Whitsundays

Schools in Whitsundays iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

Whitsundays has a median age of 29, which is 11 years below the national figure, making it one of QLD's youngest communities by this measure. Overseas-born residents reach 38.1%, which is 16.5 percentage points above the national average, the highest gap among the comparison anchors in the brief. English ancestry leads at 675 residents, followed by Irish (186) and Scottish (150). Household size averages 2.0, which is 0.5 below national, consistent with a population dominated by single workers and couples without children: 53.8% of families are couples with no children. The unemployment rate of 1.2% is exceptionally low, reflecting the high demand for hospitality labour in an active resort corridor.

Tenure is defined by renting: 66.4% of residents rent, which is substantially higher than the national average, while outright owners at 25.2% and mortgage holders at 8.4% are correspondingly low. This split reflects the workforce rather than housing stress, as rent-to-income sits at 18.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress level. Stock composition favours smaller dwellings: 39.7% have 0-1 bedrooms and 26.7% have 2 bedrooms, together accounting for two thirds of all dwellings. Separate houses represent 43.1% of the total and semi-detached 9.2%. The estimated median house price of $469,000 is consistent with a regional coastal market, and affordability has improved from 43.8% in 2011 to 41.2% in 2021.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Hospitality dominates at 77% of the employed workforce, or 842 workers, an industry concentration that is unusually high by any state or national comparison. Transport accounts for 4.5% and Administration for 3%. By occupation, Community and Personal Services leads with 401 workers, followed by Labourers (282) and Managers (212). The full-time employment rate is 77% across 1,105 workers, above the national rate for similar-sized communities. SEIFA scores place Whitsundays at decile 5 on IRSAD and IRSD, at the national median, and decile 4 on IEO, which is below the median for education and occupation, consistent with a workforce concentrated in operational hospitality roles rather than professional or knowledge sectors.

Transport to Work

Transport patterns reflect island and resort geography: 72.8% walk or cycle, a remarkably high figure compared to most Australian communities, while public transport accounts for 11.9% and car driving just 11.5%. No schools are recorded inside the Whitsundays SA2 boundary, so families with children depend on facilities in surrounding areas. Crime data is not available in this dataset. The IRSAD decile of 5 places the area at the national median for advantage and disadvantage combined. The volunteering rate is 12.1% and only 0.9% of residents need daily assistance, both typical of a young, able-bodied workforce population. Household income in the 71st percentile nationally points to solid earning capacity despite the mid-tier SEIFA scores.

Population Forecast

Population grew 51% since 2011 and 37.6% over the last decade, well above average for QLD regional communities. The current area population of 16,597 (2025) is forecast to reach 18,215 by 2030 and 18,571 by 2031 under the medium scenario, adding roughly 355 residents a year. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 287 net arrivals annually, supported by internal migration of 72 per year. The gentrification assessment shows early signs, with signals including the population surge, overseas inflow and net internal migration, though the gentrification score of 36 indicates the process is nascent. Rent grew 17.5% over the measurement period and real income grew 1.4%, so purchasing power has not kept pace with housing cost shifts.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Whitsundays compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions