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 is approximately 18,131 as of November 2025. This represents an increase of 2,874 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,257. The growth 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 results in a population density of 2,235 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 18.8% growth since the 2021 census exceeds both the SA3 area (8.1%) and the national average. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing 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 released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data are applied where utilized. Future population trends forecast a significant increase in the top quartile of statistical areas analyzed by AreaSearch, with the area expected to increase by 5,717 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, representing an 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 has seen approximately 284 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 1,422 homes were approved, with an additional 21 approved so far in FY-26. On average, about 2.7 people have moved to the area per new home constructed during these years, indicating strong demand that supports property values.

The average construction cost value for new homes is around $384,000, which is somewhat higher than regional norms due to quality-focused development. This financial year has seen $17.8 million in commercial approvals, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Scarborough - Newport records 127.0% more construction activity per person, offering buyers greater choice. However, building activity has slowed in recent years. This activity is significantly above the national average, indicating robust developer interest in the area.

New development consists of 57.0% standalone homes and 43.0% medium to high-density housing, featuring an increasing blend of attached housing types that offer choices across various price ranges. With around 155 people per dwelling approval, Scarborough - Newport exhibits characteristics of a growth area. Population forecasts indicate that the area will gain approximately 5,173 residents by 2041. 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 47thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 28 projects that may affect this region. Notable projects include Marin Scarborough, Stockland Newport Master Planned Community, Bruce Highway upgrade from Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue (Stage 1), and Lighthouse Newport. 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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Scarborough - Newport performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Scarborough - Newport has a skilled workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 1.7% as of June 2025.

There was an estimated employment growth of 9.4% over the past year. As of that date, 8,809 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 2.4% lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Scarborough - Newport was 56.9%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training.

Notably, construction employs at 1.2 times the regional average. In contrast, professional & technical services employ only 7.6% of local workers, lower than Greater Brisbane's 8.9%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 9.4%, while labour force grew by 8.2%, reducing the unemployment rate by 1.1 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Brisbane saw employment rise by 4.4%, labour force grow by 4.0%, and unemployment fall by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. 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 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's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Scarborough - Newport's median income among taxpayers is $52,155. The average income in this area was $70,159 during the same period. Both figures are above the national average. Comparing with Greater Brisbane's median of $55,645 and average of $70,520 shows similar trends. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $59,451 (median) and $79,974 (average). Census 2021 income data ranks Scarborough - Newport's household, family, and personal incomes modestly, between the 45th and 50th percentiles. The $1,500 - $2,999 income bracket dominates with 28.1% of residents (5,094 people), which is consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 33.3% in the same category. 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

Scarborough - Newport's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 71.8% houses and 28.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Brisbane metro's 68.2% houses and 31.8% other dwellings. The home ownership level in Scarborough - Newport was 40.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.5% and rented ones at 28.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area 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 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, consisting of 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

Educational attainment in Scarborough - Newport is notable with 25.0% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 14.9% in the broader 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 also prominent, with 38.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (13.8%) and certificates (24.9%). A significant portion of the population is actively pursuing education, with 24.3% engaged in formal learning, 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 exhibit typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1028), with balanced educational opportunities, including one primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school.

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

Transport analysis shows 54 active stops operating in Scarborough - Newport, all being bus stops. There are three routes serving these stops, together offering 552 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents located an average of 252 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 78 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 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 significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is high at approximately 54% (~9,863 people), compared to 51.3% in Greater Brisbane.

The most common conditions are arthritis (10.8%) and mental health issues (8.3%). 63.6% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than the 59.7% across Greater Brisbane. The area has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 30.0% (5,437 people), compared to 28.2% in Greater Brisbane.

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 has a higher-than-average cultural diversity, with 7.5% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 27.1% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Scarborough-Newport, accounting for 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 relatively 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%) groups also show slight divergences.

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%, while those aged 25-34 constitute only 6.2%. Since the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 8.2% to 10.5%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has decreased from 11.0% to 9.8%, and the 45 to 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 to 84 age group is expected to grow by 89%, reaching 3,617 people from 1,911. The combined 65+ age groups will account for 73% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.