Samford Valley
Statistical Area - sa2

Samford Valley has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Samford Valley's population was approximately 13,199 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 814 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,385. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,100 from the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 259 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 79 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Samford Valley has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.1%, outpacing its SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 58.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. It is noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings are applied in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort. Examining future trends, lower quartile growth of Australian statistical areas is anticipated, with the area expected to grow by 514 persons to 2041 based on latest population numbers, recording a gain of 3.1% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Samford Valley when compared nationally

Samford Valley has averaged approximately 64 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 321 homes. As of FY-26, 18 approvals have been recorded. On average, 2.1 people per year have moved to the area with each new home constructed between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating strong demand that supports property values. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $406,000, slightly above the regional average, suggesting a focus on quality developments.

This financial year has seen $14.0 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Samford Valley has had 20.0% more development per person over the past five years, balancing buyer choice while supporting current property values. However, development activity has moderated in recent periods. New development consists of 77.0% detached houses and 23.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

This represents a significant shift from existing housing patterns, which are currently 98.0% houses, potentially indicating diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. With approximately 309 people per approval, Samford Valley reflects a transitioning market. Population forecasts suggest that Samford Valley will gain 415 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply is expected to meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Samford Valley has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

AreaSearch has identified a total of 18 projects that could impact the area, with key ones including Ferny Grove Central - Mixed Use Development, Ferny Grove Station Car Park Upgrade, Ferny Hills Precinct Planning Project, and Ferny Grove to Samford Road Cycleway (Stage 2). The following list details those most likely to be 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.

Employment conditions in Samford Valley rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Samford Valley has a highly educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. Its unemployment rate is 2.0% as of June 2025, which is below Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%.

Employment growth in the past year was estimated at 7.1%. There are 7,651 residents employed currently, with workforce participation similar to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Major employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and construction. Notably, professional & technical services have an employment level of 1.3 times the regional average.

However, manufacturing has limited presence with only 4.2% employment compared to the regional average of 6.4%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparison between working population and resident population. In the year to June 2025, employment levels in Samford Valley increased by 7.1%, while the labour force grew by 7.5%, causing a rise of 0.4 percentage points in unemployment rate. This contrasts with Greater Brisbane where employment rose by 4.4%, labour force grew by 4.0%, and unemployment fell by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest that overall employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates vary significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Samford Valley's current employment mix indicates potential local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Samford Valley's median income among taxpayers is $60,935. The average income is $90,848. This places Samford Valley among the highest in Australia. For comparison, Greater Brisbane has a median income of $55,645 and an average of $70,520. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Samford Valley would be approximately $69,460 (median) and $103,558 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household incomes rank exceptionally at the 95th percentile ($2,806 weekly). The earnings profile shows that 32.4% of residents (4,276 people) earn over $4,000 per week, which is higher than the surrounding region where 33.3% earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week. The area demonstrates considerable affluence with 47.1% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 88.5% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Samford Valley is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Samford Valley's dwellings, as per the latest Census, were 97.5% houses and 2.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Brisbane metro's 92.2% houses and 7.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Samford Valley was 42.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 50.2% and rented ones at 7.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,492, higher than Brisbane metro's $2,080. Median weekly rent was $495, compared to Brisbane metro's $440. Nationally, Samford Valley's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 87.5% of all households, including 45.7% couples with children, 34.3% couples without children, and 7.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 12.5%, with lone person households at 11.2% and group households at 1.3%. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.9.

Educational achievement in Samford Valley places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Samford Valley's residents aged 15 and above have a higher proportion with university qualifications (39.0%) compared to the broader SA4 region (24.9%) and Queensland state average (25.7%). Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.3%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 32.0% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (12.8%) and certificates (19.2%). Educational participation is high in the area, with 30.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes primary education (11.2%), secondary education (9.8%), and tertiary education (5.1%). Samford Valley's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,135 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1092. The educational mix includes two primary schools and one K-12 school.

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

Samford Valley has 17 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. There is one route serving these stops in total, offering 20 weekly passenger trips collectively. The transport accessibility is rated as limited, with residents on average located 2001 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 2 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 1 weekly trip per individual stop.

Samford Valley's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Samford Valley. Both young and old age cohorts have low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (8,803 people), compared to 59.0% across Greater Brisbane and 55.3% nationally.

Mental health issues impact 7.3% of residents, while asthma affects 7.0%. A total of 72.2% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.9% in Greater Brisbane. Samford Valley has 21.4% of residents aged 65 and over (2,827 people), higher than the 16.2% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Samford Valley ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Samford Valley was found to have below average cultural diversity, with 79.4% of its population born in Australia, 92.4% being citizens, and 95.1% speaking English only at home. The dominant religion in Samford Valley is Christianity, comprising 50.5% of the population, compared to 52.9% across Greater Brisbane. The top three ancestry groups are English (33.4%), Australian (25.3%), and Irish (10.3%).

Notably, Scottish ancestry is overrepresented at 10.1%, matching South African representation at 1.0%, while Welsh ancestry is slightly higher at 0.8%.

Samford Valley hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Samford Valley's median age is 45, surpassing Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 and the national norm of 38. The 55-64 age group constitutes 15.6%, higher than Greater Brisbane, while the 25-34 cohort stands at 4.5%. Post-2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group grew from 5.4% to 7.7%, and the 15 to 24 group increased from 11.5% to 13.7%. Conversely, the 35 to 44 cohort declined from 11.7% to 10.2%, and the 25 to 34 group dropped from 5.9% to 4.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Samford Valley's age profile. Leading this shift, the 85+ group is expected to grow by 249%, reaching 853 from 244. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 88% of projected growth. Meanwhile, the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 age groups are anticipated to experience population declines.