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 is around 5,704 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 571 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,133. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,702 in June 2025 and an additional 57 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,103 persons per square kilometer, placing Hawthorne in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Hawthorne's growth rate of 11.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 9.3%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 74.5% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth in the area.

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 from 2023, based on 2021 data, are used. These state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data. Future population dynamics anticipate an increase just below the median of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, with Hawthorne expected to increase by 415 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 7.2% in total over the 16 years.

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 over the past five financial years, totalling 91 homes. As of FY26, 10 approvals have been recorded. Between FY21 and FY25, an average of 3.9 people moved to the area per dwelling built. New dwellings are developed at an average cost of $837,000, indicating a focus on premium properties.

This financial year has seen $813,000 in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Hawthorne records around 67% of building activity per person and ranks at the 32nd percentile nationally, suggesting constrained buyer choice. New development consists of 67.0% detached houses and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, offering options across different price points. With approximately 499 people per dwelling approval, Hawthorne shows a developed market.

Population forecasts indicate Hawthorne will gain 413 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond projections.

Hawthorne has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified eight projects expected to impact 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.

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Hawthorne ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Hawthorne has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation, an unemployment rate of 2.4%, and estimated employment growth of 0.8% in the past year as of December 2025. There are 3,684 employed residents with an unemployment rate of 1.7% below Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation is high at 80.3%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 69.6%.

According to Census responses, 30.3% of residents work from home. Key industries include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Hawthorne specializes in professional & technical employment with a share 1.7 times the regional level, while manufacturing employs only 3.7%, below Greater Brisbane's 6.4%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by Census working population vs resident population count.

Between December 2024 and 2025, employment levels increased by 0.8% and labour force by 1.3%, raising unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane experienced employment growth of 3.2% and labour force growth of 3.0%, with a drop in unemployment rate of 0.1 percentage point. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, varying significantly between industry sectors. 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 is among the top percentile nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Its median income among taxpayers is $79,088 and average income stands at $125,731, comparing to Greater Brisbane's figures of $58,236 and $72,799 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $88,072 (median) and $140,014 (average) as of March 2026. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Hawthorne, between the 95th and 97th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the $4000+ bracket dominates with 38.6% of residents (2,201 people), contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 33.3%. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 50.0% exceeding $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 86.7% of 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

The dwelling structure in Hawthorne, as per the latest Census, consisted of 63.1% houses and 36.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Brisbane metro had 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hawthorne was at 25.4%, similar to Brisbane metro's figure. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (37.6%) or rented (37.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Hawthorne was $2,800, higher than the Brisbane metro average of $1,863. The 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 comprise the remaining 29.4%, with lone person households at 23.8% and group households making up 5.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, aligning 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 is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 50.0% hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally. University graduates comprise 33.6%, postgraduate qualifications account for 11.5%, and graduate diplomas make up 4.9%. Vocational pathways are pursued by 23.9% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.2% and certificates at 12.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 33.5% 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 operational public transport stops offering ferry and bus services. These are served by 9 routes, facilitating 1,511 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to the nearest stop is 137 meters. Car remains the primary commuting mode at 77%, with buses used by 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling. Residents work from home at a high rate of 30.3% (2021 Census).

Service frequency averages 215 trips daily, or approximately 52 weekly trips per 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, as assessed by AreaSearch, show impressive results. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Approximately 80% of Hawthorne's total population (4557 people) has private health cover, compared to 55.8% in Greater Brisbane and the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common conditions, affecting 7.1% and 6.7% of residents respectively. Notably, 77.9% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 69.2% in Greater Brisbane. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Hawthorne has 9.5% (540 people) of residents aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Brisbane's 15.1%. Senior health outcomes align with national rankings, mirroring the general population trends.

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 its broader regional average, as shown by the following statistics: 77.4% of residents were born in Australia, 89.4% are citizens, and 90.7% speak English exclusively at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Hawthorne, practiced by 55.2% of its population. However, Judaism is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Brisbane, with 0.2% versus 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups based on parents' country of birth are English (28.5%), Australian (23.0%), and Irish (11.0%). Notable disparities exist in the representation of Scottish (9.8% vs regional 7.4%), French (0.8% vs 0.5%), and New Zealand (0.9% vs 1.0%) ethnicities.

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 years and slightly below the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Hawthorne has a higher proportion of residents aged 45-54 (15.8%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (12.1%). Between the 2021 Census and the present, the population aged 15-24 increased from 13.7% to 16.3%, while those aged 55-64 rose from 12.0% to 13.6%. Conversely, the age group of 5-14 decreased from 14.4% to 12.6%, and the 45-54 cohort dropped from 17.3% to 15.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Hawthorne's age profile. The 45-54 age group is expected to grow by 17%, adding 150 residents to reach a total of 1,054. Meanwhile, both the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are projected to decrease in number.