Paddington - Milton

Population growth drivers in Paddington - Milton are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Paddington - Milton's population is approximately 13,561 as of February 2026. This figure represents an increase of 1,364 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,197. The increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,272 in June 2024 and an additional 293 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,788 persons per square kilometer, placing Paddington - Milton in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's 11.2% growth from 2021 exceeds the national average of 9.9%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 72.5% 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. These state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings from the ABS Greater Capital Region projections, released in 2023 and based on 2022 data. Future population trends project an above median growth for the area, with an expected increase of 2,003 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 12.6% 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 received around 91 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 456 homes. As of FY26, there have been 3 approvals recorded so far. On average, 1.8 new residents have arrived per new home each year between FY21 and FY25. However, recent data shows this has increased to 34.3 people per dwelling over the past two financial years. The average construction cost value of new homes is $204,000, which is below regional norms.

In FY26, $40.1 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Paddington - Milton has seen 46.0% more development per person over the past five years. New developments consist of 21.0% detached houses and 79.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating a shift from the area's existing housing makeup of 52.0% houses. The location currently has approximately 1197 people per dwelling approval. By 2041, Paddington - Milton is projected to gain 1,714 residents.

At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Paddington - Milton 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 has identified a total of sixty projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Milton Development (305 units), Kings Row Redevelopment, The Governess, 49 Reading Street, and The Manning by Mosaic. Below is a list detailing those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

AreaSearch analysis places Paddington - Milton well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Paddington - Milton has an educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.9% in the past year, showing a growth of 0.7%. As of September 2025, 9,315 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.0% below Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%.

Workforce participation is high at 82.9%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 70.7%. According to Census responses, 30.5% of residents work from home. Employment is concentrated in professional & technical services (2.0 times the regional level), health care & social assistance, and education & training. Construction employment is lower at 5.5%, versus the regional average of 9.0%.

The area hosts more jobs than residents, with a ratio of 1.6 workers per resident. Over the past year, employment increased by 0.7% while labour force grew by 0.8%, leading to a slight rise in unemployment (0.1 percentage points). In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment and labour force growth of 3.8% and 3.3% respectively, with unemployment falling by 0.5 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 project an increase of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Paddington - Milton's industry mix suggests local employment should grow by 7.4% in five years and 14.8% in ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

The Paddington - Milton SA2 had exceptionally high national income levels according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year 2023. Its median taxpayer income was $69,140 and average income stood at $107,732, compared to Greater Brisbane's figures of $58,236 and $72,799 respectively. As of September 2025, estimated incomes based on a 9.91% Wage Price Index growth would be approximately $75,992 (median) and $118,408 (average). Census data showed Paddington - Milton's household, family, and personal incomes ranked highly nationally, between the 88th and 93rd percentiles. Income distribution revealed that 30.8% of its population (4,176 individuals) fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, consistent with broader regional trends at 33.3%. A substantial proportion of high earners (41.0%) indicated strong economic capacity throughout Paddington - Milton. High housing costs consumed 16.0% of income, yet strong earnings placed disposable income at the 87th percentile and its SEIFA income ranking placed 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 metro had 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Paddington-Milton was at 21.2%, with the rest either mortgaged (27.3%) or rented (51.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,500, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure was $450, compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, Paddington-Milton's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,500 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 58.2% of all households, including 23.3% couples with children, 26.8% couples without children, and 6.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for 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 2.6.

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

Paddington - Milton has a higher proportion of residents aged 15 and above with university qualifications compared to Queensland and Australia. Specifically, 58.3% of its residents have such qualifications, while the state average is 25.7% and the national average is 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common type of qualification in this area, with 38.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 14.6% and graduate diplomas at 5.0%. Vocational pathways account for 19.1% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 9.0% and certificates accounting for 10.1%.

Educational participation is notably high in this area, 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.

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 121 routes, facilitating 7,920 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 134 meters from the nearest stop. The area, predominantly residential, sees most residents commuting outward. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 64%, while buses account for 10% and walking for another 10%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.1 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 30.5% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 1,131 trips per day, equating to approximately 100 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 demonstrates excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 74% of the total population (10,035 people), compared to 55.8% in Greater Brisbane and 55.7% nationally.

Mental health issues are the most common medical condition, impacting 9.8% of residents, followed by asthma at 7.9%. A total of 74.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.2% in Greater Brisbane. The under-65 population has better than average health outcomes. The area has 10.9% of residents aged 65 and over (1,474 people), lower than the 15.2% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

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

Paddington-Milton, as per the 2016 Census, had a higher than average cultural diversity with 13.6% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 25.2% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Paddington-Milton, accounting for 40.8% of people. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% across Greater Brisbane.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (27.3%), Australian (20.8%), and Irish (12.3%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences in representation: Scottish at 9.4% (vs regional 7.4%), French at 0.8% (vs 0.5%), and Welsh at 0.7% (vs 0.5%).

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

Paddington-Milton's median age is 33 years, which is slightly 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 concentration of residents aged 25-34 (22.7%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (8.7%). This 25-34 concentration is well above the national figure of 14.4%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 75-84 age group has increased from 2.4% to 3.5% of the population, while the 0-4 cohort has decreased from 4.9% to 4.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Paddington-Milton's age profile will evolve significantly. The 45-54 cohort is projected to grow by 23%, adding 398 residents to reach a total of 2,160. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 35-44 cohorts.