Woolloongabba
Statistical Area - sa2

Woolloongabba lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Woolloongabba's population is around 10,210 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,613 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,597 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,068 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 463 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,236 persons per square kilometer, placing Woolloongabba in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 18.8% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.6%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 67.0%.

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 released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. Considering projected demographic shifts, exceptional growth is predicted over the period with Woolloongabba expected to increase by 7,751 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of 74.5% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Woolloongabba when compared nationally

Woolloongabba has granted approximately 160 residential property approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, a total of 804 homes have been approved, with an additional 83 approved in FY26 so far. On average, around 2.9 people have moved to the area per new home constructed over these five years, indicating solid demand that supports property values.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $914,000, suggesting developers focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This year has seen $90.8 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Woolloongabba shows 182.0% higher construction activity per person, offering buyers greater choice but with recent easing of construction activity. This is significantly above the national average, reflecting robust developer interest in the area. Recent construction comprises 6.0% standalone homes and 94.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating a shift towards denser development to provide accessible entry options for downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This represents a notable change from the area's existing housing stock, which is currently 30.0% houses. With around 2888 people per dwelling approval, Woolloongabba reflects a highly mature market.

Looking ahead, Woolloongabba is projected to grow by 7609 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Woolloongabba has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 55 projects that may affect the area. Notable projects include Cross River Rail - Woolloongabba Station, Silk Lane Development, The Carter by Mosaic, and Murcia Residences. The following list details those expected to be 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.

Woolloongabba has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Woolloongabba has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 5.7% as of June 2021.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.2%. As of June 2025, 6,507 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.6% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Woolloongabba is 69.5%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Leading employment industries among residents include health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and professional & technical services.

The area shows strong specialization in accommodation & food with an employment share of 1.9 times the regional level. Construction is under-represented, with only 4.7% of Woolloongabba's workforce compared to Greater Brisbane's 9.0%. As at the Census, there are 1.9 workers for every resident in Woolloongabba, indicating it functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. During the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.2% while labour force increased by 1.8%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest Woolloongabba's employment could increase by approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the local employment mix.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Woolloongabba had a median income among taxpayers of $51,610. The average level stood at $65,779. This was just above the national average and compared to levels of $55,645 and $70,520 across Greater Brisbane respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $58,830 (median) and $74,981 (average) as of September 2025. Census data revealed that household, family and personal incomes in Woolloongabba clustered around the 59th percentile nationally. Income brackets indicated that the predominant cohort spanned 34.7% of locals (3,542 people) in the $1,500 - $2,999 category, aligning with the region where this cohort likewise represented 33.3%. High housing costs consumed 21.4% of income, though strong earnings still placed disposable income at the 50th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

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

Woolloongabba's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 30.1% houses and 70.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Brisbane metro had 47.7% houses and 52.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Woolloongabba was at 10.2%, with mortgages at 17.2% and rentals at 72.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, below Brisbane metro's $2,100. Median weekly rent in Woolloongabba was $440, compared to Brisbane metro's $390. Nationally, Woolloongabba's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 47.8 percent of all households, including 13.3 percent couples with children, 26.5 percent couples without children, and 5.5 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 52.2 percent, with lone person households at 32.5 percent and group households comprising 19.6 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.3.

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

Woolloongabba's educational attainment is notably high, with 51.1% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 12.8% and graduate diplomas at 3.5%. Vocational pathways account for 22.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 13.4%. Educational participation is high, with 39.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 25.1% in tertiary education, 4.0% in primary education, and 3.0% pursuing secondary education.

Woolloongabba has four schools with a combined enrollment of 589 students as of the latest data. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1081. The educational mix includes two primary and two K-12 schools. Local school capacity is limited at 5.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 20.3, leading many families to travel to nearby areas for schooling.

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

Woolloongabba has 40 active public transport stops, serving a mix of train and bus services. These stops are covered by 140 individual routes, offering a total of 16,589 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport in the area is rated as excellent, with residents located an average of 164 meters from their nearest stop.

On average, there are 2,369 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 414 weekly trips per individual stop.

Woolloongabba's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Woolloongabba, particularly among younger cohorts who have a very low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is approximately 52% of the total population (~5,350 people), leading that of the average SA2 area but trailing Greater Brisbane's 61.3%.

The most common medical conditions in Woolloongabba are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 11.0 and 7.7% of residents respectively. However, 74.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 71.8% across Greater Brisbane. The area has 7.4% of residents aged 65 and over (758 people), which is lower than the 12.4% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges requiring more attention than the broader population.

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

Woolloongabba has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 42.9% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Woolloongabba, making up 31.9% of people. Buddhism is overrepresented compared to Greater Brisbane, comprising 3.7% versus 2.5%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (21.0%), Australian (16.2%), and Other (12.6%). Notably, Russian (0.8%) and Korean (1.6%) are overrepresented in Woolloongabba compared to regional figures of 0.5% and 0.6%, respectively. Spanish is also overrepresented at 0.8%.

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

Woolloongabba's median age is 29, lower than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 and Australia's median of 38. The age profile indicates that the 25-34 year-olds are prominent (34.6%), while the 5-14 group is smaller at 4.8% compared to Greater Brisbane. This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is higher than the national figure of 14.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 25-34 age group grew from 32.3% to 34.6%, and the 35-44 cohort increased from 12.7% to 14.7%. Conversely, the 15-24 cohort declined from 25.3% to 21.1%. By 2041, Woolloongabba's age composition is projected to change significantly, with the 25-34 age group expected to rise substantially by 2,021 people (57%), from 3,532 to 5,554.