Wilston
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Wilston's population is around 4,155 as of August 2025. This reflects an increase of 124 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,031 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,145 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 5 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,989 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 63.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. These state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections are applied for each age cohort. Looking at population projections moving forward, a population increase just below the median of national areas is expected by August 2041 based on the latest population numbers, with an increase of 9.8% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Wilston, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Wilston has recorded approximately five residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis. There were 28 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, and two so far in FY-26. On average, around 0.6 new residents arrived per new home annually between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating that supply is meeting or exceeding demand.

This provides greater buyer choice while supporting potential population growth above projections. The average construction cost value of new homes over this period was $1,362,000, suggesting developers are focusing on the premium market with high-end developments. Commercial approvals in Wilston totalled $997,000 this financial year, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Wilston has significantly less development activity, at 81.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings.

Nationally, Wilston's development activity is also below average, likely due to its mature status and possible planning constraints. New building activity in Wilston shows an 80:20 split between detached and attached dwellings respectively, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes. With around 668 people per approval, Wilston is a mature, established area. Population forecasts indicate Wilston will gain approximately 405 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Wilston has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects that may impact this region. Notable projects are Brisbane Metro, Brisbane 2032 Olympic Athletes Village - RNA Showgrounds, Zaria Residences Kelvin Grove, and Grantson St, Windsor. The following list details those most relevant.

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

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Wilston performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Wilston's workforce is highly educated with significant representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 2.2% in the past year, lower than Greater Brisbane's 4.1%.

Employment growth was estimated at 3.6% over the same period. As of June 2025, Wilston had 2,712 residents employed with an unemployment rate of 1.9%, below Greater Brisbane's rate, and a workforce participation rate of 74.8%, higher than Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. Professional & technical jobs are particularly notable, with levels at 2.0 times the regional average.

Manufacturing is under-represented, comprising only 2.7% of Wilston's workforce compared to Greater Brisbane's 6.4%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census working population vs resident population count. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 3.6%, labour force by 2.9%, reducing unemployment by 0.7 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 4.4% and a reduction in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, with employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wilston's employment mix suggests local growth could be approximately 7.7% over five years and 15.4% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

Wilston has a median taxpayer income of $72,929 and an average of $109,744 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This is notably higher than Greater Brisbane's median income of $55,645 and average income of $70,520. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since the financial year 2022, estimates for March 2025 would be approximately $81,469 (median) and $122,595 (average). According to the 2021 Census figures, incomes in Wilston rank highly nationally, between the 94th and 97th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. Income analysis shows that 39.2% of the community earns over $4,000 (1,628 individuals), differing from regional patterns where earnings between $1,500 - $2,999 dominate at 33.3%. A substantial proportion of residents (50.2%) earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity in the suburb. After housing costs, residents retain 88.2% of their income, reflecting robust purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Wilston's housing structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 71.8% houses and 28.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Brisbane metro's 36.5% houses and 63.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wilston stood at 31.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.6% and rented ones at 33.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,708, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $2,167. The median weekly rent in Wilston was $400, compared to Brisbane metro's $410. Nationally, Wilston's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Wilston features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 71.6% of all households, including 38.4% couples with children, 23.2% couples without children, and 8.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up 28.4%, with lone person households at 23.1% and group households comprising 5.9%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.2.

Wilston performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

Wilston's educational attainment is notably higher than broader averages. Among residents aged 15+, 53.6% hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 35.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 12.9% and graduate diplomas at 5.3%. Vocational pathways account for 20.0%, with advanced diplomas at 8.7% and certificates at 11.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.9% in secondary education, 9.6% in primary education, and 9.2% pursuing tertiary education. Schools appear to be located outside Wilston's immediate boundaries, requiring families to access educational facilities in neighboring areas.

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

Transport analysis shows 26 active stops operating in Wilston. These include train and bus services totalling 21 routes. The weekly passenger trips amount to 2,501.

Residential proximity to transport is rated excellent, with residents usually located 151 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 357 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 96 weekly trips per individual stop.

Wilston's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Wilston's health outcomes data shows excellent results, with younger cohorts having a very low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover in Wilston is exceptionally high at approximately 75% (3,128 people), compared to 71.3% across Greater Brisbane and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 8.3% and 6.3% of residents respectively.

Overall, 75.9% of Wilston residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.7% across Greater Brisbane. The area has 13.2% (548 people) of residents aged 65 and over, with health outcomes among seniors requiring more attention than the broader population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Wilston records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Wilston's population, like the broader area, is predominantly born in Australia (80.4%), holds citizenship (91.3%), and speaks English at home (89.9%). Christianity is the dominant religion in Wilston (52.4%), slightly higher than the Greater Brisbane average of 45.9%. The top three ancestry groups are English (28.8%), Australian (23.3%), and Irish (14.0%).

Notably, Welsh (0.7%), Polish (0.9%), and Scottish (8.8%) populations in Wilston differ from regional averages.

Wilston's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Wilston's median age is 38 years, which is slightly higher than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 but equal to Australia's median age of 38 years. The 45-54 age group constitutes a strong 16.2% of Wilston's population compared to Greater Brisbane, while the 25-34 cohort makes up only 11.5%. Between 2021 and now, the 55-64 age group has grown from 11.7% to 14.0%, and the 75-84 cohort has increased from 2.8% to 4.8%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 13.3% to 11.5%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 13.4% to 12.3%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Wilston's age structure. The 75-84 cohort is expected to grow by 80% (adding 158 people), reaching a total of 358 from the current figure of 199. Those aged 65 and above are projected to comprise 58% of Wilston's population growth. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.