State Electorate · Area profile
South Brisbane
13 km²
High weekly incomes and a surge in apartment living define South Brisbane, where the typical family earns $2,519. This is a young, fast-growing inner-city community where the typical resident is just 32 years old. It has become a hub for well-educated professionals and new arrivals from overseas, creating a high-density environment that is almost entirely walkable. The area's character is shaped by a mobile population of young adults who favour renting and public transport over owning homes and cars.
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This is a notably young area, with a typical age of 32 and far fewer children and seniors than the state or national figures. It has seen a significant increase in de facto relationships, which rose nearly 10 percentage points since 2011.
The community is very diverse, with 38.8% of people born overseas—far above the national figure of 27.7%. This has risen 11 percentage points since 2011, with China being the most common overseas birth place.
Language diversity is high and growing, with 29% of residents using a language other than English at home. This is well above the national figure and has risen by 19 percentage points since 2011.
More than half of residents (51.2%) report having no religion, a figure far above the national average. This represents a steep rise of 30 percentage points since 2011.
The workforce is highly qualified, with 47% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, which is far above the national figure. This reflects a strong trend toward higher education, with the proportion of degree holders rising 31 points since 2011.
Earnings are much higher than in most areas, with the typical personal weekly income reaching $1,001. High earners are common here, as 17.9% of people earn $2,000 or more a week.
Residents generally report better health than the national average, with far fewer people having long-term health conditions. However, those with mental health conditions are slightly more common than the national figure.
Participation in unpaid care and housework is among the lowest in the country, which is consistent with the area's small household sizes and fewer children. Interestingly, volunteering is a little above the national figure.
Living arrangements are dominated by singles and couples, with a high 35.4% of people living alone. This has led to small households, with a typical size of 2.1 people per home.
Apartments dominate the landscape, with 74.1% of homes being flats and 62% of residents renting. This is a huge shift since 2011, when only 22.8% of the area rented.
Public transport use is well above the national average, and 15.6% of homes have no motor vehicle. This is supported by a high number of people working from home (22.2%).
The population is highly mobile, with 67% of people moving in the last five years. This includes a very high number of recent arrivals from overseas, which rose 18 points since 2011.
A high proportion of residents are working or looking for work (69.5%), well above the national figure. Most employees are professionals, particularly in health, social assistance, and technical fields.
Described as a walker's paradise, 100% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of public transport, parks, and groceries. Its walkability score of 9.1 is far above the Queensland average.