Hawthorne
Statistical Area - sa2

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 around 5,702 as of August 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 569 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,133. The change 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. This results in a density ratio of 4,102 persons per square kilometer, placing Hawthorne among the top 10% nationally. Hawthorne's growth rate of 11.1% since the 2021 census exceeded both national (8.6%) and SA3 averages. Overseas migration contributed approximately 55.3% of overall population gains recently, although all drivers were positive factors.

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 from 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted, with proportional growth weightings applied for age cohorts. Looking ahead, Hawthorne is expected to increase by 488 persons to 2041 based on the latest numbers, recording an 8.4% total gain over the 17-year period.

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

Hawthorne has received approximately 18 dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, totalling 91 approvals from FY21 to FY25 and 6 so far in FY26. Over the past five financial years, an average of 3.9 new residents per year has been associated with each dwelling approved. This significant demand outpaces supply, leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.

The average construction cost value for new dwellings is $1,505,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. In FY26, $813,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting Hawthorne's residential nature. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Hawthorne has about 66% of the building activity per person and ranks in the 33rd percentile nationally, offering limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing dwellings. New development consists of 67.0% detached houses and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, with a growing mix providing options across different price points.

With around 499 people per dwelling approval, Hawthorne demonstrates a developed market. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 481 residents by 2041, aligning with current development levels to maintain stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified six projects that may affect the region. Notable projects include Skyring Terrace Road Upgrade, Brisbane Metro M1 Route, Elystan Road Drainage Upgrade, and Backflow Device Maintenance at New Farm Park. The following list details those most relevant.

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

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Hawthorne performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Hawthorne has an educated workforce with significant representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 2.0% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 3.1%.

As of June 2025, 3,747 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 2.1% lower than Greater Brisbane's 4.1%. Workforce participation in Hawthorne is high at 76.8%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Hawthorne specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level, while manufacturing employs only 3.7% of local workers, below Greater Brisbane's 6.4%.

Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 3.1%, and unemployment fell by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 4.4% and a 0.4 percentage point decrease in unemployment. State-level data from Sep-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23%, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. National forecasts suggest total employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but industry-specific growth rates vary significantly. Applying these projections to Hawthorne's employment mix indicates local growth of approximately 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's median income among taxpayers was $76,318 in financial year 2022, according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. The average income stood at $131,759 during the same period. In comparison, Greater Brisbane's median and average incomes were $55,645 and $70,520 respectively. By March 2025, estimated median and average incomes in Hawthorne would be approximately $85,255 and $147,188, based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Hawthorne rank highly nationally, between the 96th and 97th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 38.6% of locals (2,200 people) fall into the $4000+ category, while in the metropolitan region, 33.3% fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 range. A substantial presence of higher earners is evident, with 50.0% exceeding $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 86.7% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Hawthorne, as evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 63.1% houses and 36.9% other dwellings. In Brisbane metro, this was 52.7% houses and 47.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hawthorne stood at 25.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 37.6% and rented ones at 37.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,800, compared to Brisbane metro's $2,500. The median weekly rent figure in Hawthorne was $430, versus Brisbane metro's $440. Nationally, Hawthorne's median monthly mortgage repayments were higher at $2,800 against the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Hawthorne features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average 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, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.4.

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 has higher educational attainment than Queensland and Australia averages. 50% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in QLD and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are most common at 33.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.5%) and graduate diplomas (4.9%). Vocational pathways account for 23.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 33.5% currently enrolled in formal education: 9.9% in primary, 9.4% in secondary, and 8.5% in tertiary. Hawthorne is anchored by Lourdes Hill College, serving 1069 students. It demonstrates socio-educational advantages (ICSEA score: 1115). All schools offer integrated K-12 education. School capacity exceeds residential needs (18.8 places per 100 residents vs regional average of 13.5), indicating the area serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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. These comprise a mix of ferry and bus services. Nine routes operate in total, collectively providing 1,511 weekly passenger trips.

Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 137 meters to the nearest stop. 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 excellent results across all age groups, with very low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover rate is exceptionally high at approximately 82% (4,692 people), compared to Greater Brisbane's 73.8%. Nationally, the average stands at 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 7.1% and 6.7% of residents respectively. A total of 77.9% reported no medical ailments, compared to 74.9% across Greater Brisbane. Hawthorne has 9.0% (510 people) of residents aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Brisbane's 11.3%. Health outcomes among seniors in Hawthorne are strong, aligning with the general population's health profile.

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 cultural diversity aligns with the broader area, with 77.4% born in Australia, 89.4% being citizens, and 90.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 55.2%. Judaism, however, is slightly overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to 0.2% regionally.

The top three ancestry groups are English (28.5%), Australian (23.0%), and Irish (11.0%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: Scottish is higher at 9.8%, French remains the same at 0.8%, and New Zealand matches regional levels at 0.9%.

Hawthorne's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Hawthorne's median age is nearly 37 years, closely matching Greater Brisbane's average of 36 and slightly below the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Hawthorne has a higher proportion of residents aged 45-54 (16.4%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (11.6%). Between the 2021 Census and present, the population aged 15-24 grew from 13.7% to 16.6%, while those aged 55-64 increased from 12.0% to 13.2%. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age group declined from 14.4% to 12.8% and the 25-34 group decreased from 12.7% to 11.6%. Demographic projections indicate significant changes in Hawthorne's age profile by 2041. The 55-64 cohort is projected to grow by 26%, adding 195 residents to reach a total of 948. Conversely, both the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are projected to decrease in number.