The Hills District

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

The Hills District's population was approximately 25,989 as of February 2026. This figure represents an increase of 1,676 people, a 6.9% rise since the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 24,313. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 25,967 in June 2024 and an additional 259 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 821 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages seen across other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The Hills District's growth rate of 6.9% since the census is within 0.5 percentage points of the SA3 area's 7.4%, indicating strong growth fundamentals. Natural growth contributed approximately 51.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses 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 adopted. However, these state projections lack age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data for each age cohort. Future population trends suggest a modest increase below the national median, with the area expected to grow by 1,642 persons to 2041, reflecting a total gain of 6.2% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within The Hills District when compared nationally

The Hills District has averaged approximately 68 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 341 homes. As of FY26, 43 approvals have been recorded. On average, around 3.9 new residents arrive per year for each dwelling constructed between FY21 and FY25, indicating demand exceeding supply. New properties are constructed at an average cost of $334,000.

In FY26, $12.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered. Compared to Greater Brisbane, The Hills District has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 29th percentile nationally, suggesting relatively constrained buyer choice. New development consists of 47.0% detached dwellings and 53.0% townhouses or apartments, a shift from the current housing mix of 89.0% houses. The area has an estimated 549 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet development environment. Future projections indicate The Hills District adding 1,620 residents by 2041, with current development rates expected to meet demand comfortably.

Future projections show The Hills District adding 1,620 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.

The Hills District has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 47 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are Hills Quarter Everton Hills, Arana Hills Plaza Ambience Upgrade, Everton Rise, and Everton Hills Central. The following details the most relevant projects.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment conditions in The Hills District demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

The Hills District has a highly educated workforce with professional services well-represented. As of September 2025, its unemployment rate was 3.1%. Over the past year, estimated employment growth was 4.7%.

By September 2025, 15,850 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate 0.9% lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation in The Hills District was 78.4%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 70.7%. According to Census responses, 25.2% of residents worked from home. Leading employment industries were health care & social assistance, education & training, and public administration & safety.

Public administration & safety had particularly notable concentration, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Manufacturing's presence was limited, with only 3.8% employment compared to 6.4% regionally. The predominantly residential area seemed to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 4.7%, while labour force grew by 5.1%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. This contrasted with Greater Brisbane, where employment rose by 3.8%, labour force grew by 3.3%, and unemployment fell by 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 estimated that national employment would expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates varying significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to The Hills District's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not account for localised population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 indicates The Hills District SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $66,157 and an average of $78,595. Nationally, these figures are high, with Greater Brisbane reporting a median of $58,236 and an average of $72,799. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $72,713 (median) and $86,384 (average). Census 2021 data shows The Hills District's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 80th and 85th percentiles nationally. Income distribution reveals 34.6% of residents (8,992 individuals) earn within the $1,500 - 2,999 range, similar to broader area patterns where 33.3% fall into this bracket. Economic strength is evident with 35.4% of households earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting high consumer spending. Housing accounts for 13.6% of income, while strong earnings place residents in the 86th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

The Hills District's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 89.0% houses and 10.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Brisbane metro had 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in The Hills District was at 31.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 49.8% and rented ones at 19.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $455, compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, The Hills District's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

The Hills District features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 80.9% of all households, including 39.8% couples with children, 28.8% couples without children, and 11.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for 19.1%, with lone person households at 16.4% and group households comprising 2.7%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 33.7%, higher than the SA4 region average of 24.9% and Queensland's state average of 25.7%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 22.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.2%). Vocational credentials are held by 34.4% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.9% and certificates at 22.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in primary education, 8.4% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The Hills District has 93 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by six different routes that collectively provide 475 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents located an average of 386 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to the area's predominantly residential nature. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 85%, while 10% use trains. The average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 1.7, higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 25.2% of residents work from home, which may be due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 67 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately five weekly trips per individual stop.

The Hills District's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Health data shows positive outcomes for Hills District residents. Mortality rates and health conditions align with national benchmarks.

Common health conditions are low among the general population but higher in older, at-risk cohorts. Private health cover is high at 58% (~15,177 people), compared to 55.8% across Greater Brisbane. Mental health issues (9.8%) and asthma (7.9%) are most common. 68.7% report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Brisbane's 69.2%. Working-age population has typical health outcomes. The area has 15.3% residents aged 65 and over (3,971 people), below the national average for this age group.

The Hills District ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

The Hills District's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 83.1% of its population born in Australia, 92.4% being citizens, and 93.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion in The Hills District, comprising 49.9% of people, compared to 47.8% across Greater Brisbane. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups were English (29.6%), Australian (27.0%), and Irish (10.2%).

Notably, Scottish ancestry was overrepresented at 9.2%, compared to 7.4% regionally. New Zealand ancestry remained consistent at 1.0%. German ancestry was also slightly higher at 4.8%, compared to the regional average of 4.2%.

The Hills District's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The Hills District has a median age of 38, which is slightly higher than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 but equal to Australia's median age of 38 years. The age group of 45-54 shows strong representation in the district at 14.7%, compared to Greater Brisbane, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 11.3%. Between 2021 and present, the 75-84 age group has grown from 4.6% to 6.3% of the population. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has declined from 8.7% to 7.3%, and the 25-34 group has dropped from 12.4% to 11.3%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in The Hills District's age structure. The 85+ group is expected to grow by 172%, reaching 1,161 people from 426. This growth will contribute to an overall increase in the proportion of the population aged 65 and over, who are projected to comprise 53% of the district's growth by 2041. Meanwhile, the 5-14 and 0-4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.