East Brisbane

East Brisbane has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, East Brisbane's population is around 6,850 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 732 people (12.0%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,118 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,661 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 91 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 3,663 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. East Brisbane's 12.0% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (9.9%) and the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 81.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as 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, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, are adopted. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence, where utilised, AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Regarding demographic trends, an above-median population growth of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is projected, with the area expected to grow by 1,147 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 14.0% 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 around 74 residential properties granted approval per year, totalling 373 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 9 approvals have been recorded. With an average of only 1 person per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts, while new homes are being built at an average value of $770,000, revealing that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Additionally, $17.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

When measured against Greater Brisbane, East Brisbane records 125.0% more new home approvals (per person), offering buyers greater choice. This is well above average nationally, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. New building activity shows 4.0% standalone homes and 96.0% townhouses or apartments. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 44.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has approximately 671 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market.

Population forecasts indicate East Brisbane will gain 958 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). 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

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 31 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include East Brisbane State School Redevelopment & Vertical School Expansion, Banksii, 169 Wellington Road, Cross River Rail - Woolloongabba Station, and Eighteen Park, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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 reveals East Brisbane recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

East Brisbane possesses a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of 6.4%, and relative employment stability over the past year. As of December 2025, 4,451 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.2% above Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%, and workforce participation is well beyond standard (79.7% compared to Greater Brisbane's 71.2%). Based on Census responses, a high 25.2% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in professional & technical, with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average. Conversely, manufacturing shows lower representation at 3.4% versus the regional average of 6.4%. The ratio of 0.6 workers for each resident, as at the Census, indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.3% and the labour force increased by 1.4%, resulting in unemployment rising by 1.0 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 3.2%, labour force growth of 3.0%, with unemployment falling 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within East Brisbane. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to East Brisbane's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.6% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The East Brisbane SA2's income level is extremely high nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The East Brisbane SA2's median income among taxpayers is $60,513 and the average income stands at $91,250, which compares to figures for Greater Brisbane of $58,236 and $72,799 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $66,510 (median) and $100,293 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in East Brisbane, between the 69th and 82nd percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 32.0% of residents (2,192 people), mirroring regional levels where 33.3% occupy this bracket. East Brisbane demonstrates considerable affluence with 31.1% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 17.2% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 67th percentile and 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 within East Brisbane, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 44.2% houses and 55.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Brisbane metro's 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within East Brisbane lagged that of Brisbane metro, at 18.0%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (24.7%) or rented (57.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Brisbane metro average at $2,167, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $400, compared to Brisbane metro's $1,863 and $380. Nationally, East Brisbane's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceed 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 dominate at 54.2% of all households, comprising 18.3% couples with children, 27.4% couples without children, and 6.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 45.8%, with lone person households at 32.2% and group households comprising 13.7% of the total. The median household size of 2.2 people is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

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

Educational attainment in East Brisbane significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 50.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 25.7% in QLD and 30.4% in Australia. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 32.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.4%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational pathways account for 24.9% of qualifications among those aged 15+; advanced diplomas (10.3%) and certificates (14.6%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.7% in tertiary education, 6.0% in primary 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

Public transport analysis reveals 23 active transport stops operating within East Brisbane, comprising a mix of ferry and buses. These stops are serviced by 16 individual routes, collectively providing 2,848 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 128 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 66%, with 14% by bus and 6% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. A high 25.2% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 406 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 123 weekly trips per individual stop.

East Brisbane's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across East Brisbane, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (4,575 people). This compares to 55.8% across Greater Brisbane and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be mental health issues and asthma, impacting 10.9% and 7.7% of residents, respectively, while 72.8% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 69.2% across Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 10.4% of residents aged 65 and over (711 people), which is lower than the 15.2% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

East Brisbane was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 20.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 31.8% born overseas. The main religion in East Brisbane is Christianity, which makes up 40.9% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.2% of the population, compared to 0.1% across Greater Brisbane.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in East Brisbane are English, comprising 25.9% of the population, Australian, comprising 19.2% of the population, and Other, comprising 11.2% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: French is notably overrepresented at 0.9% of East Brisbane (vs 0.5% regionally), Irish at 10.7% (vs 8.2%) and Spanish at 0.7% (vs 0.4%).

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

At 33 years, East Brisbane's median age is slightly younger than the Greater Brisbane average of 36 and significantly lower than the 38-year national average. Relative to Greater Brisbane, East Brisbane has a higher concentration of 25 - 34 residents (26.3%) but fewer 5 - 14 year-olds (6.3%). This 25 - 34 concentration is well above the national 14.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 25.2% to 26.3% of the population, while the 55 to 64 cohort increased from 9.1% to 10.1%. Conversely, the 15 to 24 cohort has declined from 16.3% to 14.2% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 7.7% to 6.3%. Demographic modeling suggests East Brisbane's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 45 to 54 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 28%, adding 236 residents to reach 1,083. On the other hand, numbers in the 0 to 4 age range are expected to fall by 3.