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 is approximately 21,186 as of February 2026. From the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 18,016, this represents an increase of 3,170 people (17.6%). This growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 20,923 in June 2024 and an additional 1,011 validated new addresses since the Census date. The resulting population density is 6,923 persons per square kilometer, placing Newstead - Bowen Hills in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. The growth rate exceeds both the national average (9.9%) and the state's average since the 2021 Census, positioning Newstead - Bowen Hills as a regional growth leader. Interstate migration contributed approximately 58.2% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including overseas migration and natural growth being positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are used, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings from the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 using 2022 data as a base. Future population dynamics forecast a significant increase in the top quartile of statistical areas across the nation, with Newstead - Bowen Hills expected to increase by 8,294 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 37.9% over the 17 years.

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 seen approximately 306 dwellings receive development approval annually over the past five financial years, totalling 1,530 homes. As of FY26184 approvals have been recorded. On average, around three people move to the area each year for every dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating significant demand exceeding new supply. The average construction cost value of new dwellings is approximately $372,000.

This financial year has seen $242.6 million in commercial approvals, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Newstead-Bowen Hills exhibits 136.0% higher development activity per capita, offering buyers greater choice and reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. The majority of new developments consist of townhouses or apartments (99.0%), with a focus on higher-density living that creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With around 391 people per dwelling approval, Newstead-Bowen Hills demonstrates a developed market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is projected to add 8,031 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Future projections show Newstead - Bowen Hills adding 8,031 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 20% nationally

The performance of a region is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 128 such projects that could potentially impact this area. Notable projects include Teneriffe Banks, Bowen Bridge Road Upgrade, Waterfront Newstead - Mirvac Masterplan, and Aire Newstead. The following list details those projects deemed most relevant.

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. The unemployment rate was 2.4% as of September 2025. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 0.9%.

There were 16,524 residents employed by September 2025, with an unemployment rate of 1.6%, lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation was high at 85.5% compared to Greater Brisbane's 70.7%. According to Census responses, 28.5% of residents worked from home. Key industries of employment were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food.

The area had a particular specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 2.2 times the regional level. Construction employed only 4.9% of local workers compared to Greater Brisbane's 9.0%. There were 1.4 workers per resident as at the Census, indicating the area functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. During the year to September 2025, employment levels increased by 0.9% and labour force increased by 0.9%, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable. In contrast, Greater Brisbane experienced employment growth of 3.8% and labour force growth of 3.3%, with a drop in unemployment rate of 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within Newstead - Bowen Hills. These projections estimate national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Newstead - Bowen Hills's 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's income level is among the top percentile nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in this area was $66,505 and the average income stood at $96,223, which compares to figures for Greater Brisbane of $58,236 and $72,799 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $73,096 (median) and $105,759 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, individual earnings stood out at the 96th percentile nationally ($1,405 weekly). Income brackets indicated that the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket dominated with 37.6% of residents (7,965 people), mirroring the surrounding region where 33.3% occupied this bracket. Higher earners represented a substantial presence with 32.1% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. High housing costs consumed 18.4% of income, though strong earnings still placed disposable income at the 72nd percentile and 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 ones at 70.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Brisbane metro's $1,863 but close to the national average of $1,864. The median weekly rent was $450, above Brisbane metro's $380 and Australia's 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 constitute 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 comprise the remaining 54.3%, with lone person households at 43.5% and group households accounting for 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' educational attainment exceeds broader benchmarks: 56.1% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 38.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.8%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational pathways account for 24.0% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.0% and certificates at 13.0%. Educational participation is high, with 25.0% currently enrolled in formal education: 13.5% in tertiary, 2.6% in primary, and 2.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows 45 active transport stops operating within Newstead - Bowen Hills, including a mix of ferry, train, and bus services. These stops are served by 255 individual routes, collectively providing 18,025 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 131 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 53%, with 20% walking and 13% by bus. Vehicle ownership averages 0.5 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions, a high 28.5% of residents work from home. Service frequency averages 2,575 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 400 weekly trips per individual stop.

Newstead - Bowen Hills's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis shows Newstead - Bowen Hills performed strongly across health metrics based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. Private health cover was found to be exceptionally high at approximately 69% of the total population (14,554 people), compared to 55.8% in Greater Brisbane and 55.7% nationally.

Mental health issues impacted 10.8% of residents, while asthma affected 7.3%. A total of 73.9% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.2% across Greater Brisbane. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area had 11.8% of residents aged 65 and over (2,508 people), lower than the 15.2% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors were strong, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

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 the population. However, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Brisbane, making up 0.3% of the population here versus 0.1% regionally.

The top three ancestry groups are English (26.6%), Australian (17.7%), and Other (11.0%). Notably, French (1.0%), Spanish (0.9%), and Welsh (0.8%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.5%, 0.4%, and 0.5% respectively.

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

Newstead-Bowen Hills' median age is 35 years, nearly matching Greater Brisbane's average of 36 and slightly younger than Australia's 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Newstead-Bowen Hills has a higher proportion of 25-34 year-olds (32.6%) but fewer 5-14 year-olds (2.8%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, residents have aged on average by 1.7 years, with the median age increasing from 33 to 35. The 75-84 age group has grown from 2.8% to 4.4%, while the 55-64 cohort has increased from 8.2% to 9.4%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has decreased from 36.4% to 32.6%, and the 15-24 age group has dropped from 12.8% to 10.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Newstead-Bowen Hills, with the strongest projected growth in the 45-54 cohort (65%), adding 1,528 residents to reach a total of 3,884.