St Lucia
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in St Lucia reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

St Lucia's population was around 15,276 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 3,056 people (25.0%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,220 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 14,981 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 129 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 4,466 persons per square kilometer, placing St Lucia in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. St Lucia's growth of 25.0% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (8.3%) and the national average, making it a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 96.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. These state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Future population trends indicate an increase just below the median of national statistical areas by 2041, with St Lucia expected to grow by 1,292 persons, recording a gain of 6.5% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees St Lucia recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

St Lucia averaged approximately 27 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 135 homes. As of FY-26, 1 approval has been recorded. Historically, about 10 new residents have arrived per year for each dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. This indicates significant demand exceeding supply, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition.

The average construction value of new properties is $536,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $138.6 million, reflecting high local commercial activity. Comparatively, St Lucia has significantly less development activity than Greater Brisbane, at 57.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction often reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. Similarly, it is lower than the national average, indicating market maturity and possible development constraints.

New developments consist of 73.0% detached dwellings and 27.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining St Lucia's suburban character with a focus on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. This trend favours detached housing more than current patterns suggest (33.0% at Census), demonstrating ongoing robust demand for family homes despite increasing density pressures. St Lucia has a population density of around 699 people per approval, characteristic of a mature, established area. Future projections estimate St Lucia will add 997 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

St Lucia has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 33 projects that could affect this region. Notable ones include the University of Queensland Student Residence Complex, University of Queensland Paralympic Centre of Excellence, 160 Macquarie Street Riverfront Apartments, and 525-Home Indooroopilly Development. The following list details those expected to be 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.

AreaSearch assessment positions St Lucia ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

St Lucia has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate as of June 2025 is 2.6%.

In this month, 8,086 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.5% lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation is at 60.4%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Leading employment industries among residents include education & training, professional & technical services, and health care & social assistance. Notably, education & training has an employment level that is 2.2 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction has limited presence with 3.3% employment compared to the regional average of 9.0%. The worker-to-resident ratio as at the Census indicates substantial local employment opportunities. Over the 12 months to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.5%, and employment decreased by 1.3%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment rise by 4.4% and the labour force grow by 4.0%. 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 St Lucia's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.8%% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

St Lucia's median income among taxpayers was $39,312 and average income was $77,848 in financial year 2022. These figures compare to Greater Brisbane's median of $55,645 and average of $70,520 respectively. By September 2025, estimated median income is approximately $44,812 and average income is around $88,739, based on a Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022. Census 2021 data shows individual incomes at the 7th percentile were $548 weekly, while household incomes were at the 51st percentile. In St Lucia, 31.0% of locals (4,735 people) had incomes in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to the broader area where 33.3% fell within this range. High housing costs consumed 17.4% of income. Despite this, disposable income was at the 50th percentile and St Lucia's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.

St Lucia features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

St Lucia's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 33.1% houses and 66.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Brisbane metro had 48.9% houses and 51.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Lucia stood at 27.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 18.3% and rented ones at 54.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, below Brisbane metro's average of $2,167. Median weekly rent in St Lucia was $410, matching Brisbane metro's figure but higher than the national average of $375. Nationally, St Lucia's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863.

St Lucia features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 55.1% of all households, including 21.9% couples with children, 23.9% couples without children, and 6.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 44.9%, with lone person households at 25.0% and group households comprising 19.9%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.5.

St Lucia shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in St Lucia is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. As of 2015, 51.6% of residents aged 15 and above held university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally in Australia. This high level of educational attainment positions the area well for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 27.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 21.9% and graduate diplomas at 2.7%.

Technical qualifications represent 13.6% of educational achievements, with advanced diplomas at 6.2% and certificates at 7.4%. Educational participation is notably high, with 56.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of 2015. This includes 41.9% in tertiary education, 5.8% in primary education, and 3.9% pursuing secondary education. Ironside State School provides local educational services within St Lucia, with an enrollment of 937 students as of 2016. The school focuses exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas. Limited local school capacity (6.1 places per 100 residents vs 26.1 regionally) means many families travel to nearby areas for schooling.

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

The analysis of public transportation in St Lucia shows that there are currently 54 operational transport stops. These include a combination of ferry and bus services. The routes served by these stops total 18, with a collective weekly passenger trip count of 6,187.

Residents' access to transport is rated as excellent, with an average distance of 149 meters to the nearest stop. On average, there are 883 trips per day across all routes, which equates to around 114 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

St Lucia has excellent health outcomes, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 59% of its total population (8,982 people) have private health cover, compared to 66.6% in Greater Brisbane.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 8.6% and 7.3% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 77.2%, report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 74.7% in Greater Brisbane. As of 10th March 2022, St Lucia has 10.7% of its population aged 65 and over (1,639 people), lower than the 14.4% in Greater Brisbane. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are strong and generally align with those of the broader population.

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

St Lucia has a high level of cultural diversity, with 33.6% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 42.9% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in St Lucia, comprising 34.9% of people. Judaism is overrepresented, making up 0.3% of the population compared to 0.3% in Greater Brisbane.

The top three ancestry groups are English (21.4%), Australian (19.1%), and Other (14.3%). There are notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Chinese is overrepresented at 10.9%, South African at 0.8%, and Russian at 0.5%.

St Lucia hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

St Lucia has a median age of 24, which is lower than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 and Australia's national median age of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 15-24 years make up 41.6% of the population, while those aged 55-64 years constitute only 4.7%. This concentration of young adults is higher than the national average of 12.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, St Lucia's median age has fallen from 25 to 24 years. The 15-24 age group has grown from 38.1% to 41.6%, while the 55-64 cohort has declined from 6.0% to 4.7%. Additionally, the 35-44 age group has decreased from 10.6% to 9.6%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in St Lucia's age structure. The 85+ age cohort is projected to increase dramatically by 427 people (217%), from 197 to 625. This growth will be largely driven by residents aged 65 and older, who are expected to represent 66% of the population growth. Conversely, the 5-14 and 0-4 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.