Queanbeyan East

Population growth drivers in Queanbeyan East are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

The population of Queanbeyan East is estimated at 4,260 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 20 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,240 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 37 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,011 persons per square kilometer, which is relatively in line with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 59.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Anticipating future population dynamics, an above median population growth of Australia's non-metropolitan areas is projected, with the suburb expected to increase by 579 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 13.6% in total over the 16 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Queanbeyan East experienced around 21 dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, approximately 106 homes were approved, with an additional 12 approved in FY-26 so far. This results in an average of 0.4 new residents per year arriving per new home over these five years, suggesting supply meets or exceeds demand.

The average construction value of new homes is $459,000, indicating a focus on the premium market. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaled $16.1 million, reflecting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Rest of NSW, Queanbeyan East records around 64% of building activity per person and ranks in the 86th percentile nationally. Recent construction comprises 25.0% standalone homes and 75.0% medium and high-density housing.

With approximately 102 people per dwelling approval, Queanbeyan East exhibits characteristics of a low density area. Future projections estimate an addition of 579 residents by 2041, with current construction rates appearing balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Queanbeyan East has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Ten projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area significantly. Key projects include Celesse Apartments, Spotlight Queanbeyan Retail Redevelopment, Queanbeyan East Public Preschool, and Yass Road, Bungendore Road and Ellerton Drive Intersection Upgrade. The following list details those likely to be 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.

Employment performance in Queanbeyan East ranks among the strongest 15% of areas evaluated nationally

Queanbeyan East has a well-educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 1.9% as of December 2025, based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. There were 2,640 residents in work at this time, with an unemployment rate of 2.0%, below Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation was high at 75.2%, compared to Regional NSW's 60.5%. According to Census responses, a low 7.5% of residents worked from home. Employment is concentrated in public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and construction. Public administration & safety employment levels are notably high, at 3.3 times the regional average.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs just 0.4% of local workers, below Regional NSW's 5.3%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work, as indicated by Census data on working population to local population count. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force decreased by 4.5%, with employment decreasing by 4.4%, leaving unemployment broadly flat. In comparison, Regional NSW recorded an employment decline of 1.2%, labour force decline of 0.8%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Queanbeyan East's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023. Queanbeyan East's median taxpayer income was $62,781, with an average of $73,913, both higher than national averages of $52,390 and $65,215 in Regional NSW. By March 2026, estimated incomes would be approximately $69,260 (median) and $81,541 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32%. Census data shows individual earnings ranked at the 84th percentile nationally ($1,079 weekly), but household income was at the 46th percentile. Income analysis revealed that 38.4% of residents (1,635 people) fell into the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 83.7% of income remaining, ranking at the 46th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

Queanbeyan East displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Queanbeyan East, as per the latest Census evaluation, 28.3% of dwellings were houses while 71.7% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is in contrast to Regional NSW's dwelling structure which was 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Queanbeyan East stood at 18.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.4% and rented ones at 50.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,647, lower than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure in Queanbeyan East was $310, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Queanbeyan East's median monthly mortgage repayment is significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while its median weekly rent figure is substantially below the national average of $375.

Queanbeyan East features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 50.8% of all households, including 19.9% that are couples with children, 19.7% that are couples without children, and 9.7% that consist of single parents. Non-family households make up the remaining 49.2%, with lone person households at 44.8% and group households comprising 4.4%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Queanbeyan East exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Queanbeyan East has higher educational attainment than broader benchmarks. 31.6% of its residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 24.1% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 19.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 9.5% and graduate diplomas at 3.0%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 34.6% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (23.7%).

Educational participation is high, with 26.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.0% in primary education, 5.5% in tertiary education, and 4.3% pursuing secondary education.

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

Queanbeyan East has 29 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 36 different routes that together offer 281 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average located 163 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to the area being primarily residential. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 91%. On average, there is one vehicle per dwelling, which is below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, only 7.5% of residents work from home, a figure that may reflect COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 40 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately nine weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Queanbeyan East faces significant health challenges according to AreaSearch's assessment, with notable prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is very high at approximately 56% of the total population (~2,391 people), compared to 51.9% across Regional NSW.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 10.9 and 8.5% of residents respectively. However, 68.5% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 10.9% of residents aged 65 and over (464 people), lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Queanbeyan East was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Queanbeyan East, as per data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing, 2016, exhibited higher cultural diversity than most local areas. Overseas-born residents constituted 27.8%, while those speaking a language other than English at home comprised 24.7%. Christianity was the predominant religion, practiced by 45.6% of the population.

Notably, the 'Other' religious category had a higher representation in Queanbeyan East (3.4%) compared to Regional NSW (0.8%). In terms of ancestry, English was the most prevalent (24.6%), followed by Australian (23.8%), and Other (12.7%). However, these figures were lower than regional averages for English (30.5%) and Australian (30.0%), but higher for Other (4.8%). Certain ethnic groups showed notable disparities: Macedonian residents were 1.7% compared to the regional average of 0.4%, Serbian at 0.6% versus 0.2%, and Croatian at 1.0% against 0.3%.

Queanbeyan East hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

The median age in Queanbeyan East is 33 years, which is considerably lower than Regional NSW's average of 43 years and substantially under the national average of 38 years. Compared to the Regional NSW average, the 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 25.8% locally, while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented at 6.2%. This 25-34 concentration is well above the national average of 14.6%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the area has become younger, with median age dropping from 34 years to 33 years between censuses. Notable shifts include the 35-44 age group growing from 15.9% to 17.9%, and the 25-34 cohort increasing from 23.9% to 25.8%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort has declined from 10.7% to 9.1%, and the 45-54 group dropped from 12.5% to 11.1%. By 2041, Queanbeyan East is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. Leading this demographic shift, the 25-34 group is projected to grow by 21%, reaching 1,325 people from 1,099. In contrast, the 15-24 and 65-74 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.