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 around 6,836 as of August 2025. This showed an increase of 718 people (11.7%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,118 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,661 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 90 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 3,655 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. East Brisbane's 11.7% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.6%), along with the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 81.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections were adopted, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data. It should be noted that these state projections did not provide age category splits; hence where utilised, 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. An above median population growth was projected for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, with the area expected to grow by 1,147 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, showing an increase of 14.2% in total over the 17 years.

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

East Brisbane has recorded approximately 74 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is provided by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 373 approvals across the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, with 4 already approved in FY26. On average, only about 1 person per year has moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five years. This indicates that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts.

The average construction cost value of new homes being built is $926,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Additionally, commercial approvals valued at $17.2 million have been registered this financial year, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Brisbane, East Brisbane records 125.0% more new home approvals per person, offering buyers greater choice and reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. This is significantly higher than the national average. New building activity shows that 4.0% are standalone homes while 96.0% are townhouses or apartments, demonstrating a shift towards higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a considerable change from the current housing mix of 44.0% houses, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location currently has approximately 671 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market.

Population forecasts suggest East Brisbane will gain 972 residents by 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 to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 33 projects that may impact the area. Key projects include Eighteen Park, Brisbane Arena, Social Housing Development - Wellington Road East Brisbane, and Banksii, 169 Wellington Road. Below is a list detailing those most likely to be relevant.

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

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 being strongly represented. The unemployment rate was 5.4% in the past year, showing an estimated employment growth of 4.0%.

As of June 2025, 4,578 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.3% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation stood at 72.1%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. The key industries of employment among residents were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Notably, the area had a high concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average.

Conversely, manufacturing showed lower representation at 3.4% compared to the regional average of 6.4%. The ratio of workers to residents was 0.6, indicating above-average local employment opportunities. According to AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data for the year ending June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.0%, labour force grew by 2.9%, resulting in a 1.0 percentage point decrease in unemployment. In comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 4.4% and unemployment fell by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data for Queensland as at Sep-25 showed employment had contracted by 0.23%, with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. This compared favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, but lagged behind national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to East Brisbane's employment mix suggested 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. These figures compare to Greater Brisbane's median and average incomes of $55,645 and $70,520 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, current estimates for East Brisbane's median income are approximately $67,733, while the average is estimated at $101,318. According to data from the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in East Brisbane rank between the 69th and 82nd percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 32.0% of residents (2,187 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket, similar to regional levels where 33.3% occupy this bracket. East Brisbane exhibits considerable affluence with 31.1% earning over $3,000 per week. High housing costs consume 17.2% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 67th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places 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

Dwelling structure in East Brisbane, as per the latest Census data, consisted of 44.2% houses and 55.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Brisbane metro had 52.7% houses and 47.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Brisbane was at 18.0%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (24.7%) or rented (57.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,167, lower than the Brisbane metro average of $2,500. The median weekly rent figure for East Brisbane was $400, compared to Brisbane metro's $440. Nationally, East Brisbane's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,167 versus Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were also higher at $400 compared to 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, 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 higher than broader benchmarks. As of 2021, 50.5% of its residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 32.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.4%) and graduate diplomas (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 as of the latest data. This includes 13.7% in tertiary education, 6.0% in primary education, and 6.0% pursuing secondary education. East Brisbane is home to Anglican Church Grammar School, serving 1,887 students as of 2021. The area's schools demonstrate exceptional educational performance, with an ICSEA score of 1173, placing them among the most advantaged nationally. All one school in the area 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 as of 2021, significantly above the regional average of 13.5. This attracts students from surrounding communities.

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

The analysis of public transport in East Brisbane shows that there are currently 23 active transport stops in operation. These include a mix of ferry and bus services. The routes serving these stops total 14, with a combined weekly passenger trip count of 2,527.

Residents have excellent access to transport, with an average distance of 128 meters to the nearest stop. Across all routes, service frequency averages 361 trips per day, translating 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 shows strong performance throughout East Brisbane. The prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups is very low. Approximately 67% of the total population (4559 people) have private health cover, compared to 73.8% across Greater Brisbane and a national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 10.9% and 7.7% of residents respectively. Seventy-two point eight percent of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.9% across Greater Brisbane. Nine point seven percent of residents are aged 65 and over (665 people), which is lower than the 11.3% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with 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 has a higher level of cultural diversity compared to most other local areas, with 20.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 31.8% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in East Brisbane, making up 40.9% of its population. Notably, Judaism has an overrepresentation in East Brisbane compared to Greater Brisbane, comprising 0.2% versus 0.2%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (25.9%), Australian (19.2%), and Other (11.2%). There are also notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: French is slightly overrepresented at 0.9% compared to the regional figure of 0.8%, Irish has a higher percentage at 10.7% versus 11.1%, and Spanish shows a slight increase from the regional figure of 0.6% to 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 and significantly lower than the national average of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, East Brisbane has a higher percentage 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 post-2021 Census data, the percentage of residents aged 25 to 34 has grown from 25.2% to 27.3%, while the percentage of those aged 15 to 24 has declined from 16.3% to 14.4%. The percentage of residents aged 5 to 14 has also dropped, from 7.7% to 6.4%. Demographic modeling suggests that East Brisbane's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The strongest projected growth is in the 45 to 54 cohort, with a 29% increase adding 243 residents to reach 1,083. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 0 to 4 age groups.