Bowen Hills
Renters make up 83.5% of households here, one of the highest shares anywhere in Brisbane, and that single number explains most of the suburb. The dwelling stock is 94.5% apartments against just 3.0% separate houses, the population skews young at a median age of 30, ten years below the national figure, and 51.2% hold a university qualification, 21.1 points above national. Despite sitting only in the 49.4th income percentile, Bowen Hills scores decile 10 on three of four SEIFA indexes, a reflection of education levels rather than wealth. The population has grown 147.3% over the decade, marking it as one of the fastest-densifying pockets close to the Brisbane CBD.
Population
4,898
Median Age
30.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,551/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
9
Median House
$474K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At an estimated $474,000 median, Bowen Hills is affordable by Brisbane standards, but the entry point reflects what is actually for sale: apartments, which make up 94.5% of dwellings, while true separate houses are only 3.0%. Stock is overwhelmingly small, with 45.8% of dwellings having one bedroom or less and 44.5% having two, and just 1.7% offering four or more bedrooms. That makes the suburb a buy for singles and couples rather than families. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,614, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, so an owner-occupier purchase is manageable on local incomes even though only 11.8% of households carry a mortgage and 4.7% own outright.
For Buyers
At an estimated $474,000 median, Bowen Hills is affordable by Brisbane standards, but the entry point reflects what is actually for sale: apartments, which make up 94.5% of dwellings, while true separate houses are only 3.0%. Stock is overwhelmingly small, with 45.8% of dwellings having one bedroom or less and 44.5% having two, and just 1.7% offering four or more bedrooms. That makes the suburb a buy for singles and couples rather than families. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,614, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, so an owner-occupier purchase is manageable on local incomes even though only 11.8% of households carry a mortgage and 4.7% own outright.
For Investors
The case for Bowen Hills is built on tenant demand: 83.5% of households rent, far above the national norm, and weekly rent averages $390. Against the $474,000 median that implies a gross yield near 4.3%, well above what comparable inner Sydney or Melbourne apartments return. The catch is supply. The vacancy rate of 12.8% is high and signals an oversupplied apartment market, which caps rent growth, recorded at 0.0% over the measured period. Demand drivers stay positive, with balanced net migration adding roughly 368 internal and 331 overseas residents a year, and the suburb's 4.18% annual population trend points to continued absorption. Returns rest on yield and population inflow rather than capital growth, and unit selection matters given the renter turnover rate of 58.5%.
Development Activity
Total DAs
26
Last 12 Months
9
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+80.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 30 runs 10 years below the national figure, and the average household size of 1.6 people is 0.9 below national, a profile of young singles and childless couples rather than families. Couples with no children make up 63.6% of families against just 18.5% with children. Overseas-born residents reach 42.7%, which is 21.1 points above national, and the leading non-English languages are Mandarin (75 speakers), Portuguese (59) and Korean (31). Ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (1,422), Irish (528) and Scottish (447). University qualifications at 51.2% sit 21.1 points above national, consistent with a workforce concentrated in professional roles and a high student presence near the inner-city campuses.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
3.0%
Houses
2.5%
Townhouse
94.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure here is unusually skewed: only 4.7% of households own outright and 11.8% carry a mortgage, while 83.5% rent, the inverse of most Australian suburbs and a direct result of the apartment-heavy stock. Apartments are 94.5% of dwellings, separate houses just 3.0% and semi-detached 2.5%. The stock is small by design, with 45.8% one-bedroom-or-less and 44.5% two-bedroom dwellings. The estimated median house price of $474,000 stays affordable relative to Brisbane, and affordability has improved from 38.8% of income in 2011 to 32.0% in 2021. Both stress measures sit below the 30% line, with rent-to-income at 25.1% and mortgage-to-income at 24.0%, which keeps the high-rent profile sustainable for the young renter base.
Mortgage / mo
$1,614
Rent / wk
$390
HH Size
1.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,042
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.8%
Unoccupied
395
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
63.6%
Couples, no children
2,139
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is concentrated in knowledge and care sectors: Professional/Tech leads at 17.8% (457 workers), Healthcare follows at 16.4% (421) and Hospitality at 11.0% (282), with Retail at 7.4% and Admin at 6.2%. By occupation, Professionals dominate at 1,098, ahead of Clerical and Admin (463) and Community and Personal service workers (407). The full-time employment rate is 69.1% and participation is 70.0%, with unemployment at 5.9%. The SEIFA reading is split: decile 10 on IEO, IRSD and IRSAD points to high education and low disadvantage, yet the IER score for economic resources sits at decile 3, well below the others, because the 83.5% renter base and small dwellings depress household wealth and asset measures despite the educated population.
Unemployment
2.6%
Labour Force
17,067
Unemployed
448
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
69.1%
Part-time
25.0%
Participation
70.0%
Employed
3,075
Occupations
Top Industries
University
51.2%
Postgraduate
12.3%
Born Overseas
42.7%
Dwellings
2,651
Transport to Work
Bowen Hills is built for car-light inner-city living: 27.0% of residents walk or cycle to work and 22.0% use public transport, while only 46.8% drive, far below the national reliance on cars, which suits the dense apartment setting at 2,851 residents per km2. The suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the top tier, meaning very few residents face deprivation, and only 2.8% (127 people) need daily assistance given the young median age of 30. No schools are recorded inside the 1.72 km2 boundary, so the small share of families relies on institutions nearby, a reasonable trade-off in a suburb where children are rare and 63.6% of families are couples without kids.
Drive
46.8%
Public Transport
22.0%
Walk / Cycle
27.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+4.18%/yr
(+897 people/yr)
High GrowthBowen Hills is one of the fastest-growing inner Brisbane pockets, with population up 147.3% over the decade and a forward trend of 4.18% a year, adding roughly 897 residents annually. Growth is driven by balanced migration, with net internal inflow of about 368 a year alongside 331 from overseas, feeding demand for the new apartment supply. The gentrification reading is logged as new development rather than classic gentrification, fitting a suburb being built up rather than upgraded house by house. The age mix is shifting modestly older, with the senior share up 2.4 points and the working-age share down 1.8 points, but the median age of 30 stays a decade below national, so the suburb remains young even as it densifies.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+331
Net Internal / yr
+368
Gentrification Signal
New development
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bowen Hills compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bowen Hills a good suburb to live in?
Bowen Hills scores decile 10 on three of four SEIFA indexes and suits young professionals and renters, who make up 83.5% of households. It is car-light, with 49.0% walking, cycling or using public transport, and the median age is 30, ten years below national. The main trade-off is an apartment-heavy stock at 94.5% of dwellings.
What is the median house price in Bowen Hills?
The estimated median house price is $474,000, affordable by Brisbane standards and reflecting an apartment-dominated market. Weekly rent averages $390 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,614, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Bowen Hills?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.72 km2 Bowen Hills boundary in this dataset, so the few families here rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 51.2%, which is 21.1 points above the national figure.
Is Bowen Hills safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Bowen Hills in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier, and only 2.8% of residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage inner-city area.
Is Bowen Hills good for property investment?
Rent of $390 a week against the $474,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.3%, above most inner-city apartment markets, and renters make up 83.5% of households. The catch is a high 12.8% vacancy rate and 0.0% rent growth, so returns lean on yield and population inflow more than capital gains.
How is Bowen Hills's population changing?
The population has grown 147.3% over the decade and continues to rise about 4.18% a year, roughly 897 residents, one of the fastest rates near the Brisbane CBD. Growth comes from balanced migration, with net internal inflow near 368 a year and 331 from overseas feeding new apartment supply.
What languages are spoken in Bowen Hills?
About 42.7% of residents were born overseas, 21.1 points above the national figure. English is dominant, with Mandarin (75 speakers), Portuguese (59), Korean (31) and Hindi (25) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a young, internationally mixed inner-city population.
Who lives in Bowen Hills?
The median age is 30, ten years below national, and the average household is 1.6 people, a profile of young singles and couples. Couples without children are 63.6% of families, and 51.2% of residents hold a university degree, 21.1 points above national, many working in professional and healthcare roles.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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