Newmarket
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Newmarket's population was around 5,429 as of August 2025. This reflected an increase of 346 people from the 2021 Census figure of 5,083. The growth was inferred from ABS estimates: 5,419 in June 2024 and additional validated addresses since then. This resulted in a population density of 3,270 persons per square kilometer, placing Newmarket in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessment. Newmarket's population growth rate of 6.8% since the census was within 1.8 percentage points of the national average of 8.6%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 78.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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 are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. Age category splits are not provided in state projections, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data. Population projections indicate an above median growth for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, with Newmarket expected to grow by 749 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 13.6% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Newmarket, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Newmarket has received approximately 9 dwelling approvals per year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Over the past five years, from FY21 to FY25, around 46 homes have been approved. As of FY26, no dwellings have received approval yet. On average, about 1.1 new residents arrive per new home annually over the last five financial years.

However, this rate has increased to 41.2 people per dwelling in the past two years, suggesting growing demand and potential undersupply. The average expected construction cost value of new homes is $718,000, indicating that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY26, commercial development approvals totaled $17.5 million, reflecting balanced commercial development activity compared to Greater Brisbane. Newmarket's building activity is 76.0% below the regional average per person, suggesting limited new supply and stronger demand for established properties. This activity is also under the national average, implying the area's established nature and potential planning limitations.

Recent development consists of 80.0% detached houses and 20.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Newmarket's suburban character with a focus on detached housing. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (55.0% at Census), indicating strong demand for family homes. With around 2243 people per dwelling approval, Newmarket reflects a highly mature market. Population forecasts indicate that Newmarket will gain approximately 739 residents by 2041. If current construction levels continue, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

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

Area infrastructure performance is significantly influenced by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified two projects likely to impact the area: Zaria Residences Kelvin Grove and Ile Ashgrove. Key projects include these along with Brisbane Metro and Victoria Park Olympic Stadium - Brisbane 2032.

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

Employment performance in Newmarket has been broadly consistent with national averages

Newmarket's workforce is highly educated with professional services well-represented. The unemployment rate was 5.1% as of June 2024, showing a 4.5% growth in employment over the previous year.

As of June 2025, 3,560 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 5.1%, which is 1.0% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation was 72.7%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. The dominant employment sectors were health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. Professional & technical services had a particularly strong representation at 1.7 times the regional level.

Manufacturing, however, showed lower representation at 2.9% versus the regional average of 6.4%. Employment levels increased by 4.5% during the year to June 2025, with labour force increasing by 2.9%, leading to a 1.5 percentage point decrease in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment rise by 4.4%, labour force grow by 4.0%, and unemployment fall by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 showed Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs) with a state unemployment rate of 4.2%. National forecasts suggest employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Newmarket's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.4% over five years and 14.9% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Newmarket's median income among taxpayers was $60,415 according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year ended 30 June 2022. The average income stood at $90,913 in the same period. For Greater Brisbane, these figures were $55,645 and $70,520 respectively. Based on a 11.71% growth in wages since financial year ended 30 June 2022 as per the Wage Price Index, estimated median income for Newmarket would be approximately $67,490 by March 2025, with average income projected at around $101,559. Data from the 2021 Census shows household, family and personal incomes in Newmarket ranked between the 81st and 82nd percentiles nationally. The earnings profile indicates that 27.5% of individuals earned between $1,500 to $2,999 weekly, which aligns with the surrounding region's 33.3%. This affluence is further reflected in the 38.3% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Housing expenses consumed 14.6% of income. Residents' disposable income ranked them within the 82nd percentile nationally, with the area's SEIFA income ranking placing it in the 9th decile.

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

As of the latest Census, 54.6% of dwellings in Newmarket were houses while 45.4% were other types such as semi-detached homes or apartments. In comparison, Brisbane metro had 36.5% houses and 63.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Newmarket stood at 23.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.3% and rented ones at 46.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, aligning with Brisbane metro's average, while the median weekly rent was $383 compared to Brisbane metro's $410. Nationally, Newmarket's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863 and rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Newmarket features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 62.8% of all households, including 29.0% couples with children, 24.0% couples without children, and 7.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 37.2%, with lone person households at 26.8% and group households comprising 10.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.2.

Educational achievement in Newmarket places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Newmarket's educational attainment is notably high, with 52.0% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to the Queensland average of 25.7% and Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.2%) and graduate diplomas (4.9%). Vocational pathways account for 22.8% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 9.1% and certificates at 13.7%. Educational participation is high, with 34.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 13.1% in tertiary education, 7.7% in primary education, and 7.5% pursuing secondary education. Newmarket State School and St Ambrose's Primary School serve a total of 588 students. The schools focus on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas. There are 10.8 school places per 100 residents in Newmarket, which is below the regional average of 13.7. Some students may attend schools outside the area due to this difference.

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

Newmarket's public transport analysis shows 19 currently active stops serving a mix of train and bus services. These stops are covered by 28 individual routes, collectively offering 3,552 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 193 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 507 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 186 weekly trips per stop.

Newmarket's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Newmarket. The prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups is very low. Approximately 67% of the total population (3,621 people) has private health cover, compared to 71.3% across Greater Brisbane and a national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 11.3% and 7.6% of residents respectively. A total of 72.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.7% across Greater Brisbane. The area has 11.0% of residents aged 65 and over (596 people), which is lower than the 12.2% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Newmarket 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

Newmarket's population showed higher cultural diversity compared to most local markets, with 26.3% born overseas and 16.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Newmarket at 44.5%. Hinduism had a notable presence at 3.2%, exceeding Greater Brisbane's 2.7%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (25.4%), Australian (22.0%), and Irish (11.6%). Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: Scottish was overrepresented at 9.9% compared to the regional 8.7%, Sri Lankan at 0.4% versus 0.2%, and German at 3.9%.

Newmarket's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Newmarket's median age is 33 years, which is younger than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 and lower than the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Newmarket has a higher proportion of residents aged 15-24 (19.4%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (9.7%). This 15-24 concentration is above the national average of 12.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15-24 age group has increased from 18.1% to 19.4%, while the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 13.2% to 12.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Newmarket's age profile. The 55-64 cohort is projected to grow by 32%, adding 177 residents to reach 730. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5-14 and 0-4 cohorts.