Hamilton
At 3,488.7 people per square kilometre, Hamilton is a compact inner-Brisbane suburb where apartments shape daily life more than detached homes. Its 8,922 residents occupy a market with 70.4% apartments, 54.2% renters and a 15.8% vacancy rate, while a 40.3% turnover rate makes it more mobile than nearby Ascot or Hendra. Household income sits at the 77.8th percentile, and 50.8% of adults hold university qualifications, 20.7 percentage points above the national comparison. That professional and overseas-migration profile helps explain the small 1.9-person household size and the suburb's aging trajectory.
Population
8,922
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,069/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
92
Homebuyers need to treat Hamilton as an apartment-led market: 70.4% of dwellings are apartments, compared with 21.5% separate houses, and 41.2% are two-bedroom homes. A median house price is not available, so the clearest cost markers are a $2,167 monthly mortgage figure and $430 weekly rent. Mortgage costs equal 24.2% of household income, while household income ranks at the 77.8th percentile, indicating capacity above the national midpoint. The trade-off is choice rather than land: 22.8% of dwellings have zero or one bedroom and only 15.7% have four or more. Buyers should compare body-corporate fees, parking and resale depth because apartment supply is higher than detached stock.
For Buyers
Homebuyers need to treat Hamilton as an apartment-led market: 70.4% of dwellings are apartments, compared with 21.5% separate houses, and 41.2% are two-bedroom homes. A median house price is not available, so the clearest cost markers are a $2,167 monthly mortgage figure and $430 weekly rent. Mortgage costs equal 24.2% of household income, while household income ranks at the 77.8th percentile, indicating capacity above the national midpoint. The trade-off is choice rather than land: 22.8% of dwellings have zero or one bedroom and only 15.7% have four or more. Buyers should compare body-corporate fees, parking and resale depth because apartment supply is higher than detached stock.
For Investors
Investor demand is supported by a renter majority: 54.2% rent compared with 21.9% owning outright, but the 15.8% vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market and can limit rent-setting power. Weekly rent is $430 and rent-to-income is 20.8%, below the 24.2% mortgage-to-income ratio, which may help tenant affordability. Development activity is material at 91 applications in 12 months, so competing stock matters more than in a low-activity suburb. Forecast growth runs at 1.89% annually and is driven by overseas migration; rent growth of 16.7% adds momentum. Apartments, two-bedroom dwellings at 41.2% and 40.3% turnover suit mobile professionals, but high vacancy makes careful building selection essential.
Development Activity
Total DAs
273
Last 12 Months
92
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+155.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Hamilton
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Hamilton State School
Demographics
Hamilton's median age is 40, matching the national comparison, but its education and migration profile is higher: 50.8% hold university qualifications, 20.7 percentage points above national, and 32.3% were born overseas, 10.7 points above national. The average household has 1.9 people, 0.6 below the national comparison, because couples without children account for 58.9% of families versus 27.5% with children. English ancestry is recorded for 3,243 people, followed by Irish at 1,346 and Scottish at 1,061. Compared with nearby Hendra, Hamilton's smaller households and 70.4% apartment share give it a more compact demographic profile. Mandarin is the leading listed non-English language at 89 speakers.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
21.5%
Houses
8.1%
Townhouse
70.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Hamilton's tenure pattern is renter-led: 54.2% rent, more than double the 21.9% who own outright and well above the 22.5% with a mortgage. The dwelling mix is distinctive, with apartments at 70.4% compared with 21.5% separate houses and 8.1% semi-detached homes. Two-bedroom stock is the largest category at 41.2%, followed by zero or one bedroom at 22.8%; only 15.7% has four or more bedrooms. This compact supply helps explain the 1.9-person average household size and 15.8% vacancy rate. A $430 weekly rent and $2,167 monthly mortgage marker give practical guidance while a median house price remains unavailable; mortgage-to-income is 24.2%, above rent-to-income at 20.8%.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $430.
$910
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $910 · units $740
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$1,225
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.8%
Unoccupied
781
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.5%
Couples with children
58.9%
Couples, no children
11.1%
Single parent
2,276
Total families
Economy & Employment
Hamilton's employment base is concentrated in knowledge and service work. Healthcare leads with 633 workers, followed by Professional/Tech at 611, Education at 311, Construction at 263 and Public Administration at 261. That aligns with 1,719 professionals and 1,064 managers, while clerical/admin adds 798. Labour-force participation is 70.2%, full-time employment 66.4% and unemployment 4.4%, supporting a stronger work profile than a low-participation area. SEIFA is high for IEO, IRSD and IRSAD, all at decile 9, but IER is lower at decile 6. The gap suggests strong education, occupation and broad advantage alongside more moderate economic-resource conditions. Household income at the 77.8th percentile is above the national midpoint.
Unemployment
4.4%
Labour Force
5,677
Unemployed
247
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.4%
Part-time
26.1%
Participation
70.2%
Employed
5,430
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
50.8%
Postgraduate
12.6%
Born Overseas
32.3%
Dwellings
4,152
Transport to Work
Hamilton suits residents who value inner-urban access and apartment living. Car driving is the main commute mode at 57.2%, while 5.4% use public transport, 5.0% walk or cycle and 28.3% work from home, making flexible work a significant part of the local routine. One named local school, Hamilton State School, is a government state school; families should check enrolment zones and nearby options against the exact address rather than infer quality from proximity. An IRSAD decile of 9 places Hamilton above the national median for relative advantage, while density of 3,488.7 people per square kilometre supports nearby services but can mean less private open space. A local crime rate is not available to quote, so safety decisions should include current street-level checks, lighting and travel patterns.
Drive
57.2%
Public Transport
5.4%
Walk / Cycle
5.0%
Work from Home
28.3%
Population Forecast
+1.89%/yr
(+140 people/yr)
EstablishedHamilton is on a positive but maturing trajectory. The forecast trend is 1.89% annual growth, with overseas migration the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 43.3% over 10 years. The shift label is Aging: the senior share has risen 4.0 percentage points and the young share has fallen 3.2 points, so demand may lean more toward accessible apartments and services than larger family stock. Gentrification is not currently flagged, with a score of 17, even though rent growth reached 16.7%. Compared with a flat-growth location, the 1.89% pace is constructive, but the aging signal and 15.8% vacancy rate argue for measured rather than speculative development. Hamilton recorded 91 development applications in 12 months.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+153
Net Internal / yr
-5
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +50% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Hamilton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hamilton a good suburb to live in?
Hamilton can suit buyers and renters who prefer a dense inner-city setting, professional employment and apartment choice. It has 8,922 residents, 70.4% apartments and 54.2% renters, with household income at the 77.8th percentile, above the national midpoint. The main cautions are a 15.8% vacancy rate, limited detached housing and an aging trajectory.
What is the median house price in Hamilton?
A current median house price is not available for Hamilton. Buyers can still use the $2,167 monthly mortgage marker and $430 weekly rent as cost references, while noting that 70.4% of dwellings are apartments compared with 21.5% separate houses. Apartment pricing can differ materially by building, size, parking and body-corporate costs.
What schools are in Hamilton?
Hamilton State School is the named local school, and it is a government state school. Because 1 local school is identified, families should compare enrolment zones, year levels and nearby options across the wider inner-north area. Address-level checking matters more than suburb distance, particularly for apartment residents.
Is Hamilton safe?
No local crime rate is available to quote for Hamilton, so the absence of a figure should not be treated as a safety rating. The suburb has 3,488.7 residents per square kilometre and 57.2% car commuters. Compared with lower-density areas, practical checks should focus on the exact street, evening lighting, building access and travel routes.
Is Hamilton good for property investment?
Hamilton may suit investors seeking a renter-heavy apartment market, but it is not a set-and-forget proposition. Renting is 54.2%, weekly rent is $430 and vacancy is 15.8%, higher than a tightly supplied market. There were 91 development applications in 12 months, so building quality, competing stock and body-corporate costs deserve closer review than a headline yield alone.
How is Hamilton's population changing?
The wider area has a forecast annual growth trend of 1.89%, driven primarily by overseas migration, and population change across 10 years is 43.3%. Hamilton is also on an Aging trajectory, with the senior share up 4.0 percentage points and the young share down 3.2 points. Growth is positive, but demand is likely to shift toward smaller, accessible homes.
What languages are spoken in Hamilton?
English ancestry is the largest listed ancestry at 3,243 people, followed by Irish at 1,346 and Scottish at 1,061. Among listed non-English languages, Mandarin has 89 speakers, ahead of Italian and Cantonese at 38 and 36. With 32.3% of residents born overseas, language access can matter when choosing services.
What development is occurring in Hamilton?
Hamilton recorded 91 development applications in 12 months, materially more than a low-activity suburb. Recent examples include design and siting referrals and a commercial dwelling-house building application. Check approvals, construction timing and likely competing apartment stock before committing, because application counts alone do not show how many new homes will be delivered.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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