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

As of Nov 2025, Fortitude Valley's population is estimated at around 11,807 people. This reflects an increase of 2,099 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,708 people. The current resident population estimate of 11,774 by AreaSearch was inferred from the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and includes an additional 350 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 9,013 persons per square kilometer, placing Fortitude Valley in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 21.6% since the 2021 census exceeded both the national average (8.9%) and the state average. Overseas migration contributed approximately 66.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth being positive factors.

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 or years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. Considering projected demographic shifts and exceptional growth, Fortitude Valley is predicted to grow by 6,512 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 54.3% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Fortitude Valley when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, Fortitude Valley averaged around 119 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, an estimated 597 homes were approved, with a further 3 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, each home built over these five financial years accommodates approximately 4.2 new residents per year.

This significant demand exceeds the supply of new dwellings, typically leading to price growth and increased buyer competition. The average expected construction cost value for new dwellings is $878,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY-26 alone, there have been $230.2 million in commercial approvals, reflecting robust local commercial activity.

Recent building activity consists entirely of medium and high-density housing, creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. Fortitude Valley currently has around 1431 people per dwelling approval, indicating a highly mature market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, the population is forecasted to grow by 6,411 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, 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 impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 72 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives are Brunswick & Co, Waterfront Newstead - Mirvac Masterplan, James Place, and The Bedford by Mosaic. Relevant projects are detailed below.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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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. The unemployment rate was 5.9% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 3.9%.

As of June 2025, 9,122 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 1.8% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Fortitude Valley is high at 78.1%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Leading employment industries include professional & technical services, accommodation & food, and health care & social assistance. The area specialises particularly in accommodation & food, with an employment share of 2.3 times the regional level, while construction shows lower representation at 4.6% compared to the regional average of 9.0%.

There are 2.9 workers for every resident, indicating that Fortitude Valley functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 3.9% while labour force increased by 2.9%, resulting in a decrease in unemployment of 0.9 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 4.4%, labour force growth of 4.0%, with unemployment falling by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that Fortitude Valley's employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows Fortitude Valley's median income was $59,681 and average income was $81,971. This is higher than Greater Brisbane's median of $55,645 and average of $70,520. By September 2025, estimated incomes are approximately $68,030 (median) and $93,439 (average), based on a 13.99% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. Census 2021 data indicates individual earnings rank at the 83rd percentile nationally ($1,061 weekly), but household income ranks lower at the 45th percentile. Income brackets show 39.4% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (4,651 individuals). Housing affordability pressures are severe; only 77.1% of income remains after housing costs, ranking at the 37th percentile nationally. Fortitude Valley's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Fortitude Valley features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Fortitude Valley, as per the latest Census, consisted of 2.0% houses and 97.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Brisbane metro had 0.0% houses and 0.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Fortitude Valley stood at 5.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 12.9% and rented ones at 82.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,718, aligning with the Brisbane metro average, while the median weekly rent was $400. Nationally, Fortitude Valley's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and 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 has a higher proportion of residents with university qualifications than Queensland or Australia. 48.1% of its residents aged 15+ have such qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 29.1% of residents holding them - advanced diplomas account for 12.4% and certificates for 16.7%.

Educational participation is high, 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. Seven schools operate within Fortitude Valley, educating approximately 2,613 students. The area has a significant socio-educational advantage with an ICSEA score of 1102. It includes five secondary and two K-12 schools, providing 22.1 school places per 100 residents.

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

Fortitude Valley has 49 active public transport stops. These include ferry, train, and bus services. There are 272 individual routes operating from these stops, serving 19,615 weekly passenger trips in total.

Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 110 meters to the nearest stop. On average, there are 2,802 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 400 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 exceptional results, particularly for younger cohorts with low prevalence of common health conditions.

Approximately 60% of its total population of 7,046 have private health cover. The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues (13.3%) and asthma (7.7%), while 73.8% report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 0% across Greater Brisbane. Only 5.0% of residents are aged 65 and over (590 people). However, seniors' health outcomes require more attention than the broader population despite being above average.

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 has high cultural diversity with 30.3% speaking a language other than English at home and 44.4% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion, at 31.5%. Buddhism is overrepresented 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%) Russian (0.6%) and French (0.8%) are notably overrepresented.

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

At 31 years, Fortitude Valley's median age is younger than the Greater Brisbane average of 36 and substantially under the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Fortitude Valley has a higher concentration of 25-34 residents at 41.1%, but fewer 5-14 year-olds at 2.4%. This 25-34 concentration is well above the national average of 14.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 35 to 44 age group grew from 18.6% to 20.0% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort declined from 17.1% to 14.4%. Demographic modeling suggests Fortitude Valley's age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the 25-34 age group projected to grow steadily, increasing by 1,703 people (35%) from 4,852 to 6,556.