Eight Mile Plains
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Eight Mile Plains reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Eight Mile Plains' population was approximately 16,645 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 1,459 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 15,186. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 16,541 in June 2024 and an additional 226 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,167 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Eight Mile Plains' growth rate of 9.6% since the 2021 Census exceeded the national average of 8.6%, indicating it as a region with significant population growth. Overseas migration contributed approximately 85.8% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.

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 and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data are applied for each age cohort when utilised. Future population trends project an above median growth for the area, with an expected increase of 2,556 persons by 2041 based on the latest population numbers, resulting in a total gain of 14.7% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Eight Mile Plains recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Eight Mile Plains has averaged around 43 new dwelling approvals each year. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 218 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-20 to FY-25, with 6 approvals so far in FY-26. On average, 2.8 new residents per year have been associated with each dwelling over the past five financial years, indicating solid demand that supports property values. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $599,000, somewhat higher than regional norms, reflecting quality-focused development.

This financial year has seen $34.3 million in commercial approvals registered, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Eight Mile Plains has around half the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 28th percentile of areas assessed nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice that supports interest in existing dwellings. This level is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent construction comprises 84.0% detached dwellings and 16.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's suburban nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers.

New construction favours detached housing more than current patterns suggest (65.0% at Census), demonstrating ongoing robust demand for family homes. The location has approximately 718 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. Looking ahead, Eight Mile Plains is expected to grow by 2,452 residents through to 2041. Development is keeping reasonable pace with projected growth, though buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

Eight Mile Plains has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

AreaSearch has identified a total of 63 infrastructure projects that are likely to impact the area. Key projects include Cross River Rail Integration, Retirement Village & Medical Centre at 161 Underwood Road, The Collective Residences, and Eight Mile Plains Gateway Neighbourhood Plan.

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

AreaSearch assessment positions Eight Mile Plains ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Eight Mile Plains has a highly educated workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 3.1% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.6%.

As of June 2025, 9,024 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.9% below Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation was broadly similar to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Leading employment industries included health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. The area had a notable concentration in accommodation & food services, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

However, construction was under-represented, with only 6.7% of Eight Mile Plains' workforce compared to Greater Brisbane's 9.0%. The ratio of 0.8 workers per resident indicated a level of local employment opportunities above the norm. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 1.6% alongside labour force growth of 1.9%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.2 percentage points. Meanwhile, Greater Brisbane experienced employment growth of 4.4% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with a 0.4 percentage point drop in unemployment. State-level data to Sep-25 showed Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23%, losing 8,070 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. This compared favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5% and lagged the 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 significant variations between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Eight Mile Plains' employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.9% over ten years.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for Eight Mile Plains for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers was $46,099 and the average was $57,395. This was lower than national averages. Greater Brisbane had a median of $55,645 and an average of $70,520 in the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth from financial year 2022 to March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $51,497 (median) and $64,116 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, household income ranked at the 62nd percentile ($1,942 weekly), while personal income was at the 44th percentile. Income distribution showed that 34.8% of locals (5,792 people) fell into the $1,500 - $2,999 category, similar to broader regional trends. After housing expenses, 85.4% of income remained for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.

Eight Mile Plains displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Eight Mile Plains' housing stock, as per the latest Census, was 65.2% houses and 34.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Brisbane's metropolitan area which was 74.0% houses and 26.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Eight Mile Plains stood at 32.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.3% and rented ones at 35.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,831, lower than Brisbane's average of $2,100. Median weekly rent in Eight Mile Plains was $420, matching Brisbane's figure but higher than the national average of $375. Nationally, Eight Mile Plains' mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863.

Eight Mile Plains features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 76.5% of all households, including 39.6% couples with children, 24.8% couples without children, and 10.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 23.5%, with lone person households at 18.1% and group households making up 5.5%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.8.

The educational profile of Eight Mile Plains exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Eight Mile Plains exceeds broader benchmarks, with 43.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 28.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational pathways account for 24.4% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.0% and certificates at 13.4%. Educational participation is high, with 31.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 9.3% in primary education, 7.9% in tertiary education, and 6.8% pursuing secondary education. Warrigal Road State School and Eight Mile Plains State School collectively serve 1,568 students. These schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas. Limited local school capacity (9.4 places per 100 residents vs 25.0 regionally) results in many families traveling to nearby areas for schooling. Eight Mile Plains demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1055).

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

Transport analysis indicates 47 active public transport stops in Eight Mile Plains, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 21 different routes that collectively facilitate 2,189 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these transport services is rated as good, with residents typically located 226 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, there is an average service frequency of 312 trips per day, equating to approximately 46 weekly trips per individual stop.

Eight Mile Plains's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows excellent results for Eight Mile Plains, particularly for younger cohorts who have a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 48% of the total population (~8,039 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Brisbane's 52.4% and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (5.2%) and mental health issues (5.2%), with 78.5% of residents reporting no medical ailments, compared to Greater Brisbane's 75.7%.

Eight Mile Plains has 16.0% of residents aged 65 and over (2,659 people), higher than Greater Brisbane's 14.3%. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Eight Mile Plains is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Eight Mile Plains has a highly diverse population with 58.5% speaking a language other than English at home and 55.0% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 38.9%. Notably, the category 'Other' comprises 4.9%, higher than Greater Brisbane's 2.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (24.0%), Other (15.5%), and English (14.3%). Korean (5.1%) and Indian (6.8%) are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 2.6% and 4.5%, respectively, while Serbian shows a slight overrepresentation at 0.6%.

Eight Mile Plains's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Eight Mile Plains' median age is 36 years, equal to Greater Brisbane's but younger than the national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age group makes up 17.7%, higher than Greater Brisbane, while the 0-4 cohort stands at 4.8%. Between 2021 and present, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 4.2% to 5.2%, and the 0 to 4 cohort has decreased from 6.0% to 4.8%. By 2041, forecasts predict significant demographic shifts in Eight Mile Plains. The 75 to 84 age group is projected to rise by 733 people (84%), from 868 to 1,602. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 53% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, both the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 age groups are expected to decrease in number.