Fortitude Valley

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

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, the Fortitude Valley statistical area's population was estimated at 11,697 as of Nov 2025. This reflected an increase of 1,989 people (20.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,708 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimated resident population of 11,673 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 350 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population resulted in a density ratio of 8,929 persons per square kilometer, placing Fortitude Valley among the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 20.5% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both national (9.7%) and state averages, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 66.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data or years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data. Exceptional growth is predicted for Fortitude Valley over the period to 2041, with an expected increase of 6,492 persons reflecting a total increase of 55.6% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Fortitude Valley has received approximately 120 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 601 homes. As of FY-26, two approvals have been recorded. Between FY-21 and FY-25, an average of 4.1 people moved to the area per dwelling built. This high demand-to-supply ratio typically drives price growth and increased buyer competition.

The average expected construction cost for new dwellings is $811,000, reflecting a developer focus on premium properties. In FY-26, commercial development approvals have reached $231.8 million, suggesting strong local business investment. Recent building activity consists solely of medium and high-density housing, creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

Fortitude Valley's population density is around 22896 people per dwelling approval, indicating a highly mature market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is expected to gain an additional 6501 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 66 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Brunswick & Co, James Place, The Bedford by Mosaic, and Bowen Bridge Road Upgrade. Below is a list of projects likely 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.

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

Fortitude Valley has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 6.3% as of an unspecified past year.

Employment growth for the area was estimated at 1.1% over this period based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, there were 9,071 residents employed in Fortitude Valley with an unemployment rate of 6.3%, which is 2.3% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation was at 78.1%, significantly higher than Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. The leading employment industries among residents were professional & technical, accommodation & food, and health care & social assistance.

Fortitude Valley had a particularly strong specialization in accommodation & food, with an employment share of 2.3 times the regional level. Conversely, construction showed lower representation at 4.6% compared to the regional average of 9.0%. There were 2.9 workers for every resident in Fortitude Valley as per Census data, indicating it functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 1.1% while labour force increased by 1.3%, resulting in a rise of unemployment by 0.2 percentage points based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data for the wider area aggregated from statistical area data. In comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 3.8%, labour force growth of 3.3%, with unemployment falling by 0.5 percentage points during this period. State-level data to 25-Nov shows QLD employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, broadly in line with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia for May-25 project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Fortitude Valley's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.0% over ten years based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes that does not take into account localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows median income in Fortitude Valley is $59,699 and average income is $81,931. This contrasts with Greater Brisbane's median income of $58,236 and average income of $72,799. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, current estimates for Fortitude Valley are approximately $65,615 (median) and $90,050 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows individual earnings rank at the 83rd percentile nationally ($1,061 weekly), while household income ranks at the 45th percentile. Income brackets indicate that 39.4% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week (4,608 individuals). Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 77.1% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 37th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Fortitude Valley features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a predominantly rental market

In Fortitude Valley, as per the latest Census evaluation, dwelling structures consisted of 2.0% houses and 97.9% other dwellings such as semi-detached units, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. Home ownership stood at 5.2%, with 12.9% of dwellings mortgaged and 82.0% rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,718, and the median weekly rent figure was $400. Compared nationally, Fortitude Valley's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Fortitude Valley features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a median household size of 1.6 people

Family households constitute 35.8% of all households, including 5.4% couples with children, 25.9% couples without children, and 2.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 64.2%, with lone person households at 51.0% and group households comprising 13.2%. The median household size is 1.6 people.

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

Fortitude Valley's residents aged 15 and above have a higher educational attainment than broader benchmarks. 48.1% of its residents hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland and 30.4% in Australia. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 10.7% and graduate diplomas at 3.5%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 29.1% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.4%) and certificates (16.7%).

Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 30.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.6% in tertiary education, 1.9% in primary education, and 1.4% pursuing secondary education.

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

Fortitude Valley has 46 active public transport stops. These include ferry, train, and bus stops. There are 289 individual routes serving these stops.

Together, they facilitate 19,360 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 112 meters to the nearest stop. Daily service frequency averages 2,765 trips across all routes, resulting in approximately 420 weekly trips per individual stop.

Fortitude Valley's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Fortitude Valley's health outcomes data shows excellent results, particularly for younger age groups with low prevalence rates of common health conditions.

Approximately 60% of Fortitude Valley's total population of 6,979 has private health cover, the highest rate recorded. The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues (13.3%) and asthma (7.7%). A significant majority, 73.8%, report no medical ailments compared to 0% in Greater Brisbane overall. Fortitude Valley has 5.0% of residents aged 65 and over (584 people), with health outcomes among seniors being above average but still requiring more attention than the broader population.

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

Fortitude Valley's cultural diversity is notable, with 30.3% speaking a language other than English at home and 44.4% born overseas. Christianity is the dominant religion, comprising 31.5%. Buddhism stands out at 3.9%, compared to none in Greater Brisbane.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.1%), Other (16.2%), and Australian (15.8%). Spanish (1.5%) is notably overrepresented versus the regional average of none, as are Russian (0.6%) and French (0.8%).

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

Fortitude Valley has a median age of 31 years, which is younger than the Greater Brisbane average of 36 and significantly lower than the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Fortitude Valley has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (41.1%) 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%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 35-44 has increased from 18.6% to 20.0%, while the proportion of those aged 15-24 has decreased from 17.1% to 14.4%. Demographic projections indicate that Fortitude Valley's age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the 25-34 age cohort expected to grow steadily, increasing from 4,807 to 6,550 people, an expansion of 1,742 people (36%).