Region (SA4) · Area profile
Brisbane - West
270 km²
A diverse mix of overseas arrivals and highly qualified professionals defines Brisbane - West. It is a wealthy, family-oriented area where the typical resident is 38 and many homes are large. The community is notably academic and affluent, with a high proportion of people holding university degrees and earning well above the national figure. This combination of professional success and international backgrounds creates a distinct, high-earning suburbia in the western reaches of the city.
An affluent area whose schools serve an equally well-off community.
A family-heavy area that's short on schools per child.
Explore Brisbane - West by topic
The area is growing, with the population rising 11% since 2011 to 189,213 people. It has a higher-than-usual number of children under 15 (19.2%), while the typical resident is 38 years old.
People born overseas make up 30.1% of the population, which is well above the Queensland figure. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.
Language diversity is higher than in most similar areas, with 18.4% of people using a language other than English at home. However, very few residents speak little or no English (1.7%).
A large number of residents report no religion (43.7%), a figure that has risen 18 points since 2011. Christianity remains the most common affiliation at 44.8%.
The community is exceptionally well-qualified; 44.1% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, far above the national average. This is reflected in the high number of residents who finished Year 12 (79.4%).
Earnings are very high, with the typical family receiving $2,790 a week. Around 35.7% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far above the figures for Queensland and Australia.
Residents generally report fewer long-term health conditions than most areas, with only 26.3% of people affected. Those needing help with daily activities are also less common here (4.6%).
Volunteer rates are much higher than most areas at 19.5%, though this is down from 2011. There is also a strong presence of people caring for children unpaid (30.0%).
First Nations people make up 1.2% of the population. This group is highly educated compared to the state, with a Year 12 completion rate of 68.0%.
Families tend to be larger here, with 2.7 people per home. This helps explain why the area has a very low number of people living alone (19.7%) compared to the rest of the state.
Large homes are common, as 81.7% of dwellings have three or more bedrooms. This contributes to higher costs, with typical monthly mortgage payments at $2,167 and weekly rents at $420.
Working from home is very common (26.9%), a huge increase from 5.2% in 2011. While 44.6% drive to work, public transport use is higher than in most similar areas.
The area is quite mobile, with 44.6% of people moving in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 15.3% of the population.
The workforce is highly professional, with 36.7% of people working in professional roles. Many are employed in health care, professional services, and education.
The population has continued to grow, with a 6.5% increase since 2021, though this is slightly below the state average of 8.7%.
The area experiences high rainfall, averaging 1,126mm annually, which is far above the Queensland average. Temperatures are generally milder than the state average.
The area is very walkable, with 91% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and 96.8% near a park. Most residents can reach groceries and health services on foot within 15 minutes.