Paddington - Milton
Statistical Area - sa2

Paddington - Milton lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Paddington - Milton's population was around 13,295 as of August 2025. This reflected an increase of 1,098 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,197. The change was inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 13,272 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 3,713 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth of 9.0% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.6%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 72.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

For future projections, AreaSearch adopts 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 released in 2023 based on 2021 data are used. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data are applied for each age cohort where utilized. Future population trends project an above median growth for the area, with an expected increase of 2,003 persons to 2041 based on latest population numbers, resulting in a total increase of 14.9% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Paddington - Milton according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Paddington - Milton has had approximately 91 dwellings receiving development approval annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces this data on a financial year basis, totaling 456 approvals from FY-21 to FY-25 and 1 so far in FY-26. Over the past five years, an average of 1.8 new residents per new home has been recorded, indicating balanced supply and demand. However, this figure has increased to 34.3 people per dwelling over the last two financial years, suggesting growing demand and tightening supply. The average construction value for development projects is $1,793,000, reflecting a focus on premium market developments.

This year alone, $40.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating strong local business investment. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Paddington - Milton has seen slightly more development activity, with 46.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This balance supports current property values while offering buyer choice. However, recent periods show a moderation in development activity. The new developments consist of 21.0% detached houses and 79.0% medium to high-density housing, marking a significant shift from existing housing patterns (currently 52.0% houses).

This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With around 1197 people per approval, Paddington - Milton is considered a mature, established area. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 1,980 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favorable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 60 projects that could impact this region. Notable projects include The Manning by Mosaic, a 305-unit development in Milton, Kings Row Redevelopment, and West Village by Sekisui House. Below is a list of the most relevant projects.

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

Employment conditions in Paddington - Milton demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Paddington - Milton has an educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 2.7% as of June 2025.

Employment grew by 3.0% over the previous year. In June 2025, 9,540 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.4% lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Paddington - Milton was higher at 77.2%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical services, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Professional & technical employment was particularly notable, being twice the regional average. Construction had limited presence with 5.5% employment compared to the regional average of 9.0%. As at the Census, there were 1.6 workers for every resident in Paddington - Milton, indicating it functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 3.0% while labour force grew by 2.9%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment rise by 4.4%, labour force grow by 4.0%, and unemployment fall by 0.4 percentage points during the same period. State-level data from Sep-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. Nationally, unemployment was at 4.5% with employment growth of 0.26%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Paddington - Milton's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.4%% over five years and 14.8% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

AreaSearch released postcode-level ATO data for financial year 2022. Paddington-Milton's median income among taxpayers was $68,379, with an average of $111,494. Nationally, this places it in the top percentile. In comparison, Greater Brisbane had a median income of $55,645 and an average of $70,520. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Paddington-Milton would be approximately $76,386 (median) and $124,550 (average) as of March 2025. Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Paddington-Milton rank highly nationally, between the 89th and 93rd percentiles. The earnings profile indicates that the $1,500-$2,999 bracket dominates with 30.8% of residents (4,094 people). This pattern is also seen in the surrounding region where 33.3% occupy this range. The area displays significant affluence with 41.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 16.0% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 87th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Paddington - Milton displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Paddington-Milton, as per the latest Census, consisted of 52.2% houses and 47.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Brisbane metropolitan area had 56.6% houses and 43.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Paddington-Milton was at 21.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.3% and rented ones at 51.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,500, lower than Brisbane's $2,513. The median weekly rent was $450, compared to Brisbane's $430. Nationally, Paddington-Milton's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national average of $375.

Paddington - Milton features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 58.2% of all households, consisting of 23.3% couples with children, 26.8% couples without children, and 6.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 41.8%, with lone person households at 30.7% and group households comprising 11.1%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.5.

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

Paddington-Milton's residents aged 15+ have a higher percentage of university qualifications (58.3%) compared to Queensland (25.7%) and Australia (30.4%). Bachelor degrees are the most common at 38.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.6%) and graduate diplomas (5.0%). Vocational pathways account for 19.1% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.0% and certificates at 10.1%. Educational participation is high, with 31.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 13.2% in tertiary education, 7.1% in primary education, and 5.9% pursuing secondary education. The area's three schools have a combined enrollment of 985 students. Paddington-Milton has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1142). Education provision is balanced with two primary schools and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. However, limited local school capacity (7.4 places per 100 residents vs the regional average of 17.1) means many families travel to nearby areas for schooling.

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

Paddington - Milton has 79 active public transport stops, offering a mix of ferry, train, and bus services. These stops are served by 105 individual routes, facilitating 7,755 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 135 meters to the nearest stop.

On average, there are 1,107 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 98 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Paddington-Milton had excellent health outcomes, with low prevalence rates for common conditions across all ages. The area's private health cover rate was high at approximately 76%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 72.2% and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues affected 9.8% of residents, while asthma impacted 7.9%.

A total of 74.3% reported no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Brisbane's 74.7%. The area had a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 10.4%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 11.6%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors were strong and largely aligned with the general population's profile.

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

Paddington-Milton's cultural diversity was found to be above average, with 13.6% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of the 2016 Census. Additionally, 25.2% of Paddington-Milton residents were born overseas. Christianity was identified as the main religion in Paddington-Milton, making up 40.8% of people living there.

However, Judaism showed an overrepresentation in Paddington-Milton compared to Greater Brisbane, with 0.2% of its population identifying as Jewish. Regarding ancestry, the top three represented groups were English at 27.3%, Australian at 20.8%, and Irish at 12.3%. Notably, Scottish ancestry was proportionally higher in Paddington-Milton compared to the regional average, with 9.4% of its population claiming Scottish heritage. Similarly, French ancestry stood at 0.8%, slightly higher than the Greater Brisbane figure of 0.7%. Welsh ancestry also mirrored this pattern, with 0.7% of Paddington-Milton residents reporting Welsh heritage.

Paddington - Milton's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Paddington - Milton's median age is 33 years, which is younger than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years and significantly lower than the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Paddington - Milton has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (23.6%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (8.7%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is well above the national average of 14.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, the proportion of residents aged 75-84 has increased from 2.4% to 3.2%, while the proportion of residents aged 0-4 has decreased from 4.9% to 4.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Paddington - Milton's age profile will evolve significantly. The 55-64 cohort is projected to grow by 35%, adding 439 residents to reach a total of 1,705. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 35-44 cohorts.