Highgate Hill
Statistical Area - sa2

Highgate Hill has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Highgate Hill's population, as of Aug 2025, is around 7,211. This figure reflects an increase of 839 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,372. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,207 in June 2024 and an additional 37 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 5,959 persons per square kilometer, placing Highgate Hill in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 13.2% since the 2021 Census exceeded both national (8.6%) and state averages, marking it as a region leader in population increase. Overseas migration was the primary driver behind 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 from 2023, based on 2021 data, are adopted. 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, released in 2023 using a base year of 2022. Population projections indicate a significant increase in the top quartile of statistical areas nationally. Highgate Hill is forecast to grow by 1,870 persons to 2041 based on current numbers, reflecting an overall increase of 25.9% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Highgate Hill when compared nationally

Highgate Hill has averaged approximately 19 new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, with 96 homes approved over the past five financial years between FY2021 and FY2025, and 7 so far in FY2026. On average, around 5.2 new residents have been added per year for every home built during these five financial years. This significant demand outpaces new supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.

The average expected construction cost value of new homes being built is $776,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. There have been $80,000 in commercial approvals this financial year, suggesting a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Highgate Hill shows substantially reduced construction activity, at 81.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction often reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. This trend is also lower than nationally, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New building activity consists of 24.0% detached dwellings and 76.0% medium to high-density housing, appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This shift from the area's current housing mix (39.0% houses) indicates decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and demand for diverse, affordable housing options.

The location currently has approximately 511 people per dwelling approval, reflecting an established area. Future projections estimate Highgate Hill will add around 1,866 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Highgate Hill has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects that may impact the area. Notable ones are Brisbane Metro Project, Brisbane Metro, Melbourne Street Masterplan, and The Allere Collection at West Village. Below is a list of those most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Highgate Hill remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Highgate Hill has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 6.6% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 3.1%.

As of June 2025, 4,492 residents were employed, while the unemployment rate was 2.5% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Highgate Hill was fairly standard at 68.3%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area shows particularly strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 1.8 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction has lower representation at 4.9% versus the regional average of 9.0%. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 3.1%, while labour force increased by 2.8%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane experienced employment growth of 4.4% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with a 0.4 percentage point drop in unemployment rate. As of Sep-25, Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Highgate Hill's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Highgate Hill's median income is $49,372 and the average income stands at $71,277. This contrasts with Greater Brisbane's median income of $55,645 and average income of $70,520. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Highgate Hill would be approximately $55,153 (median) and $79,624 (average) as of March 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, household, family and personal incomes in Highgate Hill are around the 67th percentile nationally. The predominant income cohort spans 28.8% of locals (2,076 people), earning between $1,500 and $2,999 per week. This mirrors the surrounding region where 33.3% of residents fall into this bracket. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income in Highgate Hill, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 60th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Highgate Hill features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Highgate Hill's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 39.0% houses and 61.0% other types such as semi-detached properties, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Brisbane metropolitan area's figures of 12.9% houses and 87.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Highgate Hill stood at 25.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.8% and rented properties at 51.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,383, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $2,000. Median weekly rent in Highgate Hill was recorded at $380, compared to Brisbane metro's $440. Nationally, Highgate Hill's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Highgate Hill features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 57.2% of all households, including 22.6% couples with children, 24.2% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for 42.8%, with lone person households at 31.7% and group households comprising 11.0%. The median household size is 2.3 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 1.9.

The educational profile of Highgate Hill exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Highgate Hill's educational attainment is notably higher than broader standards. 55.1% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland and 30.4% in Australia. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 32.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.5%) and graduate diplomas (4.8%). Vocational pathways account for 19.3%, with advanced diplomas at 8.7% and certificates at 10.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 35.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.5% in tertiary, 9.4% in secondary, and 6.6% in primary education. Schools are located outside the immediate catchment area, requiring families to access them in neighboring regions.

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

Highgate Hill has 21 operating public transport stops. All these stops serve buses, with three different routes in total. Every week, these routes facilitate 821 passenger trips.

The proximity of residents to the nearest stop is excellent, with an average distance of 121 meters. Each day, there are approximately 117 bus trips across all routes, resulting in around 39 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Highgate Hill, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is high at approximately 55% of the total population (~3966 people), compared to 64.3% across Greater Brisbane.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 10.3 and 7.2% of residents respectively. 73.2% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 75.5% across Greater Brisbane. The area has 11.9% of residents aged 65 and over (858 people), higher than the 10.5% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

Highgate Hill was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Highgate Hill's population showed high linguistic diversity, with 26.8% speaking a language other than English at home and 35.1% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 33.4% of residents, but Buddhism was notably overrepresented at 4.8%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 3.9%. The top three ancestral groups were English (21.5%), Australian (17.5%), and Other (11.5%).

Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: Greeks made up 4.9% in Highgate Hill versus 1.5% regionally, French remained at 0.9%, and Vietnamese increased to 2.1% from the regional average of 1.2%.

Highgate Hill's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

At 37 years, Highgate Hill's median age is nearly matching Greater Brisbane's average of 36 and also close to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Highgate Hill has a higher percentage of residents aged 15-24 at 18.6%, but fewer residents aged 5-14 at 8.3%. This concentration of 15-24 year-olds is above the national average of 12.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the percentage of Highgate Hill's population aged 15 to 24 has grown from 15.8% to 18.6%, while those aged 25 to 34 increased from 18.3% to 19.5%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 5 to 14 has declined from 10.0% to 8.3%, and those aged 35 to 44 dropped from 14.5% to 13.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Highgate Hill's age profile will change significantly. The 45-54 cohort is projected to grow by 44%, adding 452 residents to reach a total of 1,485. Meanwhile, the 0-4 cohort is expected to grow modestly by 3% (an increase of 4 people).