Cleveland (Qld)

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

As of Nov 2025, Cleveland's population is estimated at around 17,058, reflecting an increase of 1,208 people since the 2021 Census. The suburb had a population of 15,850 in 2021. This growth is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of Cleveland's resident population at 16,810 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), along with an additional 280 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 1,449 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Cleveland's growth rate of 7.6% positions it closely to the SA4 region's 7.7%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 58% 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 by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, based on 2021 data and released in 2023. Proportional growth weightings are applied to these state projections for each age cohort, aligning with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Considering projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth is projected for the suburb of Cleveland (Qld), expected to increase by 2,547 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 13.2% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Cleveland recorded approximately 130 residential properties approved per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 651 homes. As of FY26, 54 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.4 people moved to the area for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, suggesting a balanced supply and demand creating stable market conditions. The average value of new homes being built is $562,000, slightly above the regional average.

In FY26, Cleveland has registered $42.0 million in commercial approvals, indicating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Cleveland has 18.0% less building activity per person but ranks among the 82nd percentile nationally. New building activity comprises 41.0% standalone homes and 59.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift towards higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This change is notable given the current housing mix of 60.0% houses. Cleveland has approximately 128 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market.

By 2041, Cleveland is projected to grow by 2,258 residents based on AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. With current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 15 projects that could affect the region. Notable initiatives include the Redland Hospital Expansion, Redlands Coast Smart and Connected City Strategy, Redlands Health and Wellness Precinct, and Redlands Research Station Expansion. The following list details projects likely 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.

AreaSearch assessment positions Cleveland ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Cleveland has a skilled workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.2% and it has seen an estimated 4.2% employment growth over the past year, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of June 2025, Cleveland has 8,403 residents employed with an unemployment rate of 0.9% lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Cleveland is significantly lower at 53.2%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Key industries for employment among Cleveland residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction shows notable concentration with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Conversely, professional & technical services show lower representation at 7.8% versus the regional average of 8.9%. The ratio of 0.6 workers per resident indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels in Cleveland increased by 4.2%, labour force increased by 4.3%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 0.1 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 4.4%, labour force growth of 4.0%, with a fall in unemployment of 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest potential future demand within Cleveland. These projections indicate national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Cleveland's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Cleveland had a median income among taxpayers of $53,426 and an average level of $83,585. Nationally, these figures are high compared to Greater Brisbane's median of $55,645 and average of $70,520. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Cleveland would be approximately $60,900 (median) and $95,279 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in Cleveland rank modestly, between the 31st and 38th percentiles. Income distribution data shows that 26.4% of Cleveland's population (4,503 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, which is similar to regional levels where 33.3% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Cleveland, with only 82.1% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 28th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Cleveland displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Cleveland, as per the latest Census data, 60.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 39.4% consisting of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. In Brisbane metro, this breakdown was 83.9% houses and 16.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cleveland stood at 40.5%, with mortgaged properties accounting for 28.9% and rented dwellings making up 30.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cleveland was $2,000, matching the Brisbane metro average, while the median weekly rent was $400, compared to Brisbane's $2,000 and $425 respectively. Nationally, Cleveland's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, with rents also higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 67.0% of all households, including 23.5% couples with children, 31.2% couples without children, and 11.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 33.0%, with lone person households at 31.0% and group households comprising 2.1% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

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

Educational qualifications in Cleveland trail regional benchmarks; 22.7% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees compared to 30.5% in Greater Brisbane. The gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 15.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 39.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (13.4%) and certificates (25.8%).

A substantial 24.3% of the population actively pursues formal education; this includes 8.3% in secondary education, 7.7% in primary education, and 3.8% pursuing tertiary education. As of a recent report, six schools operate within Cleveland, educating approximately 3,251 students while the area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1036) with balanced educational opportunities. Educational provision follows conventional lines, split between two primary and four secondary institutions. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs (19.1 places per 100 residents vs 14.3 regionally), indicating the area serves as an educational center for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

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

Transport analysis shows 87 active stops operating within Cleveland. These include a mix of train and bus services. There are 32 individual routes servicing these stops, collectively providing 2,729 weekly passenger trips.

Residents have good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 253 meters to the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 389 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 31 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Cleveland is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Cleveland faces significant health challenges with notable prevalence of common conditions across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 60% of Cleveland's total population (10,289 people) has private health cover, compared to 54.2% in Greater Brisbane and a national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.1%) and mental health issues (8.6%).

61.5% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 64.6% in Greater Brisbane. Cleveland has 33.4% of residents aged 65 and over (5,697 people), higher than the 25.3% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Cleveland was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Cleveland's cultural diversity is above average, with 9.1% speaking a language other than English at home and 30.4% born overseas. Christianity is the dominant religion in Cleveland at 55.4%, compared to 52.8% across Greater Brisbane. The top three ancestry groups are English (34.2%), Australian (21.5%), and Irish (9.4%).

Notably, South African representation is higher than average at 1.0%, New Zealand at 1.1% (vs regional 1.2%), and Scottish at 9.1% (vs regional 8.9%).

Cleveland ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Cleveland has a median age of 52 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Brisbane's median age of 36 years, and also older than the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Cleveland has a notably higher percentage of people aged 75-84 (13.1% locally vs. the Greater Brisbane average), while those aged 25-34 are under-represented (5.4%). This concentration of the 75-84 age group is well above the national average of 6.0%. Between 2021 and the present, the percentage of Cleveland's population aged 75 to 84 has increased from 10.3% to 13.1%, while the 25 to 34 age group has decreased from 7.4% to 5.4%, and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 10.2% to 9.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Cleveland's age profile will change significantly. The number of people aged 75 to 84 is projected to grow by 60%, from 2,234 to 3,578. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above are expected to account for 86% of the total population growth, reflecting Cleveland's aging demographic profile. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 age cohorts.