Highgate Hill
The footprint is just 1.18 km2 holding 5,290.9 residents per square kilometre, so apartments make up 57.6% of dwellings and 51.8% of residents rent. University qualifications reach 59.9%, which is 29.8 points above the national figure, and the median age of 37 runs 3 years below national, a young, educated, mostly renting profile concentrated against the South Brisbane river bend.
Population
6,229
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,937/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
49
Separate houses are only 37.9% of stock against 57.6% apartments, so detached buyers compete for scarce supply while most listings are units. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 34.2% and three-bedroom at 26.5%, with 4-plus bedroom homes just 21.5%, pointing to a market built for couples and small households rather than larger families. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,376, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.3%, below the 30% stress threshold and comfortable given incomes in the 72.3rd percentile. Outright owners (25.0%) edge out mortgage holders (23.3%), so buyers are entering a market where renters, at 51.8%, are the clear majority.
For Buyers
Separate houses are only 37.9% of stock against 57.6% apartments, so detached buyers compete for scarce supply while most listings are units. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 34.2% and three-bedroom at 26.5%, with 4-plus bedroom homes just 21.5%, pointing to a market built for couples and small households rather than larger families. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,376, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.3%, below the 30% stress threshold and comfortable given incomes in the 72.3rd percentile. Outright owners (25.0%) edge out mortgage holders (23.3%), so buyers are entering a market where renters, at 51.8%, are the clear majority.
For Investors
The catch is a 10.8% vacancy rate, which signals real softness in the apartment segment that forms 57.6% of dwellings. Demand support is genuine: net overseas migration adds 253 residents a year against a small internal outflow of 31, and rent has grown 11.8% over the period. Development is moderate at 44 applications in 12 months, mostly extensions and commercial building work rather than large new towers, so supply is unlikely to flood faster than the 0.98% annual population growth absorbs it.
Development Activity
Total DAs
175
Last 12 Months
49
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+32.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 37 is 3.0 years below national, and the trajectory is growth across all ages: the young-resident share rose 1.7 points and the senior share 2.4 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 35.2%, which is 13.6 points above national, and ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic led by English (1,856), Irish (905) and Scottish (668), with Chinese (427) the largest non-European group. The top non-English languages are Greek (118), Mandarin (97) and Cantonese (42). University qualifications at 59.9% run 29.8 points above national, among the higher rates outside the most elite enclaves. Average household size is 2.3, which is 0.2 below national, consistent with a profile where couples without children (30.9% of families) nearly match couples with children (1,451).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
37.9%
Houses
4.2%
Townhouse
57.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts hard toward renting: 51.8% rent, while 25.0% own outright and 23.3% carry a mortgage. Outright owners slightly outnumbering mortgage holders points to a layer of long-held stock beneath a large rental float. Two-bedroom dwellings account for 34.2% and three-bedroom 26.5%, while 4-plus bedroom homes are 21.5%. Rent has risen 11.8% over the period and affordability improved from 50.1% in 2011 to 40.6% in 2021. Mortgage-to-income at 28.3% and rent-to-income at 19.6% both sit below stress thresholds, a comfortable divergence given household incomes in the 72.3rd percentile.
Mortgage / mo
$2,376
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Mar 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $380.
$850
Bond data Mar 2026 quarter · houses $850 · units $850
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$943
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.8%
Unoccupied
300
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.9%
Couples, no children
4,002
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in knowledge and care sectors: Healthcare leads at 17.8% (491 workers), Professional/Tech follows at 17.4% (481) and Education at 14.1% (389), with Public Admin at 8.7% and Hospitality at 5.8%. By occupation, Professionals (1,417) and Managers (471) dominate, aligning with the decile 9 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment reads 6.3% and the full-time employment rate is 62.1%, with participation at 62.9%, held down because 1,376 residents sit outside the labour force, many of them students given the young median age. Real incomes grew 12.2% over the decade. One clear anomaly: the IER economic-resources score falls to decile 3 against decile 9 on IRSAD, because the 51.8% renter base depresses the household-wealth measures that IER weights.
Unemployment
7.8%
Labour Force
4,832
Unemployed
378
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.1%
Part-time
31.6%
Participation
62.9%
Employed
3,222
Occupations
Top Industries
University
59.9%
Postgraduate
20.6%
Born Overseas
35.2%
Dwellings
2,480
Transport to Work
Active and public transport are well used for a Brisbane suburb: 22.6% walk or cycle and 12.6% take public transport, while 58.5% drive, below the national reliance on cars, a function of the compact 1.18 km2 footprint and 5,290.9 residents per square kilometre. The area earns decile 9 on IRSAD, a high advantage tier nationally, and decile 7 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, so few residents face deprivation. Volunteering runs at 23.1% and only 4.1% (241 people) need daily assistance, low for any population. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring South Brisbane and West End, a practical trade-off for the dense, river-adjacent setting.
Drive
58.5%
Public Transport
12.6%
Walk / Cycle
22.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.98%/yr
(+72 people/yr)
EstablishedHighgate Hill is growing steadily rather than booming: annual population growth registers 0.98% (about 72 people a year) and the 10-year change is 9.4%. The historical series climbs from 6,928 in 2023 to 7,335 in 2025, and medium forecasts lift the population to roughly 7,580 by 2031. The COVID dip of 3.6% has fully recovered, with the current count sitting 11.3% above the pandemic low of 6,467. The primary driver is overseas migration at 253 net arrivals a year, far outweighing a net internal outflow of 31. Gentrification reads early signs with a score near 26 to 30, supported by a 19% population rise since 2011 and improving affordability, so the suburb is densifying upward rather than displacing.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+253
Net Internal / yr
-31
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +19% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +253/yr, COVID recovered (-4% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Highgate Hill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Highgate Hill a good suburb to live in?
Highgate Hill scores decile 9 on both IRSAD and IEO, a high advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 72.3rd percentile. University qualifications reach 59.9%, 29.8 points above national, and the median age of 37 is 3 years below national. The main trade-off is a renter-heavy, apartment-dominant feel with 57.6% units.
What is the median house price in Highgate Hill?
Weekly rent averages $380 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,376, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.3%, below the 30% stress threshold. Rent has risen 11.8% over the recent period.
What schools are in Highgate Hill?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.18 km2 Highgate Hill boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs such as South Brisbane and West End. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 59.9%, which is 29.8 points above the national figure.
Is Highgate Hill safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Highgate Hill in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 7 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and decile 9 on IRSAD, and only 4.1% of its residents (241 people) need daily assistance, all consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Highgate Hill good for property investment?
The 10.8% vacancy rate signals apartment softness, but net overseas migration of 253 a year and 0.98% annual population growth support steady tenant demand.
How is Highgate Hill's population changing?
Population growth is 0.98% annually, about 72 people a year, with a 9.4% rise over 10 years. The count climbed from 6,928 in 2023 to 7,335 in 2025 and is forecast near 7,580 by 2031. The COVID dip of 3.6% has fully recovered, sitting 11.3% above the pandemic low.
What languages are spoken in Highgate Hill?
About 35.2% of residents were born overseas, 13.6 points above the national figure. English is dominant, with Greek (118 speakers), Mandarin (97), Cantonese (42) and Sinhalese (34) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a young and internationally mixed resident base.
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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