Newtown (Ipswich - Qld)

An assessment of population growth drivers in Newtown reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population for the Newtown (Ipswich - Qld) statistical area (Lv2) is around 1,584. This reflects a growth of 86 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,498. The current estimate of 1,580 residents was inferred from AreaSearch's examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and address validation since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of approximately 2,200 persons per square kilometer, exceeding national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed about 63.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are used, based on 2021 data and released in 2023. These state projections lack age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Future population projections indicate an above median growth for statistical areas across the nation. The Newtown (Ipswich - Qld) (SA2) is expected to grow by 290 persons to reach a total of around 1,874 by 2041, reflecting a 17.8% increase over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Newtown according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Newtown recorded approximately 1 residential property approval annually, with around 8 homes approved between financial years FY-21 and FY-25. No approvals have been recorded so far in FY-26.

Each dwelling built over the past five financial years accommodated an average of 2.8 new residents per year. The average construction value of these dwellings was $485,000, indicating a focus on premium market properties. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Newtown had significantly lower construction activity, at 91.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained supply typically drives up demand and pricing for existing homes. Recent development activity has increased but remains below both regional and national averages, suggesting maturity and potential planning constraints in the area. All new constructions between FY-21 and FY-25 were medium or high-density housing, creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shift contrasts with the current 92.0% houses mix.

The location had approximately 448 people per dwelling approval as of recent data. By 2041, Newtown is projected to gain around 282 residents. If development rates remain constant, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Newtown 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 has identified one major project expected to influence the region: Emerald Hill Estate Brassall. Notable projects include Ipswich Hospital Expansion Stage 2, Ipswich Better Bus Network, and Ipswich Smart City Program. Relevant projects are listed below.

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Employment performance in Newtown has been broadly consistent with national averages

Newtown's workforce is skilled with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 4.9% in the past year, showing an estimated employment growth of 4.8%.

As of September 2025828 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 0.9% higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation was on par with Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Dominant employment sectors included health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and education & training. Public administration & safety had notable concentration, being 1.8 times the regional average.

Professional & technical services were under-represented at 4.1% compared to Greater Brisbane's 8.9%. Limited local employment opportunities were indicated by Census working population vs resident population counts. In the 12 months prior, employment increased by 4.8% while labour force grew by 3.4%, reducing unemployment by 1.2 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Brisbane had employment growth of 3.8%, labour force growth of 3.3%, and unemployment fell by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov showed Queensland's employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, closely aligned with the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Newtown's employment mix suggested local employment should grow by 6.3% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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

The suburb of Newtown has a median taxpayer income of $63,213 and an average income of $69,803 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is slightly above the national average, contrasting with Greater Brisbane's median income of $58,236 and average income of $72,799. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since the financial year 2023, current estimates for Newtown would be approximately $69,477 (median) and $76,720 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, incomes in Newtown cluster around the 54th percentile nationally. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 captures 33.1% of the community in Newtown (524 individuals), which is consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 33.3% in the same category. After housing expenses, 85.8% of income remains for other expenses.

Newtown is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Newtown's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.0% houses and 7.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Brisbane metro had 88.4% houses and 11.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Newtown was at 23.7%, similar to Brisbane metro's level. Mortgaged dwellings were 43.5% and rented ones were 32.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, aligning with the Brisbane metro average. Median weekly rent was $295, compared to Brisbane metro's $300. Nationally, Newtown's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,517 against Australia's average of $1,863. Rents in Newtown were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Newtown has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 69.9 percent of all households, including 29.6 percent couples with children, 25.2 percent couples without children, and 14.1 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 30.1 percent, with lone person households at 26.8 percent and group households comprising 2.9 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

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

Newtown's educational qualifications trail regional benchmarks; 23.6% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees compared to Greater Brisbane's 30.5%. This gap indicates potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 15.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 38.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (27.4%).

Educational participation is notably high; 28.8% of residents are currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.8% in secondary education, 8.7% in primary education, and 3.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis shows seven active stops in Newtown, served by buses on two routes. These routes combined offer 243 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent transport access, with an average distance of 182 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency is 34 trips per day across all routes, equating to around 34 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Newtown is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a slightly higher degree among older age cohorts

Newtown faces significant health challenges with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across all age groups, but slightly more so among older cohorts. Approximately 55% (~868 people) of Newtown's total population has private health cover, compared to 50.5% in Greater Brisbane.

The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 13.3% and 10.3% of residents respectively. However, 61.6% of residents report having no medical ailments, slightly lower than the 62.2% reported across Greater Brisbane. As of 2021, 14.3% (226 people) of Newtown's population is aged 65 and over. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention due to presenting challenges beyond those faced by the broader population.

Newtown is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Newtown's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 86.5% of its population born in Australia, 91.4% being citizens, and 94.9% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Newtown is Christianity, comprising 49.9% of the population, which compares to 49.5% across Greater Brisbane. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups are English (30.2%), Australian (27.4%), and Irish (10.4%).

There are notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: German is overrepresented at 6.6% compared to 6.4% regionally, Spanish at 0.7% versus 0.3%, and Maori at 0.9%.

Newtown's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Newtown is 40 years, which is higher than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years and slightly exceeds the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Newtown has a notably higher percentage of people aged 55-64 (15.6% locally), while those aged 25-34 are under-represented (11.3%). Post-2021 Census data shows the population aged 15-24 grew from 12.2% to 13.3%, while the 5-14 cohort declined from 13.1% to 11.7%, and the 25-34 group decreased from 12.4% to 11.3%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Newtown, with the 55-64 age group expected to grow by 31 people (from 247 to 324), and the 25-34 age group projected to decrease by 12 residents.