South Townsville

South Townsville has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validations, as of November 2025, South Townsville's estimated population is around 2,581. This reflects an increase of 157 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,424. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 2,572 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and validation of 12 new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 522 persons per square kilometer. South Townsville's growth rate of 6.5% since the census is within 0.4 percentage points of its SA4 region, indicating competitive fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 62.0% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses 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 from 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted, with proportional growth weightings applied for age cohorts. Looking ahead, South Townsville is expected to grow by around 315 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of approximately 10.9% over the seventeen years.

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

South Townsville had 16 new dwelling approvals over the five-year period ending in December 2020, with an average of 3 dwellings approved annually. This low development level reflects its rural nature and local housing need-driven development, which is less influenced by broad market demand. The small sample size means individual projects can significantly impact annual growth statistics.

South Townsville had considerably less construction activity than the rest of Queensland during this period, and it was also below national averages. All new constructions were detached dwellings, predominantly family homes suited to rural lifestyle preferences. Despite current housing mix trends (52.0% at Census), developers built more traditional houses, suggesting strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. The estimated population per dwelling approval in South Townsville was 1013 people as of December 2020.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain 282 residents by June 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply might lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

South Townsville has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 12 projects likely to affect the area. Notable ones include The Hive at 10-15 The Strand Masterplan, Weststate Private Hospital, Defence Housing Australia's Townsville New Builds Volume Leasing Program (400+ Homes), and Marina Residences. Below is a list of those 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals South Townsville recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

South Townsville has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate is 6.1%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, 1,446 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.0% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation is similar to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key industries of employment among residents are public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food. South Townsville shows strong specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share 2.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 0.7% of South Townsville's workforce compared to 4.5% in Rest of Qld. The ratio of 0.9 workers per resident indicates substantial local employment opportunities. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, labour force decreased by 0.2% and employment decreased by 1.3%, resulting in a 1.0 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. Meanwhile, Rest of Qld recorded employment growth of 1.7% and labour force growth of 2.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows QLD employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, closely aligned with the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to South Townsville's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that South Townsville has a median income of $55,782 and an average income of $75,913. This contrasts with the Rest of Qld figures: median income of $53,146 and average income of $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $61,310 (median) and $83,436 (average). According to the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 69th percentile ($914 weekly), with household income at the 36th percentile. The earnings profile shows that 31.0% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 (800 individuals). Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 83.8% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 37th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

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

South Townsville's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 52.0% houses and 47.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasted with Non-Metro Qld's 81.3% houses and 18.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Townsville stood at 22.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.8% and rented ones at 50.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, aligning with Non-Metro Qld's average, while the median weekly rent was $300 compared to Non-Metro Qld's $305. Nationally, South Townsville's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,517 against Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 53.7% of all households, including 15.1% couples with children, 27.6% couples without children, and 8.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 46.3%, with lone person households at 40.2% and group households at 6.4%. The median household size is 2.0 people, smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

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

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 27.3%, exceeding the SA4 region average of 20.1% and that of Rest of Qld (20.6%). Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 18.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 10.2% and certificates at 28.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.4% in tertiary education, 9.0% in primary education, and 7.2% pursuing secondary education.

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

Transport analysis shows 15 operational stops in South Townsville, offering mixed bus services. These stops are served by two distinct routes, facilitating 145 weekly passenger trips collectively. Transport accessibility is deemed excellent, with residents situated an average of 195 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency stands at 20 daily trips across all routes, translating to roughly 9 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in South Townsville is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

South Townsville faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~1,478 people), compared to 53.9% across Rest of Qld.

Mental health issues impact 10.5% of residents, while arthritis impacts 8.5%. Approximately 67.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.8% across Rest of Qld. The area has 15.6% of residents aged 65 and over (402 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

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

South Townsville's cultural diversity was below average, with 78.9% citizens, 83.0% born in Australia, and 91.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated as the main religion, comprising 51.1%. Judaism was overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to 0.1% regionally.

Top ancestry groups were English (28.1%), Australian (22.7%), and Irish (12.4%). Scottish was notably overrepresented at 10.1% vs regional 7.7%, French at 1.0% vs 0.4%, and New Zealand at 0.9% vs 0.7%.

South Townsville's median age exceeds the national pattern

South Townsville has a median age of 40, close to Rest of Qld's figure of 41 but exceeding the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group is strongly represented at 19.4%, compared to Rest of Qld, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 6.0%. Following the census on 10 August 2021, younger residents shifted the median age down by one year to 40. Specifically, the 25-34 age group grew from 16.1% to 19.4%, and the 5-14 cohort dropped from 7.8% to 6.0%. By 2041, South Townsville's age composition is expected to see notable shifts. The 25-34 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 32%, adding 159 residents to reach 660. Meanwhile, the 55-64 and 5-14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.