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, as of February 2026, Wilston's estimated population is around 4,239. This reflects an increase of 129 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,110. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 4,229 residents following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional five validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,943 persons per square kilometer, placing Wilston in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 64% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth for the area.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, 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 are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) are applied for each age cohort where utilized. Moving forward with demographic trends, Wilston is expected to grow by just below the median of statistical areas across the nation. By 2041, the suburb's population is projected to increase by 413 persons, reflecting a total increase of approximately 9.5% over the 17 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

Wilston has recorded approximately five residential properties granted approval per year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 28 homes. This is based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data. In FY-26 so far, eight approvals have been recorded. The average number of people moving to the area for each dwelling built over these five financial years (FY-21 to FY-25) has been 0.8 per year, indicating that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand.

This offers ample buyer choice and creates capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost value of new homes being built in Wilston is $1,362,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In this financial year, $55,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating the area's predominantly residential nature. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Wilston records markedly lower building activity, at 81.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings.

Nationally, this is also below average, reflecting the area's maturity and potentially indicating planning constraints. New building activity in Wilston shows that 83.0% of approvals are for standalone homes, with townhouses or apartments making up the remaining 17.0%. This maintains the area's traditional suburban character, focused on family homes appealing to those seeking space. With approximately 646 people per approval, Wilston is a mature, established area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Wilston will gain around 401 residents through to 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four major projects likely impacting the region. Key projects are Victoria Park Stadium (Brisbane Stadium), Queensland Cancer Centre, and two Brisbane Stadium projects at Victoria Park. Details about these projects follow.

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

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Wilston ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Wilston has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 2.5% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 0.6%. As of September 2025, 2,664 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.5%, below Greater Brisbane's 4.0%.

Workforce participation is high at 77.5% compared to Greater Brisbane's 70.7%. Home workership was 32.7% based on Census responses, potentially impacted by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training, with notable concentration in professional & technical at twice the regional average. Manufacturing is under-represented at 2.5%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 6.4%.

Local employment opportunities may be limited as indicated by Census data on working population versus resident population. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 0.6% while labour force grew by 0.6%, with unemployment remaining stable. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment growth of 3.8% and labour force growth of 3.3%, with a 0.5 percentage point drop in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, varying by industry sector. Applying these projections to Wilston's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.7% over five years and 15.4% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023, Wilston's median income among taxpayers is $73,220. The average income in the suburb is $110,181. This places Wilston in the top percentile nationally. In comparison, Greater Brisbane has a median income of $58,236 and an average income of $72,799. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since June 2023, current estimates for Wilston's median income would be approximately $80,476 and the average would be around $121,100 by September 2025. Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Wilston rank highly nationally, between the 93rd and 96th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 38.3% of individuals in Wilston earn over $4,000 per week (1,623 individuals), unlike the surrounding region where the majority earn between $1,500 and $2,999. This affluence is reflected in the area's premium retail and service offerings, with residents retaining 87.9% of their income after housing costs. 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

Wilston's housing structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 70.3% houses and 29.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Brisbane metro's 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wilston stood at 30.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.2% and rented ones at 34.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,700, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,863. The median weekly rent in Wilston was $405, compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, Wilston's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 comprise the remaining 28.8%, with lone person households at 23.1% and group households accounting for 5.9%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is 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 is notably higher than broader averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 53.9% have university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 35.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 13.1% and graduate diplomas at 5.3%. Vocational pathways account for 19.9% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 8.8% and certificates at 11.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.9% 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 stops are served by 24 unique routes, facilitating 2,601 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated highly, with residents typically residing 149 meters from the nearest stop. As predominantly residential, most residents commute outwards. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 72%, followed by train at 13% and walking at 6%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a significant 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 approximately 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 indicates 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 (3,003 people), compared to 55.8% across Greater Brisbane and 55.7% nationally.

The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues affecting 8.3% of residents and asthma impacting 6.4%. A majority of residents, 75.8%, reported being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.2% across Greater Brisbane. Working-age residents showed low chronic condition prevalence. Wilston has 13.8% of residents aged 65 and over (584 people), lower than the 15.2% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors were above average but ranked lower nationally compared to 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 region, with 80.0% born in Australia, 90.9% being citizens, and 89.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 51.8%. Judaism, at 0.1%, is slightly overrepresented compared to Greater Brisbane's 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (28.7%), Australian (23.1%), and Irish (13.9%), higher than regional averages of 24.6%, 15.7%, and 8.2% respectively. Notably, Welsh (0.7%) is overrepresented compared to the region's 0.5%. Similarly, Polish (0.9%) and Scottish (8.9%) are also more prevalent in Wilston than in Greater Brisbane (0.5% and 7.4% respectively).

Wilston's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Wilston's median age is 38, which is slightly higher than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 but equal to Australia's median age of 38 years. The strongest representation in Wilston is the 55-64 age group at 14.3%, compared to Greater Brisbane, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 10.8%. Between 2021 and present, Wilston's median age has increased by 1 year from 37 to 38, indicating an aging population. Key changes include the growth of the 55-64 age group from 11.7% to 14.3%, and the increase of the 75-84 cohort from 2.8% to 5.2%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 13.4% to 10.8%, and the 5-14 group has dropped from 13.4% to 12.2%. By 2041, Wilston's age profile is projected to evolve significantly, with the 75-84 group expected to grow by 64% (141 people), reaching 362 from 220. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 57% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, both the 0-4 and 25-34 age groups are projected to have reduced numbers.