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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
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Lowood has an estimated 4,375 residents, up from 4,082 at the 2021 Census — a change of 293 people, or 7.2%. Growth has averaged 0.9% a year over five years. Interstate and internal migration accounts for 58.0% of that increase. That puts 164 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
As of Aug 2026, the population in the suburb of Lowood is estimated at approximately 4,375 residents, according to AreaSearch's evaluation of broader ABS population updates alongside 21 validated new addresses recorded since the Census. In comparison to the 2021 Census count of 4,082 people, this represents an addition of 293 people (7.2%). This demographic shift stems from an estimated resident population of 4,343 determined by AreaSearch following the ABS ERP release in June 2025. With a population density of 164 persons per square kilometer, the suburb of Lowood offers substantial room per resident as well as scope for future development.
Tracking within 2.3 percentage points of the 9.5% national average, the suburb of Lowood's 7.2% post-census growth demonstrates solid demographic momentum. Inflow from interstate migration served as the primary driver, accounting for roughly 57.99999999999999% of all population additions over recent timeframes, complemented by positive contributions from natural increase and overseas arrivals. Projections for the suburb of Lowood utilize ABS/Geoscience Australia SA2 modeling published in 2024 with a 2022 baseline, supplemented by Queensland State Government SA2 forecasts released in 2023 (utilizing 2021 data) for intervals beyond 2032 or locations outside federal datasets. Because state forecasts omit age distribution breakdowns, proportional weightings from the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (published in 2023 based on 2022 figures) are applied across cohorts. Looking ahead, demographic modeling points to an above median rate of population expansion relative to national statistical areas. Projections aggregated at the SA2 level indicate the suburb of Lowood will expand by 906 persons to 2041, amounting to an overall gain of 20.0% across the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
43 new dwellings have been approved in Lowood over the past five years, an average of 8 a year. That is 2.4 approvals per 1,000 residents. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 17, running ahead of that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this Suburb (SAL) boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
Residential construction in Lowood has averaged approximately 8 dwellings approved annually, yielding roughly 43 homes across the past 5 financial years based on AreaSearch assessments of ABS building approvals. During FY-25 to date, 17 approvals have been logged. Between FY-21 and FY-25, the local market generated an average of 3.5 new residents annually for every dwelling constructed, creating an environment where demand substantially outpaces building supply, which typically exerts upward pressure on residential valuations and drives competition. Approved residential dwellings hold an average expected construction cost of $463,000. Commercial approvals in the current financial year total $467,000, underscoring that development remains predominantly geared toward residential property.
Per capita building approvals in Lowood sit 74.0% below the regional average when compared against Greater Brisbane. While building activity has gained pace in recent years, this constrained level of new construction typically underpins pricing and demand across established stock, while tracking below the national average due to market maturity and prospective planning restrictions. Residential building activity has comprised standalone houses exclusively, reinforcing low-density urban form and providing detached housing options suited to space-seeking buyers. With roughly 309 people per dwelling approval, Lowood displays the characteristics of a developing market. Long-term planning projections from AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimates indicate Lowood will add 874 residents by 2041. Should current rates of residential building persist, local supply could encounter difficulties matching population growth, potentially heightening competition among purchasers and supporting upward price movement.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Lowood
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 12 current infrastructure and development projects close to Lowood, worth an estimated $118 million. 6 are already under construction and 4 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, transport & logistics and retail. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local infrastructure investment, major works, and strategic planning initiatives play a crucial role in shaping community outcomes. No major projects have been identified by AreaSearch as having a direct impact on the area. Strategic regional projects of relevance include the Ipswich City Plan 2025, Ipswich Smart City Program, Ipswich Better Bus Network, and Warrego Highway Upgrade Program.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Plainland Crossing - Endeavour Way Industrial Development
Industrial and bulky goods precinct within the Plainland Crossing town centre. The final release of commercial lots is actively being developed and marketed for showrooms, bulky goods, and warehousing. Fully serviced commercial lots with direct access to Warrego Highway via Gehrke Road. National retailers including Bunnings and Aldi are already established nearby.
Plainland Crossing
A master-planned residential and commercial community in Plainland, midway between Ipswich and Toowoomba on the Warrego Highway. The development delivers approximately 400 residential lots across multiple stages alongside an 11-hectare retail and commercial precinct now fully sold and occupied by national retailers including Bunnings, Aldi, and Woolworths. Commenced in 2015, the estate offers a range of lot sizes with underground power, NBN, and sewer connections, and includes multiple landscaped parks.
Eureka Brassall Expansion
Completed expansion delivering 51 new 2-bedroom rental villas within Eureka Gainsborough Lifestyle Village, including refurbished community facilities (pool house and community room). Staged handover in 2023 with final 11 villas completed and fully leased by Feb 2024.
Gainsborough Meadows Estate
Masterplanned house and land estate in Brassall, Ipswich, delivering new residential lots with local roads, drainage, and landscaping in staged releases. Close to schools, shopping, and transport with house and land packages marketed by Tribeca.
Woolworths West Brassall Shopping Centre
Construction is underway on a Woolworths-anchored neighbourhood shopping centre at West Brassall / Emerald Hill. The project spans about 25,500 sqm and will deliver about 6,000 sqm of retail space, including a full-line Woolworths supermarket, approximately 15 specialty shops and kiosks, BWS, food and service tenancies, a medical and health precinct, outdoor dining and about 300 on-grade car parks. The centre is positioned to serve the growing Brassall and Emerald Hill residential catchment near the Warrego Highway connection and is due for completion in late April 2026.
Cunningham Highway Upgrade
The $276 million Cunningham Highway upgrade will enhance one of the region's major arterial roads. This project aims to improve safety, reduce travel times, and accommodate increasing traffic volumes between Ipswich and surrounding areas.
South East Queensland Inland Rail Project
The $10 billion Inland Rail project will pass through Ipswich, enhancing freight connectivity between Brisbane and Melbourne. This project will create new business opportunities, support industrial growth, and stimulate economic activity in Ipswich. It is part of a larger 1700km freight rail line connecting Melbourne and Brisbane via regional areas, with ongoing construction as of 2025, including sections like Helidon to Calvert near Ipswich.
North Ipswich Apartments
Ipswich City Council approved a two-stage multiple dwelling project for 104 apartments (22 x 1-bedroom and 82 x 2-bedroom) across five titles at 28-30 Lowry St, 45-47 Flint St and 12 Pelican St (Approval: 2367/2016/MCU). As of mid-2025, council records show a later MCU for single residential use affecting 12 Pelican St, indicating at least part of the original scheme has been modified and the 104-unit approval may not be proceeding in full. No construction activity is evident on council's Development.i portal.
1,724 residents of Lowood are employed, from a labour force of 1,882. Unemployment sits at 8.4%, with participation at 53.5%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 5.9% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 3,518, about 80% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Lowood supports an employment market spanning both blue-collar and white-collar roles, characterized by solid representation in manufacturing and industrial operations, an unemployment rate of 8.4%, and annual employment growth of 10.9% according to AreaSearch statistical area aggregations. As of March 2026, 1,724 local residents are employed. The local jobless rate exceeds Greater Brisbane's 4.3% by 4.1 percentage points, while workforce participation reaches 53.5%, trailing the 70.1% recorded across Greater Brisbane. Census data indicates that 8.1% of workers worked from home, a figure influenced by Covid-19 restrictions. Major employment sectors for local residents comprise health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.
The workforce exhibits notable concentration in manufacturing, where employment representation is 1.7 times the regional benchmark. Conversely, professional & technical occupations represent an under-represented segment, engaging only 3.7% of workers in Lowood relative to 8.9% throughout Greater Brisbane. Comparison between resident counts and Census working population figures indicates a modest volume of local employment opportunities. Data from ABS and SALM compiled by AreaSearch shows that during the 12 months to March 2026, local employment grew by 10.9% alongside an 8.7% rise in the labour force, resulting in a 1.9 percentage points decline in the unemployment rate. Across Greater Brisbane over the same timeframe, employment lifted 3.2%, the labour force grew 3.4%, and unemployment increased by 0.1 percentage points. Long-term labour outlooks from Jobs and Skills Australia as of Mar-26 project nationwide job expansion of 6.6% across five years and 13.7% across ten years, with performance varying by sector. Extrapolating these industry weightings to Lowood's sectoral profile suggests local employment gains of 5.9% across five years and 12.6% across ten years, representing a baseline illustrative weighting that excludes localized demographic projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Lowood is $1,163 a week (about $60,000 a year), with median personal income at $552 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $44,341 a year against an average of $49,927. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
Taxpayer earnings in the suburb of Lowood track below the national benchmark based on ATO statistics compiled by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The suburb of Lowood recorded a median income of $44,341 and an average income of $49,927, compared to $58,236 and $72,799 across Greater Brisbane. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since financial year 2023, modelled estimates reach $49,378 (median) and $55,599 (average) as of March 2026. The 2021 Census placed personal, family, and household earnings in Lowood between the 7th and 10th percentiles across Australia.
Among local income bands, the $800 - 1,499 category represents the largest share at 29.3% (1,281 people), whereas the $1,500 - 2,999 tier leads regionally at 33.3%. Housing affordability pressures are pronounced, with 82.4% of income remaining after housing costs, placing the area at the 11th percentile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Lowood had 1,466 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 94% detached houses and 1% apartments. 32% are owned with a mortgage, 37% rented and 31% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $295 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,300 a month. Rent absorbs 25.4% of household income here and mortgage repayments 25.8%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
Residential property across Lowood at the latest Census consisted of 93.9% houses alongside 6.1% semi-detached, apartment, and other residential structures, in contrast to Brisbane metro where standalone houses formed 73.5% and other dwellings accounted for 26.5%. Outright home ownership stood at 31.4%, exceeding the regional level, while 32.1% of properties were mortgaged and 36.6% were rented. Median weekly rent stood at $295 and median monthly mortgage repayments were $1,300, compared to Brisbane metro medians of $380 and $1,863 respectively. On a national scale, Lowood's median monthly mortgage repayment is lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and weekly rents sit below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Lowood counted 1,466 households at the 2021 Census, an estimated 1,571 today, averaging 2.6 people each. 25% are couples with children, against 28% couples without children. 25% of households are people living alone, and families average 2.1 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Family dwellings account for 72.3% of all households, consisting of 28.3% couples without children, 25.4% couples with children, and 17.2% single parent arrangements. Non-family households represent the remaining 27.7%, comprising 24.8% lone person residences and 2.8% group living arrangements. The median household size of 2.6 people aligns with the Greater Brisbane average.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
8.0% of adults in Lowood hold a university qualification, including 5.6% with a bachelor degree and 1.1% with postgraduate qualifications, lower than 88% of areas nationally. A further 35.0% hold a vocational qualification. 2 schools serve the area, with 881 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 915 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Educational attainment levels show that 8.0% of residents hold university qualifications, compared to the Greater Brisbane average of 30.5%. Attainment includes bachelor degrees at 5.6%, graduate diplomas at 1.3%, and postgraduate degrees at 1.1%. Vocational and trade qualifications are prominent across the population aged 15+, with 44.7% holding vocational credentials, including 35.0% with certificates and 9.7% with advanced diplomas. Formal educational participation involves 31.1% of the resident population. Within this cohort, primary school education accounts for 12.9%, secondary school represents 9.9%, and tertiary study comprises 2.4%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Getting around Lowood means driving: households keep an average of 1.5 vehicles, and no scheduled public transport appears in the current timetable feeds. Service data is built from operators' published GTFS timetables; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
55.3% of residents in Lowood report no long-term health condition, a less healthy profile than 95% of areas nationally. 10.0% need daily assistance with core activities, and 47.0% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 7.1 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health assessments by AreaSearch based on chronic illness rates and mortality indicate significant health challenges affecting younger and older demographics across Lowood. Private health insurance coverage is low, held by approximately 47% of the population (~2,055 people), compared to 55.8% in Greater Brisbane and the national average of 55.7%. Mental health conditions and arthritis represent the most prevalent diagnoses, affecting 12.5 and 11.6% of residents respectively, while 55.3% of the community reported having no chronic medical conditions, compared to 69.2% across Greater Brisbane. Working-age residents experience elevated chronic condition rates.
Residents aged 65 and over account for 22.0% of the population (962 people), higher than the 15.0% proportion in Greater Brisbane, with senior health indicators showing results broadly consistent with broader population percentiles.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Lowood is largely Australian-born, at 88.4% of residents, with 3.4% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are Australian (30.9%) and English (29.0%). 4.6% of residents identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity metrics show 89.1% Australian citizenship, 88.4% of residents born in Australia, and 96.6% speaking only English in the home. Christianity represents the primary religious affiliation, encompassing 49.1% of residents compared to 47.8% across Greater Brisbane. The primary reported ancestries in Lowood are Australian at 30.9% (above the 23.2% regional average), English at 29.0%, and German at 8.3%. Other represented groups include Australian Aboriginal ancestry at 4.6% (compared to 2.1% regionally), Welsh at 0.8% (versus 0.5% regionally), and Maori at 0.7% (against 1.1% regionally).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Lowood is 40. 23.6% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
Lowood's demographic profile shows a high proportion of older residents, with retirees and elderly cohorts (65+) comprising 22.0% of the population as of August 2026, compared to 15.0% across Greater Brisbane. Adults aged 25 - 44 account for 21.3%, below the regional benchmark of 30.6%. The median age is estimated by AreaSearch at 40 as at August 2026, matching the 2021 Census level and sitting 4 years higher than the Greater Brisbane median of 36 recorded at that Census. Retiree and elderly cohorts increased from 19.4% to an estimated 22.0% since the Census.
By 2041, senior cohorts are projected to drive growth by adding 578 residents (60%) to reach 1,541, while the young to middle-aged adult demographic is expected to contract.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Lowood
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Oct 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Oct 2026 this month headline measures · Sep 2026 baseline |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Oct 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, Local governments Daily | May 2026 5 months ago all 2 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated May 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 7 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Sep 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Sep 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 21 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (4,082 at the 2021 Census → 4,375 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL31700). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.