around Proserpine means driving: households keep an average of 1.2 vehicles, and scheduled services reach only a handful of stops. Service data is built from operators' published GTFS timetables; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Public transit in Proserpine comprises 10 bus stops across 1 routes, delivering 94 weekly passenger trips. Stop proximity is favourable, with residents situated an average of 264 meters from boarding points. Commutes are predominantly outbound and private motor vehicles dominate travel at 85%, alongside 9% walking and 2% cycling. Vehicle ownership stands at 1.2 per dwelling, below regional norms, while 5.3% worked from home at the 2021 Census. Transit services run at an average of 13 trips per day across the network, providing roughly 9 weekly trips for each stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
62.4% of residents in Proserpine report no long-term health condition, a less healthy profile than 85% of areas nationally. 9.6% need daily assistance with core activities, and 51.2% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 6.4 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Community health profiles compiled by AreaSearch indicate notable health challenges in Proserpine across mortality figures and illness rates in younger as well as older demographics, while private health insurance uptake remains low at roughly 51% of the populace (~1,936 people). Arthritis and mental health conditions are the most prevalent ailments, reported by 8.9% and 9.8% of the community respectively, while 62.4% indicated no chronic health conditions, lower than the 67.6% recorded across Regional Qld. Working-age adults display elevated chronic illness, while seniors aged 65 and over represent 23.6% of residents (892 people), compared to 20.3% regionally, with elderly health rankings generally tracking national norms.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Proserpine is largely Australian-born, at 88.9% of residents, with 3.6% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (32.2%) and Australian (29.0%). 4.3% of residents identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Proserpine exhibits comparatively modest cultural diversity, with 89.6% holding Australian citizenship, 88.9% born in Australia, and 96.4% using only English at home. Christianity represents the primary faith, accounting for 56.6% of residents compared to 52.2% across Regional Qld. Regarding ancestral backgrounds, English heritage leads at 32.2%, followed by Australian at 29.0% and Irish at 8.0%. Specific demographic divergences include New Zealand ancestry at 1.0% (against 0.9% regionally), Australian Aboriginal ancestry at 4.3% (against 3.9%), and German heritage at 4.1% (against 4.7%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Proserpine is 42. 22.4% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
Age distributions in the suburb of Proserpine align closely with Regional Qld, with the largest variance across broad cohorts being 4.0 percentage points. As at August 2026, AreaSearch calculates the median age at 42, matching the 2021 Census level and sitting 1 year older than the Regional Qld figure of 41 from that Census. The 45 - 64 age segment has decreased from 25.0% to an estimated 23.7% since the Census, while the 65+ age group is projected to see the largest increase by 2041, growing by 322 residents (36%) to reach 1,215.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Proserpine
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Oct 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Oct 2026 this month headline measures · Sep 2026 baseline |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Oct 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Aug 2026 2 months ago all 4 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Aug 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 7 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Sep 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Sep 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 4 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (3,614 at the 2021 Census → 3,782 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL32368). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.