Herston

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

As of May 2026, the estimated population of Herston is around 2,909, reflecting a growth of 598 people since the 2021 Census. This increase represents a 25.9% rise from the previously reported figure of 2,311 inhabitants. The current estimate is based on AreaSearch's validation of new addresses following the examination of ABS' latest ERP data release in June 2025 and an additional 34 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,721 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Herston's growth rate of 25.9% since the 2021 census exceeds both the national average (9.3%) and state averages, marking it as a significant growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 94.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving this growth.

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, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Examining future population trends, Herston is projected to have an above median growth rate. By 2041, the suburb's population is expected to expand by 651 persons, reflecting a total increase of 22.1% over the 16-year period based on aggregated SA2-level projections.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, shows Herston experienced around 9 dwellings receiving development approval annually over the past 5 financial years ending FY25. This totals an estimated 45 homes. As of FY26, 8 approvals have been recorded. On average, 6.2 people moved to the area per year for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating demand outpacing supply.

New dwellings are developed at an average cost of $655,000, focusing on the premium segment with upmarket properties. In FY26, $147.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, demonstrating high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Herston records markedly lower building activity, 50.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Nationally, Herston's activity is also lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New building activity shows 12.0% detached dwellings and 88.0% townhouses or apartments, focusing on higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a shift from the area's existing housing composition (currently 43.0% houses), indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles.

Herston shows a developing market with around 258 people per dwelling approval. Future projections estimate Herston adding 642 residents by 2041, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases if current development rates struggle to match population growth.

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

The performance of a region can significantly be influenced by modifications to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 39 such projects that could potentially impact this area. Notable among these are Herston Quarter Redevelopment, Brisbane 2032 Games Venue Infrastructure Program, New Brisbane Stadium (Victoria Park Olympic Stadium), and Brisbane Stadium (Victoria Park). The following list details those 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.

The labour market in Herston demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Herston's workforce is highly educated with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 4.2% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.4%. As of December 2025, 1,846 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.1%, aligning with Greater Brisbane's rate.

Workforce participation in Herston was 75.0%, higher than Greater Brisbane's 69.6%. According to Census responses, 21.4% of residents worked from home. Leading employment industries included health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Health care & social assistance had a particularly strong representation with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction was under-represented at 4.2%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 9.0%. There were 4.3 workers per resident as of the Census, indicating Herston functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over a 12-month period ending in May-25, employment increased by 1.4% while labour force grew by 2.0%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane experienced employment growth of 3.2% and labour force growth of 3.0%, with a 0.1 percentage point drop in unemployment. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Herston's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 15.2% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2023 shows that Herston suburb has high national incomes. The median income is $64,226 and the average income stands at $93,376. Greater Brisbane's figures are lower, with a median income of $58,236 and an average income of $72,799. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since financial year ending June 2023, current estimates for Herston would be approximately $71,522 (median) and $103,984 (average) as of March 2026. Census data indicates that incomes in Herston cluster around the 68th percentile nationally. The predominant income bracket is $1,500 - $2,999, with 33.1% of locals falling into this category. There's a substantial proportion of high earners (31.9%) above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity in Herston. High housing costs consume 17.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 68th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Herston's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 43.3% houses and 56.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Brisbane metro's 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Herston stood at 16.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.2% and rented ones at 59.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,300, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,863, while the median weekly rent was $400, compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, Herston's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, and rents surpassed the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 55.5% of all households, including 20.8% couples with children, 23.3% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 44.5%, with lone person households at 25.8% and group households comprising 19.0%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

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

Herston's educational attainment exceeds broader benchmarks, with 53.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.9%) and graduate diplomas (4.2%). Vocational pathways account for 21.6% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.1% and certificates at 12.5%. Educational participation is high, with 39.9% currently enrolled in formal education, including 20.1% in tertiary education, 7.1% in primary education, and 6.3% pursuing secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 39.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 20.1% in tertiary education, 7.1% in primary education, and 6.3% pursuing secondary education.

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

Herston has 26 active public transport stops serving mixed bus routes. These stops are covered by 30 different routes, offering a total of 5,058 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 115 meters from the nearest stop. As primarily residential, most commutes are outward-bound. Cars remain the dominant mode at 59%, followed by buses at 16% and walking at 13%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, below regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 21.4% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 722 trips per day, equating to approximately 194 weekly trips per individual stop.

Herston's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Herston's health metrics align closely with national benchmarks, as assessed by AreaSearch using mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are seen at a standard level across both young and old age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high in Herston, with approximately 64% of the total population (1867 people), compared to 55.8% across Greater Brisbane and 55.7% nationally.

The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues affecting 13.0% of residents and asthma impacting 6.8%. A majority, 71.8%, report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.2% in Greater Brisbane. Working-age residents show a higher-than-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. Herston has 6.2% of residents aged 65 and over (180 people), lower than the 15.1% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, ranking even higher than those of the general population nationally.

Herston 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

Herston's cultural diversity was notable, with 24.8% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home and 34.5% born overseas. Christianity dominated religious demographics in Herston, comprising 36.3%. However, Buddhism showed higher representation in Herston at 3.0%, compared to the Greater Brisbane average of 2.0%.

In terms of ancestry, the top groups were English (23.0%), Australian (18.6%), and Other (13.6%). Some ethnic groups had notable differences: Polish was overrepresented at 1.2% in Herston versus 0.5% regionally, French at 0.8% versus 0.5%, and Korean at 0.8% versus 0.5%.

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

Herston's median age is 30, which is significantly lower than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 and Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Herston has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (27.0%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.6%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 14.6%. Between 2021 and present, Herston's median age has decreased by 1.1 years from 31 to 30, suggesting a shift towards a younger demographic. During this period, the proportion of residents aged 15-24 increased from 20.2% to 22.9%, while those aged 25-34 rose from 24.5% to 27.0%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 45-54 decreased from 12.5% to 11.0%, and those aged 5-14 dropped from 8.8% to 7.6%. Population forecasts for Herston in the year 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes, with the 45-54 age group projected to grow by 43%, adding 138 residents to reach a total of 458. In contrast, the 0-4 age group is forecasted to grow minimally by just 9 people (9%).