Carina

Population growth drivers in Carina are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Carina's population was around 12,746 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 920 people from the 2021 Census figure of 11,826. The increase was inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 12,703 in June 2024 and an additional 421 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 2,910 persons per square kilometer, placing Carina in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. The area's growth rate of 7.8% since the 2021 census exceeded that of its SA3 region at 7.3%, indicating it was a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 75.5% of overall population gains during recent periods, though all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth were positive factors.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data or years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 and based on 2021 data are adopted. Note that these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort. Based on projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of national areas is expected by 2041, with an increase of 1,512 persons reflecting an overall increase of 11.5% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Carina among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Carina averaged approximately 87 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 437 homes. As of FY26, 47 approvals have been recorded. Between FY21 and FY25, an average of 1.9 people moved to the area per dwelling built. However, this figure increased to 4.9 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply. The average expected construction cost value for new homes is $266,000, aligning with regional patterns.

In FY26, $18.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating steady commercial investment activity. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Carina shows moderately higher development activity, with 29.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. New building activity comprises 74.0% standalone homes and 26.0% townhouses or apartments, sustaining the area's suburban identity.

The location has approximately 207 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Carina is forecasted to gain 1,469 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Carina has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 19 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Shopping Centre Expansion at 789-805 Old Cleveland Road, Carina; Kensho Carina Retail and Community Use Centre & Place of Worship on Creek Road; Minnippi Quarter development at Ellen Street & Fursden Road. 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.

AreaSearch analysis places Carina well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Carina has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.8% in September 2025.

Over the past year, employment stability has been relative. As of that date, 7,337 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.2% below Greater Brisbane's 4.0%. Workforce participation was fairly standard at 69.0%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services, with the latter showing particular specialization at 1.2 times the regional level.

Manufacturing employs just 4.8% of local workers, below Greater Brisbane's 6.4%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparisons. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 0.3% while labour force grew by 0.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment rise by 3.8%. State-level data to 25-Nov shows Queensland 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 May-25 suggest expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Carina's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Carina SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $65,145. The average income stood at $87,136. Nationally, these figures are extremely high, with Greater Brisbane's median and average incomes being $55,645 and $70,520 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $74,259 (median) and $99,326 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Carina, between the 70th and 80th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows that the predominant cohort spans 33.6% of locals (4,282 people) with incomes in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, aligning with the broader area where this cohort likewise represents 33.3%. High housing costs consume 16.0% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 70th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Carina displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Carina's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census data, comprised 55.4% houses and 44.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Brisbane metro had 71.2% houses and 28.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Carina was at 26.7%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (39.3%) or rented (34.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Carina was $2,000, below Brisbane metro's average of $2,200. Median weekly rent in Carina was recorded at $440, compared to Brisbane metro's $450. Nationally, Carina's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Carina features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 69.0% of all households, including 29.0% couples with children, 26.5% couples without children, and 11.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 31.0%, with lone person households at 26.4% and group households comprising 4.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

Carina shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Carina's educational attainment is notably higher than broader averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 37.7% have university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 25.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 7.7% and graduate diplomas at 4.1%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 30.7% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (18.9%).

Educational participation is high, with 27.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.9% in primary education, 6.7% in tertiary education, and 6.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

Carina has 35 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 21 different routes that together facilitate 3,294 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents on average being located 226 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, there are an average of 470 trips per day, which equates to approximately 94 weekly trips per individual stop.

Carina's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Health data shows Carina residents generally have positive health outcomes. Common health conditions' prevalence among them is relatively low compared to the general population but higher than national averages for older and at-risk groups.

Approximately 64% of Carina's total population (8,131 people) has private health cover, significantly higher than the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues affect 8.8% of residents, with asthma impacting 7.4%, while 70.2% report being completely free from medical ailments compared to Greater Brisbane's 72.4%. Carina has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 16.8% (2,140 people) than Greater Brisbane's 15.6%.

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

Carina's cultural diversity was found to be above average, with 25.1% of its population born overseas and 15.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the main religion in Carina, comprising 52.4% of people, compared to 54.6% across Greater Brisbane. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups were English (26.4%), Australian (23.8%), and Irish (10.1%).

Notably, New Zealand was overrepresented at 1.1%, Korean at 0.7%, and Spanish at 0.6%.

Carina's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Carina's median age is nearly 37 years, closely matching Greater Brisbane's average of 36 and nearing Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Carina has a higher percentage of residents aged 35-44 (17.7%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (10.9%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the 35-44 age group has increased from 16.5% to 17.7%, while the 0-4 cohort has declined from 6.7% to 5.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Carina's age profile will significantly evolve. The 75-84 cohort is projected to grow by 57%, adding 466 residents to reach 1,278. Residents aged 65 and above are expected to drive 58% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Conversely, the 0-4 and 35-44 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.