Whitsundays

Population growth drivers in Whitsundays are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the Whitsundays statistical area (Lv2) had an estimated population of around 2,285 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 4 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,281 people. The change was inferred from the resident population of 2,285, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 10.5 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, the Whitsundays (SA2) has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 2.3%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 57.99999999999999% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including natural growth 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, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, are adopted. 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 (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Moving forward with demographic trends, a significant population increase in the top quartile of regional areas nationally is forecast, with the Whitsundays statistical area (Lv2) expected to increase by 899 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 52.6% in total over the 17 years.

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

Whitsundays has experienced minimal development activity over the past five years, with an average of less than one approval per year. This low level of development is typical in rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It should be noted that yearly growth figures and relativities can vary considerably based on individual projects due to such low approval numbers.

Whitsundays has significantly less construction activity than the rest of Queensland, with this trend also observed nationally.

Whitsundays has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 28 projects that could impact this region. Notable projects include Cannonvale Aquaculture Research Station, Shute Harbour Road Upgrade, Port of Airlie Marina Development, and Airlie Beach Waterfront Revitalization. The following list details 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.

Employment conditions in Whitsundays rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Whitsundays has a well-educated workforce with prominent tourism and hospitality sectors. Its unemployment rate was 0.4% in September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 5.1% over the past year.

As of this date, 2,252 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 3.7%, below Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation was high at 70.7%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Dominant employment sectors include accommodation & food, transport, postal & warehousing, and administrative & support. The area has a notable concentration in accommodation & food, with employment levels at 9.5 times the regional average.

Conversely, health care & social assistance employed only 1.5% of local workers, below Rest of Qld's 16.1%. There were 2.5 workers for every resident as per the Census, indicating Whitsundays functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 5.1% while labour force grew by 5.0%, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable. In comparison, Rest of Qld recorded employment growth of 1.7%, labour force growth of 2.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov shows QLD employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, broadly in line with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate a projected expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Whitsundays's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.9% over five years and 11.9% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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 ending June 2023 shows median income in Whitsundays suburb is $53,060 and average income is $68,031. This compares to Rest of Qld's median income of $53,146 and average income of $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% from financial year ending June 2023 to September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $58,318 (median) and $74,773 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Whitsundays are around the 65th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 41.5% of locals (948 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 category, similar to the surrounding region at 31.7%. After housing costs, residents retain 87.4% of their income.

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

The dwelling structure in Whitsundays, as per the latest Census, consisted of 43.1% houses and 56.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro Qld had 74.7% houses and 25.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Whitsundays was at 34.4%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (10.9%) or rented (54.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,790, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,700. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $356, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $350. Nationally, Whitsundays's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 48.1% of all households, including 10.7% couples with children, 35.2% couples without children, and 4.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 51.9%, with lone person households at 40.2% and group households comprising 9.8%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Whitsundays exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in the Whitsundays significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 32.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 15.6% in SA4 region and 17.7% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 47.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (17.0%) and certificates (30.5%). Educational participation is notably high, with 33.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 13.9% in tertiary education, 5.8% in primary education, and 3.4% pursuing secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.9% in tertiary education, 5.8% in primary education, and 3.4% pursuing secondary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Whitsundays's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Whitsundays, with a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups.

Approximately 54% (~1,237 people) of the total population has private health cover. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.4% and 6.2% of residents respectively. About 83.5% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 73.3% in the rest of Queensland. As of June 2021, 5.9% (134 people) of Whitsundays' residents are aged 65 and over, lower than the 15.4% in the rest of Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors align with the general population's health profile.

Whitsundays was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Whitsundays was found to have a higher level of cultural diversity than most local markets, with 23.8% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 38.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Whitsundays, accounting for 36.5% of the population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented compared to the rest of Queensland, comprising 0.3% versus 0.1%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English at 27.8%, Australian at 20.3%, and Other at 11.2%. The Australian figure is lower than the regional average of 27.0%, while the Other category is substantially higher than the regional average of 5.6%. There are also notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups, with Spanish overrepresented at 2.6% compared to the regional average of 0.6%, Hungarian at 0.5% versus 0.2%, and French at 0.9% compared to 0.6%.

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

Whitsunday's median age is 28 years, which is notably younger than Queensland's average of 41 and lower than Australia's national average of 38. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Whitsunday has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (37.5%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (1.6%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has increased from 36.0% to 37.5%, while the proportion of those aged 5-14 has decreased from 3.0% to 1.6%, and the proportion of those aged 45-54 has dropped from 9.5% to 8.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Whitsunday's age profile will change significantly. The number of residents aged 25-34 is projected to increase by 74%, adding 634 residents to reach a total of 1,491.