Brisbane

Brisbane is a young city where the typical resident is 36, a little younger than the national figure. It is a large and growing community that saw its population rise by 22% since 2011, and it has a higher share of children under 15 than most areas.

Overseas birthplaces are common here, with 28.3% of people born outside Australia, which is well above the Queensland average. The most common ancestries are English, Australian, Irish, Scottish and German.

The community is linguistically diverse, and the proportion of people using another language at home rose 4.8 points since 2011 to 19.1%. While this is well above the state average, it remains well below the national figure.

About 41.8% of residents report no religion, which is a little above the national figure. This represents a significant shift in the community, as the number of people with no religion rose 19 points since 2011.

Residents are highly qualified, with 28.3% holding a bachelor degree or higher, which is well above the Queensland average. This trend is supported by the fact that 65.7% of residents completed Year 12, far exceeding national levels.

Typical incomes are much higher than in most areas, with the usual family earning $2,214 a week. This prosperity is reflected in the 24.4% of households earning $3,000 or more weekly, a figure that rose 13 points since 2011.

The area is healthier than most, as the share of people with a long-term health condition is much lower than in similar areas. Mental health conditions are reported by 10.1% of the population, slightly above the national figure.

Unpaid childcare is common, with 28.0% of people providing this care, which is higher than most areas. However, volunteering has fallen 4.9 points since 2011 to 13.8%.

Homes here tend to be larger than usual, with 2.6 people per household. Most families are couples with children (58.6%), and the number of people living alone is lower than in most areas.

Renting is very common, with 36.6% of households renting, a figure well above the national average. This is mirrored by the fact that only 24.8% of homes are owned outright, which is well below the national figure.

More people work from home here than in most areas, at 17.7%. While 5.0% of the population commutes via public transport—a little above the national figure—the majority of workers still use a car.

Brisbane is a transient hub where 46.8% of people moved in the last five years, which is well above the national average. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 14.4% of the population.

A higher share of adults are working or looking for work (65.5%) compared to the rest of the country. The most common industries are health care and social assistance, followed by education, retail, and professional services.

The city is very walkable, with a score of 6.6 and a far higher proportion of homes within a 15-minute walk of parks, schools and groceries compared to the Queensland average.