Railway Estate

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

As of November 2025, the population of the suburb of Railway Estate is estimated at around 3,012 people. This reflects an increase of 141 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,871 people. The latest estimate by AreaSearch is based on the resident population of 2,998, following examination of the ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 13 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 729 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 4.9% since the census is within 2.0 percentage points of the SA4 region's growth rate of 6.9%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 62.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth in the area.

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 are adopted, based on 2021 data and released in 2023. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections are applied where utilized. Future population trends indicate a median increase just below non-metropolitan areas nationally, with the suburb expected to grow by 333 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an overall gain of 11.4% over the 17 years.

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

Railway Estate averaged two dwelling approvals annually between 2016 and 2020, totaling ten approvals over five years. This limited development activity is typical of rural areas with modest housing needs and infrastructure capacity constraints. The small number of approvals makes annual growth and relativity statistics susceptible to significant impacts from individual projects.

Compared to Rest of Qld and national averages, Railway Estate has much lower development activity. All approved developments were detached dwellings, maintaining the area's rural character while meeting strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. As of 2018 Census, 71% of dwellings were traditional houses, indicating continued preference for this type. The estimated population per dwelling approval was 1998 people in Railway Estate, reflecting its quiet development environment.

By 2041, the area is projected to gain 344 residents according to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. If current development rates persist, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

Railway Estate has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects likely to affect this region. Notable ones are Weststate Private Hospital, North Queensland Simulation Park (NQ SPARK), Mater Private Hospital Townsville Relocation, and Defence Housing Australia - Townsville New Builds Volume Leasing Program (400+ Homes). The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Railway Estate has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Railway Estate has a skilled workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 5.3%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of June 2025, 1,613 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.7% compared to Rest of Qld's 3.9%. Workforce participation stands at 66.1%, higher than Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and education & training. The area has a significant concentration in public administration & safety, with employment levels at 1.8 times the regional average.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.4% of local workers, below Rest of Qld's 4.5%. Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.7%, and employment declined by 3.5%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 1.7 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Qld, where employment rose by 1.8% and unemployment increased by only 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project total employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Railway Estate's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Railway Estate has a high national median income of $53,524 and an average income of $72,840. In comparison, Rest of Qld's figures are a median income of $50,780 and an average income of $64,844. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $61,012 (median) and $83,030 (average). According to the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 63rd percentile ($877 weekly), while household income is at the 37th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 34.0% of the community falls within the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band (1,024 individuals). Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.6% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 38th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

The latest Census showed that Railway Estate had 70.9% houses and 29.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Qld's 81.3% houses and 18.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Railway Estate was at 24.7%, similar to Non-Metro Qld. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 33.2%, while rented dwellings were 42.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,430, below the Non-Metro Qld average of $1,517 and significantly lower than the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $300, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $305 and substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 59.2% of all households, including 19.1% couples with children, 26.2% couples without children, and 12.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 40.8%, with lone person households at 35.0% and group households comprising 5.9%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

Educational outcomes in Railway Estate fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Railway Estate's educational qualifications trail Australian averages. Among residents aged 15+, 23.8% hold university degrees, compared to Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common (16.9%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 39.2% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (27.8%).

Educational participation is high, with 30.8% currently enrolled in formal education: 9.4% in primary, 8.2% in secondary, and 7.3% in tertiary education. Railway Estate State School and Townsville State High School serve a total of 1,013 students. The area's educational conditions index (ICSEA) is 913. Educational provision follows conventional lines, with one primary and one secondary institution. There are 33.6 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 16.7, indicating a hub for education that attracts students from surrounding communities.

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

The analysis of public transport in Railway Estate indicates that there are currently 14 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with services provided by two individual routes. Together, these routes facilitate a total of 145 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport in this region is considered good, with residents typically residing approximately 224 meters away from their nearest transport stop. On average, service frequency across all routes amounts to around 20 trips per day, which translates to roughly 10 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health outcomes in Railway Estate are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Railway Estate shows below-average health outcomes with common conditions more prevalent than average across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 56% (~1,688 people) have private health cover, higher than the Rest of Qld's 53.3%.

Mental health issues affect 10.8%, arthritis impacts 7.8%, while 68.7% report no medical ailments, compared to 67.8% across Rest of Qld. The area has 14.1% (424 people) aged 65 and over, with health outcomes among seniors being above average and better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Railway Estate showed lower cultural diversity, with 87.5% citizens, 86.2% born in Australia, and 93.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, at 47.7%. Judaism, at 0.1%, was slightly overrepresented compared to Rest of Qld's 0.1%.

Top ancestry groups were English (28.6%), Australian (26.2%), and Irish (8.7%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal (5.4%) and German (4.4%) groups were overrepresented, while Maori was slightly higher at 0.7% compared to regional averages.

Railway Estate's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Railway Estate is 35 years, which is lower than Queensland's average of 41 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. The proportion of people aged 25-34 in Railway Estate is notably higher at 19.8%, compared to the Rest of Queensland average of approximately 17%. Conversely, the percentage of children aged 5-14 is lower at 9.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the median age has decreased by one year to 35 from 36 between 2016 and 2021. During this period, the proportion of people aged 25-34 increased from 16% to 19.8%, while those aged 75-84 rose from 3% to 4.3%. However, the percentage of children aged 5-14 decreased from 11.7% to 9.5%, and the proportion of people aged 45-54 dropped from 13.2% to 11.6%. By 2041, it is expected that the age group of 25-34 will grow by 33%, reaching a population of 795 from 596. Conversely, the cohorts aged 55-64 and 5-14 are projected to experience population declines.