Wilston

An assessment of population growth drivers in Wilston 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 since the Census, Wilston's population is estimated at around 4,257 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 147 people (3.6%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,110 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 4,252 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional eight validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,956 persons per square kilometer, placing Wilston in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 64.0% 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, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, are adopted. 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 (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Moving forward with demographic trends, a population increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation is expected for Wilston. The suburb is expected to grow by 327 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 7.6% in total over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Wilston, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Wilston has seen approximately five new homes approved annually. Between FY21-FY25, around 28 homes were approved, with ten more in FY26 to date. On average, 0.9 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these years.

This pace suggests new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction value of new properties is $1,362,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY26, $55,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, predominantly reflecting residential development. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Wilston has significantly less development activity, at 81.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction often reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings.

Nationally, Wilston's development activity is also lower, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints. New building activity comprises 83.0% detached houses and 17.0% medium-high density housing, maintaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. With around 646 people per dwelling approval, Wilston reflects a highly mature market. Latest AreaSearch quarterly estimates project Wilston will gain 322 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Four projects, identified by AreaSearch, may impact the local area: Brisbane Stadium at Victoria Park, Queensland Cancer Centre, Brisbane 2032 Games Venue Infrastructure Program, and Zaria Residences Kelvin Grove. Details of these key projects are listed below.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment conditions in Wilston demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Wilston has an educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate was 2.8% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 0.8%. As of December 2025, 2,677 residents were employed, and the unemployment rate was 1.4% lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%.

Workforce participation was higher at 78.2%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 69.6%. According to Census responses, 32.7% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key employment industries were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Professional & technical services had particularly high representation, at twice the regional average, while manufacturing was lower at 2.5%.

Employment opportunities locally might be limited, as indicated by the ratio of working population to resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.8%, labour force by 1.3%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment growth of 3.2% and a slight drop in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's May-25 forecasts suggest national employment could grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wilston's industry mix indicates potential local employment growth of 7.7% over five years and 15.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation and does not account for local population changes.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2023 shows Wilston suburb having exceptionally high national median income of $73,220 and average income of $110,181. 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% from financial year ending June 2023 to March 2026, estimated incomes would be approximately $81,538 (median) and $122,698 (average). According to Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data from 2021, Wilston's household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 93rd and 96th percentiles. Income analysis reveals that 38.3% of Wilston residents earn $4,000 or more weekly (1,630 individuals), unlike surrounding regions where 33.3% fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 range. Notably, 49.6% earn above $3,000 weekly, indicating prosperity and robust local economic activity. After housing costs, residents retain 87.9% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. Wilston's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile nationally.

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

Dwelling structure in Wilston, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 70.3% houses and 29.7% other dwellings. In Brisbane metro, this was 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wilston was 30.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.2% and rented dwellings at 34.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Wilston was $2,700, compared to Brisbane metro's $1,863. The median weekly rent in Wilston was $405, while Brisbane metro recorded $380. Nationally, Wilston's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Wilston features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 71.2% of all households, including 38.1% couples with children, 23.4% couples without children, and 8.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 28.8%, with lone person households at 23.1% and group households making up 5.9%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

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

Wilston's educational attainment exceeds broader standards, with 53.9% of residents aged 15+ having university qualifications compared to Queensland's 25.7% and Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 35.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.1%) and graduate diplomas (5.3%). Vocational pathways comprise 19.9% of qualifications among those aged 15+, including advanced diplomas (8.8%) and certificates (11.1%). Educational participation is high, with 32.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including secondary (9.9%), primary (9.5%), and tertiary education (9.3%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.9% in secondary education, 9.5% in primary education, and 9.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Wilston has 27 operational public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 24 distinct routes, facilitating 2,601 weekly passenger journeys in total. The area's transport accessibility is deemed excellent, with residents typically residing just 149 meters from the nearest stop. Primarily residential, most Wilston residents commute outwards using cars (72%), followed by trains (13%) and walking (6%). On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, a high 32.7% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 371 trips daily, equating to around 96 weekly trips per individual stop.

Wilston's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Wilston. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were found to be low, particularly among younger cohorts. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 71% of the total population (3,016 people), compared to 55.8% across Greater Brisbane and 55.7% nationally.

The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues and asthma, impacting 8.3 and 6.4% of residents respectively. 75.8% 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 has 12.8% of residents aged 65 and over (544 people), lower than the 15.1% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors were above average but ranked lower nationally than the broader population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Wilston records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Wilston's cultural diversity aligns with the broader area, as 80.0% were Australian-born, 90.9% were citizens, and 89.4% spoke English only at home. Christianity dominates Wilston at 51.8%. Judaism is slightly overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 0.1%.

The top three ancestral groups are English (28.7%), Australian (23.1%), and Irish (13.9%), notably higher than regional averages. Welsh (0.7% vs 0.5%) and Polish (0.9% vs 0.5%) are overrepresented, while Scottish is slightly so at 8.9% compared to 7.4%.

Wilston's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Wilston's median age is 38 years, which is slightly higher than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 but equal to Australia's median age of 38 years. The age group of 45-54 years has a strong representation in Wilston at 15.6%, compared to Greater Brisbane. However, the 25-34 age cohort is less prevalent in Wilston at 12.0%. Between 2021 and present, the population aged 55 to 64 grew from 11.7% to 13.7%, while those aged 75 to 84 increased from 2.8% to 4.8%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group declined from 13.4% to 12.0%, and the 45-54 age group decreased from 16.8% to 15.6%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Wilston's age structure. The 75 to 84 age group is expected to grow by 62 people, reaching a total of 332, an increase from the current figure of 204. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 59% of the projected growth in Wilston's population. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 25-34 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.