Bowen Hills

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

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Bowen Hills is around 5,937, reflecting an increase of 1,039 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 4,898. This growth represents a 21.2% increase and was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 5,804 based on the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional 288 validated new addresses since the Census date. The resulting population density is 3,451 persons per square kilometer, placing Bowen Hills in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. This growth rate exceeded both the national average of 8.9% and the state's growth rate, marking Bowen Hills as a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 57.99999999999999% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including overseas migration and natural growth being positive factors. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area as released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year.

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 are adopted. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 using 2022 data for each age cohort. Considering projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase is forecast for Bowen Hills by 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the area is expected to expand by 1,661 persons, reflecting an overall increase of 21.3% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Bowen Hills among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval data indicates Bowen Hills averaged approximately 136 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 680 homes were approved, with an additional 58 in FY-26 to date. This equates to about 1.6 people moving to the area per dwelling built over the past five financial years.

The average construction value of new properties is $811,000, suggesting a focus on premium developments. Commercial development approvals totalled $42.9 million in FY-26. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Bowen Hills exhibits 290.0% higher construction activity per person, though recent activity has eased slightly. This high level of activity is significantly above the national average, indicating strong developer interest. New building activity comprises 1.0% standalone homes and 99.0% medium to high-density housing. With around 56 people per approval, Bowen Hills reflects an area experiencing growth.

Future projections estimate Bowen Hills will add approximately 1,263 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 83 projects likely to affect the region. Notable projects include Cross River Rail - Exhibition Station, Waterfront Newstead - Mirvac Masterplan, Bowen Bridge Road Upgrade, and Victoria Park Stadium (Brisbane Arena). The following list details those 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.

AreaSearch analysis indicates Bowen Hills maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Bowen Hills has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 3.9% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 3.4%.

As of June 2025, 4,546 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.2% below Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%, and workforce participation at 76.9%. Leading industries include professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and accommodation & food. Bowen Hills specializes in professional & technical jobs, with a share 1.8 times the regional level, but has fewer education & training roles, at 4.3% compared to Greater Brisbane's 9.4%. There are 2.9 workers per resident, indicating it functions as an employment hub attracting external workers.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 3.4%, labour force by 2.8%, reducing unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane's employment grew by 4.4% and labour force by 4.0%, with a 0.4 percentage point drop in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bowen Hills' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Bowen Hills had a median taxpayer income of $47,697 and an average of $71,141 according to AreaSearch's aggregation of postcode level ATO data for the financial year 2022. This was higher than national averages, contrasting with Greater Brisbane's median income of $55,645 and average income of $70,520. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $54,370 (median) and $81,094 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, individual earnings ranked at the 82nd percentile nationally ($1,042 weekly), while household income ranked at the 38th percentile. Income analysis showed that the predominant cohort was 36.3% of locals (2,155 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to broader trends across the surrounding region with 33.3% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 76.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 29th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Bowen Hills, as per the latest Census data, consisted of 3.0% houses and 97.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Brisbane metro's 36.5% houses and 63.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bowen Hills was at 4.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 11.6% and rented dwellings at 83.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,614, below Brisbane metro's average of $2,167. The median weekly rent figure for Bowen Hills was $390, compared to Brisbane metro's $410. Nationally, Bowen Hills' mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 35.8% of all households, including 5.7% couples with children, 25.1% couples without children, and 3.3% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 64.2%, with lone person households at 51.2% and group households comprising 13.0%. The median household size is 1.6 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.2.

Bowen Hills demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Bowen Hills has a notably higher educational attainment than broader averages. 48.6% of its residents aged 15 years and above have university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 34.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 11.0% and graduate diplomas at 2.9%. Vocational credentials are also common, with 28.6% of residents holding them - advanced diplomas at 12.4% and certificates at 16.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 17.7% in tertiary education, 1.9% in secondary education, and 1.8% pursuing primary education. Educational facilities seem to be located outside Bowen Hills' immediate boundaries, requiring families to access schools in neighboring areas.

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

Bowen Hills has 20 active public transport stops. These include both train and bus services. There are 217 different routes operating from these stops.

In total, these routes facilitate 13,025 weekly passenger trips. The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 135 meters. On average, there are 1,860 trips per day across all routes, which equals approximately 651 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results throughout Bowen Hills, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 55% (~3,288 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Brisbane's 71.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 13.7% and 7.5% of residents respectively. About 73.4% declare no medical ailments, similar to Greater Brisbane's 73.7%. Bowen Hills has 6.4% (379 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Brisbane's 12.2%. Seniors' health outcomes are strong, aligning with the general population's profile.

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

Bowen Hills has a high level of cultural diversity, with 29.9% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 42.7% born overseas. The predominant religion in Bowen Hills is Christianity, which accounts for 33.2% of the population. Judaism, however, is overrepresented compared to Greater Brisbane, with 0.2% of Bowen Hills' population identifying as such.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (22.6%), Australian (16.9%), and Other (15.3%), which is significantly higher than the regional average of 9.7%. Notably, Spanish, French, and Korean ethnicities are overrepresented in Bowen Hills compared to Greater Brisbane: Spanish at 1.4% vs 0.5%, French at 1.0% vs 0.7%, and Korean at 1.2% vs 0.5%.

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

Bowen Hills has a median age of 31 years, which is younger than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 and significantly lower than Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Bowen Hills has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (40.0%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (2.4%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.5%. Post-2021 Census data indicates that the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 16.5% to 18.0%, while the 75 to 84 cohort has risen from 1.1% to 2.5%. Conversely, the 15 to 24 age group has decreased from 20.6% to 19.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Bowen Hills' age profile will change significantly. The 45 to 54 age cohort is projected to expand substantially, growing by 303 people (57%) from 528 to 832. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 age cohort is expected to grow modestly by 6% (7 people).