Toowong

Population growth drivers in Toowong are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Toowong's population was around 14,201 as of May 2026. This reflected an increase of 1,773 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,428. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,725 from the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 446 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 3,660 persons per square kilometer, placing Toowong in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Toowong's population growth of 14.3% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 9.3%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 87.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 were adopted. These state projections do not provide age category splits; therefore, AreaSearch applied proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Looking ahead, a significant population increase is forecasted for Toowong, with an expected increase of 3,272 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 19.7% over the 16 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Toowong when compared nationally

Toowong has seen approximately 151 new homes approved annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 755 homes were approved, with an additional 23 so far in FY-26. Over the past five financial years, an average of 1.4 new residents arrived per new home. However, recent data shows this has intensified to 10.3 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating growing popularity and potential undersupply.

Development projects have averaged $535,000 in construction value, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This year alone, there have been $76.8 million in commercial approvals, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Toowong records 136.0% more construction activity per person, offering buyers greater choice, though recent data shows this has eased somewhat. This is significantly above the national average, indicating robust developer interest in the area. New building activity shows 7.0% standalone homes and 93.0% attached dwellings, focusing on higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a notable shift from the area's existing housing composition of 30.0% houses. With around 359 people per dwelling approval, Toowong shows a developed market.

Looking ahead, Toowong is expected to grow by approximately 2,796 residents through to 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Current construction levels should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 49 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Oakman Residences, Sylvan Residences, Monarch Residences Toowong, and Viridian Residences. The following details projects likely to have the most relevance.

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

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Employment performance in Toowong exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Toowong's workforce is highly educated with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 3.8% as of December 2025, lower than Greater Brisbane's 4.1%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.0%.

As of December 2025, 8,962 residents were employed with a workforce participation rate of 75.8%, higher than Greater Brisbane's 69.6%. A significant portion, 29.9% of residents, worked from home based on Census responses. Top industries for employment include professional & technical (1.9 times the regional level), health care & social assistance, and education & training. Construction employs only 4.3% of local workers compared to Greater Brisbane's 9.0%.

The resident-to-worker ratio is 0.7, indicating above-normal employment opportunities locally. Over the past year, employment increased by 1.0% while labour force grew by 1.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment growth of 3.2% and labour force growth of 3.0%, with a drop in unemployment rate of 0.1 percentage point. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Toowong's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

The Toowong SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $60,519 and an average of $90,097 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This was among the highest in Australia, contrasting with Greater Brisbane's median income of $58,236 and average income of $72,799 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $67,394 (median) and $100,332 (average) as of March 2026. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Toowong cluster around the 68th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 34.0% of the community (4,828 individuals), mirroring the broader area where 33.3% occupy this bracket. High housing costs consume 17.7% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 59th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Toowong, as per the latest Census, consisted of 30.1% houses and 69.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Brisbane metro had 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Toowong stood at 21.7%, with the rest either mortgaged (23.2%) or rented (55.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,052, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,863. The median weekly rent in Toowong was $420, compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, Toowong's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,052 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Toowong features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 54.0% of all households, including 18.5% couples with children, 26.7% couples without children, and 6.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 46.0%, with lone person households at 32.0% and group households comprising 14.1%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in Toowong places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Toowong's educational attainment is notably higher than regional averages. Among residents aged 15+, 58.0% hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 36.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (17.0%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Vocational pathways account for 18.5%, with advanced diplomas at 8.5% and certificates at 10.0%.

Educational participation is high, with 37.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 20.7% in tertiary education, 5.7% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing primary education.

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

Toowong has 69 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry, train, and bus services. These stops are served by 110 individual routes, collectively facilitating 7,199 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 129 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 60%, while train accounts for 14% and bus for 10%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.9 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 29.9% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,028 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 104 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Toowong's health outcomes data shows remarkable results, with AreaSearch finding very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The area has a high private health cover rate of approximately 66%, covering 9,358 people, compared to Greater Brisbane's 55.8% and the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues affect 9.7% of residents, while asthma impacts 7.4%.

Notably, 75.1% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, higher than Greater Brisbane's 69.2%. Working-age residents exhibit low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 10.9% of residents aged 65 and over (1,553 people), lower than Greater Brisbane's 15.1%. While health outcomes among seniors are strong, they rank lower nationally compared to the broader population.

Toowong was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Toowong's population showed higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 24.9% speaking a language other than English at home and 35.3% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Toowong, comprising 38.0% of its population. Notably, Judaism had a higher representation in Toowong at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% across Greater Brisbane.

Regarding ancestry, the top three groups were English (24.2%), Australian (19.5%), and Irish (10.4%). Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: French was overrepresented at 0.7% in Toowong versus 0.5% regionally, Chinese at 8.1% compared to 3.4%, and Welsh at 0.7% versus 0.5%.

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

Toowong's median age of 30 is younger than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Toowong has a higher concentration of residents aged 15-24 (23.8%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.3%). This 15-24 concentration is well above the national figure of 12.7%. Between 2021 and present, the population aged 25 to 34 has grown from 23.5% to 25.1%, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 22.5% to 23.8%. Conversely, the 35 to 44 age group has declined from 13.7% to 12.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Toowong's age structure. The 15 to 24 age cohort is projected to increase by 460 people (14%), from 3,374 to 3,835. The 0 to 4 group is expected to grow modestly at a rate of 4%, adding only 18 residents.