Walkerston

An assessment of population growth drivers in Walkerston reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of Nov 2025, Walkerston's population is estimated at around 3,680. This reflects an increase of 65 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,615. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 3,655 residents following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and seven validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 265 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth contributing approximately 89.0% of overall gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. Note that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections are applied where utilised. Future population dynamics anticipate an increase just below the median of national regional areas by Nov 2041, reflecting a gain of 8.9% over 17 years based on aggregated SA2-level projections.

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

Walkerston has had minimal new dwelling approvals annually over the past five years, with a total of 5. This is characteristic of rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. The small sample size means individual development projects can substantially influence annual growth and relativity statistics.

Walkerston's development levels are substantially lower than Rest of Qld and well below national averages. All new constructions have been detached houses, reflecting the area's rural character where larger properties and space are typical. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Walkerston is expected to grow by 326 residents through to 2041.

At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Walkerston has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 46thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three major projects that could impact this region. Key projects include Glenrowan Estate, Walkerston Service Station and Retail Development, Alsatia Park Upgrade, and Walkerston Bypass. The following details the projects likely to be 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 of employment trends sees Walkerston performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Walkerston has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, prominent manufacturing and industrial sectors, an unemployment rate of 1.2% as of June 2025, and an employment growth rate of 0.8% over the past year. The area's unemployment rate is below that of Rest of Qld (3.9%), with workforce participation at 66.8%, higher than Rest of Qld's 59.1%.

Major industries employing residents are mining, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Mining stands out with an employment share 4.5 times the regional level. Conversely, health care & social assistance has lower representation at 11.0% compared to the regional average of 16.1%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 0.8%, labour force decreased by 0.2%, resulting in a 0.9 percentage point drop in unemployment rate. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment growth of 1.8% and labour force growth of 2.0%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (Sep-22) project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Walkerston's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.3% over five years and 11.9% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localized population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022. Walkerston's median income among taxpayers was $63,718 with an average of $77,889. Nationally, this is extremely high compared to the Rest of Qld's median of $50,780 and average of $64,844. Since financial year 2022, Wage Price Index growth has been 13.99%. As of September 2025, current estimates for Walkerston are approximately $72,632 (median) and $88,786 (average). According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Walkerston cluster around the 72nd percentile nationally. Distribution data shows that 35.8% of locals (1,317 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, similar to regional levels at 31.7%. After housing costs, residents retain 87.5% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

Walkerston is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Walkerston, as evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 92.1% houses and 7.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Qld's 85.1% houses and 14.9% other dwellings. The level of home ownership in Walkerston was 30.8%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (45.5%) or rented (23.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,733, aligning with Non-Metro Qld's average, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $360, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $340. Nationally, Walkerston's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Walkerston features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 78.6% of all households, including 37.2% couples with children, 31.3% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 21.4%, with lone person households at 17.9% and group households comprising 3.5%. The median household size is 2.7 people, higher than the Rest of Qld average of 2.6.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 9.5%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 7.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1%) and graduate diplomas (1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 47.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (7.6%) and certificates (39.9%).

Educational participation is high at 31.3%, including primary education (12.8%), secondary education (9.8%), and tertiary education (3%). The area has two schools serving 656 students: Walkerston State School and St John's Catholic Primary School. These schools focus on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas. They offer typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 979) with balanced educational opportunities.

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

Walkerston has twelve active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by one route in total, offering twenty weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents typically located 327 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are two trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

The level of general health in Walkerston is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Walkerston shows better-than-average health outcomes with fewer common health conditions among its general population compared to national averages, although some older, at-risk cohorts have higher prevalence rates.

Approximately 58% (2,136 people) of Walkerston's total population has private health cover, which is exceptionally high. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 7.8% and 7.2% of residents respectively. Around 70.6% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 69.7% across Rest of Qld. Walkerston has a lower percentage of residents aged 65 and over (14.7%, or 540 people) than the Rest of Qld (16.2%).

The latest Census data sees Walkerston placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Walkerston had a cultural diversity index below the average, with 87.9% of its population being Australian citizens, 93.2% born in Australia, and 98.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Walkerston, comprising 60.5% of the population, compared to 56.8% across the rest of Queensland. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (30.6%), English (29.3%), and Scottish (9.1%).

Notably, Maltese (4.3%) was overrepresented in Walkerston compared to the regional average of 2.4%, as were German (5.5% vs 4.7%) and Maori (0.7% vs 0.6%).

Walkerston's population is younger than the national pattern

The median age in Walkerston is 35 years, which is lower than the Rest of Qld average of 41 years and also under the national average of 38 years. The 0-4 cohort is notably over-represented at 8.2% locally compared to the Rest of Qld average, while the 75-84 year-olds are under-represented at 4.2%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 35-44 age group has grown from 11.7% to 12.6%, whereas the 45-54 cohort has declined from 13.2% to 10.9%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Walkerston, with the 25-34 group set to grow by 20% (104 people), reaching 634 from 529. Conversely, both the 55-64 and 15-24 age groups are expected to decrease in numbers.