Nudgee

Development Activity

Demographics

The median age is 37, which is 3.0 years below the national figure, consistent with the family-formation profile seen in the bedroom mix and household composition. University qualifications stand at 41.3%, which is 11.2 points above the national average, and the professional and manager occupations account for the two largest occupation groups. Overseas-born residents make up 21.9% of the population, 0.3 points above national, a relatively modest gap. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (1,673), Irish (678) and Scottish (519) are the top three. The average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above national, consistent with families with children being the dominant household type at 1,753 couples-with-children families. Volunteering participation at 13.9% and a turnover rate of 25.5% with 74.5% of residents remaining stable over 5 years indicate a settled community.

Tenure in Nudgee splits 25.4% owned outright, 46.5% on a mortgage and 28.2% renting, making it a mortgage-belt suburb where the majority of residents are actively paying off homes rather than holding debt-free wealth. The 46.5% mortgage share is the dominant tenure category, higher than the owned-outright share because the suburb's relatively young median age of 37 means many buyers are mid-cycle rather than approaching retirement. The stock is almost entirely detached: 85.4% separate houses and 14.6% semi-detached, with no apartments in the recorded data. Bedroom size is a standout, with 53.8% of homes having 4 or more bedrooms and 40.6% having 3, which is consistent with the family focus reflected in 1,753 couples-with-children households. Rent-to-income at 18.6% is below stress levels, and the estimated median house price of $610,000 places Nudgee at a mid-market level relative to the broader Brisbane region.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 16.8% (297 workers), followed by Professional/Tech at 11.9% (210), Public Admin at 10.1% (178), Education at 9.7% (172) and Transport at 7.6% (135). This concentration in knowledge and public-sector work explains the high university qualification rate of 41.3%, which is 11.2 points above the national average. By occupation, Professionals lead with 716 workers, Managers second with 366, and Clerical/Admin third with 356. The full-time employment rate is 71.6% and the unemployment rate is 4.5%, slightly above the national average, with 65.5% of working-age residents participating in the labour force. SEIFA IRSAD decile 8 and IRSD decile 8 confirm that the suburb ranks in the upper third for both relative advantage and low disadvantage nationally, reflecting the professional workforce composition.

Transport to Work

Car dependency is high at 80.3% of residents driving, compared to just 12.0% using public transport and 1.9% walking or cycling, which is typical for a mid-density suburban Brisbane location. Nudgee scores decile 8 on IRSAD nationally, meaning it ranks in the upper 20% for relative socio-economic advantage, and decile 8 on IRSD, placing it among the least disadvantaged suburbs in Australia. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby schools in adjacent precincts. Need-for-assistance is at 6.5% (272 residents), consistent with the 37-year median age and relatively low senior share. Housing stress is absent on both the mortgage and rental measures: mortgage-to-income at 19.1% and rent-to-income at 18.6% are both below the 30% threshold that signals financial strain. Crime data is not available for Nudgee in this dataset.

Population Forecast

Population grew 23.7% over the 10-year period to 2021, a rate above the national average for suburban areas, and is currently expanding at 1.7% per year, adding approximately 200 residents annually. Overseas migration is the primary driver, contributing a net 134 arrivals annually compared to internal migration of just 12. The medium forecast projects the broader SA2 population reaching 12,992 by 2031 from 11,757 in 2025, a sustained expansion of around 10.5% over six years. The gentrification score of 25 places Nudgee at early signs stage, with signals including population up 30% since 2011 and a shift in the university-educated share. Real income growth of 26.3% over the decade outpaced inflation, and rent growth of 28.6% indicates tightening rental conditions. Affordability improved from 53.7% in 2011 to 44.4% in 2021, suggesting households are better placed relative to their incomes than they were a decade ago.

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

How Nudgee compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

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