Bluewater
A population of just 1,085 spread across 88.6 square kilometres makes Bluewater one of the more sparsely settled coastal-fringe suburbs north of Townsville, with a density of 12.2 people per square kilometre. Yet household income sits at the 70.6th percentile nationally, above average for its size and location. Owner-occupier rates are high, with 87.4% of households either owning outright or paying a mortgage, and 97.8% of dwellings are separate houses. The 12.5% vacancy rate is the most distinctive signal: it sits well above typical Queensland coastal norms, pointing to holiday-use or investment-held stock that rarely flows to permanent renters.
Local council: Townsville
Population
1,085
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,891/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, and at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.2%, housing costs sit below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely detached: 97.8% of dwellings are separate houses, with 42.5% having four or more bedrooms and another 42.5% at three bedrooms. Only 12.6% of households rent, compared to state and national averages well above 25%, which means resale stock competes among committed owner-occupiers rather than investors rotating out.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, and at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.2%, housing costs sit below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely detached: 97.8% of dwellings are separate houses, with 42.5% having four or more bedrooms and another 42.5% at three bedrooms. Only 12.6% of households rent, compared to state and national averages well above 25%, which means resale stock competes among committed owner-occupiers rather than investors rotating out.
For Investors
Two numbers define the investor case here: a 12.6% renter share and a 12.5% vacancy rate. That yield is moderate rather than strong, but the vacancy rate is the real constraint. At 12.5%, vacancy is high, suggesting a portion of the housing stock sits unused or serves seasonal purposes, which limits rental income continuity. Development activity is minimal at 1 application in the past 12 months, so there is no near-term supply pressure from construction. Investors considering Bluewater need a long horizon and high tolerance for vacancy risk.
Development Activity
Total DAs
4
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bluewater
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Bluewater State School
Demographics
The median age is 41, matching the national figure almost exactly, at just 1.0 year above average. Anglo-Celtic ancestry dominates, with English (488 residents), Scottish (117) and Irish (93) the top three ancestries, and overseas-born residents at 11.1%, which is 10.5 percentage points below the national rate. Average household size of 2.8 is 0.3 above national, consistent with the family-oriented housing stock. Couples with children account for 450 of 866 families, while 235 are couples without children. University qualifications at 13.8% are 16.3 percentage points below the national figure, indicating a workforce concentrated in trade, technical and community service roles rather than degree-dependent professions.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.8%
Houses
1.4%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership tenure is strongly skewed toward owner-occupiers: 32.5% own outright and 54.9% carry a mortgage, while only 12.6% rent, well below the national renter share. The stock is nearly all detached houses at 97.8%, with just 1.4% semi-detached and effectively no apartments. Bedroom distribution splits evenly between three-bedroom (42.5%) and four-plus bedroom (42.5%) dwellings, making Bluewater a suburb where family-sized homes are the norm. The 12.5% vacancy rate stands out as elevated and warrants attention, suggesting some properties are not in permanent occupation. Mortgage-to-income at 21.2% and rent-to-income at 16.9% both sit comfortably below stress thresholds, meaning existing residents are not under material housing cost pressure.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $320.
$600
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $600
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$807
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.5%
Unoccupied
51
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
45.6%
Couples with children
39.5%
Couples, no children
13.5%
Single parent
296
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 21.7% of workers (61 people), followed by Construction at 17.8% (50 workers), with Manufacturing and Education each at 9.3% (26 workers) and Public Administration at 6.8%. By occupation, Clerical and Admin roles top the list at 66 workers, ahead of Professionals (59), Managers (56), Labourers (53) and Community and Personal Services (52). The spread across these occupations is unusually even for a suburb of 1,085 people, pointing to a bedroom community whose residents commute to Townsville for work rather than relying on local employment. Full-time employment runs at 64.7% of those employed, and unemployment is 3.7%, near the national rate. The participation rate of 55.2% is below average, partly because 282 residents are not in the labour force.
Unemployment
3.5%
Labour Force
490
Unemployed
17
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.0%
Part-time
32.8%
Participation
59.3%
Employed
473
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.8%
Postgraduate
1.9%
Born Overseas
11.1%
Dwellings
362
Transport to Work
Transport in Bluewater is almost entirely car-dependent: 91.5% of residents drive to work, compared to the national average that includes far more public transport users, and only 1.1% use public transport. That figure is expected given the 88.6 square kilometre suburban footprint and low density of 12.2 people per square kilometre. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on Townsville-area schools. Crime data is not available for Bluewater in this dataset. The volunteering rate of 12.0% is a positive community signal, and housing stress is absent: mortgage-to-income is 21.2% and rent-to-income is 16.9%, both comfortably below stress thresholds. At 8.6%, the share of residents needing daily assistance is slightly elevated relative to a median age of 41.
Drive
84.5%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
2.1%
Work from Home
7.6%
Growth Outlook
Bluewater is a small, stable suburb with no published population forecast or recent growth trend data in the brief. The mobility picture shows 80.9% of residents stayed in the same address over the measured period, with a turnover rate of 19.1%, lower than many urban fringe areas. That stability is consistent with an owner-occupier community where 87.4% of households own their home. The 12.5% vacancy rate is the main structural uncertainty: if holiday-use properties shift toward permanent occupation or are sold, it could reduce supply constraints and support modest price growth; if vacancies persist, it signals subdued demand. Development activity at 1 application in 12 months confirms this is not a high-growth corridor.
Population trend: Townsville council area
Bluewater sits in the Townsville council area. These are the council area's residents, not Bluewater's.
Residents 2025
206,260
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.2%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.1%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bluewater compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bluewater a good suburb to live in?
Bluewater suits buyers who want a low-density, house-dominated lifestyle at an affordable price. The trade-offs are car dependence, no recorded schools inside the suburb boundary, and a 12.5% vacancy rate that signals limited local services.
What is the median house price in Bluewater?
Weekly rent averages $320 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,733, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.2%, well below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Bluewater?
No schools are recorded within the Bluewater suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in nearby Townsville-area suburbs. University qualifications among residents sit at 13.8%, which is 16.3 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a workforce concentrated in trades and services rather than professional degrees.
Is Bluewater safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Bluewater in this dataset. As indirect indicators, housing stress is absent with mortgage-to-income at 21.2% and rent-to-income at 16.9%, and the volunteering rate is 12.0%. The suburb's 1,085 residents show high residential stability, with 80.9% staying at the same address over the measured period.
Is Bluewater good for property investment?
The investment case is constrained. The 12.5% vacancy rate is the key risk, well above typical norms, indicating a portion of stock is not generating rental income. Only 12.6% of households rent, so the tenant pool is shallow. Development activity at 1 application in 12 months means no near-term supply pressure.
How is Bluewater's population changing?
Bluewater has a population of 1,085 with no published growth forecast in available data. Residential stability is high: 80.9% of residents stayed at the same address over the measured period and turnover is 19.1%, lower than many fringe suburbs. The 12.5% vacancy rate is the main variable, as occupancy of currently unused stock could shift the effective resident count meaningfully.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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