East Brisbane

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

East Brisbane's population was around 6,845 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 727 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,118 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,661 in June 2024 and an additional 89 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 3,660 persons per square kilometer, placing East Brisbane in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth of 11.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 9.7%. 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 released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. These state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings are applied in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Moving forward, an above median population growth is projected, with East Brisbane expected to grow by 1,147 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 14.1% 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, 8 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1 person per year moves to the area for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand. The average construction cost value of these dwellings is $770,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

In FY26, $17.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Brisbane, East Brisbane has recorded 125.0% more new home approvals per person, offering buyers greater choice and reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. The majority of new building activity consists of townhouses or apartments (96.0%), with a focus on higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a significant shift from the current housing mix, which is currently 44.0% houses. East Brisbane has an established market with approximately 671 people per dwelling approval. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is forecasted to gain 963 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.

Population forecasts indicate East Brisbane will gain 963 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

The total number of identified projects by AreaSearch is 31, with potential impacts on the area's performance. Key projects include East Brisbane State School Redevelopment & Vertical School Expansion, Banksii at 169 Wellington Road, Cross River Rail - Woolloongabba Station, and Eighteen Park. The following list details those likely to be 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.

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 strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 5.8% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 0.7% over the past year. As of that date, 4,441 residents were employed, while the unemployment rate was 1.8% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%.

Workforce participation in East Brisbane was 79.1%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 70.8%. According to Census responses, 25.2% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The key industries of employment among residents were health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. East Brisbane showed notable concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average.

Conversely, manufacturing had lower representation at 3.4% compared to the regional average of 6.4%. The ratio of workers to residents was 0.6 as of the Census, indicating a level of local employment opportunities above the norm. During the year to September 2025, employment levels increased by 0.7%, and labour force increased by 0.7%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. In comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 3.8%, labour force growth of 3.3%, and a decrease in unemployment of 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that East Brisbane's local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

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

The East Brisbane SA2 had an extremely high national income level based on latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers was $60,513 and the average income stood at $91,250, compared to Greater Brisbane's figures of $58,236 and $72,799 respectively. By September 2025, estimates suggest the median income would be approximately $66,510 and the average income around $100,293, accounting for Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023. According to 2021 Census figures, incomes in East Brisbane ranked highly nationally, between the 69th and 82nd percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. Income distribution showed that 32.0% of residents (2,190 people) earned within the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket, similar to regional levels where 33.3% occupied this bracket. East Brisbane's affluence was evident with 31.1% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. 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). This is in contrast to Brisbane metro's structure which comprised 73.5% houses and 26.5% 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 in the area was $2,167, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure for East Brisbane was recorded at $400, compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, East Brisbane's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while 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 account for 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 make up 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 2.6.

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

East Brisbane's educational attainment significantly surpasses broader benchmarks. As of a recent report, 50.5% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland and 30.4% nationally. This substantial 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+, with advanced diplomas at 10.3% and certificates at 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

East Brisbane has 23 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry and bus services. These stops are covered by 16 routes, serving 2,848 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is excellent, with residents typically located 128 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to the area's residential nature. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 66%, followed by bus at 14% and walking at 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 25.2% of residents work from home, which 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

East Brisbane's health outcomes show excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (4,572 people), compared to 55.8% in Greater Brisbane and the national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were mental health issues affecting 10.9% of residents and asthma impacting 7.7%. Notably, 72.8% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, higher than the 69.2% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 9.7% of residents aged 65 and over (666 people), lower than Greater Brisbane's 15.0%. 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's population showed higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 20.3% speaking a language other than English at home and 31.8% born overseas. Christianity was the dominant religion, accounting for 40.9% of East Brisbane's population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented in East Brisbane at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% across Greater Brisbane.

The top three ancestry groups were English (25.9%), Australian (19.2%), and Other (11.2%). Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: French was overrepresented at 0.9% in East Brisbane versus 0.5% regionally, Irish at 10.7% compared to 8.2%, and Spanish at 0.7% against 0.4%.

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 lower than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years and significantly below the 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 notably higher than the national figure of 14.5%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the proportion of East Brisbane's population in the 25-34 age group has increased from 25.2% to 27.3%, while the 15-24 age cohort has decreased from 16.3% to 14.4%. The proportion of residents aged 5-14 has also dropped, from 7.7% to 6.4%. Demographic projections suggest that East Brisbane's age profile will change significantly by 2041. The 45-54 age group is expected to grow the most, by 29%, adding 242 residents to reach a total of 1,083. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5-14 and 0-4 age groups.