Thursday Island

Thursday Island 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 Nov 2025, the population of Thursday Island is estimated at around 2,958, reflecting an increase of 153 people since the 2021 Census. The previous population was reported as 2,805 in the 2021 Census. This increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 2,872 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released Jun 2024 and an additional 7 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 795 persons per square kilometer. The primary driver for this growth was natural growth contributing approximately 85.0% 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 by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data are applied where utilised. Future population trends anticipate lower quartile growth for regional areas, with Thursday Island expected to grow by 90 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 0.7% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Thursday Island is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Thursday Island had minimal residential development activity with 3 dwelling approvals annually over the five-year period from January 2015 to December 2019, totalling 19 dwellings. This low level of development reflects the rural nature of the area where housing needs rather than market demand typically drive development. The small sample size means individual projects can significantly influence annual growth and relativity statistics.

New developments consisted of 80% standalone homes and 20% townhouses or apartments, reflecting the area's rural character with larger properties being typical. Interestingly, developers built more traditional houses than suggested by current Census figures (58%), indicating continued strong demand for family homes despite density pressures.

The estimated population per dwelling approval was 362 people, reflecting the quiet development environment. Population forecasts indicate Thursday Island will gain 22 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Thursday Island has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 0thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects likely influencing this region. Notable projects include Saila Terrace Townhouses, Thursday Island Affordable Modular Homes, Victoria Parade Units, and Queensland National Land Transport Network Maintenance.

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Employment conditions in Thursday Island remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Thursday Island has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 5.1%, and there has been relative employment stability over the past year, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of June 2025, 1,390 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.2% higher than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation is fairly standard at 63.6%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and education & training. The area shows strong specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share of 3.5 times the regional level.

Manufacturing is under-represented, with only 0.2% of Thursday Island's workforce compared to 5.6% in Rest of Qld. Employment opportunities appear limited locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 0.4% while labour force increased by 0.3%, leaving unemployment broadly flat. This contrasts with Rest of Qld, where employment grew by 1.8%, labour force expanded by 2.0%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 offer insight into potential future demand within Thursday Island. These projections suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates varying significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Thursday Island's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 15.0% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Thursday Island's median income among taxpayers is $51,668. The average income for the island is $61,587. Nationally, this is lower than average. In comparison, Rest of Qld has a median income of $50,780 and an average of $64,844. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Thursday Island would be approximately $58,896 (median) and $70,203 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data indicates that incomes in Thursday Island cluster around the 70th percentile nationally. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 38.4% of residents (1,135 people). This is consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region where 31.7% fall into the same category. After housing costs, residents retain 91.4% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power.

Thursday Island displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Thursday Island's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 57.9% houses and 42.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Non-Metro Qld had no houses or other dwellings recorded at the time of the Census. Home ownership on Thursday Island stood at 9.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 3.0% and rented ones at 87.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,408, aligning with Non-Metro Qld's average. The median weekly rent was $200, whereas Non-Metro Qld had no recorded rents. Nationally, Thursday Island's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and its rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Thursday Island has a typical household mix, with a median household size of 3.2 people

Family households constitute 73.6% of all households, including 34.0% couples with children, 18.0% couples without children, and 18.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 26.4%, with lone person households at 23.1% and group households making up 3.1%. The median household size is 3.2 people.

Thursday Island faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

Thursday Island's educational qualifications trail regional benchmarks, with 21.1% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to Australia's 30.4%. This indicates potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 41.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 9.9% and certificates at 31.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 35.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 16.8% in primary education, 10.8% in secondary education, and 3.1% pursuing tertiary education. Thursday Island has 4 schools with a combined enrollment of 1,385 students, serving varied educational conditions (ICSEA: 830). The educational mix includes 2 primary, 1 secondary, and 1 K-12 school. The area provides strong educational infrastructure, with 46.9 school places per 100 residents, serving both local and surrounding communities. Note that where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Thursday Island's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Thursday Island's health outcomes show low prevalence of common conditions in both young and elderly residents.

Private health cover is at approximately 52%, slightly lower than the average SA2 area (~1,525 people). The most prevalent medical conditions are diabetes (7.1%) and asthma (5.4%), with 80.1% reporting no medical ailments, compared to 0% in Rest of Qld. The area has 9.2% residents aged 65 and over (272 people), with health outcomes among seniors requiring more attention than the broader population.

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

Thursday Island's cultural diversity is above average, with 7.2% of its population born overseas and 53.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion on Thursday Island, accounting for 75.0% of the population, compared to None% in the rest of Queensland. The top three ancestry groups are Other (51.3%), Australian Aboriginal (15.4%), and Australian (11.9%).

Notably, Samoan and Maori ethnicities have higher representations on Thursday Island at 0.8% and 0.5%, respectively, compared to None% regionally.

Thursday Island hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Thursday Island's median age is 30 years, which is considerably lower than the Rest of Qld average of 41 years and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Thursday Island has a higher concentration of residents aged 5-14 (18.2%) but fewer residents aged 75-84 (2.1%). This 5-14 concentration is well above the national average of 12.2%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the population aged 65 to 74 has grown from 5.0% to 6.5%, while the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 10.3% to 8.9% and the 5 to 14 group has dropped from 19.5% to 18.2%. Population forecasts for Thursday Island in 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes, with the strongest projected growth in the 25 to 34 cohort, expected to grow by 23%, adding 105 residents to reach a total of 567. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 45 to 54 and 65 to 74 cohorts.