Scarborough - Newport

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 is around 18,131 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 2,874 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,257 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 17,587 in June 2024 and an additional 921 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,235 persons per square kilometer. Scarborough - Newport's growth rate of 18.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (8.1%) and the national average. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 78.0%.

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 used, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. Future population trends forecast a significant increase in the top quartile of Australian statistical areas. The area is expected to increase by 5,717 persons to 2041, reflecting an overall increase of 28.5% over the 17 years.

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 averaged approximately 284 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 1,422 homes. As of FY-26159 approvals have been recorded. Each year, an average of 2.7 new residents is associated with each dwelling approved between FY-21 and FY-25. The average construction cost value of these dwellings is $384,000.

In FY-26, $17.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Scarborough - Newport has 127% more development activity per person. Recent construction comprises 57% standalone homes and 43% townhouses or apartments. With around 155 people per dwelling approval, it indicates growth characteristics. By 2041, projections estimate an addition of 5,173 residents, suggesting current housing supply should meet demand comfortably.

Future projections show Scarborough - Newport adding 5,173 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Scarborough - Newport has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 28 projects likely to affect the region. Notable ones are Stockland Newport Master Planned Community, Bruce Highway upgrade from Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue (Stage 1), Lighthouse Newport, and Stockland Newport Retirement Living expansion (Pier North). The following list details 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.

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

Scarborough - Newport has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 1.6% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 7.5%.

As of September 2025, 9,093 residents are employed, while the unemployment rate is 2.4% lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation is at 56.9%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Scarborough - Newport shows strong specialization in construction, with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level.

However, professional & technical employs only 7.6% of local workers, below Greater Brisbane's 8.9%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 7.5%, alongside labour force increasing by 6.5%, resulting in a unemployment fall of 0.9 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 3.8%, labour force growth of 3.3%, and unemployment falling by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows Queensland employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, closely aligned with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Scarborough - Newport's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Scarborough - Newport SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $52,155 and an average level of $70,159. Both figures were above the national average. In Greater Brisbane, these levels stood at $55,645 and $70,520 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Scarborough - Newport are approximately $59,451 (median) and $79,974 (average) as of September 2025. The 2021 Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Scarborough - Newport rank modestly, between the 45th and 50th percentiles. Specifically, 28.1% of the population (5,094 individuals) fall within the $1,500-$2,999 income range, similar to the surrounding region where 33.3% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Scarborough - Newport, with only 83.9% of income remaining, 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

Scarborough - Newport's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 71.8% houses and 28.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Brisbane metro's 68.2% houses and 31.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Scarborough - Newport stood at 40.1%, with the rest being mortgaged (31.5%) or rented (28.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure was $405, compared to Brisbane metro's $350. Nationally, Scarborough - Newport's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than 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 make up the remaining 28.7%, with lone person households at 26.7% and group households comprising 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 educational attainment exceeds broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 25.0% hold university qualifications, compared to 14.9% in the SA4 region and 19.2% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 16.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 13.8% and certificates at 24.9%.

A significant 24.3% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 8.1% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 3.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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 within it. These stops are served by a mix of buses running on three individual routes. Together, these routes provide 552 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of the transport system is rated as good, with residents typically located 252 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are 78 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately ten 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 significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 54% of its total population (~9,863 people) has private health cover, higher than Greater Brisbane's 51.3%.

The most frequent medical issues are arthritis (10.8%) and mental health problems (8.3%). Despite this, 63.6% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 59.7% in Greater Brisbane. Scarborough - Newport has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 30.0% (5,437 people), compared to Greater Brisbane's 28.2%.

In terms of cultural diversity, Scarborough - Newport records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Scarborough-Newport has a higher-than-average cultural diversity, with 7.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 27.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Scarborough-Newport, comprising 55.9%, compared to 52.8% across Greater Brisbane. The top three ancestry groups are English (32.3%), Australian (23.4%), and Irish (10.3%).

Notably, Welsh (0.9%) is overrepresented in Scarborough-Newport compared to the regional average of 0.6%. Similarly, South African (0.8% vs 0.5%) and New Zealand (1.0% vs 1.1%) ancestry groups also show higher representation.

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 above the national average of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 65-74 make up 15.9% of the population, compared to 9.4% nationally, while those aged 25-34 constitute only 6.2%. Since the 2021 Census, the 75-84 age group has increased from 8.2% to 10.5%, the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 11.0% to 9.8%, and the 45-54 group has dropped from 14.8% to 13.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Scarborough - Newport's age structure. The 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 89% (1,705 people), reaching 3,617 from 1,911. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 73% of total population growth. Conversely, the 0-4 and 25-34 cohorts are projected to decrease in population.