East Brisbane

Population growth drivers in East Brisbane are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, as of February 2026, the estimated population of East Brisbane is around 6,934. This reflects an increase of 748 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,186. The change is inferred from the resident population of 6,745, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 104 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,728 persons per square kilometer, placing East Brisbane in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 12.1% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the national average (9.9%) and the state average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 82.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 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. Considering projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth is projected for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch. The suburb of East Brisbane is expected to expand by 1,174 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 14.3% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, shows East Brisbane has seen around 76 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 382 homes from FY-19 to FY-23. So far in FY-24, 8 approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, an average of approximately one new resident per year has been associated with each dwelling constructed.

This indicates that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction value of these dwellings is $925,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-24, $18.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating steady commercial investment activity in East Brisbane. Recent construction comprises 4.0% detached houses and 96.0% medium and high-density housing.

This shift towards higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and caters to downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a significant change from the current housing mix (currently 44.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. East Brisbane shows characteristics of a growth area with around 53 people per dwelling approval. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, East Brisbane is expected to grow by 992 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified 30 potential impact projects. Major initiatives include Cross River Rail - Woolloongabba Station, East Brisbane State School Redevelopment & Vertical Expansion (2016-ongoing), BANKSII project (commenced 2017), and The Carter by Mosaic development (announced June 2018). Relevant projects are listed below.

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.

The employment landscape in East Brisbane shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

East Brisbane has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 5.8% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 0.8% over the past year. There were 4,509 residents employed while the unemployment rate was 1.8% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%.

Workforce participation was 79.2%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 70.7%. According to Census responses, 25.2% of residents worked from home. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training sectors. The area has a specialization in professional & technical employment with an employment share 1.7 times the regional level, while manufacturing shows lower representation at 3.4% compared to the regional average of 6.4%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 0.8% and labour force increased by 0.8%, leaving unemployment flat. In contrast, Greater Brisbane experienced employment growth of 3.8% and labour force growth of 3.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that East Brisbane's employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

The suburb of East Brisbane's income level is among the highest in Australia based on latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in East Brisbane is $60,553, with an average income of $90,577. These figures compare to Greater Brisbane's median and average incomes of $58,236 and $72,799 respectively. With a Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, current estimates project the median income to be approximately $66,554 and the average income to be around $99,553 by September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in East Brisbane rank highly nationally, between the 69th and 82nd percentiles. Income analysis shows that the largest segment comprises 32.2% of residents earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, consistent with broader trends across the broader area where 33.3% fall into the same category. Notably, 31.1% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting areas of prosperity that contribute to robust local economic activity. High housing costs consume 17.2% of income, yet strong earnings place disposable income at the 67th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

East Brisbane's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 44.2% houses and 55.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Brisbane metro had 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Brisbane was at 17.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.6% and rented ones at 57.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than the Brisbane metro average of $1,863. The median weekly rent in East Brisbane was $400, compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, East Brisbane's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 54.2% of all households, including 18.4% couples with children, 27.7% couples without children, and 6.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 45.8%, with lone person households at 31.9% and group households comprising 13.6%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in East Brisbane places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

East Brisbane's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 50.7% hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 32.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.5%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational pathways account for 24.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.3% and certificates at 14.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.7% in tertiary education, 6.0% in primary education, and 6.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

East Brisbane has 23 active public transport stops, a mix of ferry and bus services. These stops are served by 14 routes, offering 2,310 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 128 meters from the nearest stop. The area is primarily residential, with most commuters travelling outward. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 66%, followed by bus at 14% and walking at 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high 25.2% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 330 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 100 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in East Brisbane is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

East Brisbane shows better-than-average health outcomes, as assessed by AreaSearch using mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age groups have low prevalence of common health conditions. The area has a high private health cover rate of approximately 63% (4,374 people), compared to Greater Brisbane's 55.8%.

Nationally, the average is 55.7%. Mental health issues affect 11.0% and asthma impacts 7.7% of residents in East Brisbane. 72.9% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 69.2% across Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among working-age individuals are generally typical. The area has 10.3% (714 people) of residents aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Brisbane's 15.2%. Senior health outcomes in East Brisbane rank higher than the national average.

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

East Brisbane's population showed higher linguistic diversity, with 20.3% speaking a language other than English at home, compared to 9.6% in Greater Brisbane as of June 2016. Overseas-born residents comprised 31.8%, higher than the regional average of 27.5%. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 41.0% of East Brisbane's population.

Notably, Judaism had a slightly higher representation at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% in Greater Brisbane. Regarding ancestry, English (25.9%), Australian (19.3%), and Other (11.3%) were the top three groups. Some ethnic groups showed notable variations: French (1.0% vs regional 0.5%), Irish (10.7% vs 8.2%), and Spanish (0.7% vs 0.4%) had higher representations in East Brisbane than in Greater Brisbane.

East Brisbane's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

East Brisbane's median age is 33 years, which is younger than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 and significantly lower than Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, East Brisbane has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (26.4%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.3%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.4%. According to data from the 2021 Census, East Brisbane's population aged 55-64 has increased from 8.9% to 10.0%, while the proportion of residents aged 15-24 has decreased from 16.3% to 14.3%. The percentage of residents aged 5-14 has also dropped, from 7.6% to 6.3%. Demographic projections suggest that by 2041, East Brisbane's age profile will change significantly. The 45-54 age group is expected to grow the most, with a projected increase of 28%, adding 242 residents to reach a total of 1,095. Conversely, the number of residents aged 0-4 is anticipated to decrease by 4%.