South Brisbane
At 7,131.4 residents per sq km, South Brisbane functions more like a vertical city-fringe precinct than a conventional Brisbane suburb. Residents are young, with a median age of 29, 11 years below the national benchmark, and 55.6% were born overseas, 34.0 percentage points above national. Beside West End and Woolloongabba, its point of difference is scale: 94.3% apartments, 72.0% renting and a household income percentile of 65.6. Demand is shaped by students, hospitals, cultural venues and CBD access because small households average 1.9 people.
Population
14,292
Median Age
29.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,818/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
89
Median House
$572K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Homebuyers should read South Brisbane as an apartment market first, not a house market. Separate houses are only 4.2% of dwellings compared with 94.3% apartments, so the missing median house price is not surprising and house sales can be thin. The most common homes are 2 bedroom dwellings at 48.8%, followed by 0 to 1 bedrooms at 36.6%, which suits singles, couples and city workers more than large families. Holding costs look moderate because mortgage repayments sit at $1,950 a month and mortgage to income is 24.8%, below common stress thresholds.
For Buyers
Homebuyers should read South Brisbane as an apartment market first, not a house market. Separate houses are only 4.2% of dwellings compared with 94.3% apartments, so the missing median house price is not surprising and house sales can be thin. The most common homes are 2 bedroom dwellings at 48.8%, followed by 0 to 1 bedrooms at 36.6%, which suits singles, couples and city workers more than large families. Holding costs look moderate because mortgage repayments sit at $1,950 a month and mortgage to income is 24.8%, below common stress thresholds.
For Investors
Investors get depth of tenant demand but also real leasing competition. Renters make up 72.0% of households, far higher than owner occupiers at 13.2% outright and 14.8% with a mortgage, while median rent is $470 a week. The warning sign is the 20.8% vacancy rate, because heavy apartment supply can offset the higher renter share. Development remains active with 64 applications in 12 months, so stock selection matters because similar 1 and 2 bedroom units can compete directly for the same student, hospital and CBD tenant pool.
Development Activity
Total DAs
231
Last 12 Months
89
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+128.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in South Brisbane iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Somerville House
Prep-12 · 1377 students
Brisbane State High School
7-12 · 3594 students
St Laurence's College
5-12 · 2033 students
Demographics
South Brisbane skews younger, more educated and more international than the national average. The median age is 29, 11.0 years below national, university attainment is 55.8%, 25.7 percentage points above national, and 55.6% of residents were born overseas, 34.0 points above national. English and Chinese ancestry are the largest named groups at 3,125 and 2,909 people, while Mandarin is spoken by 929 residents. Households average 1.9 people, 0.6 below national, because apartments and student oriented living keep household sizes compact.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
4.2%
Houses
1.4%
Townhouse
94.3%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing mix is unusually concentrated even by inner-city standards. Apartments account for 94.3% of dwellings compared with 4.2% separate houses and 1.4% semi-detached homes, so price signals are more reliable for units than for houses when a median house price is absent. Tenure is also rental heavy: 72.0% rent, 14.8% have a mortgage and 13.2% own outright. Smaller layouts dominate, with 36.6% at 0 to 1 bedrooms and 48.8% at 2 bedrooms, because high density living favours students, couples and short commute professionals.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wk
$470
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$883
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
20.8%
Unoccupied
1,528
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
48.0%
Couples, no children
6,857
Total families
Economy & Employment
South Brisbane has a high-skill employment base with a student and renter-resource gap. Professional/Tech and Healthcare each employ 989 people, both 16.7% of workers, followed by Hospitality at 645, Education at 556 and Public Admin at 420. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 2,875, ahead of Managers at 974. Advantage indicators rank high, with IEO in decile 10 and IRSAD in decile 9, but IER sits in decile 1 because many residents are young renters or students rather than asset-rich households. Unemployment is 8.8% against a 57.3% participation rate.
Unemployment
4.1%
Labour Force
11,716
Unemployed
485
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.4%
Part-time
24.8%
Participation
57.3%
Employed
6,868
Occupations
Top Industries
University
55.8%
Postgraduate
17.4%
Born Overseas
55.6%
Dwellings
5,769
Transport to Work
Daily convenience is the main livability advantage. Commuting is less car-dependent than many Brisbane suburbs: 19.9% use public transport, 31.9% walk or cycle and 43.7% drive. Education access is unusually strong for a 2.0 sq km suburb, with 3 local schools spanning Independent, Government and Catholic sectors and ICSEA values from 1117 to 1180. Somerville House at 1180, Brisbane State High at 1145 and St Laurence's College at 1117 anchor the choice. IRSAD decile 9 points to above average advantage, because schools, jobs and cultural infrastructure cluster close to the CBD.
Drive
43.7%
Public Transport
19.9%
Walk / Cycle
31.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+4.5%/yr
(+789 people/yr)
High GrowthPopulation momentum is strong rather than speculative. Growth is classified as high_growth, with trend growth of 4.5% or 789 people a year, lifting the medium scenario from 18,071 in 2026 to 22,015 in 2031, higher than 17,517 in 2025. Migration explains most of the lift because average net overseas migration is 603 people a year compared with 82 from internal migration. The longer shift is also large, with 162.7% population change over 10 years, 4.4% rent growth and 8.1% real income growth. Gentrification is scored 0 and staged as New development, so change is mainly supply-led.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+603
Net Internal / yr
+82
Gentrification Signal
New development
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How South Brisbane compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is South Brisbane a good suburb to live in?
Yes, if you want inner-city apartment living and can accept density. South Brisbane has 7,131.4 residents per sq km, 31.9% of commuters walk or cycle and 19.9% use public transport, while the median age is 29.
What is the median house price in South Brisbane?
A reliable median house price is not available because separate houses make up only 4.2% of dwellings. The suburb is 94.3% apartments, with median rent at $470 a week and mortgage repayments at $1,950 a month.
What schools are in South Brisbane?
South Brisbane has 3 local schools: Somerville House, Brisbane State High School and St Laurence's College. They cover Independent, Government and Catholic sectors, with ICSEA scores from 1117 to 1180 and enrolments up to 3,594.
Is South Brisbane safe?
Treat safety as a street-level check because a suburb crime rate is not stated. The area is dense, with 7,131.4 residents per sq km, and 31.9% of commuters walk or cycle, so activity levels can change noticeably between day and night.
Is South Brisbane good for property investment?
South Brisbane can work for investors who buy selectively. Renters are 72.0% of households and median rent is $470 a week, but the 20.8% vacancy rate and 64 recent development applications mean comparable apartments can compete hard.
How is South Brisbane's population changing?
South Brisbane is forecast to keep growing quickly, with trend growth of 4.5% or 789 people a year. The medium scenario reaches 22,015 residents by 2031, driven mainly by average net overseas migration of 603 people a year.
What languages are spoken in South Brisbane?
Mandarin is the largest non-English language group listed, with 929 speakers, followed by Canton at 200, Korean at 158, Arabic at 71 and Portuguese at 67. This aligns with 55.6% of residents being born overseas.
Is there much development in South Brisbane?
Yes. South Brisbane recorded 64 development applications in 12 months, including compliance assessment and operational works examples. That activity matters because apartments already make up 94.3% of dwellings and vacancy is 20.8%.
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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