Norman Park

Development Activity

Schools in Norman Park iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

The median age of 35 is 5.0 years below the national figure, marking this as a younger, family-stage suburb rather than an aging one. University qualifications reach 56.4%, which is 26.3 points above national, among the highest you will find outside the inner-city elite. Overseas-born residents sit at 21.5%, almost exactly the national rate, so the population skews Australian-born and anglo-leaning: English ancestry leads at 2,870, followed by Irish (1,219) and Scottish (891). The top non-English languages are Mandarin (33 speakers), Greek (22) and Italian (21), small numbers that confirm the domestic tilt. Average household size is 2.6, marginally above national, consistent with the 2,521 couples with children that anchor the family profile.

Tenure leans toward mortgaged buyers: 41% carry a mortgage, 35% rent and only 24% own outright, a churn that reflects recent family purchasers more than established wealth. The stock is 69% separate houses with apartments at 20.4% and semi-detached at 10.6%, so detached living dominates despite proximity to the CBD. Larger homes prevail, with 4-plus bedroom dwellings at 38.2% and three-bedroom at 34.7%, while two-bedroom stock is 23.1%. The $631,000 median house price against a household income in the 96.6th percentile keeps both ratios low, mortgage-to-income at 20.9% and rent-to-income at 15.6%, both well below the 30% stress line. That affordability cushion is why active buyers can outnumber outright owners here.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

The workforce concentrates in stable, high-skill sectors: Healthcare leads at 17.5% (562 workers), Professional/Tech follows at 15.3% (492) and Education at 10.8% (347), with Construction at 7.8% and Public Admin at 7.2%. By occupation, Professionals (1,530) and Managers (818) dominate, which aligns with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 3.6% and participation runs at 72.2%, above what an income this high might suggest, because the younger median age keeps more residents in work. Real incomes grew 10.1% over the decade. One nuance: the IER economic-resources index reads decile 9 against decile 10 on the other three SEIFA measures, because the 35% renter base trims aggregate household wealth scores slightly.

Transport to Work

Car reliance is high at 78.8% of commuters, with public transport at 9.0% and active travel at 5.7%, a pattern typical of a detached-house suburb 2.2 km2 in size near the Brisbane CBD. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD, the top advantage tier nationally, and decile 10 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, meaning very few residents face deprivation. Only 2.6% of residents (172 people) need daily assistance and volunteering runs at 19.1%, both signs of a healthy, engaged base given the median age of 35. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a common trade-off for compact inner-Brisbane pockets.

Population Forecast

Norman Park is an established suburb growing steadily rather than explosively, with annual population growth of 1.11% (about 82 residents a year) and a 14.3% rise over the decade. The population climbed from 7,139 in 2023 to 7,414 in 2025, and medium forecasts carry it to 7,861 by 2031. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 84 net arrivals a year, offsetting a net internal outflow of 29. Gentrification reads early signs, scoring 21 to 27, with population up 18% since 2011 and the pace accelerating from 6% to 11%. Affordability improved from 39.5% in 2011 to 34.1% in 2021, lower than most growth markets, which helps sustain the inflow of younger families.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Norman Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions