North Lakes

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

As of Nov 2025, North Lakes' population is estimated at around 24,787. This reflects an increase of 1,757 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 23,030. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 24,454 residents following examination of the latest ERP data release by ABS (June 2024), along with an additional 172 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,113 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, North Lakes has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 2.4%, outpacing the SA4 region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 75.0% 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 adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence where utilised, AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Anticipating future population dynamics, lower quartile growth is anticipated, with the suburb expected to increase by 939 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 2.4% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within North Lakes when compared nationally

North Lakes has seen around 31 residential properties granted approval per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 158 homes. So far in FY26, 2 approvals have been recorded. This results in approximately 7.3 people moving to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25. Commercial approvals registered this year total $14.2 million.

Compared to Greater Brisbane, North Lakes shows substantially reduced construction, with 82% below regional average per person. New building activity comprises 17% standalone homes and 83% townhouses or apartments. North Lakes is expected to grow by 606 residents through to 2041.

Looking ahead, North Lakes is expected to grow by 606 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

North Lakes has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 36 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include North Lakes Health Hub Expansion, Azure North Lakes Mixed Development, North Lakes Driving Range, and Laguna North Lakes Mixed-Use Precinct. The following list details those 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 North Lakes demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

North Lakes has a skilled workforce with high representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 4.5% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 6.4%. Residents' employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training. Retail trade has a particularly strong presence with an employment share 1.2 times the regional level. Professional & technical services have limited presence at 7.1% compared to the regional average of 8.9%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Employment levels increased by 6.4% and labour force by 7.5% during June 2025, leading to a rise in unemployment by 1.0 percentage points. Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 4.4%, labour force growth of 4.0%, with unemployment falling by 0.4 percentage points in the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years in North Lakes, based on industry-specific projections applied to its current employment mix.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

North Lakes median taxpayer income was $56,801 in financial year 2022. Average income was $67,728. This is higher than national averages of $55,645 (median) and $70,520 (average). Based on Wage Price Index growth from financial year 2022 to September 2025, median income estimate is approximately $64,747 and average income is $77,203. North Lakes incomes cluster around the 68th percentile nationally. The earnings profile shows 9,542 individuals (38.5% of population) fall within the $1,500-$2,999 range, similar to regional levels at 33.3%. High housing costs consume 17.0% of income. Despite this, disposable income ranks at the 69th percentile nationally. North Lakes SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

North Lakes is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

North Lakes' dwelling structures, as per the latest Census evaluation, consisted of 84.9% houses and 15.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). Brisbane metro had 75.0% houses and 25.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in North Lakes was at 18.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.0% and rented ones at 38.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,950, higher than Brisbane metro's $1,820. Median weekly rent was $420 compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, North Lakes' mortgage repayments were higher at $1,950 against the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially higher at $420 compared to the national figure of $375.

North Lakes features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 82.1% of all households, including 43.7% couples with children, 24.3% couples without children, and 13.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 17.9%, with lone person households at 15.7% and group households making up 2.2%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.8.

The educational profile of North Lakes exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

North Lakes has 26.5% of residents aged 15+ with university qualifications, exceeding the SA3 area average of 22.3%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 18.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are held by 38.5% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 13.6% and certificates at 24.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 34.1% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.4% in primary, 10.3% in secondary, and 5.0% in tertiary education. North Lakes has 4 schools with a combined enrollment of 4,889 students. The area's ICSEA score is 1019, indicating typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities. Educational mix includes 1 primary, 1 secondary, and 2 K-12 schools.

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

North Lakes has 45 active public transport stops operating within it. These stops are served by a mix of buses along 11 different routes. Together, these routes facilitate 2,398 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport in North Lakes is rated as good, with residents typically located 288 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are 342 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 53 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in North Lakes is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

North Lakes shows better-than-average health outcomes, with lower prevalence of common conditions among its general population compared to national averages. However, older, at-risk cohorts have higher rates of these conditions.

Approximately 54% (~13,394 people) have private health cover, slightly higher than Greater Brisbane's 51.3%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 8.8% and 7.3% of residents respectively. About 72.2% declare themselves free from medical ailments, compared to 69.9% in Greater Brisbane. The area has a senior population (aged 65 and over) of 12.1% (~2,999 people), with health outcomes requiring more attention than the broader population.

North Lakes 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

North Lakes has a higher linguistic diversity than most local markets, with 18.5% of its population speaking languages other than English at home. Born overseas make up 35.7% of North Lakes' population. Christianity is the predominant religion in North Lakes, comprising 48.4%.

The 'Other' category represents 2.0%, slightly higher than Greater Brisbane's 2.7%. For ancestry, the top groups are English (27.7%), Australian (22.8%), and Other (10.1%). Notably, South African ancestry is overrepresented at 1.7% compared to the regional average of 1.0%. New Zealand and Maori ancestries also show notable representation at 1.5%, matching or slightly exceeding regional averages.

North Lakes's population is younger than the national pattern

North Lakes's median age is 35 years, nearly matching Greater Brisbane's average of 36, but somewhat younger than Australia's 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, North Lakes has a higher concentration of residents aged 5-14 (15.3%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (12.8%). Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the population aged 55-64 grew from 8.4% to 9.6%, while those aged 15-24 increased from 13.3% to 14.4%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 5-14 declined from 17.1% to 15.3%. Population forecasts for North Lakes in 2041 indicate significant demographic changes, with the strongest growth projected for the 75-84 cohort (60%, adding 669 residents to reach 1,785). Residents aged 65 and above will drive 66% of population growth, reflecting trends towards an aging population. Conversely, declines are projected for the 15-24 and 0-4 age cohorts.