Bracken Ridge

Bracken Ridge is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Bracken Ridge's population was around 18,829 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 1,341 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,488. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 18,625 in June 2024 and an additional 192 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 2,321 persons per square kilometer, placing Bracken Ridge in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth of 7.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 7.0%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 55.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary population growth for the area.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections were used, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applied proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Looking ahead, lower quartile growth of national areas is anticipated, with Bracken Ridge expected to grow by 545 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 1.8% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Bracken Ridge when compared nationally

Bracken Ridge has seen approximately 43 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 216 homes were approved, with an additional 24 approved so far in FY26. On average, about 3.9 people moved to the area per dwelling built during this period.

This indicates substantial demand outstripping supply, which typically leads to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average construction cost for new properties was around $316,000. In FY26, approximately $14.7 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting moderate levels of commercial development activity in the area. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Bracken Ridge records about three-quarters the building activity per person. Nationally, it ranks around the 46th percentile among assessed areas, indicating more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes.

Recent construction trends show a shift from predominantly detached dwellings (currently 88.0%) to an increasing blend of attached housing types such as townhouses or apartments (57.0%), offering choices across various price ranges. This change suggests diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. With around 375 people per dwelling approval, Bracken Ridge exhibits characteristics of a developed market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the population is forecasted to grow by approximately 341 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections and offering favorable conditions for buyers.

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

Twenty-four projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area's performance. Key projects include Brendale Data Supernode, Bracken Ridge Tavern Renovation and Extension, Gateway Motorway, Bracken Ridge to Pine River Upgrade, and Lomandra Park Estate. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment performance in Bracken Ridge has been broadly consistent with national averages

Bracken Ridge has a skilled workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 4.8% as of September 2025, which is 0.8% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 11.3%. As of September 2025, 10,665 residents were employed, with workforce participation at 66.6%, slightly above Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Key employment sectors for residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

Professional & technical services had a limited presence, with 6.5% employment compared to the regional average of 8.9%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the difference between the Census working population and resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 11.3%, while labour force grew by 10.8%, leading to a 0.4 percentage point decrease in unemployment rate. In comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 3.8% over the same period. As of 25-November, Queensland's employment had contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, closely aligned with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bracken Ridge's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, although this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Bracken Ridge SA2 had a median income of $56,734 and an average of $67,892 among taxpayers. This was higher than the national average. Greater Brisbane had a median income of $55,645 and an average of $70,520 in the same period. By September 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth suggest the median would be approximately $64,671 and the average $77,390. Census data indicates incomes in Bracken Ridge cluster around the 59th percentile nationally. The largest income segment comprises 38.0% earning between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (7,155 residents), similar to the surrounding region at 33.3%. After housing costs, 85.3% of income remains for other expenses. Bracken Ridge's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Bracken Ridge, as evaluated at the latest Census on 28 June 2016, comprised 88.3% houses and 11.7% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. In comparison, Brisbane metropolitan area had 75.4% houses and 24.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bracken Ridge stood at 30.0%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (45.4%) or rented (24.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,800, aligning with Brisbane metropolitan average, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $410, compared to Brisbane metro's $1,800 and $375 respectively. Nationally, Bracken Ridge's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, reported on 29 March 2021, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375 as of that date.

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

Family households account for 80.7% of all households, including 38.9% couples with children, 26.7% couples without children, and 13.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 19.3%, with lone person households at 16.3% and group households making up 3.0%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.5.

Bracken Ridge performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

The area's university qualification rate is 23.5%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 33.8%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 16.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 38.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.6%) and certificates (25.5%). Educational participation is high at 29.3%, comprising primary education (10.3%), secondary education (8.5%), and tertiary education (4.6%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in primary education, 8.5% in secondary education, and 4.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Bracken Ridge has 76 operational public transport stops, all of which are bus services. These stops are served by seven distinct routes that together facilitate 903 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents generally residing 219 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 129 daily trips across all routes, translating to approximately 11 weekly trips per individual stop.

Bracken Ridge's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Bracken Ridge's health metrics are close to national benchmarks, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

Approximately 53% of its total population (~10,054 people) has private health cover. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 8.3 and 7.8% of residents respectively. Around 69.3% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.8% across Greater Brisbane. As of 2016 data, 16.7% of residents are aged 65 and over (3,151 people), which is lower than the 18.5% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Bracken Ridge, surveyed in 2016, had 25.9% of its population born overseas and 17.7% speaking a language other than English at home, higher than most local markets. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 54.7%. The category 'Other' was notably overrepresented at 2.8%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 3.7%.

Regarding ancestry, the top groups were English (26.5%), Australian (24.4%), and Other (9.5%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: New Zealanders were similarly represented at 1.1% in both Bracken Ridge and the region. Maori were slightly overrepresented at 1.1%, compared to 0.9% regionally, while Samoans were also overrepresented at 0.7%, versus 0.6%.

Bracken Ridge's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Bracken Ridge's median age is nearly 37 years, closely matching Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years and slightly below Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Bracken Ridge has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (11.4%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (12.0%). Between the 2021 Census and present day, the population aged 75-84 has grown from 4.6% to 6.2%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has declined from 13.3% to 12.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Bracken Ridge's age profile. The population aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 163%, adding 537 residents to reach a total of 867. Residents aged 65 and above are expected to drive 72% of the population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the populations aged 0-4 and 5-14 are projected to decline.