Fortitude Valley
Statistical Area - sa2

Fortitude Valley lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Fortitude Valley's population was around 11,557 as of Aug 2025. This showed an increase of 2,045 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 9,512 people. The change was inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 11,545 in June 2024 and an additional 349 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 9,100 persons per square kilometer, placing Fortitude Valley among the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 21.5% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both national (8.6%) and state averages, indicating strong population growth. Overseas migration contributed approximately 68.2% of overall population gains during recent periods, with other factors such as interstate migration also playing a role.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year. 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, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort. Population projections show exceptional growth for Fortitude Valley over the period to 2041, with an expected increase of 6,830 persons reflecting a total increase of 59.0% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Fortitude Valley when compared nationally

Fortitude Valley has averaged approximately 284 new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data is provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, with 1,423 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-20 to FY-25, inclusive. There have been no dwelling approvals recorded so far in FY-26. This translates to an average of 4.0 new residents per year for every home built during these five financial years.

Consequently, demand significantly outstrips supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition. In the current financial year, $230.2 million worth of commercial approvals have been registered, indicating robust commercial development activity in Fortitude Valley. When compared to Greater Brisbane, Fortitude Valley exhibits 16.0% lower construction activity per capita, placing it among the second percentile of areas assessed nationally. This results in relatively constrained buyer choice and heightened interest in existing homes. The concentration of new construction in medium and high-density housing creates more affordable entry points, appealing to downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

Currently, Fortitude Valley has approximately 0 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. Future projections indicate that by 2041, Fortitude Valley is expected to add 6,818 residents. If current development rates persist, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Fortitude Valley has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 69 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Cross River Rail - Exhibition Station, Brunswick & Co, James Place, and The Bedford by Mosaic. Below is a list of projects most relevant to the area.

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

Employment conditions in Fortitude Valley remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Fortitude Valley has a highly educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 6.1% as of an unspecified past year.

Employment growth over the same period was estimated at 4%. As of June 2025, 8,905 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 6.1%, 2.0% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Fortitude Valley was 77.6%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical services, accommodation & food, and health care & social assistance.

The area shows strong specialization in accommodation & food, with an employment share of 2.2 times the regional level. Conversely, education & training has lower representation at 5.1% compared to the regional average of 9.4%. There are 2.9 workers for every resident, indicating that Fortitude Valley functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment in Fortitude Valley increased by 4.0%, while labour force increased by 3.0%, leading to a drop of 1.0 percentage points in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Brisbane experienced employment growth of 4.4% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with a drop of 0.4 percentage points in unemployment rate. State-level data from Sep-25 shows that Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23%, losing 8,070 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5% and lags behind national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Fortitude Valley's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Fortitude Valley had a median income among taxpayers of $60,250. The average income stood at $81,488. Both figures are among the highest in Australia. In comparison, Greater Brisbane's median and average incomes were $55,645 and $70,520 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Fortitude Valley would be approximately $67,305 (median) and $91,030 (average) as of March 2025. Census 2021 income data shows individual earnings in Fortitude Valley stand out at the 84th percentile nationally with weekly earnings of $1,059. However, household income ranks lower at the 46th percentile. The predominant earnings cohort spans 38.3% of locals (4,426 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, mirroring the surrounding region where 33.3% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 77.4% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 39th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Fortitude Valley's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 1.5% houses and 98.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Brisbane metro's 12.9% houses and 87.2% other dwellings. Fortitude Valley's home ownership rate was 5.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 14.3% and rented at 80.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,733, below Brisbane metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Fortitude Valley was $400, compared to Brisbane metro's $440. Nationally, Fortitude Valley's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 36.0% of all households, including 5.6% that are couples with children, 26.1% that are couples without children, and 2.7% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 64.0%, with lone person households at 50.5% and group households comprising 13.4%. The median household size is 1.6 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 1.9.

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

Fortitude Valley's educational attainment is notably higher than Queensland (QLD) and Australian averages. 48.1% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in QLD and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 33.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 29.3% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.4%) and certificates (16.9%).

Educational participation is high, with 30.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.6% in tertiary education, 1.9% in primary education, and 1.3% pursuing secondary education. There are six schools operating within Fortitude Valley, educating approximately 2,613 students. The area has a significant socio-educational advantage with an ICSEA score of 1102. The educational mix includes four secondary and two K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs, with 22.6 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 18.3, indicating Fortitude Valley serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Fortitude Valley has 47 active public transport stops. These include a mix of train and bus services. There are 272 individual routes operating in total, providing 18,901 weekly passenger trips combined.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents usually located 113 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 2,700 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 402 weekly trips per individual stop.

Fortitude Valley'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 notable results in Fortitude Valley, with younger cohorts experiencing low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 61% of the total population (7,026 people) has private health cover, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.3%. Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 13.2% and 7.6% of residents respectively. 73.8% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Brisbane's 75.5%. Fortitude Valley has 4.8% (557 people) of its population aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Brisbane's 10.5%. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention due to being above average.

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

Fortitude Valley has a high level of cultural diversity, with 29.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 44.4% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Fortitude Valley, comprising 32.1% of its people. Buddhism is overrepresented in Fortitude Valley compared to Greater Brisbane, making up 3.5% versus 3.9%.

The top three ancestry groups are English at 23.5%, Other at 16.1%, and Australian at 15.8%. Some ethnic groups have notable differences: Spanish is overrepresented at 1.5% (versus regional 1.0%), Russian at 0.6% (versus 0.5%), and Korean at 1.0% (versus 1.3%).

Fortitude Valley hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Fortitude Valley has a median age of 31 years, which is younger than the Greater Brisbane average of 36 and significantly below the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Fortitude Valley has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (41.0%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (2.4%). 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 residents aged 35-44 has increased from 18.5% to 19.9%, while the proportion of those aged 15-24 has decreased from 16.9% to 13.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Fortitude Valley's age profile will change significantly. The number of residents aged 25-34 is projected to increase by 1,844 people (39%), reaching a total of 6,581 from the current figure of 4,736.