Pallara - Willawong
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Pallara-Willawong's population is approximately 15,781 as of August 2025. This represents a growth of 5,561 individuals (54.4%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,220. The change was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 15,458 in June 2024 and an additional 1,324 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 591 persons per square kilometer. Pallara-Willawong's growth exceeded the national average (8.6%) and the state average, marking it as a region with significant growth. Interstate migration contributed approximately 75.8% 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 released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. By 2041, the population is forecast to increase by 4,965 persons, reflecting a total increase of 29.4% over the 17 years.

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

Pallara-Willawong has averaged approximately 450 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, showing 2,253 dwellings approved over the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25, with 23 approved so far in FY-26. On average, 3.6 people have moved to the area for each dwelling built annually between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating supply is lagging demand, which typically results in increased buyer competition and pricing pressures. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $496,000.

This year has seen $260.5 million in commercial development approvals, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Pallara-Willawong records 415% more development activity per person, suggesting ample choice for buyers, although recent periods have seen a moderation in development activity. This is significantly higher than national levels, indicating strong developer confidence in the location. All new construction has been detached houses, preserving the area's traditional low-density character and appealing to families seeking space. The area has approximately 48 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market.

Population forecasts indicate Pallara-Willawong will gain 4,642 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply is expected to meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially allowing growth to exceed current forecasts.

Pallara - Willawong has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 43 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Pallara Shopping Village, Queensland Health Hospital Expansion Program, Pallara Development Project at 78-88 Vied Road, and 40-60 Woodvale Crescent State Facilitated Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Employment performance in Pallara - Willawong exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Pallara-Willawong has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.6%, lower than the Greater Brisbane average of 4.1%.

In June 2025, 8,047 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.5% below Greater Brisbane's rate and a workforce participation rate of 75.6%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and transport, postal & warehousing. Notably, health care & social assistance has employment levels at 1.2 times the regional average, while construction has a limited presence with 6.3% employment compared to the regional average of 9.0%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.9, indicating substantial local employment opportunities.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 1.0%, while labour force grew by 1.9%, causing a rise in unemployment rate by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment growth of 4.4% and a reduction in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. As of September 2025, Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23%, losing 8,070 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, compared to the national average of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Pallara-Willawong's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Pallara-Willawong has a lower median income compared to national averages, according to AreaSearch aggregated ATO data for financial year 2022. The area's median income stands at $52,687, with an average of $59,146, which is lower than Greater Brisbane's figures of $55,645 and $70,520 respectively. Using Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, current estimates project the median income to be approximately $58,857 and average income at around $66,072 as of March 2025. The 2021 Census places household, family, and personal incomes in Pallara-Willawong between the 78th and 87th percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that 46.3% of residents (7,306 individuals) earn within the $1,500 - $2,999 weekly range, aligning with broader regional trends where 33.3% fall into this category. Notably, 32.2% of Pallara-Willawong's population earns above $3,000 weekly, indicating prosperity and robust economic activity. High housing costs consume 17.3% of income, yet strong earnings place disposable income at the 84th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

In Pallara-Willawong as of the latest Census, 96.1% of dwellings were houses, with 3.9% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Brisbane's metropolitan area which had 82.0% houses and 18.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Pallara-Willawong was at 12.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 60.6% and rented ones at 26.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,100, higher than Brisbane's metro average of $1,872. The median weekly rent figure for Pallara-Willawong was $450, compared to Brisbane's metro average of $400. Nationally, Pallara-Willawong's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Pallara - Willawong features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 89.3% of all households, including 55.0% couples with children, 24.0% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 10.7%, with lone person households at 8.9% and group households comprising 1.9%. The median household size is 3.2 people, which is larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 3.0.

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

Educational attainment in Pallara-Willawong exceeds broader benchmarks significantly, with 40.4% of residents aged 15+ having university qualifications compared to 25.7% in Queensland and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 28.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 12.2% and certificates at 16.2%. Educational participation is high, with 31.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 11.9% in primary, 6.8% in secondary, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education.

Pallara-Willawong is anchored by Pallara State School serving 1,283 students. It has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA score: 1064) and focuses exclusively on primary education with secondary options available nearby. There are 8.1 school places per 100 residents in the area, lower than the regional average of 15.6.

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

Pallara-Willawong has 31 operational public transport stops. These are served by buses along seven different routes, offering a total of 1063 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents located an average of 307 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 151 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 34 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Pallara - Willawong shows excellent health outcomes across all ages. Common health conditions have a very low prevalence.

Private health cover stands at approximately 49%, with around 7,748 people covered (national average is 55.3%). Asthma and mental health issues are the most common conditions, affecting 5.5% and 4.8% of residents respectively. Approximately 83% declare no medical ailments, compared to 77.2% in Greater Brisbane. The area has 5.4% (856 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Brisbane's 12.1%. Seniors' health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

Pallara - Willawong is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Pallara-Willawong is among the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, with 55.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of the 2016 Census. Additionally, 52.3% of its residents were born overseas during this period. Christianity is the main religion in Pallara-Willawong, comprising 36.1% of people according to the census data.

Notably, Hinduism is overrepresented in Pallara-Willawong at 14.7%, substantially higher than the Greater Brisbane average of 6.1%. In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups are Other at 23.3%, English at 14.3%, and Australian at 13.0% as per the 2016 Census data. There are also notable divergences in the representation of certain ethnic groups such as Indian (12.5%), Samoan (1.8%), and Vietnamese (6.0%) compared to regional averages of 7.0%, 1.3%, and 2.3% respectively.

Pallara - Willawong hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Pallara-Willawong's median age is 31 years, which is younger than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 and Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Pallara-Willawong has a higher percentage of residents aged 35-44 (22.6%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (3.9%). This concentration of 35-44 year-olds is significantly above the national average of 14.2%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the age group of 35 to 44 has increased from 19.1% to 22.6%, while the 5 to 14 cohort has risen from 15.3% to 18.5%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 25 to 34 has decreased from 21.0% to 16.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Pallara-Willawong's age profile. The number of people aged 45-54 is expected to grow by 79%, from 1,710 to 3,059, while the number of residents aged 25-34 is projected to decrease by 44%.