Carina Heights

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

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Carina Heights is around 7,758, reflecting a 9.2% increase since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 7,103 people. This growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 7,703 based on ABS ERP data released in June 2024 and an additional 90 validated new addresses since the Census date. The suburb's population density is 2,255 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Carina Heights' growth exceeded both its SA3 area (7.3%) and the national average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 62.0% of overall population gains during recent periods. For projections until 2032, AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area.

Beyond 2032 and for areas not covered by this data, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted, with proportional growth weightings applied for age cohorts. Future trends suggest a population increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation, with Carina Heights expected to increase by 1,051 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 12.5% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Carina Heights has had around 41 dwelling approvals per year on average over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 207 homes. As of FY-26, 8 approvals have been recorded. This averages out to approximately 2.3 new residents per dwelling annually between FY-21 and FY-25. The average construction cost value for these dwellings is $709,000.

In FY-26, $54.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Carina Heights has similar development levels per person, maintaining market balance with the broader area, though recent activity has moderated. New building activity comprises 58.0% detached houses and 42.0% townhouses or apartments.

With around 310 people per dwelling approval, Carina Heights indicates a developing market. AreaSearch estimates suggest Carina Heights will grow by 970 residents by 2041, with current construction levels expected to meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially exceeding current forecasts.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 19 projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones include Greendale Village Shopping Centre, Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, Holland Park Busway Station Upgrade, and 208 Meadowlands Road Carina Development. 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.

Employment conditions in Carina Heights remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Carina Heights has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 5.3% as of June 2025.

Employment grew by an estimated 0.8% over the past year, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. In June 2025, 4,489 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.2% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Carina Heights was 70.0%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services.

The area has a particularly strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 4.1% versus the regional average of 5.6%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 0.8% while labour force increased by 1.8%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 1.0 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 4.4%, labour force growth of 4.0%, with unemployment falling 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest potential future demand within Carina Heights. These projections estimate local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific growth rates applied to the local employment mix.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Carina Heights' median taxpayer income was $62,110 with an average of $83,078 according to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022. This is notably higher than Greater Brisbane's median income of $55,645 and average income of $70,520. Based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 13.99% from financial year 2022 to September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $70,799 (median) and $94,701 (average). Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Carina Heights fall around the 71st percentile nationally. The income band of $1,500 - $2,999 captures 35.3% of the community (2,738 individuals), which aligns with broader trends across regional levels showing 33.3% in the same category. High housing costs consume 16.3% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 65th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Carina Heights displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Carina Heights, as per the latest Census, 51.1% of dwellings were houses with 48.9% being other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and others. This contrasts with Brisbane's metropolitan area where 71.2% were houses and 28.8% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Carina Heights stood at 23.1%, lower than Brisbane metro's figure. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 34.9%, while rented ones made up 42.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,950, below Brisbane metro's average of $2,200. Median weekly rent in Carina Heights was $403 compared to Brisbane metro's $450. Nationally, Carina Heights' mortgage repayments were higher at $1,950 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were also higher at $403 compared to the national figure of $375.

Carina Heights features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 67.3 percent of all households, including 24.6 percent couples with children, 27.1 percent couples without children, and 14.1 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 32.7 percent, with lone person households at 26.5 percent and group households comprising 6.2 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

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

In Carina Heights, 39.2% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, exceeding Queensland's 25.7% and Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 26.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.4%) and graduate diplomas (4.0%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 30.7% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (19.0%). Educational participation is high, with 27.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 8.1% in tertiary education, 7.6% in primary education, and 6.0% pursuing secondary education. Educational facilities may be located outside the immediate catchment 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

Transport analysis shows 48 active stops operating within Carina Heights. These are mixed bus routes totaling 14 individual services. They facilitate 2,586 weekly passenger trips combined.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents located an average of 146 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 369 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 53 weekly trips per stop.

Carina Heights's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Carina Heights residents have a relatively low prevalence of common health conditions compared to the general population, but higher than the national average for older and at-risk cohorts. Approximately 60% of the total population (4,664 people) has private health cover, which is slightly lower than Greater Brisbane's 63.9%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common conditions in the area, affecting 10.7% and 8.1% of residents respectively. About 68.7% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 72.4% across Greater Brisbane. As of 2021, 13.5% of Carina Heights residents are aged 65 and over (1,047 people), lower than the 15.6% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those for the broader population.

Carina Heights 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

Carina Heights, surveyed in 2016, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 27.5% of residents born overseas and 19.3% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, accounting for 49.8% of the population. Judaism, at 0.1%, was proportionally similar to Greater Brisbane's figure.

The top three ancestry groups were English (25.0%), Australian (21.8%), and Other (10.1%). Notably, Russian (0.7%), New Zealand (1.2%), and Spanish (0.7%) ethnicities had higher representations compared to regional averages of 0.5%, 1.0%, and 0.5% respectively.

Carina Heights's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Carina Heights' median age of 36 years is equal to Greater Brisbane's but younger than the national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age group makes up 17.6% of Carina Heights' population, higher than Greater Brisbane's percentage. The 5-14 age cohort represents 10.6%, which is lower compared to Greater Brisbane. Between 2021 and the present, the 75-84 age group has increased from 3.6% to 4.6%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has decreased from 19.0% to 17.6%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic shifts in Carina Heights. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to increase by 251 people (25%), from 1,000 to 1,252. Conversely, declines are forecast for the 35-44 and 0-4 age cohorts.