Riverhills

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, as of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Riverhills is around 4,265. This reflects an increase of 144 people (3.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,121 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 4,265, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 1 validated new address since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,974 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Riverhills's 3.5% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 2.9%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by natural growth, contributing approximately 68.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for 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 is applying proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Looking at population projections moving forward, lower quartile growth of national areas is anticipated, with the suburb expected to increase by 106 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 2.5% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Riverhills is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Riverhills has seen approximately one dwelling receive development approval annually. Between financial years 2021 and 2025, around nine homes were approved, with two more in the current year of 2026 as of now.

On average, about 0.4 people have moved to Riverhills annually for each new dwelling built over these five years. This indicates that new construction is keeping pace with or even outstripping demand, providing buyers with more options and facilitating population growth beyond expectations. The average construction cost per dwelling in Riverhills has been $336,000, which is lower than regional levels, suggesting more affordable housing choices for buyers. Comparatively, Riverhills shows significantly reduced construction activity compared to Greater Brisbane, at 53% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established homes.

However, building activity has been accelerating in recent years. Nationally, Riverhills' construction levels are also below average, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. All new constructions in Riverhills have been detached houses, preserving its suburban character and attracting space-seeking buyers. With approximately 1699 people per dwelling approval, Riverhills indicates a highly mature market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Riverhills is forecasted to gain around 106 residents by the year 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep up with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth in the future.

Riverhills has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects expected to affect the area: Middle Park Intersection Upgrade (Eumong Street/Riverhills Road), Centenary Motorway Upgrade Planning, Metro Middle Park Mixed-Use Redevelopment, and McLeod Country Golf Club Retirement Village. 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.

Employment conditions in Riverhills demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Riverhills has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 2.9%, lower than Greater Brisbane's 4.1%.

Over the past year, employment stability has been maintained. As of June 2025, 2,449 residents are employed, with a 1.2% lower unemployment rate compared to Greater Brisbane. Workforce participation in Riverhills is higher at 72.2%, against Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade.

Notably, education & training has 1.4 times the regional average employment levels. However, accommodation & food services are underrepresented with only 5.2% of Riverhills' workforce compared to Greater Brisbane's 6.7%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, indicated by Census working population vs resident population counts. From June 2024 to June 2025, employment increased by 0.1% while labour force decreased by 1.5%, reducing the unemployment rate by 1.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment growth of 4.4% and labour force growth of 4.0%, with a 0.4 percentage point drop in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Riverhills' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized 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 2022 indicates Riverhills' median income among taxpayers is $61,478, with an average of $77,205. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to Greater Brisbane's median of $55,645 and average of $70,520. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $70,079 (median) and $88,006 (average). According to the 2021 Census, Riverhills' household, family, and personal incomes cluster around the 72nd percentile nationally. In terms of income distribution, 39.8% of Riverhills residents earn between $1,500 - $2,999 (1,697 individuals), which aligns with the surrounding region where this cohort represents 33.3%. Housing accounts for 15.1% of income, and strong earnings rank residents within the 71st percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Riverhills is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Riverhills' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 87.1% houses and 12.9% other dwellings. In comparison, Brisbane metro had 91.4% houses and 8.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Riverhills was at 25.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 49.4% and rented ones at 25.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,820, lower than Brisbane metro's $2,000 but close to the national average of $1,863. Median weekly rent in Riverhills was $410, higher than Brisbane metro's $450 and above the national figure of $375.

Riverhills features high concentrations of family households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 77.2% of all households, including 37.5% couples with children, 25.7% couples without children, and 12.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 22.8%, with lone person households at 19.7% and group households comprising 3.2%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.8.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 34.3%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 47.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 23.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.0%) and graduate diplomas (3.1%). Vocational credentials are held by 35.1% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 12.2% and certificates at 22.9%. Educational participation is high, with 31.0% currently enrolled in formal education: 11.0% in primary, 8.2% in secondary, and 6.0% in tertiary education.

Schools may be located outside the immediate catchment area, requiring families to access them in neighboring regions.

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

Riverhills has nine active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by five different routes, offering a total of 596 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility to these services is considered good, with residents on average being located 235 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 85 daily trips across all routes, which equates to roughly 66 weekly trips per individual stop.

Riverhills's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Riverhills.

Both young and old age cohorts exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 58% of the total population (~2,464 people). The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 8.3 and 7.4% of residents respectively. A total of 72.5% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 71.2% across Greater Brisbane. As of September 2021, 15.6% of residents are aged 65 and over (665 people), which is lower than the 20.4% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Riverhills 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

Riverhills, surveyed in June 2021, showed higher linguistic diversity than most local areas with 19.1% of residents speaking a language other than English at home. Born overseas, 31.0% of Riverhills' population was recorded in the same period. Christianity dominated religious beliefs in Riverhills, accounting for 45.5%.

Buddhism, however, was more prevalent in Riverhills at 2.6%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 3.4%. In terms of ancestry, English (26.4%), Australian (21.5%), and Other (11.2%) were the top three groups. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: New Zealanders comprised 1.2% vs regional 1.0%, South Africans 1.1% vs 0.9%, and Samoans 0.9% vs 0.4%.

Riverhills's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Riverhills' median age is 36 years, equal to Greater Brisbane's but younger than the national average of 38 years. The 35-44 age group represents 17.4% of Riverhills' population compared to Greater Brisbane, while the 25-34 cohort stands at 11.3%. Between 2021 and now, the 75-84 age group has grown from 3.7% to 5.5%, and the 15-24 cohort increased from 11.1% to 12.7%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort declined from 13.9% to 11.3%, and the 5-14 group dropped from 15.0% to 13.7%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Riverhills. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to rise substantially by 151 people (65%), from 234 to 386. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 63% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both 65-74 and 15-24 age groups are expected to decrease in numbers.