Bracken Ridge (Qld)

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Based on demographic evaluations from the ABS for the wider region alongside newly confirmed physical addresses since the Census, the suburb of Bracken Ridge has an estimated residency of 18,908 as of May 2026. This indicates an expansion of 1,420 people (8.1%) relative to the 2021 Census, which documented 17,488 residents. The calculation relies on a base of 18,847 inhabitants calculated by Districts using June 2025 ABS ERP releases, supplemented by 195 validated new addresses added since the Census date. This population scale translates to 2,331 persons per square kilometer, positioning it in the top quartile of Australian locations analyzed. The suburb of Bracken Ridge's 8.1% growth rate since the 2021 census outpaced the broader SA3 region's 7.7%, making it a regional growth leader. The primary driver of this demographic growth was overseas migration, which accounted for approximately 55% of the net gains in recent times.

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The suburb of Bracken Ridge features a qualified labor force with strong representation in critical public services, an unemployment rate of 5.0%, and a 7.1% rise in employment over the preceding year. As of March 2026, there are 10,945 employed residents, and the local jobless rate sits 0.6% higher than the Greater Brisbane average of 4.3%. Labor force participation is relatively high at 75.4% compared to 70.4% across Greater Brisbane. Census data indicates a moderate 16.7% of the workforce worked from home, though this figure may reflect the influence of pandemic restrictions.

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Personal earnings in the suburb of Bracken Ridge align closely with national benchmarks based on financial year 2023 ATO statistics. Taxpayers recorded a median income of $56,734 and an average income of $67,892, compared to Greater Brisbane averages of $58,236 and $72,799 respectively. Adjusted for Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since the 2023 financial year, current estimated values are approximately $63,179 for the median and $75,605 for the average as of March 2026. The 2021 Census shows that household, family, and individual incomes sit near the 59th percentile nationally. The local income profile is dominated by the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly bracket, which contains 38.0% of residents (7,185 people), similar to the wider region where fall into this range. On average, residents retain of their income after meeting housing costs, and the area is positioned in the th decile of the SEIFA index for income.

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Residential property types in the suburb of Bracken Ridge at the time of the latest Census consisted of 88.3% separate houses and 11.7% multi-unit housing styles, compared to 73.5% separate houses and 26.5% other styles across the Brisbane metropolitan area. Outright home ownership stood at 30.0%, which is well above the metropolitan rate, with the remaining homes occupied by mortgage holders (45.4%) or tenants (24.5%). Typical monthly mortgage payments of $1,800 were below the Brisbane metropolitan average of $1,863, while typical weekly rents were $410, compared to the metropolitan average of $380. Compared to national figures, local mortgage payments are below the Australian average of $1,863, while local rents exceed the national average of $375.

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Families make up 80.7% of all local households, consisting of couples with children at 38.9%, couples without children at 26.7%, and single parents at 13.7%. The remaining 19.3% are non-family households, which include lone person households at 16.3% and shared group households at 3.0%. The typical household size of 2.8 individuals is larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

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The suburb of Bracken Ridge experiences some educational hurdles, with university graduation rates of 23.5% falling well short of the 33.8% average for the wider SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are the most common higher education qualification at 16.9%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 4.2% and graduate diplomas at 2.4%. Vocational and technical skills are highly prevalent, with 38.1% of residents aged 15+ holding practical credentials, consisting of advanced diplomas at 12.6% and certificates at 25.5%.

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Public transport networks include 76 active stops in the suburb of Bracken Ridge, providing bus services across 7 separate routes that run a combined 1,307 weekly passenger services. Accessibility is good, with typical walking distances to the nearest stop averaging 219 meters. As a residential community, most workers travel out of the area, with private cars remaining the primary travel mode at 86%, followed by rail travel at 6%. Household vehicle ownership stands at 1.6 cars per dwelling, which is higher than the regional average. Around 16.7% of working residents worked from home at the time of the 2021 Census, which may reflect the pandemic conditions of the time.

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Physical well-being measurements indicate below-average outcomes in the suburb of Bracken Ridge, based on mortality statistics and the prevalence of long-term medical conditions across age brackets, though the proportion of residents with private health insurance is relatively high at approximately 54% of the population, representing about 10,229 people.

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The suburb of Bracken Ridge exhibits higher levels of cultural diversity than most comparable markets, with 25.9% of the population born outside Australia and 17.7% speaking a non-English language at home. Christianity is the main religion, claimed by 54.7% of residents. The most pronounced religious divergence is in the Other category, which accounts for 2.8% of residents compared to 1.3% throughout Greater Brisbane.

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The median age in the suburb of Bracken Ridge is 37 years, which is close to the Greater Brisbane average of 36 and the national median of 38. Compared to the wider Brisbane region, the suburb of Bracken Ridge has a higher share of residents aged 75 - 84 (6.3%) and a lower share of residents aged 25 - 34 (12.1%). Since the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 cohort expanded from 4.6% to 6.3% of the population, while the 25 to 34 cohort fell from 13.3% to 12.1%. Demographic projections show that the local age profile will shift substantially by 2041, with the 85+ cohort showing the fastest growth at 141%, adding people to reach a total of . Older residents aged and over will account for of total population growth, highlighting local aging trends, whereas the to and to age brackets are projected to shrink.

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Bracken Ridge currently has an estimated 1,058 children under 5 years old, comprising approximately 629 children aged 0-2 and 419 children aged 3-4. This cohort declined by an estimated 5% since the previous census. while population forecasts indicate future decline, with an anticipated decrease of 18% by 2041 (to approximately 870 children). Meanwhile the 5-12 cohort currently amounts to 2,030. Birth rates in the area have averaged 10.9 per 1,000 residents over the latest two-year period, a moderate rate (within the middle tier nationally). This rate has slowed down slightly in recent years however.