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This analysis uses ABS Statistical Areas Level 2 (SA2) boundaries, which can materially differ from Suburbs and Localities (SAL) even when sharing similar names.
SA2 boundaries are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and are designed to represent communities for statistical reporting (e.g., census and ERP).
Suburbs and Localities (SAL) represent commonly-used suburb/locality names (postal-style areas) and may use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
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ABS ERP | -- people | --
2021 Census | -- people
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Stafford Heights has an estimated 7,356 residents, up from 7,153 at the 2021 Census — a change of 203 people, or 2.8%. That puts 2,528 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
As of Aug 2026, demographic analysis from AreaSearch indicates that the resident count of Stafford Heights stands at roughly 7,356. Compared to the 7,153 residents recorded in the 2021 Census, this marks an expansion of 203 individuals (2.8%). This upward adjustment is based on ABS estimated resident population figures showing 7,356 people as of June 2025 alongside 5 validated new addresses documented following the Census. The resulting population density is 2,527 persons per square kilometer, positioning the suburb in the upper quartile across nationally evaluated territories by AreaSearch. In recent times, population gains have been largely propelled by overseas migration, which accounted for approximately 78.8% of aggregate expansion.
SA2 projections published in 2024 by the ABS and Geoscience Australia utilizing 2022 baseline figures serve as AreaSearch's primary modeling foundation. For unlisted SA2 territories and horizons beyond 2032, models incorporate the Queensland State Government SA2 forecasts from 2023 that draw on 2021 numbers. Because state projections lack age-cohort segmentation, AreaSearch distributes proportional growth weightings aligned with the 2023 ABS Greater Capital Region projections (based on 2022 data) across each demographic band. Looking ahead under this framework, the overall population trajectory points downward, contracting by 625 persons by 2041. Conversely, select older cohorts are projected to expand, anchored by the 85 and over segment with an anticipated increase of 239 people. Consult the age breakdown for further detail.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
97 new dwellings have been approved in Stafford Heights over the past five years, an average of 19 a year. That is 2.7 approvals per 1,000 residents. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this SA2 boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
Residential building approvals across Stafford Heights have averaged roughly 19 dwellings annually, totaling 97 residential permits over the past 5 financial years (between FY-22 and FY-26). Because the area registered an average of merely 0.8 incoming residents per annum for each dwelling completed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-22 and FY-26), supply is keeping pace with or exceeding local demand, expanding options for purchasers and facilitating higher-than-expected demographic absorption. With an average construction cost of $674,000 per dwelling, developers are clearly targeting upscale, high-end segments. Furthermore, non-residential activity has been subdued, with $2.2 million in commercial permits recorded across the current financial year.
Per capita building volume in Stafford Heights tracks at approximately 60% of the Greater Brisbane level, placing the suburb at the 59th percentile nationally, despite a recent acceleration in building approvals. This below-average output relative to national benchmarks underscores market maturity and points to prospective land constraints. Newly approved housing stock comprises 47.0% detached dwellings and 53.0% medium-to-high density attached units. This growing emphasis on medium-density product delivers accessible pricing tiers suitable for first-home buyers, downsizers, and property investors. This trend signifies a noticeable shift from the existing built environment (in which 94.0% of residences are freestanding houses), reflecting reduced site supply alongside evolving buyer lifestyles and affordability considerations. A metric of roughly 522 residents per dwelling approval underlines the area's mature urban profile. Given expectations of flat to declining population counts, housing pressure in Stafford Heights is likely to ease, potentially opening up advantageous conditions for prospective buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Stafford Heights
Loading development applications…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 2 current infrastructure and development projects inside Stafford Heights, worth an estimated $85 million. A further 90 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $19.8 billion. 13 are already under construction and 28 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, transport & logistics and retail. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Civic infrastructure, major capital developments, and planning schemes play a decisive role in shaping community outcomes. AreaSearch has pinpointed 13 key local initiatives anticipated to influence the suburb. Prominent works include the Stafford Heights Aged Care & Retirement Village Expansion, Rode Rd, Stafford Heights, the Stafford City Shopping Centre Redevelopment, and the Everton Park Urban Village, with the most impactful undertakings outlined below.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Stafford Heights Aged Care & Retirement Village Expansion
Expansion of the existing Churches of Christ aged care and retirement living precinct at Stafford Heights, delivering more than 80 new independent living units together with upgraded aged care and community facilities. Construction is continuing with staged delivery expected through 2026.
Rode Rd, Stafford Heights
Effinity's project on the city's northside includes 32 apartments, retail space, and two basement parking levels. Featuring a communal rooftop garden, the development focuses on urban consolidation and housing diversity in Stafford Heights.
Stafford City Shopping Centre Redevelopment
A significant 150 million AUD plus redevelopment of Stafford City Shopping Centre. The project involves a major expansion including a new full-line Coles supermarket, an upgraded and expanded Aldi, and a suite of new specialty retail tenancies. The plan features a refurbished dining and entertainment precinct to integrate with the Kedron Brook area, alongside comprehensive site access and parking improvements to support the Transforming Stafford precinct vision.
The Prince Charles Hospital Expansion
The Prince Charles Hospital Expansion is a major health project delivered by Queensland Health and Metro North Health, with Hutchinson Builders leading detailed design and construction. The project delivers a new multi-storey acute services building adding 93 inpatient beds, a significantly expanded emergency department with 53 treatment bays, new operating theatres, and paediatric outpatient services. Site works and construction activities are actively underway at the Chermside campus.
McDowall Village Master Plan Redevelopment
A concept master plan for the refurbishment and strategic expansion of McDowall Village Shopping Centre. The project focuses on revitalizing the IGA-anchored center by upgrading external facades, enhancing pedestrian connectivity between Beckett and Hamilton Roads, and reconfiguring internal tenancies to support new convenience retail and service offerings. As of May 2026, the project is progressing through feasibility and preliminary planning under CMC Property Management, with a focus on improving the suburban village atmosphere.
Ashford Residences Everton Park
Mirvac's Ashford Residences is a masterplanned residential community on a 6 hectare site adjoining Kedron Brook. The approved project includes 43 homesites, around 80 terrace homes, resident recreation facilities, restoration of the heritage Murphy's Dairy residence and a large ecological area. Construction and staged delivery have progressed, with multiple stages released and sold.
23-25 Sammells Drive Residential Development
Development approval for a multi-unit residential project comprising 33 apartments (10 one-bedroom and 23 two-bedroom configurations) across a 1,093 sqm site. The proposal involves the demolition of two existing residential dwellings to facilitate the mid-rise apartment complex. The site represents an infill development opportunity close to Westfield Chermside and key transport corridors.
Everton Plaza Retail and Dining Expansion
Proposed three-storey extension to Everton Plaza Shopping Centre fronting Stafford Road, adding about 842 sqm of food, beverage and retail floorspace in Precinct 5. The scheme is intended to extend the existing Park Lane dining precinct with new tenancies, alfresco areas and stronger street frontage. Brisbane City Council application A006806805 was lodged in mid 2025 and remains a development application/public assessment matter based on available sources.
4,083 residents of Stafford Heights are employed, from a labour force of 4,344. Unemployment sits at 6.0%, with participation at 73.0%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 7.1% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 5,683, about 77% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
The local labour market features a highly educated workforce with prominent representation in professional services, alongside a 6.0% unemployment rate and 6.6% annual job expansion. As of March 2026, employed residents total 4,083, while joblessness sits 1.7% above Greater Brisbane's 4.3% benchmark. The participation rate remains solid at 73.0%, compared to 70.1% across Greater Brisbane. Census data indicated that a moderate 22.8% of workers operated remotely from home, though this figure reflects Covid-19 restrictions at the time. Resident employment is primarily anchored by health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.
Professional & technical roles demonstrate significant local strength, exceeding the broader regional concentration by 1.2 times. By contrast, manufacturing captures only 3.8% of the local workforce, trailing Greater Brisbane's 6.4%. Because it is an established residential enclave, the area provides relatively few jobs within its borders, as evidenced by comparing the Census working population against resident worker counts. According to an AreaSearch evaluation of SALM and ABS figures, the twelve-month period ending March 2026 saw a 6.6% rise in employment alongside a 7.2% increase in the labour force, which pushed the unemployment rate up by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane experienced a 3.2% employment gain, a 3.4% labour force expansion, and a 0.1 percentage point increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Mar-26 provide additional context for anticipated future demand in Stafford Heights. These projections span five and ten-year horizons and have been overlaid with the local employment profile to estimate future growth trajectories. Although national employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, sectoral growth rates vary considerably. When these industry-specific forecasts are applied to Stafford Heights's current employment composition, local employment is expected to rise by 7.1% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, though this represents a basic weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and excludes localised population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Stafford Heights is $2,091 a week (about $109,000 a year), with median personal income at $897 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $66,501 a year against an average of $80,506. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
Taxation records compiled by AreaSearch for financial year 2023 place Stafford Heights SA2 among the highest earning communities nationwide. Median taxpayer earnings reached $66,501 and average income stood at $80,506, outperforming Greater Brisbane benchmarks of $58,236 and $72,799 respectively. Adjusted for an 11.36% increase in the Wage Price Index since financial year 2023, modelled values indicate approximately $74,056 (median) and $89,651 (average) as of March 2026. Data from the 2021 Census situates personal, family, and household earnings around the 68th percentile nationally. The weekly income band of $1,500 - 2,999 forms the largest cohort, capturing 29.4% of residents (2,162 people), compared with 33.3% across the wider region.
High-income earners form a substantial segment, with 32.0% receiving over $3,000 per week, reflecting robust household purchasing capacity. Residential accommodation claims 14.8% of income, disposable earnings rank in the 73rd percentile, and the SEIFA index places the community in the 7th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Stafford Heights had 2,608 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 94% detached houses and 3% apartments. 37% are owned with a mortgage, 30% rented and 33% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $410 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month. Rent absorbs 19.6% of household income here and mortgage repayments 23.9%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
At the time of the latest Census, the housing landscape in Stafford Heights was overwhelmingly composed of separate houses at 94.1%, with apartments, townhouses, and alternate structures accounting for 5.9%, contrasting with Brisbane metro's split of 73.5% freestanding homes and 26.5% other dwellings. Outright home ownership stood well above metropolitan averages at 32.7%, while mortgaged properties represented 37.3% and rental accommodations comprised 30.0%. Median housing repayments were notably higher than metropolitan norms, with monthly mortgages at $2,167 (compared to Brisbane metro's $1,863) and weekly rents at $410 (against $380 regionally).
On a national scale, local mortgage commitments comfortably exceed the Australian median of $1,863, and weekly rents surpass the national benchmark of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Stafford Heights counted 2,608 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.6 people each. 33% are couples with children, against 29% couples without children. 21% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.6 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Family units constitute the vast majority of local living arrangements at 74.7%, comprising couples with children at 32.7%, couples without children at 29.1%, and single parent households at 11.3%. Non-family setups make up the remaining 25.3%, consisting of single-person households at 21.1% and group share-houses at 4.3%. The suburb's median household size of 2.6 people aligns perfectly with the Greater Brisbane average.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
33.4% of adults in Stafford Heights hold a university qualification, including 23.4% with a bachelor degree and 6.5% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 20.3% hold a vocational qualification. 3 schools serve the area, with 388 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 998 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Tertiary attainment is a standout feature of the suburb, with 33.4% of residents aged 15+ possessing a university degree, exceeding the Queensland average of 25.7%. Bachelor degrees represent the primary credential at 23.4%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 6.5% and graduate diplomas at 3.5%. Vocational and technical education is likewise well represented, with 31.1% of the population aged 15+ holding trade credentials, consisting of 10.8% with advanced diplomas and 20.3% with certificates. Formal study engagement is substantial across the suburb, with 27.7% of residents attending educational institutions. This comprises 9.0% attending primary schools, 7.0% in secondary schooling, and 6.3% enrolled in tertiary programs.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Getting around Stafford Heights means driving: households keep an average of 1.5 vehicles, and no scheduled public transport appears in the current timetable feeds. Service data is built from operators' published GTFS timetables; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
64.9% of residents in Stafford Heights report no long-term health condition. 7.0% need daily assistance with core activities, and 59.5% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 5.9 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health assessments by AreaSearch identify notable health considerations across Stafford Heights based on chronic illness and mortality metrics, with chronic ailments moderately widespread overall and elevated among senior cohorts. Meanwhile, private health insurance uptake is exceptionally strong, covering approximately 60% of residents (4,376 people), exceeding the Greater Brisbane benchmark of 55.8%. Mental health conditions and arthritis represent the most prevalent diagnosed medical concerns locally, affecting 9.7 and 8.1% of the population respectively, while 64.9% of residents reported having no long-term medical conditions, compared to 69.2% across Greater Brisbane. Working-age adults display higher-than-average rates of chronic conditions.
Residents aged 65 and over account for 18.5% of the community (1,363 people), outstripping the 15.0% proportion seen across Greater Brisbane. Senior health metrics present distinct challenges, yet rate more favorably against national figures than the wider local populace.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Stafford Heights is largely Australian-born, at 81.0% of residents, with 11.2% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (27.7%) and Australian (24.3%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural background markers in Stafford Heights generally track in line with wider regional averages, with Australian-born residents accounting for 81.0% of the population, 90.3% holding citizenship, and 88.8% speaking exclusively English at home. Christianity constitutes the predominant religious affiliation, representing 55.6% of residents, compared to 47.8% recorded across Greater Brisbane. Evaluating parental country of birth reveals the three most common ancestries as English (27.7%), Australian (24.3%), and Irish (10.9%). In addition, specific ancestry representations diverge from broader trends: New Zealand lineage accounts for 1.0% locally (vs 1.0% regionally), Italian heritage comprises 5.0% (vs 2.0%), and Russian background stands at 0.4% (vs 0.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Stafford Heights is 38. That is 1 year younger than at the 2021 Census. 24.2% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The demographic profile of Stafford Heights closely resembles that of Greater Brisbane, with the widest generational divergence sitting at 3.5 percentage points. AreaSearch places the median age at 38 as at August 2026, slightly lower than the 39 years recorded during the 2021 Census, yet 2 years above the Greater Brisbane median of 36 from that same Census. The most noticeable movement across main age groups since the Census has occurred in the 25 - 44 cohort, which increased from 28.8% to an estimated 30.4% of the population. Projections to 2041 indicate that older residents (65+) will drive most demographic growth, expanding by 304 residents (22%) to reach a total of 1,668, whereas younger adults, children, and young-to-middle-aged brackets are expected to diminish.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Stafford Heights
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Oct 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the SA2 boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Oct 2026 this month headline measures · Sep 2026 baseline |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Oct 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Jun 2026 4 months ago all 3 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Jun 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 7 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Sep 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Sep 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 5 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (7,153 at the 2021 Census → 7,356 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (302021033). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.