Woolloongabba
Woolloongabba is growing fast, but unemployment is higher.
Woolloongabba is growing fast, up 3.16% in the latest year against 1.76% for Queensland; close to a train station (Buranda, about 550 m as the crow flies). The trade-offs: unemployment ran above the Brisbane norm at the 2021 Census, at 6.6%; most of the growth is high-rise — over half the homes were flats or units at the 2021 Census.
Mostly apartments, with a median age of 29 and households on a median $1,864 a week at the 2021 Census.
Compiled from ABS regional population (SA2), the 2021 Census, SEIFA 2021, RTA median rents, Queensland Police Service reported offences, Brisbane City Council flood awareness data, OpenStreetMap, Brisbane City Council parks and trails, TransLink timetables and Queensland Open Data.
What's good
- growing fast, up 3.16% in the latest year against 1.76% for Queensland
- close to a train station (Buranda, about 550 m as the crow flies)
What to weigh up
- unemployment ran above the Brisbane norm at the 2021 Census, at 6.6%
- most of the growth is high-rise — over half the homes were flats or units at the 2021 Census
Woolloongabba on the map
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area 2 outline for Woolloongabba, QLD.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Boundary: ABS SA2 (ASGS 2021), simplified — an SA2 can differ from the gazetted suburb, and detached parts such as islands may not all be shown.
How the population has changed
Woolloongabba against the Queensland average, both set to 100 in the first year shown so the growth rates compare.
Woolloongabba population grew from 5,843 in 2016 to 10,367 in 2025, a change of 77.4% over the period, against 17.0% for the Queensland average.
Show the data table
| Year | Woolloongabba | Queensland average |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 5,843 | 4,845,152 |
| 2017 | 6,540 | 4,926,380 |
| 2018 | 7,096 | 5,006,623 |
| 2019 | 7,770 | 5,088,847 |
| 2020 | 8,363 | 5,165,613 |
| 2021 | 8,774 | 5,215,814 |
| 2022 | 9,195 | 5,310,905 |
| 2023 | 9,666 | 5,450,235 |
| 2024 | 10,049 | 5,571,890 |
| 2025 | 10,367 | 5,669,764 |
Where the growth is coming from
Woolloongabba gained 1,665 residents from internal migration and 619 from overseas in the year to June 2025, while 1,971 people moved away — a net addition of 313 before natural increase.
- Internal migration in+1,665
- Internal migration out+1,607
- Overseas migration in+619
- Natural increase+5
Components of population change over the sample year. Natural increase is shown apart from migration so the two are not read as one figure.
How it has changed
Census · five-yearlyThe 2016 Census against 2021. Older figures are mapped onto today's boundaries via the ABS Time Series Profile, so comparisons are approximate where borders moved.
| Measure | 2016 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,526 | 8,597 | +56% |
| Median age | 30 | 29 | -1 yr |
| Median household income | $1,516/wk | $1,864/wk | +23% |
| Median weekly rent | $400/wk | $440/wk | +10% |
| Born overseas | 42.6% | 42.9% | +0.3 pts |
Who lives here
Census · five-yearlyFrom the 2021 Census — the most recent available; 2026 Census data isn't expected until mid-2027. Each figure carries its definition, so you know what is being counted.
People
Income
Housing
Work
Household
Country of birth
Language at home
How homes are held
- Owned outright 9.9%
- Mortgaged 16.6%
- Rented 69.5%
- Other / not stated 4.0%
What it costs to rent
Residential Tenancies Authority · 2026-Q2Median weekly rent for new tenancies, from the Residential Tenancies Authority's bond lodgements. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
Rent over time
All dwellings in Woolloongabba against the Greater Brisbane median.
Median weekly rent in Woolloongabba went from $459 in 2024-Q1 to $629 in 2026-Q2, up 37%, against $656 for Greater Brisbane now.
Show the data table
| Year | Woolloongabba | Greater Brisbane |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q1 | $459 | $562 |
| 2024-Q2 | $620 | $590 |
| 2024-Q3 | $479 | $574 |
| 2024-Q4 | $550 | $594 |
| 2025-Q1 | $459 | $585 |
| 2025-Q2 | $640 | $624 |
| 2025-Q3 | $479 | $612 |
| 2025-Q4 | $600 | $633 |
| 2026-Q1 | $500 | $625 |
| 2026-Q2 | $629 | $656 |
By dwelling type — 2026-Q2 quarter
| Type | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | — | — | $730n=14 | — |
| Unit / flat | $600n=123 | $800n=122 | $980n=11 | — |
n is the number of new bonds behind each median — treat a figure with a small n as indicative only.
The median weekly rent across all dwellings in Woolloongabba was $629 for the 2026-Q2 quarter, down 2% on a year earlier. That is $27 a week below the Greater Brisbane median. By type: a 3-bedroom house $730 and a 2-bedroom unit $800.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median rent | Year on year | Greater Brisbane |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-Q2 | $629 | −1.7% | $656 |
| 2026-Q1 | $500 | +8.9% | $625 |
| 2025-Q4 | $600 | +9.1% | $633 |
| 2025-Q3 | $479 | +0.0% | $612 |
| 2025-Q2 | $640 | +3.2% | $624 |
| 2025-Q1 | $459 | +0.0% | $585 |
| 2024-Q4 | $550 | +6.0% | $594 |
| 2024-Q3 | $479 | +2.1% | $574 |
| 2024-Q2 | $620 | +68.0% | $590 |
| 2024-Q1 | $459 | +14.8% | $562 |
| 2023-Q4 | $519 | +34.8% | $575 |
| 2023-Q3 | $469 | +38.3% | $536 |
| 2023-Q2 | $369 | +5.4% | $526 |
| 2023-Q1 | $400 | +37.9% | $496 |
| 2022-Q4 | $385 | −13.5% | $495 |
| 2022-Q3 | $339 | −20.2% | $455 |
| 2022-Q2 | $350 | −16.7% | $454 |
| 2022-Q1 | $290 | −17.6% | $428 |
| 2021-Q4 | $445 | +3.5% | $436 |
| 2021-Q3 | $425 | +6.3% | $416 |
| 2021-Q2 | $420 | +21.7% | $408 |
| 2021-Q1 | $352 | +3.8% | $405 |
| 2020-Q4 | $430 | +32.3% | $401 |
| 2020-Q3 | $400 | +29.4% | $392 |
| 2020-Q2 | $345 | +4.9% | $383 |
| 2020-Q1 | $339 | +13.4% | $394 |
| 2019-Q4 | $325 | −16.7% | $391 |
| 2019-Q3 | $309 | +10.8% | $384 |
| 2019-Q2 | $329 | −17.8% | $383 |
| 2019-Q1 | $299 | −27.1% | $387 |
| 2018-Q4 | $390 | +1.3% | $383 |
| 2018-Q3 | $279 | −27.5% | $381 |
| 2018-Q2 | $400 | — | $383 |
| 2018-Q1 | $410 | — | $386 |
| 2017-Q4 | $385 | — | $384 |
| 2017-Q3 | $385 | — | $381 |
Rent data © the State of Queensland (Residential Tenancies Authority), used under CC BY 4.0, June 2026 release. Figures are the median for new bonds lodged in the quarter, not all tenancies. The RTA suppresses a median where too few bonds were lodged.
How well-off the area is
Census · five-yearlyThe ABS SEIFA indexes rank every area by relative advantage and disadvantage. Decile 1 is the lowest tenth of Australia; decile 10 is the highest.
- Relative disadvantage (IRSD)Lower decile means more relative disadvantageDecile 7score 1,041
- Advantage & disadvantage (IRSAD)Higher decile means more relative advantageDecile 9score 1,078
- Economic resources (IER)Income and housing capacityDecile 1score 903
- Education & occupation (IEO)Education and occupational skill levelsDecile 10score 1,128
Safety context
Queensland Police Service · July 2026How much crime is reported where Woolloongabba sits — measured for its whole police division, because that is the finest area the Queensland Police Service publishes.
Woolloongabba is policed by the Queensland Police Service Dutton Park Division, which also covers Kangaroo Point and East Brisbane. The reported-offence figures below are for the whole division, not Woolloongabba specifically.
Most-reported offences · Dutton Park Division, last 12 months
- Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry)4,734 /100k+80% vs QLD↓ 4%
- Drug Offences3,263 /100k+96% vs QLD↑ 43%
- Unlawful Entry1,655 /100k+145% vs QLD↓ 16%
- Assault1,228 /100k+17% vs QLD↓ 3%
- Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle514 /100k+52% vs QLD↓ 23%
- Robbery93 /100k+106% vs QLD↓ 3%
Rate per 100,000 people across the whole Dutton Park Division — not Woolloongabba on its own; the arrow compares the last 12 months with the 12 before.
Of these categories, other theft is reported most across the whole Dutton Park Division over the last 12 months, running 80% above the Queensland rate and down on the year before. None of this is specific to Woolloongabba — a police division usually spans several suburbs, so treat it as area context, not a street-level read.
Show the data table
| Offence category | Division | Queensland | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry) | 4,734 per 100k | 2,632 per 100k | ↓ 4% vs prior year |
| Drug Offences | 3,263 per 100k | 1,666 per 100k | ↑ 43% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Entry | 1,655 per 100k | 677 per 100k | ↓ 16% vs prior year |
| Assault | 1,228 per 100k | 1,053 per 100k | ↓ 3% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle | 514 per 100k | 338 per 100k | ↓ 23% vs prior year |
| Robbery | 93 per 100k | 45 per 100k | ↓ 3% vs prior year |
Crime statistics © State of Queensland (Queensland Police Service), used under CC BY 4.0, updated July 2026. Reported offences are counted for the Dutton Park Division; suburb-level detail is not published as open data. Monthly counts are volatile — the 12-month figures above smooth that noise, per QPS’s own guidance.
Flood risk
Brisbane City Council · updated August 2026Has this suburb flooded before, and how much of it does Brisbane City Council map as flood-liable? The historic extents are the ground truth; the likelihood bands are the council's modelling of how often flooding is expected.
Historic flood exposure
- 20224.5%
- 20113.7%
- 19745.6%
Share of the suburb inside each event’s mapped flood surface. These maps cover only the river and creek extents of those specific events — being outside them does not mean a property is flood-free.
Council flood-likelihood modelling
13% of Woolloongabba is mapped as flood-liable, split by how often flooding is expected. This layer dates from 2013 and reads conservatively for some riverside suburbs.
- Medium 1.6%
- Low <1%
- Very Low 10%
Woolloongabba has been within a mapped flood extent before — in 2022, 2011 and 1974, with up to about 5.6% of the suburb inundated in the worst of those events. Council's flood-likelihood modelling maps about 13% of Woolloongabba as flood-liable, roughly 1.6% of it in a high or medium likelihood band.
A suburb rollup can’t tell you about an individual property. Check a specific address on Brisbane City Council’s FloodWise Property Report →
Show the data table
| Measure | Share |
|---|---|
| Within the 2022 flood extent | 4.5% of the suburb |
| Within the 2011 flood extent | 3.7% of the suburb |
| Within the 1974 flood extent | 5.6% of the suburb |
| Council likelihood modelling, all bands | 13% of the suburb |
| — Medium likelihood | 1.6% of the suburb |
| — Low likelihood | under 1% of the suburb |
| — Very Low likelihood | 10% of the suburb |
Flood data © Brisbane City Council, used under CC BY 4.0, updated August 2026. The Flood Awareness Maps are an awareness tool, not a substitute for a FloodWise Property Report or professional advice.
Getting around, and what's nearby
OpenStreetMap · quarterlyWhat OpenStreetMap records inside the suburb boundary. Counts reflect what is tagged in OSM and can undercount a real but less-mapped area. The park count here is OpenStreetMap green space of any kind, including privately held land — it is a different measure from the council parks below.
Within the Woolloongabba SA2, OpenStreetMap records 1 childcare or kindergarten centre, 2 hospitals, 8 GP or clinic locations, 3 supermarkets and 22 green spaces. For families: 3 playgrounds. Eating out and socialising: 22 cafés, 26 restaurants and 9 pubs and bars. Staying active: 3 gyms and 6 sports fields. Also 1 cinema and 2 shopping centres. The nearest train station, Buranda, is about 550 m from the suburb centre. OpenStreetMap also maps 39 bus stops here.
List every mapped place
Schools
- Buranda State School
- East Brisbane State School
- Narbethong Special School
Childcare & kindergartens
- Busy Bees Early Learning Woolloongabba East
Gyms & fitness
- homeROOM
- Zap Fitness
- Snap Fitness
Cinemas
- Angelika Cinemas
Shopping centres
- Buranda Village
- Target
Hospitals
- Princess Alexandra Hospital
GPs & clinics
- Spinal Life
- Gabba Health Hub Family Medical Centre
- Woolloongabba Community Health Centre
- Queensland Sports Medicine Centre
- Mater Hill Family Medical Centre
- Sullivan Nicolaides
- Paeds in a pod
- QML Pathology
Supermarkets
- Woolworths
- Coles Local
- Woolworths
Green spaces
- Queen Bess Street Park
- Faversham Street Park
- Jurgens Street Park
- Buranda Playground Park
- Carl Street Urban Common
- Woolloongabba Place Park
- Langlands Park
- Leonard Street Park
Train stations
- Buranda
- Boggo Road
Parks and trails
Brisbane City Council · biannuallyCouncil-managed parks inside the suburb boundary, with the recreation trails and facilities Brisbane City Council records in each.
Woolloongabba has 10 council parks covering 3.7 ha, with 0.1 km of bikeway and shared path. Of those, 2 have a barbecue.
- Preston Street Park21 Preston Street, Woolloongabba1.8 ha
- Woolloongabba Place Park868 Main Street, Woolloongabba0.5 ha0.1 km bikeway & shared path
- Carl Street Park41 Carl Street, Woolloongabba0.4 ha1 barbecue
- Jurgens Street Park45 Logan Road, Woolloongabba0.2 ha
- Queen Bess Street Park10 Bourne Street, Woolloongabba0.2 ha
- Deshon Street Park104 Deshon Street, Woolloongabba0.1 ha
- Dibley Street Park22 Dibley Street, Woolloongabba0.1 ha
- Buranda Playground Park34 Sword Street, Woolloongabba0.1 ha
Show all 10 parks in Woolloongabba
- Faversham Street Park35 Faversham Street, Woolloongabba0.1 ha1 barbecue
- Leonard Street Park30 Annie Street, Woolloongabba0.0 ha
Parks just over the boundary
These sit mostly in a neighbouring suburb but their boundary reaches into Woolloongabba. They are not counted in the figures above.
- Langlands Park · Coorparoo · 6.9 ha
- Gladys Street Park · Stones Corner · 1.3 ha
- Deshon Park · Coorparoo · 0.3 ha
Parks across Brisbane — biggest, off-leash areas and trails →
Park locations © Brisbane City Council 2026; tracks and trails © Brisbane City Council 2025. Used under CC BY 4.0, updated September 2026.
Getting to the CBD
TransLink timetablesHow to reach the city centre from Woolloongabba on public transport — the routes you'd catch here, how long they take and how often they run.
From Woolloongabba, route 180 runs to the Brisbane CBD in about 8 minutes, roughly every 10 minutes in the morning peak — it joins the South East Busway at Mater Hill. Brisbane Metro (M1 and M2) also serves Woolloongabba, on high-frequency all-day headways. Times are scheduled and in-vehicle only — they exclude walking, waiting and any transfer.
Routes to the city from Woolloongabba
- 180Garden City - City Express via Mansfield~8 min · every ~10 min in the peak · via the busway at Mater Hill
- 340Carseldine - Woolloongabba Express via City~8 min · every ~15 min in the peak
- 205Carindale Heights - City Express~8 min · every ~10 min in the peak
- 573Brisbane City - Loganholme via Daisy Hill~8 min · every ~10 min in the peak
- 569Brisbane City - Loganholme~8 min · every ~8 min in the peak
- Metro M1Eight Mile Plains - City~8 min · every ~5 min in the peak · via the busway at Mater Hill
- 61Ashgrove Shops - Coorparoo via City~9 min · every ~10 min in the peak · via the busway at Woolloongabba
- 120Garden City - City via Tarragindi~9 min · every ~10 min in the peak · via the busway at Mater Hill
- Metro M2RBWH - UQ Lakes via City~9 min · every ~5 min in the peak · via the busway at Mater Hill
Brisbane Metro runs high-frequency, all-day — there is no timetable to check.
These are timetabled figures for a typical weekday. Plan a door-to-door trip on the TransLink journey planner →
Show the data table
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Fastest scheduled trip to the Brisbane CBD | about 8 min |
| Typical trip (all services) | about 10 min |
| Best route, morning peak (7–9am) | about every 5 min |
| Best route, off-peak (10am–3pm) | about every 5 min |
| 180 — Garden City - City Express via Mansfield | about 8 min, joins the busway at Mater Hill |
| 340 — Carseldine - Woolloongabba Express via City | about 8 min |
| 205 — Carindale Heights - City Express | about 8 min |
| 573 — Brisbane City - Loganholme via Daisy Hill | about 8 min |
| 569 — Brisbane City - Loganholme | about 8 min |
| Metro M1 — Eight Mile Plains - City | about 8 min, joins the busway at Mater Hill |
| 61 — Ashgrove Shops - Coorparoo via City | about 9 min, joins the busway at Woolloongabba |
| 120 — Garden City - City via Tarragindi | about 9 min, joins the busway at Mater Hill |
| Metro M2 — RBWH - UQ Lakes via City | about 9 min, joins the busway at Mater Hill |
| Nearest busway station | PA Hospital, about 500 m away (straight line) |
Timetable data © State of Queensland (Department of Transport and Main Roads, TransLink Division), used under CC BY 4.0. Scheduled in-vehicle times for a representative weekday, city-bound — they exclude walking, waiting and transfer time, and real running times vary with traffic.
Schools
Every open Queensland school whose campus sits inside the SA2 boundary, with the average ICSEA across them. Open a school for its own ICSEA, student background and a link to My School.
The Woolloongabba SA2 contains 3 schools — 2 primary schools and 1 special school, all government. Its schools with a published ICSEA average 1074 (1000 is the national average); each school's own figure and student background are on its page. NAPLAN results for each school are on its My School profile (ACARA). For area context, Woolloongabba sits in decile 10 of the ABS SEIFA index of education and occupation nationally and 87% of adults here completed Year 12 (Census 2021).
The centre of this SA2 is zoned for Buranda State School (primary).
Parts of the SA2 also fall in the catchment of Junction Park State School (primary), Dutton Park State School (primary), East Brisbane State School (primary), Coorparoo Secondary College (junior secondary), Brisbane State High School (junior secondary), Coorparoo Secondary College (senior secondary), Brisbane State High School (senior secondary).
Catchments can divide a suburb — confirm your address on EdMap.
Show school list
- Buranda State School · State · Prep–6
- East Brisbane State School · State · Prep–6
- Narbethong State Special School · State · Prep–12
School list & catchments: Queensland Government Open Data (Department of Education), licensed CC BY 4.0. ICSEA: ACARA School Profile. NAPLAN: myschool.edu.au (ACARA).
Nearby, in Holland Park - Yeronga
Others in the same ABS district, by population growth. If this one doesn't fit, one of these might.
- HereWoolloongabba+3.2%
- 01Fairfield - Dutton Park+1.7%
- 02Annerley+1.3%
- 03Greenslopes+1.2%
- 04Yeronga+1.1%
- 05Coorparoo+0.9%
- 06Holland Park West+0.7%
- 07Holland Park+0.4%
Dots place each suburb's growth on the same scale, slowest at left.
Woolloongabba: common questions
Is Woolloongabba a good place to live?
How much does it cost to rent in Woolloongabba?
Has Woolloongabba ever flooded?
Is Woolloongabba a safe suburb?
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What schools are in Woolloongabba?
What amenities and public transport does Woolloongabba have?
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