Newstead - Bowen Hills

Newstead - Bowen Hills lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Newstead-Bowen Hills' population was approximately 21,708 as of May 2026. This figure represents a growth of 3,692 people (20.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 18,016. The increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 21,474 in June 2025 and an additional 1,046 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 7,094 persons per square kilometer, placing Newstead-Bowen Hills among the top 10% of locations nationally assessed by AreaSearch. The area's population growth of 20.5% since the 2021 Census surpassed both national (9.3%) and state averages, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 53.1% to overall population gains during recent periods, with other factors such as interstate migration and natural growth also being positive influences.

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 or years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 and based on 2021 data are adopted, with proportional growth weightings applied for age cohorts as per ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data). Future population dynamics anticipate a significant increase in the top quartile of statistical areas nationally, with Newstead-Bowen Hills expected to gain 7,533 persons by 2041, reflecting a total growth of 33.6% over 16 years based on the latest annual ERP population numbers.

The level of residential development activity in Newstead - Bowen Hills was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Newstead - Bowen Hills has received approximately 306 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 1530 homes. In FY26 so far, 224 approvals have been recorded. On average, about three people move to the area each year for every dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating significant demand exceeding supply. New dwellings are developed at an average construction cost of $372,000.

This financial year has seen $242.6 million in commercial approvals, suggesting strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Newstead - Bowen Hills shows 129% higher development activity per person, offering buyers greater choice and reflecting strong developer confidence. The area's new development consists of 1% detached houses and 99% townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living and affordability for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With around 391 people per dwelling approval, Newstead - Bowen Hills exhibits a developed market. By 2041, the area is projected to add approximately 7299 residents, potentially outpacing housing supply growth at current development rates, which could heighten buyer competition and support price increases.

Future projections show Newstead - Bowen Hills adding 7,299 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Newstead - Bowen Hills has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 114 potential impact projects. Key ones include Teneriffe Banks, Bowen Bridge Road Upgrade, Waterfront Newstead - Mirvac Masterplan, and Aire Newstead. The following details the most relevant ones.

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

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Newstead - Bowen Hills ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Newstead - Bowen Hills has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.6%, lower than the Greater Brisbane average of 4.1%. Over the past year, there was an estimated employment growth of 1.1%.

As of December 2025, 16,619 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.5% below the Greater Brisbane rate and a workforce participation rate of 83.8%, significantly higher than Greater Brisbane's 69.6%. According to Census responses, 28.5% of residents work from home. The key industries for employment among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food services. Newstead - Bowen Hills has a particular specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 2.2 times the regional level, while construction employs only 4.9% of local workers compared to Greater Brisbane's 9.0%.

The area functions as an employment hub with 1.4 workers per resident. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.1%, labour force grew by 1.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 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, but growth rates vary significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Newstead - Bowen Hills' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 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

The Newstead-Bowen Hills SA2 has one of the highest income levels nationally according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year ended 30 June 2023. The median income among taxpayers in this area was $66,505, with an average income of $96,223. These figures are higher than Greater Brisbane's median and average incomes of $58,236 and $72,799 respectively. Based on a 11.36% growth in wages as per the Wage Price Index since financial year ended 30 June 2023, estimated current incomes are approximately $74,060 (median) and $107,154 (average) by March 2026. According to the Census conducted on 9 August 2021, individual earnings in this area were at the 96th percentile nationally ($1,405 weekly). The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 dominated with 37.6% of residents (8,162 people), similar to the surrounding region where 33.3% fall into this bracket. A substantial number of higher earners, 32.1%, exceeded $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power. Despite high housing costs consuming 18.4% of income, disposable income remained at the 72nd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 9th decile.

Newstead - Bowen Hills features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Newstead-Bowen Hills' dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 3.8% houses and 96.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). Brisbane metro had 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Newstead-Bowen Hills was 12.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 17.7% and rented at 70.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, above Brisbane metro's average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in the area was $450, compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, Newstead-Bowen Hills' mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Newstead - Bowen Hills features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 45.7% of all households, including 8.0% couples with children, 32.6% couples without children, and 3.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 54.3%, with lone person households at 43.5% and group households comprising 10.7%. The median household size is 1.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

The educational profile of Newstead - Bowen Hills exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Newstead - Bowen Hills has a notably high level of educational attainment among residents aged 15 and over, with 56.1% holding university qualifications. This is significantly higher than the Queensland average of 25.7% and the Australian average of 30.4%. The area's strong educational advantage positions it favourably for opportunities in knowledge-based fields. Bachelor degrees are the most common qualification, held by 38.7% of residents, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.8%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%).

Vocational pathways account for 24.0% of qualifications among those aged 15 and over, with advanced diplomas making up 11.0% and certificates 13.0%. Educational participation is notably high, with 25.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.5% in tertiary education, 2.6% in primary education, and 2.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Newstead - Bowen Hills shows that there are currently 45 active transport stops operating in the area. These stops offer a mix of ferry, train, and bus services. They are serviced by a total of 255 individual routes, which collectively provide 18,025 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these transport stops is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 131 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward for work or other purposes. The dominant mode of transport among residents is car at 53%, followed by walking at 20% and bus at 13%.

The average vehicle ownership per dwelling in the area is 0.5, which is below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, a high percentage of residents work from home, with this figure standing at 28.5%. This may be partly due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes averages 2,575 trips per day, equating to approximately 400 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Newstead-Bowen Hills shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 69% of the total population (14,913 people), compared to 55.8% in Greater Brisbane and a national average of 55.7%. The most common conditions are mental health issues affecting 10.8% and asthma impacting 7.3%, while 73.9% report no medical ailments, higher than the 69.2% across Greater Brisbane.

Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 11.6% of residents aged 65 and over (2,515 people), lower than Greater Brisbane's 15.1%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, ranking broadly in line with the general population nationally.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Newstead - Bowen Hills was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Newstead-Bowen Hills has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 19.4% of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 34.6% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Newstead-Bowen Hills, comprising 37.4% of its population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented here compared to Greater Brisbane, making up 0.3% versus 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (26.6%), Australian (17.7%, lower than the regional average of 23.2%), and Other (11.0%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: French (1.0% vs regional 0.5%), Spanish (0.9% vs 0.4%), and Welsh (0.8% vs 0.5%) are notably overrepresented in Newstead-Bowen Hills.

Newstead - Bowen Hills's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Newstead-Bowen Hills has a median age of 34, which is slightly lower than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 and notably below Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Newstead-Bowen Hills has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (33.9%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (2.8%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.6%. Between the 2021 Census and now, residents have aged on average by 1.2 years, with the median age rising from 33 to 34. Specifically, the 75-84 age group has grown from 2.8% to 4.4% of the population, while the 35-44 cohort increased from 17.9% to 18.9%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has declined from 36.4% to 33.9%, and the 15-24 age group dropped from 12.8% to 10.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Newstead-Bowen Hills' age profile, with the 45-54 age cohort set to rise substantially, expanding by 1,379 people (60%) from 2,296 to 3,676.