Sunnybank Hills

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

Sunnybank Hills' population is approximately 19,547 as of February 2026. This figure represents an increase of 1,462 people from the 2021 Census total of 18,085, indicating an 8.1% growth rate since then. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 19,514 in June 2024 and the addition of 98 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,035 persons per square kilometer, placing Sunnybank Hills in the upper quartile relative to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 8.1% growth rate is within 1.5 percentage points of the SA3 area's 9.6%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 92.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary population growth for the area.

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 from 2023 based on 2021 data are used. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 and based on 2022 data for each age cohort. Looking ahead, population projections indicate a growth of 2,121 persons by 2041, reflecting an overall gain of 10.7% over the 17-year period.

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

Sunnybank Hills has seen approximately 54 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 274 homes were approved, with an additional 18 approved so far in FY-26. On average, about 1.4 new residents arrived per year for each new home over these years, indicating a balanced supply and demand. However, recent data shows this ratio has increased to 7.7 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $519,000, reflecting developers' focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This year, $8.0 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Sunnybank Hills has similar development levels per person, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area. Nationally, however, these levels are lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New building activity shows 60% detached houses and 40% attached dwellings, offering a blend of housing types across price ranges.

This represents a shift from the area's existing housing composition, which is currently 85% houses, indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and changing lifestyles. The location has approximately 335 people per dwelling approval, suggesting room for growth. Population forecasts indicate Sunnybank Hills will gain around 2,088 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply is expected to meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Sunnybank Hills has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 23 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects are Gowan Village Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Pavilion The Residences, Gardner Road Townhouses Stage 3, and Solaris Rochedale. 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.

Employment performance in Sunnybank Hills has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Sunnybank Hills has an educated workforce with diverse sector representation and an unemployment rate of 5.3% as of September 2025. The area's employment stability has been relatively consistent over the past year. There are currently 9,580 residents employed, which is 1.3% higher than Greater Brisbane's unemployment rate of 4.0%.

However, workforce participation in Sunnybank Hills lags at 62.0%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 70.7%. According to Census responses, 15.5% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdown impacts. The leading employment industries are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food. Sunnybank Hills shows a notable concentration in accommodation & food, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction has limited presence with 6.8% employment compared to the regional average of 9.0%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment in Sunnybank Hills increased by 0.0%, while labour force increased by 0.8%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment growth of 3.8% and a decrease in unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Sunnybank Hills' employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Sunnybank Hills SA2 has an income below the national average. The median income is $43,412 and the average income stands at $56,318. This contrasts with Greater Brisbane's figures of a median income of $58,236 and an average income of $72,799. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Sunnybank Hills SA2 would be approximately $47,714 (median) and $61,899 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household income ranks at the 48th percentile ($1,725 weekly), while personal income sits at the 22nd percentile. The earnings profile shows that the largest segment comprises 34.9% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (6,821 residents). This is consistent with broader trends across the region showing 33.3% in the same category. High housing costs consume 15.3% of income. Despite this, strong earnings place disposable income at the 50th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Sunnybank Hills' dwelling structure in its latest Census report showed 84.7% houses and 15.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). Brisbane metro had 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Sunnybank Hills was at 36.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.8% and rented at 31.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,853, lower than Brisbane metro's $1,863 and the Australian average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in Sunnybank Hills was $410, higher than Brisbane metro's $380 but close to the national figure of $375.

Sunnybank Hills features high concentrations of group households and family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 77.9% of all households, including 39.0% couples with children, 24.7% couples without children, and 12.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for 22.1%, with lone person households at 17.0% and group households comprising 5.1%. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

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

Sunnybank Hills' residents aged 15+ have a higher proportion with university qualifications (37.2%) than Queensland's average (25.7%) and Australia's average (30.4%). Bachelor degrees are the most common at 24.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 26.0% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.7%) and certificates (15.3%). Educational participation is high in the area, with 31.7% currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 9.8% in primary education, 7.4% in tertiary education, and 7.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows 60 active stops in Sunnybank Hills, served by a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 17 individual routes, offering 3,043 weekly passenger trips combined. Transport access is rated good, with residents typically located 223 meters from the nearest stop. In this primarily residential area, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the dominant mode at 83%, with buses used by 9%. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 15.5% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 434 trips daily across all routes, translating to roughly 50 weekly trips per stop.

Sunnybank Hills's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Sunnybank Hills' health metrics are close to national benchmarks, as assessed by AreaSearch using mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a standard level of common health conditions across both young and old age cohorts. Private health cover is found to be low at approximately 48% of the total population (around 9,284 people), compared to 55.8% in Greater Brisbane and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 5.7% and 5.5% of residents respectively. About 75.7% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.2% in Greater Brisbane. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Sunnybank Hills has 18.9% of residents aged 65 and over (around 3,700 people), higher than the 15.2% in Greater Brisbane. National rankings for the area are broadly in line with the general population.

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

Sunnybank Hills, one of the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, has a population where 57.8% speaks a language other than English at home and 54.9% were born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, with 39.0% of people identifying as such, although Buddhism is notably overrepresented at 7.2%, compared to the Greater Brisbane average of 2.0%. The top three ancestry groups are Chinese (27.1%), Other (15.0%), and English (14.1%).

Notably, Korean (1.9%) and Vietnamese (2.3%) groups are overrepresented in Sunnybank Hills compared to regional averages of 0.5% and 0.8%, respectively.

Sunnybank Hills's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Sunnybank Hills has a median age of 37 years, nearly matching Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years and close to Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Sunnybank Hills has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (10.0%) but fewer residents aged 45-54 (11.0%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15-24 has increased from 11.9% to 13.4%, while the 75-84 cohort has risen from 5.4% to 6.4%. Conversely, the 0-4 age group has decreased from 5.8% to 4.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Sunnybank Hills' age profile. The 75-84 cohort is expected to grow by 55%, adding 693 residents to reach a total of 1,946. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 65% of population growth, indicating demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are projected to experience population declines.