Bowen Hills vs Herston

In both, most households rent. In Bowen Hills, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments and most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Bowen Hills: a median of $2.2 million, against $1.72 million in Herston. Herston is closer to the city centre: 3.4 km, against 5.1 km. On these figures, Bowen Hills tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Herston suits share households and buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Herston

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (43% vs 3%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (40% vs 12%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Herston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,720,000 vs $2,200,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Bowen Hills has a bigger rental market to choose from (84% vs 60%)
  • Herston leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 25%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Bowen Hills

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (14% vs 1%)
  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 82/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bowen Hills

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (97% vs 57%)
  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 82/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Bowen Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (51.8% vs 4.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Bowen Hills and Herston drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Bowen Hills Herston
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Bowen Hills Herston
Walkability 94 / 82
Bowen Hills — Walkability: 94/100 Herston — Walkability: 82/100
Safety 9 / 6
Bowen Hills — Safety: 9/100 Herston — Safety: 6/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Bowen Hills — Low fire risk: 100/100 Herston — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Bowen Hills has more residents (4,898 vs 2,311); Herston has higher household incomes ($108,472 vs $80,652).

Bowen Hills Herston
Population 4,898
+53% vs other
 2,311
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +51.8% +4.3%
Median age 30 31
Median household income $80,652/yr $108,472/yr
+34% vs other
Median weekly rent $390/wk $400/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bowen Hills Herston
0-4 2.2% / 4.5%
Bowen Hills — 0-4: 2.2% Herston — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 2.3% / 8.8%
Bowen Hills — 5-14: 2.3% Herston — 5-14: 8.8%
15-19 2.5% / 5.5%
Bowen Hills — 15-19: 2.5% Herston — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 18.1% / 14.7%
Bowen Hills — 20-24: 18.1% Herston — 20-24: 14.7%
25-34 40.9% / 24.6%
Bowen Hills — 25-34: 40.9% Herston — 25-34: 24.6%
35-44 16.5% / 14.8%
Bowen Hills — 35-44: 16.5% Herston — 35-44: 14.8%
45-54 8.0% / 12.5%
Bowen Hills — 45-54: 8.0% Herston — 45-54: 12.5%
55-64 5.3% / 7.6%
Bowen Hills — 55-64: 5.3% Herston — 55-64: 7.6%
65-74 2.8% / 4.3%
Bowen Hills — 65-74: 2.8% Herston — 65-74: 4.3%
75-84 1.1% / 2.1%
Bowen Hills — 75-84: 1.1% Herston — 75-84: 2.1%
85+ 0.2% / 0.9%
Bowen Hills — 85+: 0.2% Herston — 85+: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (40.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bowen Hills 68.3% lone person
Bowen Hills — Lone Person: 68.3% Bowen Hills — Group Household: 17.4% Bowen Hills — Couple Families: 7.4% Bowen Hills — One Parent Families: 4.6% Bowen Hills — Other Families: 2.3%
Herston 33.3% lone person
Herston — Lone Person: 33.3% Herston — Group Household: 24.5% Herston — Couple Families: 27.7% Herston — One Parent Families: 12.6% Herston — Other Families: 1.9%
Lone Person Group Household Couple Families One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bowen Hills 83.5% renting
Bowen Hills — Owned Outright: 4.7% Bowen Hills — Mortgage: 11.8% Bowen Hills — Renting: 83.5%
Herston 59.5% renting
Herston — Owned Outright: 16.6% Herston — Mortgage: 23.8% Herston — Renting: 59.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Bowen Hills Herston
Bachelor Degree 28.6% / 24.9%
Bowen Hills — Bachelor Degree: 28.6% Herston — Bachelor Degree: 24.9%
Postgraduate Degree 9.0% / 11.9%
Bowen Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 9.0% Herston — Postgraduate Degree: 11.9%
Certificate III & IV 11.0% / 7.2%
Bowen Hills — Certificate III & IV: 11.0% Herston — Certificate III & IV: 7.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 6.9%
Bowen Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Herston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 3.2%
Bowen Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Herston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.6%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Bowen Hills Herston
India 2.9% / 2.9%
Bowen Hills — India: 2.9% Herston — India: 2.9%
England 3.1% / 2.6%
Bowen Hills — England: 3.1% Herston — England: 2.6%
New Zealand 3.6% / 2.0%
Bowen Hills — New Zealand: 3.6% Herston — New Zealand: 2.0%
China 2.1% / 2.3%
Bowen Hills — China: 2.1% Herston — China: 2.3%
Brazil 2.4% / —
Bowen Hills — Brazil: 2.4% Herston — Brazil: not among its largest
Sri Lanka — / 1.2%
Bowen Hills — Sri Lanka: not among its largest Herston — Sri Lanka: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bowen Hills 94.6% flats / apartments
Bowen Hills — Flats / Apartments: 94.6% Bowen Hills — Houses: 3.0% Bowen Hills — Townhouses: 2.4%
Herston 37.8% flats / apartments
Herston — Flats / Apartments: 37.8% Herston — Houses: 43.2% Herston — Townhouses: 18.9%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Bowen Hills Herston
Median house price $2,200,000 $1,720,000
Median unit price $686,000 $720,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 3 sales
 25 days
from 6 sales

Development activity

Bowen Hills Herston
New dwellings approved 9,382
across Brisbane
same for both
Approvals change year on year +9%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Bowen Hills Herston
Houses —
same for both
Units 5.6%
$730/wk on $682K
 —

Ranking within QLD

Bowen Hills Herston
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 51% of QLD Higher than 81% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 99% of QLD Higher than 96% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 99% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 93% of QLD Higher than 92% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 82% of QLD —

Liveability

Bowen Hills is more walkable (94 vs 82).

Bowen Hills Herston
Grade A
same for both
Score 68/100 67/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Bowen Hills Herston
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
91/100
 High
94/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 9
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Bowen Hills Herston
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
90 Bowen Terrace, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006, 1.3 km
 3
Kelvin Grove, 1.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.2% 7.7%

Schools in Bowen Hills

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Herston

  • QCHS - Royal Brisbane and ACT for Kids Campus Government · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Bowen Hills Herston
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 9 8
Parks & reserves 5
same for both
Childcare 4
same for both
GPs 2
same for both
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Hospitals 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 2 1
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 1 2

Mobility

Bowen Hills Herston
Walkability score 94/100 82/100
Distance to Brisbane 5.1 km
+33% vs other
 3.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 9 min
same for both
Public transport score 96/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 144.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 314.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.6%
postcode 4006
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 4
postcode 4006
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Bowen Hills Herston
Car (driver) 35.4% / 45.7%
Bowen Hills — Car (driver): 35.4% Herston — Car (driver): 45.7%
Worked from Home 21.7% / 22.6%
Bowen Hills — Worked from Home: 21.7% Herston — Worked from Home: 22.6%
Walked Only 19.1% / 11.1%
Bowen Hills — Walked Only: 19.1% Herston — Walked Only: 11.1%
Bus 5.8% / 12.2%
Bowen Hills — Bus: 5.8% Herston — Bus: 12.2%
Train 13.5% / 1.3%
Bowen Hills — Train: 13.5% Herston — Train: 1.3%
Bicycle 1.3% / 3.7%
Bowen Hills — Bicycle: 1.3% Herston — Bicycle: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (45.7%).

Setting

Bowen Hills Herston
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.4 km
2.8 km to a named beach
 9.9 km
2.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Bowen Hills Herston
Connectivity score 84/100 82/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 50%
3,820 premises
 29%
1,272 premises

Climate

Bowen Hills Herston
Annual rainfall 1,032 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Bowen Hills Herston
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Bowen Hills Herston
Average residential rate $1,519/yr
same for both
Council Brisbane
same for both

Federal electorate

Bowen Hills Herston
Division Brisbane
same for both
Member Madonna Jarrett
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bowen Hills Herston
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bowen Hills

Apartments Easy Commute Gentrifying Inner Parks Professionals River Students Trains Transport Hub

Herston

Apartments Inner Parks Professionals Students

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bowen Hills

Bowen Hills vs Fortitude Valley Bowen Hills vs Windsor Bowen Hills vs Newstead Bowen Hills vs Spring Hill Bowen Hills vs Albion

Other comparisons with Herston

Herston vs Kelvin Grove Herston vs Windsor Herston vs Spring Hill Herston vs Wilston
Full data on Bowen Hills Full data on Herston
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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