South Brisbane vs West End

South Brisbane is the younger of the two, with a median age of 29 against 34 in West End. In both, most households rent and the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. In South Brisbane, most households are people living alone. In West End, about half of households are people living alone. Units cost more in West End: a median of $910,000, against $788,000 in South Brisbane. South Brisbane is closer to the city centre: 3.1 km, against 4.6 km. On these figures, South Brisbane tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone.

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

West End

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (20% vs 4%)
  • carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 91/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (37% vs 26%)
  • But South Brisbane has more schools rated above their peers (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

South Brisbane

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($925,000 vs $2,070,000)
  • has cheaper units ($787,500 vs $909,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

South Brisbane

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (72% vs 60%)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

South Brisbane

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 4)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (96% vs 80%)
  • But West End carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 91/100)

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

Investors

South Brisbane

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (98.6% vs 55.5%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.8% vs 4.0%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

South Brisbane and West End drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

South Brisbane West End
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.

South Brisbane West End
Walkability 97 / 99
South Brisbane — Walkability: 97/100 West End — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 9 / 36
South Brisbane — Safety: 9/100 West End — Safety: 36/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
South Brisbane — Low fire risk: 100/100 West End — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

West End skews older (34 vs 29); West End has higher household incomes ($109,928 vs $94,536).

South Brisbane West End
Population 14,292 14,730
+3% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +98.6% +55.5%
Median age 29 34
Median household income $94,536/yr $109,928/yr
+16% vs other
Median weekly rent $470/wk
+4% vs other
 $450/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

South Brisbane West End
0-4 2.5% / 3.5%
South Brisbane — 0-4: 2.5% West End — 0-4: 3.5%
5-14 5.6% / 8.9%
South Brisbane — 5-14: 5.6% West End — 5-14: 8.9%
15-19 7.9% / 5.0%
South Brisbane — 15-19: 7.9% West End — 15-19: 5.0%
20-24 17.8% / 9.4%
South Brisbane — 20-24: 17.8% West End — 20-24: 9.4%
25-34 29.6% / 25.2%
South Brisbane — 25-34: 29.6% West End — 25-34: 25.2%
35-44 14.6% / 16.5%
South Brisbane — 35-44: 14.6% West End — 35-44: 16.5%
45-54 9.8% / 13.1%
South Brisbane — 45-54: 9.8% West End — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 5.8% / 9.3%
South Brisbane — 55-64: 5.8% West End — 55-64: 9.3%
65-74 3.9% / 5.9%
South Brisbane — 65-74: 3.9% West End — 65-74: 5.9%
75-84 1.8% / 2.4%
South Brisbane — 75-84: 1.8% West End — 75-84: 2.4%
85+ 0.6% / 0.8%
South Brisbane — 85+: 0.6% West End — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

South Brisbane 55.0% lone person
South Brisbane — Lone Person: 55.0% South Brisbane — Couple Families: 16.9% South Brisbane — Group Household: 16.4% South Brisbane — One Parent Families: 9.4% South Brisbane — Other Families: 2.2%
West End 46.9% lone person
West End — Lone Person: 46.9% West End — Couple Families: 27.1% West End — Group Household: 13.6% West End — One Parent Families: 10.2% West End — Other Families: 2.1%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

South Brisbane 72.0% renting
South Brisbane — Owned Outright: 13.2% South Brisbane — Mortgage: 14.8% South Brisbane — Renting: 72.0%
West End 59.5% renting
West End — Owned Outright: 18.4% West End — Mortgage: 22.1% West End — Renting: 59.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

South Brisbane West End
Bachelor Degree 26.9% / 27.6%
South Brisbane — Bachelor Degree: 26.9% West End — Bachelor Degree: 27.6%
Postgraduate Degree 12.1% / 14.4%
South Brisbane — Postgraduate Degree: 12.1% West End — Postgraduate Degree: 14.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 7.6%
South Brisbane — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% West End — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6%
Certificate III & IV 6.2% / 6.6%
South Brisbane — Certificate III & IV: 6.2% West End — Certificate III & IV: 6.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / 3.7%
South Brisbane — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% West End — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.6%).

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.

South Brisbane West End
China 11.9% / 3.6%
South Brisbane — China: 11.9% West End — China: 3.6%
England 3.5% / 4.3%
South Brisbane — England: 3.5% West End — England: 4.3%
New Zealand 2.7% / 3.0%
South Brisbane — New Zealand: 2.7% West End — New Zealand: 3.0%
India 2.8% / 2.5%
South Brisbane — India: 2.8% West End — India: 2.5%
Vietnam 1.3% / 1.9%
South Brisbane — Vietnam: 1.3% West End — Vietnam: 1.9%
Taiwan 1.9% / —
South Brisbane — Taiwan: 1.9% West End — Taiwan: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

South Brisbane 94.4% flats / apartments
South Brisbane — Flats / Apartments: 94.4% South Brisbane — Houses: 4.2% South Brisbane — Townhouses: 1.4%
West End 76.1% flats / apartments
West End — Flats / Apartments: 76.1% West End — Houses: 19.6% West End — Townhouses: 4.3%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

South Brisbane West End
Median house price $925,000 $2,070,000
Median unit price $787,500 $909,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 13 sales
 31 days
from 61 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

South Brisbane West End
1 bed $639K / $710K
South Brisbane — 1 bed: $639K (210 sales) West End — 1 bed: $710K (121 sales)

210 vs 121 sales

2 bed $905K / $935K
South Brisbane — 2 bed: $905K (241 sales) West End — 2 bed: $935K (223 sales)

241 vs 223 sales

3 bed $1.93M / $1.65M
South Brisbane — 3 bed: $1.93M (50 sales) West End — 3 bed: $1.65M (84 sales)

50 vs 84 sales

Development activity

South Brisbane West End
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.

South Brisbane West End
Houses — 2.6%
$1,000/wk on $1.99M
Units 4.8%
$810/wk on $872K
 4.0%
$800/wk on $1.05M

Ranking within QLD

South Brisbane West End
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 68% of QLD Higher than 82% of QLD
Schools Higher than 90% of QLD —
Walkability Higher than 100% of QLD
same for both
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 99% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 99% of QLD
same for both
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 6% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 67% of QLD Higher than 29% of QLD

Liveability

West End scores higher overall (84 vs 76).

South Brisbane West End
Grade A A+
Score 76/100 84/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

South Brisbane carries more crime risk (91 vs 64).

South Brisbane West End
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
91/100
 Moderate
64/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 10
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

South Brisbane West End
Inside the suburb 5 2
Rated above peers 3 0
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Brisbane City, 0.0 km
 3
Brisbane City, 1.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 12.4% 5.1%

Schools in South Brisbane

  • Brisbane State High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Somerville House Independent · Combined above peers
  • St Laurence's College Catholic · Combined above peers
  • St George College Independent · Primary
  • Queensland Children's Hospital School Government · Combined · Special school

Schools in West End

  • West End State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Arethusa College - West End Campus Independent · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

South Brisbane West End
Supermarkets 7 13
Cafes & restaurants 140 87
Parks & reserves 13 12
Childcare 7 9
GPs 7 4
Pharmacies 5 4
Hospitals 4 0
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 2 1

Mobility

South Brisbane West End
Walkability score 97/100 99/100
Distance to Brisbane 3.1 km 4.6 km
+48% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 9 min 12 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus · Ferry
Peak arrivals per hour 854.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 425.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.2%
postcode 4101
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 10
postcode 4101
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.

South Brisbane West End
Car (driver) 32.3% / 37.3%
South Brisbane — Car (driver): 32.3% West End — Car (driver): 37.3%
Worked from Home 24.3% / 31.9%
South Brisbane — Worked from Home: 24.3% West End — Worked from Home: 31.9%
Walked Only 21.2% / 9.3%
South Brisbane — Walked Only: 21.2% West End — Walked Only: 9.3%
Bus 12.6% / 12.2%
South Brisbane — Bus: 12.6% West End — Bus: 12.2%
Bicycle 2.4% / 5.1%
South Brisbane — Bicycle: 2.4% West End — Bicycle: 5.1%
Train 4.0% / 0.9%
South Brisbane — Train: 4.0% West End — Train: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (37.3%).

Setting

South Brisbane West End
Elevation 15 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.3 km 12.9 km

NBN connectivity

South Brisbane West End
Connectivity score 100/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
4,916 premises
 100%
3,335 premises

Climate

South Brisbane West End
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)

South Brisbane West End
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

South Brisbane West End
Average residential rate $1,519/yr
same for both
Council Brisbane
same for both

Federal electorate

South Brisbane West End
Division Griffith
same for both
Member Renee Coffey
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

South Brisbane West End
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

South Brisbane

Apartments Arts Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Multicultural Nightlife Parks Professionals River Students Transport Hub Urban

West End

Apartments Inner Parks Professionals Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with South Brisbane

South Brisbane vs Brisbane City South Brisbane vs Kangaroo Point South Brisbane vs Woolloongabba South Brisbane vs Highgate Hill South Brisbane vs Milton South Brisbane vs Dutton Park

Other comparisons with West End

West End vs Toowong West End vs St Lucia West End vs Highgate Hill West End vs Auchenflower West End vs Milton
Full data on South Brisbane Full data on West End
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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