Westlake

Westlake has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Westlake's population was approximately 4,524 as of February 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 80 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 4,444. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates and address validation between the Census date and June 2024. Westlake's population density was around 2,381 persons per square kilometer as of February 2026, placing it in the upper quartile compared to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Between 2021 and February 2026, Westlake's population grew by 1.8%, which is within 1.3 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth rate of 3.1%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 57.0% of overall population gains during recent periods in Westlake.

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 are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. According to projections, Westlake's population is expected to decline by 357 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are anticipated to grow during this period, notably the 75 to 84 age group, which is projected to increase by 193 people.

The level of residential development activity in Westlake is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Westlake has averaged approximately one new dwelling approval annually over the past five financial years, totalling six homes. As of FY26, zero approvals have been recorded so far. The area's population decline suggests that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good choice for buyers. New properties are constructed at an average value of $391,000, slightly above the regional average, indicating a focus on quality developments.

In FY26, commercial development approvals totalling $390,000 have been recorded, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Westlake records significantly lower building activity, 70.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. However, building activity has accelerated in recent years.

Nationally, this is also below average, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent development has been entirely comprised of detached dwellings, preserving Westlake's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With stable or declining population forecasts, Westlake may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Westlake has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

AreaSearch has identified three projects that could impact the area: Centenary Motorway Upgrade Planning, Middle Park Intersection Upgrade (Eumong Street/Riverhills Road), Metro Middle Park Mixed-Use Redevelopment, and McLeod Country Golf Club Retirement Village. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Westlake demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Westlake's workforce is highly educated, with professional services well-represented. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate was 2.2%. In this month, 2,366 residents were employed at a rate of 1.8% lower than Greater Brisbane's 4.0%.

Workforce participation in Westlake lagged behind Greater Brisbane, at 65.6% compared to 70.7%. According to Census responses, 26.2% of residents worked from home. The key industries for employment among residents were health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Westlake showed strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction employed only 6.0% of local workers, below Greater Brisbane's 9.0%. The predominantly residential area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between May-24 and Apr-25, Westlake's labour force decreased by 3.8%, with employment declining by 3.3%, resulting in a 0.6 percentage point fall in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment grow by 3.8% and labour force expand by 3.3%, with unemployment falling by 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates varied significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Westlake's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not account for localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Westlake SA2 has extremely high income levels nationally. The median income is $67,156 while the average stands at $82,244. This contrasts with Greater Brisbane's figures of a median income of $58,236 and an average of $72,799. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $73,811 (median) and $90,394 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows that Westlake's household, family, and personal incomes all rank highly nationally, between the 79th and 93rd percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 30.2% of residents (1,366 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket, consistent with broader metropolitan trends showing 33.3% in the same category. Notably, 44.9% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting pockets of prosperity that drive local economic activity. After housing costs, residents retain 89.0% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Westlake's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 96.9% houses and 3.1% other dwellings. In Brisbane metro, this was 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Westlake stood at 44.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.8% and rented ones at 11.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Westlake was $2,275, compared to Brisbane metro's $1,863. Weekly rent median in Westlake was $550, while Brisbane metro recorded $380. Nationally, Westlake's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,275 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 88.1% of all households, including 47.2% couples with children, 31.7% couples without children, and 8.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 11.9%, with lone person households at 10.4% and group households comprising 1.5% of the total. The median household size is 3.0 people, which is larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

The educational profile of Westlake exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Westlake is notably high, with 44.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications as of the given data period. This compares to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are most common at 28.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 12.3% and graduate diplomas at 3.9%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 25.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.3%) and certificates (14.1%).

Educational participation is high, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 9.7% in primary, 8.8% in secondary, and 6.7% in tertiary education.

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

A transport analysis in Westlake shows eight active transport stops operating, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by four different routes that collectively provide 271 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transport services is rated as good, with residents typically located 303 meters from the nearest stop. In this primarily residential area, most commuting is outward-bound. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport, used by 87% of residents, while trains are used by 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.9 per dwelling, which is above the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, 26.2%, work from home, which may be due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 38 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 33 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Westlake's health outcomes data shows excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups.

Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of Westlake's total population (2,709 people), compared to Greater Brisbane's 55.8%. Asthma and arthritis are the most common medical conditions in Westlake, affecting 7.4% and 6.5% of residents respectively. A higher proportion of Westlake residents, 71.9%, report being completely clear of medical ailments compared to Greater Brisbane at 69.2%. Working-age residents in Westlake are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has a higher percentage of seniors aged 65 and over (23.0% or 1,042 people) than Greater Brisbane (15.2%). Health outcomes among seniors in Westlake are particularly strong, aligning broadly with national rankings for the general population.

Westlake 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

Westlake's population showed higher cultural diversity, with 26.0% speaking a language other than English at home and 36.6% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 51.0%. Judaism, at 0.3%, was overrepresented compared to Greater Brisbane's 0.1%.

Top ancestry groups were English (25.7%), Australian (19.3%), and Other (9.9%). Notably, Vietnamese (3.0% vs regional 0.8%), Sri Lankan (0.6% vs 0.2%), and Russian (0.5% vs 0.3%) groups were overrepresented.

Westlake's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Westlake is 43 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years and Australia's median age of 38 years. The 65-74 age group makes up 13.1% of the population in Westlake, compared to a lower percentage in Greater Brisbane. Conversely, the 25-34 age group comprises only 5.3%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group grew from 4.5% to 8.0%, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 11.9% to 14.3%. However, the 25 to 34 cohort declined from 8.2% to 5.3%, and the 55 to 64 group decreased from 15.9% to 13.0%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Westlake. The 85+ age group is expected to grow by 141%, reaching 205 people from 85. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 98% of total population growth, reflecting Westlake's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.