East Brisbane
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in East Brisbane are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

East Brisbane's population was approximately 6,834 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 716 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 6,118 people. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 6,661 in June 2024 and an additional 89 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,654 persons per square kilometer, placing East Brisbane in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 11.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 81.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are used, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings based on ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 and based on 2022 data for each age cohort. Looking ahead, demographic trends indicate above median population growth is projected for the area, with an expected increase of 1,147 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, representing a total increase of 14.2% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions East Brisbane among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

East Brisbane has granted approximately 74 residential property approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 373 homes. As of FY26, six approvals have been recorded. On average, one person has moved to the area per dwelling built yearly between FY21 and FY25, indicating that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand. The average construction value of these dwellings is $770,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment.

In FY26, $17.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered, showing moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Brisbane, East Brisbane records 125.0% more new home approvals per capita, offering buyers greater choice and reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. The building activity is primarily focused on higher-density living, with 4.0% standalone homes and 96.0% townhouses or apartments. This shift from the current housing mix of 44.0% houses reflects reduced development site availability and addresses changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. East Brisbane has approximately 671 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. Population forecasts project East Brisbane to gain 974 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Population forecasts indicate East Brisbane will gain 974 residents through to 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 31 such projects that could affect the region. Notable ones include East Brisbane State School Redevelopment & Vertical School Expansion, Eighteen Park, Brisbane Arena, and Social Housing Development - Wellington Road East Brisbane. The following list details those most likely to be 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.

The employment landscape in East Brisbane shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

East Brisbane has a highly educated workforce with professional services prominently represented. The unemployment rate was 5.4% as of June 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 4.0% over the past year.

As of that date, 4,578 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.3% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in East Brisbane was 72.1%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Key industries for employment among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Notably, the area has a high concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average.

Conversely, manufacturing shows lower representation at 3.4% compared to the regional average of 6.4%. The ratio of workers to residents, as at the Census, indicates above-average local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.0%, while labour force increased by 2.9%, resulting in a decrease in unemployment by 1.0 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 4.4% and unemployment fell by 0.4 percentage points during the same period. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released in May 2025, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to East Brisbane's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.6% over ten years.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

East Brisbane's median income among taxpayers was $60,633 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $90,697 during the same period. In comparison, Greater Brisbane had a median income of $55,645 and an average income of $70,520. By September 2025, based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99%, East Brisbane's median income is estimated to be approximately $69,116 and the average income around $103,386. According to the 2021 Census, household incomes in East Brisbane ranked between the 69th and 82nd percentiles nationally. Income distribution showed that 32.0% of residents (2,186 people) earned between $1,500 and $2,999 per week, similar to regional levels where 33.3% occupied this bracket. East Brisbane exhibited affluence with 31.1% earning over $3,000 per week. High housing costs consumed 17.2% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 67th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

East Brisbane features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

East Brisbane's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 44.2% houses and 55.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Brisbane metro had 52.7% houses and 47.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Brisbane was at 18.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.7% and rented ones at 57.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, below the Brisbane metro average of $2,500. The median weekly rent figure was $400, compared to Brisbane metro's $440. Nationally, East Brisbane's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 54.2% of all households, including 18.3% couples with children, 27.4% couples without children, and 6.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 45.8%, with lone person households at 32.2% and group households comprising 13.7%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.4.

East Brisbane demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

East Brisbane's educational attainment is notably high, with 50.5% of residents aged 15+ having university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland and 30.4% nationally as of the latest data (June 20XX). Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 32.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 13.4% and graduate diplomas at 4.5%. Vocational pathways account for 24.9% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.3% and certificates at 14.6%. Educational participation is high, with 32.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 13.7% in tertiary, 6.0% in primary, and 6.0% pursuing secondary education as of the academic year 20XX-20XY.

East Brisbane is home to Anglican Church Grammar School, serving 1,887 students as of the 20XX census. The area demonstrates strong educational performance (ICSEA: 1173), placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. All one school offers integrated K-12 education, providing continuity throughout students' academic journey. East Brisbane functions as an education hub with 27.6 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 13.5, attracting students from surrounding communities as of the latest data (December 20XX).

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

East Brisbane has 23 active public transport stops, operating a mix of ferry and bus services. These stops are served by 14 individual routes that collectively provide 2,527 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 128 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 361 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 109 weekly trips per individual stop.

East Brisbane's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics reveals robust performance across East Brisbane, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 67% of the total population (4,558 people), compared to Greater Brisbane's 73.8%. Nationally, this figure is 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 10.9% and 7.7% of residents respectively. A total of 72.8% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to Greater Brisbane's 74.9%. East Brisbane has 9.7% of its population aged 65 and over (664 people), lower than Greater Brisbane's 11.3%. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, mirroring the general population's health profile.

East Brisbane 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

East Brisbane's population showed higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas, with 20.3% speaking a language other than English at home and 31.8% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in East Brisbane, comprising 40.9%. While Judaism represented only 0.2%, this was equal to its proportion across Greater Brisbane.

The top three ancestry groups were English (25.9%), Australian (19.2%), and Other (11.2%). Notably, French (0.9%) and Irish (10.7%) were slightly overrepresented compared to regional figures of 0.8% and 11.1%, respectively. Spanish was also overrepresented at 0.7%.

East Brisbane's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

East Brisbane's median age is 33 years, which is slightly younger than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years and significantly lower than Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, East Brisbane has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (27.3%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.4%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is well above the national average of 14.5%. According to data from the post-2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has grown from 25.2% to 27.3%, while the proportions of those aged 15-24 and 5-14 have declined to 14.4% and 6.4% respectively (from 16.3% and 7.7%). Demographic modeling indicates that East Brisbane's age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the strongest projected growth in the 45-54 cohort, which is expected to increase by 29%, adding 243 residents to reach a total of 1,083. However, population declines are projected for the 5-14 and 0-4 age cohorts.