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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
Sales Activity
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Population
Rasmussen has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends
Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the estimated population of Rasmussen is around 5,039 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 370 people (7.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,669 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 4,972 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 235 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 912 persons per square kilometer, which is relatively in line with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Rasmussen's 7.9% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (7.1%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth that contributed approximately 64.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including overseas migration and interstate migration were positive factors.
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, and for years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence where utilised, AreaSearch is applying proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. As we examine future population trends, a population increase just below the median of locations outside of capital cities is expected, with the suburb of Rasmussen expected to grow by 564 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 9.9% in total over the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Recent residential development output has been above average within Rasmussen when compared nationally
AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Rasmussen has recorded around 18 residential properties granted approval per year. Approximately 90 homes were approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, and 66 have been approved so far in FY-26. On average, about two people moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five years. However, this has moderated to approximately 0.9 people per dwelling over the past two financial years.
New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $332,000, consistent with regional patterns. This year, around $5.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating limited commercial development focus. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Rasmussen has 12.0% less new development per person but ranks among the 83rd percentile nationally when measured against other areas assessed.
Building activity has accelerated in recent years. New development consists of approximately 79.0% detached dwellings and 21.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. Rasmussen shows characteristics of a growth area with around 122 people per dwelling approval. Looking ahead, Rasmussen is expected to grow by approximately 497 residents through to 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Existing development levels seem aligned with future requirements, maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Rasmussen
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Rasmussen has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally
Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified twelve projects that may impact this region. Notable projects are Riverway Plaza Stage 2 Extension, Riverstone Estate, Somers & Hervey Estate, and River Parks Estate. The following list details projects likely to be most relevant.
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INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Riverway Plaza Stage 2 Extension
The Stage 2 expansion of Riverway Plaza is a major retail development in the Upper Ross growth corridor of Townsville. The project delivers a new 3,585 sqm full-line Coles supermarket, approximately 30-35 specialty stores, and a 650 sqm Snap Fitness gym on the first floor. Infrastructure improvements include the city's first retail basement car park with 140 spaces, a travelator, and an additional 64 shaded surface parking bays. The expansion also features a 300kW rooftop solar system and enhanced public amenities, completing the transition of the site into a comprehensive district retail hub following the 2021 Woolworths Stage 1 upgrade.
North Queensland Simulation Park (NQ SPARK)
The North Queensland Simulation Park (NQ SPARK) is northern Australia's first collaborative defence industry hub, delivering world-class simulation training and research for the defence, science, health, emergency response and knowledge sectors. The not-for-profit precinct will house an Advanced Environmental Simulation Facility (AESF), a Clinical Simulation Centre, an agile Command and Control (C2) team performance research laboratory, and high-performance computing infrastructure. Stage 1 is funded by a 32.2 million dollar Federal Government grant under the Townsville City Deal, with a further 35 million dollars in private sector investment expected for the broader precinct. In 2025, NQ SPARK signed a lease with James Cook University for a permanent home on the ground floor of the Clinical Practice Building at JCU's Bebegu Yumba campus in Douglas, with fitout works now underway. The site sits within the tropical innovation precinct adjacent to Townsville University Hospital and Lavarack Army Barracks. An interim facility continues to operate at Vickers Road North, Condon, where simulation experiments and capability development are being conducted to inform the permanent build. The project is forecast to generate up to 800 jobs and inject more than 200 million dollars into the local economy.
River Parks Estate
River Parks is a master-planned residential community spanning 72 hectares in Kelso, designed for families and young professionals. The development features approximately 1000 homes, two major parks, 2.3 kilometers of walking and cycling pathways, a planned convenience center, childcare center, and village with shops and cafe. Located 20km southwest of Townsville CBD with easy access to the Ross River.
Ross River Dam to Douglas Water Treatment Plant Pipeline Renewal
Renewal and duplication of a 9.5km pipeline connecting Ross River Dam to Douglas Water Treatment Plant, enhancing resilience and water security for Townsville, which supplies approximately 85% of the city's water.
Douglas Water Treatment Plant Clarifiers Upgrade
The project involved the installation of two new clarifiers at the Douglas Water Treatment Plant to double the number of clarifiers, enhancing water treatment capacity during tropical weather events and providing additional water security for Townsvilles growing population. The new infrastructure treats 950 litres per second through Module 3 and 1100 litres per second through Module 4.
Riverstone Estate
Riverstone Estate is a 271-hectare masterplanned residential community located in the Townsville growth corridor. The project is being delivered in multiple phases and will ultimately provide approximately 1,500 new homes for over 5,000 residents. Key features include a future retail hub, a P-6 primary school, childcare facilities, a medical center, and extensive recreational infrastructure such as riverside walkways along the Bohle River and 128 hectares of open green space.
First Nations Social Housing Project (Rasmussen)
Construction is underway on 24 new social homes at 1145 Riverway Drive, Rasmussen. The project is being delivered by Yumba-Meta Limited with Queensland Government support as part of a broader pipeline of social and community housing across North Queensland. Units are intended to meet Social Housing Design guidelines and accessibility standards. Public statements indicate completion is targeted for late 2025.
Limestone Estate
Boutique residential subdivision in Condon (Townsville) delivering 54 land lots near schools, shops and Riverway. Development by Centurion Global; estate reported sold out after staged releases.
Employment
Employment conditions in Rasmussen face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally
Rasmussen has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs well represented in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 11.0%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, there are 2,013 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 7.0% higher than Regional Qld's rate of 4.0%.
Workforce participation in Rasmussen lags at 58.4%, compared to Regional Qld's 64.5%. Census responses show that only 3.2% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and retail trade. Notably, public administration & safety employs 2.4 times the regional average.
However, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs just 0.8% of local workers, below Regional Qld's 4.5%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the 12-month period ending in May-25, labour force decreased by 0.0%, while employment decreased by 2.4%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 2.1 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional Qld, where employment rose by 0.7% and labour force grew by 1.0%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Rasmussen's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment
AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023 shows Rasmussen had a median income among taxpayers of $54,930 and an average of $61,546. These figures are below the national average. In Regional Qld, the median was $53,146 and the average was $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $61,170 (median) and $68,538 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Rasmussen rank modestly, between the 30th and 32nd percentiles. Income distribution data shows 35.0% of the population falls within the $1,500 - 2,999 range, similar to regional levels at 31.7%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 83.9% of income remaining, ranking at the 30th percentile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Rasmussen is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region
Dwelling structure in Rasmussen, as evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 88.9% houses and 11.1% other dwellings. In comparison, Regional Qld had 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Rasmussen was 19.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.6% and rented ones at 44.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,343, below Regional Qld's average of $1,655. Median weekly rent in Rasmussen was $263, compared to Regional Qld's $345. Nationally, Rasmussen's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Rasmussen features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size
Family households comprise 73.4% of all households, including 28.3% couples with children, 24.9% couples without children, and 19.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 26.6%, with lone person households at 22.3% and group households comprising 4.2%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Regional Queensland average of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Rasmussen faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally
The area's university qualification rate is 11.9%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 8.9%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.6%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.4%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 42.6% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.6%) and certificates (34.0%). Educational participation is high at 33.1%, with 13.4% in primary education, 9.6% in secondary education, and 3.9% pursuing tertiary education.
Educational participation is notably high, with 33.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.4% in primary education, 9.6% in secondary education, and 3.9% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Rasmussen has 16 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These provide a total of 241 weekly passenger trips via one route. The average distance to the nearest stop is 376 meters. Most residents commute outward daily, with cars being the primary mode at 96%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling. Only 3.2% of residents work from home (2021 Census).
Service frequency averages 34 trips per day across all routes, equating to around 15 weekly trips per stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Rasmussen is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts
Rasmussen faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.
Multiple health conditions affect both younger and older age groups, with private health cover at approximately 52% (~2,599 people). Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions, impacting 10.6 and 8.6% of residents respectively. Conversely, 65.2% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 67.6% in Regional Queensland. The working-age population experiences notable health challenges due to high chronic condition rates. Rasmussen has 12.7% (639 people) of residents aged 65 and over, lower than the 20.4% in Regional Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, generally aligning with national rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Rasmussen is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics
Rasmussen's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 88.0% of its population being Australian citizens and 89.6% born in Australia. English was the language spoken exclusively at home by 94.5% of Rasmussen residents. Christianity was the predominant religion, making up 47.8% of the population.
However, there was an overrepresentation in the 'Other' category, comprising 0.7% compared to Regional Qld's 0.8%. In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), Australian was the top group at 27.8%, followed by English at 27.0% and Australian Aboriginal at 10.3%, which was significantly higher than the regional average of 3.9%. Notably, Maori were overrepresented at 0.8% in Rasmussen compared to Regional Qld's 0.8%, Maltese were equally represented at 0.4%, and Samoan were underrepresented at 0.1% versus Regional Qld's 0.2%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Rasmussen hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide
At 32 years, Rasmussen's median age is considerably lower than Regional Qld's average of 41, which is also substantially under the Australian median of 38. Relative to Regional Qld, Rasmussen has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (17.1%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (7.5%). Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 has grown from 15.2% to 17.1%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 5 to 14 has declined from 15.9% to 13.9%, and the proportion of residents aged 45 to 54 has dropped from 12.3% to 10.6%. Demographic modeling suggests that Rasmussen's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 25 to 34 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 29%, adding 249 residents to reach a total of 1,111. In contrast, both the 5 to 14 and 55 to 64 age groups are projected to have reduced numbers by that year.