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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, the estimated population of the Railway Estate statistical area (Lv2) as of Nov 2025 is around 3,013. This reflects an increase of 142 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,871. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 2,999 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 13 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 729 persons per square kilometer. The area's growth rate of 4.9% since the census positions it within 2.0 percentage points of the SA4 region's growth rate of 6.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 62.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. These state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data for each age cohort. Future population trends indicate an expected increase just below the median of non-metropolitan areas nationally, with the area expected to grow by 331 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 11.3% in total 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 has seen limited development activity over the past five years, with an average of two approvals per year (totaling eleven). This low level of development is typical in rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is constrained by local demand and infrastructure capacity. Notably, due to the small number of approvals, individual projects can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics.

Compared to Rest of Qld and national averages, Railway Estate has much lower development activity. All new constructions have been detached dwellings, preserving the area's rural character and emphasis on space. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (71.0% at Census), indicating strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 999 people, reflecting Railway Estate's quiet, low activity development environment.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Railway Estate is projected to grow by 341 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

Four projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area: Weststate Private Hospital, Mater Private Hospital Townsville Relocation, Defence Housing Australia - Townsville New Builds Volume Leasing Program (400+ Homes), and Oxley Street Residences.

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Railway Estate has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Railway Estate has a skilled workforce with notable representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 4.9%, as per AreaSearch's aggregated statistical area data.

As of September 2025, 1,599 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.9%, which is 0.9% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. The workforce participation rate in Railway Estate is 66.1%, exceeding Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and education & training. Public administration & safety stands out 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%. The area may offer limited local employment opportunities, indicated by a lower Census working population compared to resident population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels increased by 0.2%, while employment declined by 0.7%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.9 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Qld's employment growth of 1.7% and labour force growth of 2.1%. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, closely aligned with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Railway Estate's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that income in Railway Estate is higher than average nationally. The median income is $53,524 and the average income stands at $72,840. This contrasts with Rest of Qld's figures where the median income is $53,146 and the average income is $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Railway Estate would be approximately $58,828 (median) and $80,058 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 63rd percentile with a weekly income of $877, while household income sits at the 37th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 34.0% of the community (1,024 individuals) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, consistent with broader trends across the broader area showing 31.7% in the same category. 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

Railway Estate's dwellings were 70.9% houses and 29.2% other types (semi-detached, apartments, others) in the latest Census, compared to Non-Metro Qld's 81.3% houses and 18.7% other dwellings. Home ownership stood at 24.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.2% and rented ones at 42.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,430, below Non-Metro Qld's $1,517. Median weekly rent was $300, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $305. Nationally, Railway Estate's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,430 vs Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were 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 constitute 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 account for 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, 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 regional benchmarks, with 23.8% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to Australia's 30.4%. This gap suggests potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are the most common (16.9%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 39.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas at 11.4% and certificates at 27.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.4% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 7.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Railway Estate has 18 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by two routes that together provide 145 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent access to transport, with an average distance of 192 meters to the nearest stop.

On average, there are 20 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 8 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 lower-than-average health outcomes with common conditions more prevalent across both younger and older age groups compared to averages. Around 56% (~1,689 people) have private health cover, higher than Rest of Qld's 53.9%.

Mental health issues affect 10.8% and arthritis impacts 7.8% of residents. About 68.7% report no medical ailments, compared to Rest of Qld's 67.8%. The area has 14.1% (424 people) aged 65 and over, with seniors showing above-average health outcomes in 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 had a cultural diversity level below average, with 87.5% citizens, 86.2% born in Australia, and 93.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 47.7%. Judaism's representation stood at 0.1%, compared to 0.1% regionally.

Top ancestry groups were English (28.6%), Australian (26.2%), and Irish (8.7%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal were overrepresented at 5.4% (vs regional 5.0%), Germans at 4.4% (vs 4.0%), and Maori at 0.7% (vs 0.5%).

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

The median age in Railway Estate is 35 years, which is lower than the Rest of Qld's average of 41 years and also under the national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age cohort is notably over-represented at 19.8% locally compared to the Rest of Qld average, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 9.5%. This concentration in the 25-34 age group is well above the national average of 14.5%. Post the 2021 Census, the area's median age dropped to 35 years from 36 years. The 25-34 age group grew from 16.0% to 19.8%, while the 75-84 cohort increased from 3.0% to 4.3%. Conversely, the 5-14 cohort declined from 11.7% to 9.5% and the 55-64 group dropped from 13.1% to 11.4%. By 2041, Railway Estate is expected to see significant shifts in its age composition. Leading this demographic shift, the 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 33%, reaching 795 people from 596. In contrast, the 5-14 and 15-24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.