Hawthorne

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

Hawthorne's population was 5,133 people as of the 2021 Census. By Feb 2026, it had increased to around 5,708, a rise of 575 people (11.2%). This growth is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 5,695 in June 2024 and 56 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density was 4,106 persons per square kilometer, placing Hawthorne in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. This growth exceeded the national average (9.9%) and was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 55.3% of overall population gains. All drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts 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 used. These state projections do not provide age category splits; thus, AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Hawthorne is expected to increase by 488 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall gain of 8.3% over the 17 years.

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

Over the past five financial years from FY21 to FY25, Hawthorne has seen around 18 dwellings receiving development approval each year, totalling 91 homes. As of FY26, 9 approvals have been recorded so far. On average, 3.9 people move to the area annually for each dwelling built during this period. This high demand outpaces new supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.

The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $837,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY26, there have been $813,000 in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Hawthorne records approximately 66% of building activity per person and ranks among the 32nd percentile nationally for areas assessed, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing properties. This is below the national average, suggesting an established market with potential planning limitations.

New development consists of 67.0% detached houses and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, offering options across different price points from family homes to more affordable compact living. With around 499 people per dwelling approval, Hawthorne exhibits a developed market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Hawthorne is projected to gain 475 residents by 2041. Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Hawthorne has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified eight projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Skyring Terrace Road Upgrade, Bulimba Barracks Urban Renewal Project, VOIR, and Cross River Rail - Woolloongabba Station. The following list details those 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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Hawthorne performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Hawthorne has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 2.3% in September 2025. This is lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%.

Workforce participation was high at 79.7%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 70.7%. Home workership was high, at 30.3%. Key industries include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Professional & technical employment is particularly high, at 1.7 times the regional level.

Manufacturing employs only 3.7% of local workers, below Greater Brisbane's 6.4%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. From September 2024 to September 2025, employment levels increased by 0.3%, labour force by 0.7%, and unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane had employment growth of 3.8% and labour force growth of 3.3%, with a drop in unemployment rate of 0.5 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Hawthorne's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

Hawthorne SA2's income level ranks among the top percentile nationally, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Hawthorne is $79,088, with an average income of $125,731. These figures compare to Greater Brisbane's median and average incomes of $58,236 and $72,799 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, estimated current incomes are approximately $86,926 (median) and $138,191 (average) as of September 2025. The 2021 Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Hawthorne rank highly nationally, between the 95th and 97th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that the $4000+ bracket dominates with 38.6% of residents (2,203 people), contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 33.3%. Higher earners make up a substantial presence, with 50.0% exceeding $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 86.7% of their income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Hawthorne displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Hawthorne's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 63.1% houses and 36.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Brisbane metro's 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hawthorne stood at 25.4%, similar to Brisbane metro, with mortgaged dwellings at 37.6% and rented dwellings at 37.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,800, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in Hawthorne was recorded at $430, compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, Hawthorne's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Hawthorne features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 70.6% of all households, including 37.1% couples with children, 23.3% couples without children, and 8.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 29.4%, with lone person households at 23.8% and group households comprising 5.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the Greater Brisbane average.

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

Hawthorne's educational attainment exceeds broader standards. Fifty percent of its residents aged 15 and above possess university qualifications, surpassing Queensland's 25.7% and Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.5%) and graduate diplomas (4.9%). Vocational pathways account for 23.9% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 11.2% and certificates at 12.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 33.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.9% in primary education, 9.4% in secondary education, and 8.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Hawthorne has 29 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry and bus services. These stops are served by 9 routes, collectively facilitating 1,511 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 137 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily. Car remains the dominant mode at 77%, while 6% use buses. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 30.3% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 215 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 52 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Hawthorne's health outcomes show remarkable results based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Approximately 80% of Hawthorne's total population (4560 people) has private health cover, compared to 55.8% in Greater Brisbane and the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues affect 7.1% of residents, while asthma impacts 6.7%. Notably, 77.9% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, higher than Greater Brisbane's 69.2%. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Hawthorne has 9.5% of residents aged 65 and over (541 people), lower than Greater Brisbane's 15.2%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, largely in line with national rankings for the general population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Hawthorne records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Hawthorne's population, born in Australia, was approximately 77.4%, with 89.4% being citizens and 90.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 55.2%. Judaism, however, was slightly overrepresented at 0.2% compared to Greater Brisbane's 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (28.5%), Australian (23.0%), and Irish (11.0%). Notably, Scottish ancestry was higher in Hawthorne at 9.8%, French at 0.8%, and New Zealand at 0.9% compared to regional averages of 7.4%, 0.5%, and 1.0% respectively.

Hawthorne's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Hawthorne's median age is nearly matching Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years, closely following the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Hawthorne has a higher concentration of residents aged 45-54 (16.1%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (11.1%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 13.7% to 16.8%, while those aged 55-64 increased from 12.0% to 13.8%. Conversely, the age group of 5-14 has declined from 14.4% to 12.8%, and the 25-34 group dropped from 12.7% to 11.1%. Demographic modeling suggests Hawthorne's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the strongest projected growth in the 45-54 cohort (18%), adding 161 residents to reach 1,079. In contrast, both the 0-4 and 25-34 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.