Scarborough - Newport
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Scarborough - Newport's population was around 18,129 as of August 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 2,872 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,257 people. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 17,587 in June 2024 and an additional 920 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,235 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Scarborough - Newport's growth rate of 18.8% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area's 7.9% and the national average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 78.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including overseas migration and natural growth were positive factors.

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 are adopted, released in 2023 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 for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Future population trends indicate a significant increase in the top quartile of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, with Scarborough - Newport expected to increase by 5,717 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, representing an overall increase of 28.6% over the 17-year period.

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

Scarborough - Newport has seen approximately 284 new homes approved annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, with 1,422 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25. As of FY-26, there have been 13 approvals. On average, 2.7 people move to the area per new home constructed each year over these five financial years, indicating strong demand that supports property values.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $751,000, suggesting a focus on premium properties by developers. This financial year has seen $17.8 million in commercial approvals, showing balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Scarborough - Newport has 127.0% more new home approvals per person, offering buyers greater choice. However, building activity has slowed in recent years. Nationally, this reflects strong developer confidence in the area.

New development consists of 57.0% standalone homes and 43.0% townhouses or apartments, providing choices across price ranges from spacious family homes to more compact options. The location has approximately 155 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Future projections estimate Scarborough - Newport will add 5,175 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Scarborough - Newport has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 47thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 20 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Marin Scarborough, Bruce Highway upgrade from Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue (Stage 1), Scarborough Harbour Redevelopment, and Flinders Parade Scarborough's Cliff Stabilisation and Beach Nourishment project. The following list details those most relevant.

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

The exceptional employment performance in Scarborough - Newport places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Scarborough - Newport has a skilled workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 1.7% as of June 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 9.4% over the past year.

This is lower than Greater Brisbane's unemployment rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Scarborough - Newport is 56.9%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. The dominant employment sectors among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction is particularly strong, with an employment share 1.2 times the regional level.

However, professional & technical services are under-represented at 7.6%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 8.9%. The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data. Over the year to June 2025, employment in Scarborough - Newport increased by 9.4% while labour force grew by 8.2%, reducing the unemployment rate by 1.1 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Brisbane's employment grew by 4.4%, labour force expanded by 4.0%, and unemployment fell by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, but lags behind national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Scarborough - Newport's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

Scarborough - Newport's median income among taxpayers was $52,155 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $70,159 during the same period. For Greater Brisbane, these figures were $55,645 and $70,520 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, estimated median income is approximately $58,262, and average income is around $78,375 as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household incomes in Scarborough - Newport rank between the 45th and 50th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 28.1% of residents (5,094 people) fall within the $1,500-$2,999 bracket, mirroring the broader area where 33.3% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 83.9% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 46th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

As per the latest Census evaluation in Scarborough - Newport, 71.8% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 28.2% being semi-detached, apartments, and other types. In comparison, Brisbane metro had 68.2% houses and 31.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Scarborough - Newport stood at 40.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.5% and rented ones at 28.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Scarborough - Newport was $405, compared to Brisbane metro's $350. Nationally, Scarborough - Newport's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Scarborough - Newport has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 71.3% of all households, including 25.5% couples with children, 35.4% couples without children, and 9.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 28.7%, with lone person households at 26.7% and group households making up 2.0%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.3.

Scarborough - Newport performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

Scarborough - Newport's residents aged 15+ exhibit higher educational attainment than broader benchmarks. 25.0% hold university qualifications, compared to SA4 region's 14.9% and SA3 area's 19.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 16.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 38.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (13.8%) and certificates (24.9%).

Notably, 24.3% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 8.1% in primary, 7.9% in secondary, and 3.6% in tertiary education. The area's three schools have a combined enrollment of 2,614 students and provide balanced educational opportunities with an ICSEA score of 1028, typical for Australian schools. Educational mix includes one primary school, one secondary school, and one K-12 school.

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

Scarborough - Newport has 54 active public transport stops, operating between March 2021 to present. These stops are served by buses running along three routes, offering a total of 552 weekly passenger trips. The transport service is rated good, with residents on average located 252 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 78 daily trips across all routes, translating to about 10 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Scarborough - Newport is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Scarborough - Newport faces notable health challenges with high prevalence of common conditions across age groups. Private health cover rate is high at approximately 54%, compared to 51.3% in Greater Brisbane (~9,862 people).

Common medical conditions include arthritis (10.8%) and mental health issues (8.3%). 63.6% report no medical ailments, higher than Greater Brisbane's 59.7%. The area has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 30%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 28.2% (~5,436 people).

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

Scarborough-Newport, found to be culturally diverse with 7.5% speaking a language other than English at home and 27.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Scarborough-Newport at 55.9%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 52.8%. The top three ancestry groups are English (32.3%), Australian (23.4%), and Irish (10.3%).

Notably, Welsh representation stands at 0.9% versus the regional average of 0.6%, South African is 0.8% compared to 0.5%, and New Zealand is 1.0% against a regional average of 1.1%.

Scarborough - Newport hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Scarborough - Newport has a median age of 50, which is higher than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 and also above the national average of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 65-74 make up 15.9% of the population, while those aged 25-34 constitute only 6.2%. This concentration of 65-74 year-olds is higher than the national figure of 9.4%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the proportion of people aged 75 to 84 has grown from 8.2% to 10.5%, while the 5 to 14 age group has declined from 11.0% to 9.8% and the 45 to 54 age group has decreased from 14.8% to 13.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate that the 75 to 84 age group will grow by 89%, reaching a total of 3,617 people from 1,910 previously. The combined age groups of 65 and above are expected to account for 73% of total population growth, reflecting Scarborough - Newport's aging demographic trend. In contrast, the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.