Toowong

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

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validations, the suburb of Toowong had an estimated population of 14,372 as of May 2026. This figure reflects a growth of 1,816 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,556. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 13,903 residents in June 2025, using ERP data released by ABS, and an additional 415 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,531 persons per square kilometer, placing Toowong in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. The suburb's 14.5% growth rate exceeded both national (9.3%) and state averages, positioning it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 85.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch projections for Toowong are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data 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 released in 2023, using 2021 data, are adopted. However, these state projections lack age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023, based on 2022 data. Future population dynamics anticipate significant growth for the suburb, with an increase of 3,298 persons projected by 2041, reflecting a total increase of 19.7% over 16 years.

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

Toowong has seen approximately 147 new homes approved annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 735 homes were approved, with an additional 24 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, about 1.4 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years, indicating balanced supply and demand, although recent figures show this has increased to 11.7 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing demand and tightening supply. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $1,711,000, reflecting a focus on the premium segment.

This year, $76.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating strong local business investment. Recent construction trends show 7.0% detached dwellings and 93.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a shift from existing housing patterns (currently 29.0% houses), likely due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. Toowong has around 397 people per dwelling approval, indicating a developed market. Future projections estimate Toowong will add approximately 2,829 residents by 2041, with current development rates expected to comfortably meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Future projections show Toowong adding 2,829 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 61 projects that could impact the region. Notable projects include TriCare Taringa Aged Care and Retirement Living Development, Oakman Residences, Sylvan Residences, and Monarch Residences Toowong. The following list details those most likely to be 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.

AreaSearch assessment positions Toowong ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Toowong has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 3.8% as of December 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.0% over the past year, according to AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. As of that date, 9,064 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 0.4% below Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%.

Workforce participation in Toowong was 75.3%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 69.6%. According to Census responses, 29.9% of residents worked from home. The dominant employment sectors were professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Toowong had a particular specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level.

In contrast, construction employed only 4.3% of local workers, below Greater Brisbane's 9.0%. The ratio of 0.7 workers per resident indicated a higher-than-average level of local employment opportunities. Over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 1.0%, while labour force increased by 1.3%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 3.2% and a fall in unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that over five years, national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6%, and over ten years by 13.7%. Applying these projections to Toowong's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending 2023 shows median income in Toowong suburb is $58,816, with average income at $90,595. This contrasts with Greater Brisbane's median income of $58,236 and average income of $72,799. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since financial year ending 2023, estimated current incomes are approximately $65,497 (median) and $100,887 (average) as of March 2026. Census data from 2021 indicates Toowong's household, family, and personal incomes cluster around the 68th percentile nationally. Income brackets show that 34.2% of individuals earn between $1,500 - $2,999 (4,915 individuals), similar to the regional figure of 33.3%. High housing costs consume 17.6% of income in Toowong, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 59th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Toowong features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Toowong, as per the latest Census evaluation, 28.8% of dwellings were houses while 71.1% were other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. In contrast, Brisbane metropolitan area had 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Toowong stood at 21.6%, with the rest being mortgaged (22.9%) or rented (55.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Toowong was $2,000, exceeding Brisbane's metro average of $1,863. Weekly rent median was $420 compared to Brisbane's metro figure of $380. Nationally, Toowong's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Toowong features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 53.7% of all households, including 18.2% couples with children, 26.7% couples without children, and 6.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 46.3%, with lone person households at 32.1% and group households making up 14.2%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

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

Toowong's educational attainment significantly exceeds broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 57.8% hold university qualifications compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally. This substantial advantage positions the area favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 36.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.9%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%).

Vocational pathways account for 18.6% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 8.5% and certificates at 10.1%. Educational participation is notably high, with 38.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 20.8% in tertiary education, 6.0% in secondary education, and 5.5% pursuing primary education.

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

Toowong has 71 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry, train, and bus services. These stops are served by 110 routes, collectively facilitating 7,199 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 130 meters from the nearest stop. Primarily residential, most commutes are outward-bound. Cars dominate at 60%, followed by train at 14% and bus at 10%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.8 per dwelling, below regional average.

Notably, 29.9% of residents work from home (2021 Census). Service frequency averages 1,028 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 101 weekly trips per stop.

Toowong's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Toowong. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 63% of the total population (9,068 people), compared to 55.8% across Greater Brisbane and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues and asthma, impacting 9.6% and 7.3% of residents respectively. 75.3% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.2% across Greater Brisbane. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area had 11.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,638 people), lower than the 15.1% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Toowong 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

Toowong was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 25.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home as of the June 2016 census. This figure is higher than the regional average of 31.7%. Additionally, 35.7% of Toowong's population was born overseas, compared to the Greater Brisbane average of 34.2%.

Christianity was the main religion in Toowong, with 38.0% of people identifying as such. However, Judaism was more prevalent in Toowong than in Greater Brisbane, comprising 0.2% versus 0.1% respectively. In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups in Toowong were English (24.1%), Australian (19.4%), and Irish (10.3%). Notably, Russian ancestry was overrepresented at 0.5%, compared to 0.3% regionally. French ancestry also showed a higher representation at 0.7% versus 0.5%, as did Welsh ancestry at 0.7% versus 0.5%.

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

Toowong's median age is 30, which is younger than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Toowong has a higher percentage of 15-24 year-olds (23.6%) but fewer 5-14 year-olds (7.4%). This concentration of 15-24 year-olds is above the national average of 12.7%. Between 2021 and present, the population aged 25 to 34 has grown from 23.6% to 25.1%, while those aged 75 to 84 increased from 3.3% to 4.4%. Meanwhile, the 35-44 age group decreased from 13.6% to 12.6%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Toowong's age structure. The 15-24 age cohort is projected to increase by 471 people (14%), reaching a total of 3,863 residents. The 0-4 age group is expected to grow modestly at 5%, adding only 22 residents.