Northgate - Virginia
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Northgate - Virginia reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Northgate - Virginia's population is around 7,586 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 518 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,068. The change is inferred from ABS estimates of 7,484 in June 2024 and an additional 58 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 1,237 persons per square kilometer, above the national average according to AreaSearch assessments. Northgate - Virginia's growth rate of 7.3% since the census is within 1.0 percentage points of the SA4 region's 8.3%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 51.3% 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 from 2023 are adopted, based on 2021 data. However, 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 trends suggest lower quartile growth for statistical areas across the nation, with Northgate - Virginia expected to expand by 267 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 2.2% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Northgate - Virginia when compared nationally

Northgate - Virginia has averaged approximately 31 new dwelling approvals per year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Over the past five financial years, between FY21 and FY25, there were 159 homes approved. As of FY26, there have been 8 approvals so far.

On average, for each dwelling built over these five years, Northgate - Virginia has gained around 2 new residents per year, indicating strong demand that supports property values. The average construction cost value of new homes is $520,000. This financial year has seen $30.2 million in commercial development approvals, suggesting significant local business investment.

Compared to Greater Brisbane, Northgate - Virginia shows about 58% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 60th percentile nationally when considering areas assessed. Recent construction comprises approximately 72.0% detached houses and 28.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes. The location has around 272 people per dwelling approval, indicating potential for growth. By 2041, Northgate - Virginia is projected to grow by approximately 165 residents. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Northgate - Virginia has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 21 projects expected to impact the region. Notable initiatives include Cross River Rail - European Train Control System, Danby Lane - Nundah Village, Danby Lane project, and Cross River Rail. The following list outlines those considered most relevant.

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

The labour market in Northgate - Virginia shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Northgate - Virginia has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation, an unemployment rate of 3.9%, and estimated employment growth of 11.3% over the past year (June 2025). As of this date, 4,796 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.2% below Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%.

Workforce participation in Northgate - Virginia stands at 73.5%, higher than Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and public administration & safety. The area has a notable concentration in professional & technical jobs, with levels at 1.3 times the regional average. Retail trade employs 7.7% of local workers, lower than Greater Brisbane's 9.4%.

There are 1.6 workers per resident, indicating it functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 11.3%, labour force grew by 10.5%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Brisbane saw employment grow by 4.4% during this period. State-level data as of Sep-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Northgate - Virginia's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Northgate - Virginia had a median taxpayer income of $61,629 and an average income of $77,561. These figures are among the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Brisbane's median of $55,645 and average of $70,520. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $68,846 (median) and $86,643 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Northgate - Virginia rank highly nationally, between the 79th and 82nd percentiles. The largest income segment comprises 30.2% earning $1,500-$2,999 weekly (2,290 residents). Higher earners make up a substantial presence with 35.4% exceeding $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 15.6% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 79th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Northgate - Virginia is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

In Northgate - Virginia, as per the latest Census evaluation, 70.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 29.9% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Brisbane's metropolitan area, where 56.6% of dwellings were houses and 43.4% were other dwelling types. Home ownership in Northgate - Virginia stood at 21.8%, similar to Brisbane metro's rate. Dwellings were either mortgaged (41.2%) or rented (37.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,950. The median weekly rent figure was $380, compared to Brisbane metro's $400. Nationally, Northgate - Virginia's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 68.1 percent of all households, including 32.5 percent couples with children, 25.2 percent couples without children, and 8.8 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 31.9 percent, with lone person households at 26.6 percent and group households comprising 5.5 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.3 people.

Northgate - Virginia shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Northgate-Virginia's educational attainment exceeds Queensland (QLD) and Australian averages. 37.7% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to QLD's 25.7% and Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.4%) and graduate diplomas (4.0%). Vocational credentials are held by 32.0% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.8% and certificates at 20.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: primary (9.4%), tertiary (6.9%), secondary (6.4%). Two state schools serve the area: Virginia State School and Northgate State School, educating a total of 815 students as of the latest data. Both focus on primary education, with secondary options available nearby. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1083.

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

Northgate-Virginia has 55 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 107 individual routes, facilitating 7,445 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average located 159 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 1,063 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 135 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Northgate - Virginia is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Northgate - Virginia shows better-than-average health outcomes with fewer common health conditions among its general population compared to national averages.

However, higher prevalence is seen among older, at-risk groups. Approximately 59% of the total population (4,460 people) has private health cover, which is exceptionally high. The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 9.5 and 7.7% of residents respectively. A majority, 72.5%, report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 70.7% across Greater Brisbane. The area has 11.9% of residents aged 65 and over (905 people), which is lower than the 14.3% in Greater Brisbane.

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

Northgate-Virginia has a higher than average cultural diversity, with 24.7% of its population born overseas and 16.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Northgate-Virginia, accounting for 46.7% of its population. Notably, Hinduism is overrepresented, comprising 5.2% compared to the Greater Brisbane average of 4.5%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (27.2%), Australian (23.6%), and Irish (10.2%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences in representation: Samoan at 0.5% (vs regional 0.5%), Polish at 0.9% (vs regional 0.6%), and Maori at 0.8% (vs regional 0.9%).

Northgate - Virginia's population is younger than the national pattern

Northgate-Virginia's median age in 2021 is 35 years, nearing Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years but younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Northgate-Virginia has a higher proportion of residents aged 35-44 (18.9%) and fewer residents aged 15-24 (11.8%). Between the 2016 Census and the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group increased from 17.9% to 18.9%, while the 25 to 34 age group decreased from 18.7% to 17.5%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes in Northgate-Virginia. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to grow by 21%, adding 206 residents to reach a total of 1,178. Conversely, the 5-14 and 0-4 age cohorts are projected to decline in population.