Spring Hill vs Fortitude Valley

In both, most households rent and the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. In Spring Hill, about half of households are people living alone. In Fortitude Valley, most households are people living alone. Spring Hill is closer to the city centre: 1.3 km, against 2 km. On these figures, Fortitude Valley 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

Spring Hill

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (15% vs 2%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (25% vs 11%)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (10 vs 6)
  • But Fortitude Valley has more schools rated above their peers (3 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Fortitude Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($745,000 vs $1,583,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fortitude Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (82% vs 69%)

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

Fortitude Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (98% vs 85%)

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

Investors

Fortitude Valley

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (39.1% vs 10.4%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.1% vs 4.3%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Spring Hill and Fortitude Valley drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
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.

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Walkability 99 / 99
Spring Hill — Walkability: 99/100 Fortitude Valley — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 8 / 3
Spring Hill — Safety: 8/100 Fortitude Valley — Safety: 3/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Spring Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100 Fortitude Valley — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Fortitude Valley has more residents (9,708 vs 6,593); Spring Hill has higher household incomes ($98,228 vs $86,216).

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Population 6,593 9,708
+47% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.4% +39.1%
Median age 32 31
Median household income $98,228/yr
+12% vs other
 $86,216/yr
Median weekly rent $410/wk
+2% vs other
 $400/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
0-4 2.8% / 2.1%
Spring Hill — 0-4: 2.8% Fortitude Valley — 0-4: 2.1%
5-14 5.0% / 2.2%
Spring Hill — 5-14: 5.0% Fortitude Valley — 5-14: 2.2%
15-19 3.9% / 2.0%
Spring Hill — 15-19: 3.9% Fortitude Valley — 15-19: 2.0%
20-24 11.5% / 15.1%
Spring Hill — 20-24: 11.5% Fortitude Valley — 20-24: 15.1%
25-34 34.0% / 40.6%
Spring Hill — 25-34: 34.0% Fortitude Valley — 25-34: 40.6%
35-44 18.1% / 18.6%
Spring Hill — 35-44: 18.1% Fortitude Valley — 35-44: 18.6%
45-54 9.6% / 9.3%
Spring Hill — 45-54: 9.6% Fortitude Valley — 45-54: 9.3%
55-64 7.7% / 5.4%
Spring Hill — 55-64: 7.7% Fortitude Valley — 55-64: 5.4%
65-74 5.1% / 2.7%
Spring Hill — 65-74: 5.1% Fortitude Valley — 65-74: 2.7%
75-84 1.7% / 1.2%
Spring Hill — 75-84: 1.7% Fortitude Valley — 75-84: 1.2%
85+ 0.6% / 0.7%
Spring Hill — 85+: 0.6% Fortitude Valley — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (40.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Spring Hill 50.7% lone person
Spring Hill — Lone Person: 50.7% Spring Hill — Group Household: 22.2% Spring Hill — Couple Families: 18.1% Spring Hill — One Parent Families: 6.9% Spring Hill — Other Families: 2.1%
Fortitude Valley 68.7% lone person
Fortitude Valley — Lone Person: 68.7% Fortitude Valley — Group Household: 17.8% Fortitude Valley — Couple Families: 7.4% Fortitude Valley — One Parent Families: 4.0% Fortitude Valley — Other Families: 2.1%
Lone Person Group Household Couple Families One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Spring Hill 69.3% renting
Spring Hill — Owned Outright: 12.7% Spring Hill — Mortgage: 18.0% Spring Hill — Renting: 69.3%
Fortitude Valley 82.1% renting
Fortitude Valley — Owned Outright: 5.1% Fortitude Valley — Mortgage: 12.9% Fortitude Valley — Renting: 82.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
India 8.4% / 3.2%
Spring Hill — India: 8.4% Fortitude Valley — India: 3.2%
New Zealand 2.5% / 4.2%
Spring Hill — New Zealand: 2.5% Fortitude Valley — New Zealand: 4.2%
England 2.7% / 3.3%
Spring Hill — England: 2.7% Fortitude Valley — England: 3.3%
Brazil 3.1% / 2.8%
Spring Hill — Brazil: 3.1% Fortitude Valley — Brazil: 2.8%
China 2.5% / 2.1%
Spring Hill — China: 2.5% Fortitude Valley — China: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.4%).

Qualifications

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

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Bachelor Degree 27.7% / 28.1%
Spring Hill — Bachelor Degree: 27.7% Fortitude Valley — Bachelor Degree: 28.1%
Postgraduate Degree 12.0% / 8.9%
Spring Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 12.0% Fortitude Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 8.9%
Certificate III & IV 8.2% / 11.3%
Spring Hill — Certificate III & IV: 8.2% Fortitude Valley — Certificate III & IV: 11.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 10.3%
Spring Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Fortitude Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.9% / 2.9%
Spring Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9% Fortitude Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Spring Hill 75.9% flats / apartments
Spring Hill — Flats / Apartments: 75.9% Spring Hill — Houses: 15.0% Spring Hill — Townhouses: 9.1%
Fortitude Valley 96.7% flats / apartments
Fortitude Valley — Flats / Apartments: 96.7% Fortitude Valley — Houses: 2.0% Fortitude Valley — Townhouses: 1.2%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Median house price $1,583,500 $745,000
Median unit price $661,000 $670,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 30 sales
 28 days
from 14 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.

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
1 bed $547K / $572K
Spring Hill — 1 bed: $547K (65 sales) Fortitude Valley — 1 bed: $572K (202 sales)

65 vs 202 sales

2 bed $760K / $765K
Spring Hill — 2 bed: $760K (75 sales) Fortitude Valley — 2 bed: $765K (221 sales)

75 vs 221 sales

3 bed $1.22M / $980K
Spring Hill — 3 bed: $1.22M (16 sales) Fortitude Valley — 3 bed: $980K (28 sales)

16 vs 28 sales

Development activity

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
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.

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Houses — 5.8%
$770/wk on $692K
Units 4.3%
$650/wk on $795K
 5.1%
$680/wk on $700K

Ranking within QLD

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 73% of QLD Higher than 60% of QLD
Schools Higher than 53% of QLD Higher than 86% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 100% of QLD
same for both
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 100% of QLD Higher than 99% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of QLD Higher than 92% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 97% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 42% of QLD Higher than 74% of QLD

Liveability

Fortitude Valley scores higher overall (72 vs 63).

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Grade B A
Score 63/100 72/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
92/100
 High
97/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 7
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Inside the suburb 10 6
Rated above peers 2 3
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 3
90 Bowen Terrace, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006, 1.1 km
 3
90 Bowen Terrace, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006, 0.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.5% 4.2%

Schools in Spring Hill

  • Brisbane Grammar School Independent · Combined above peers
  • St Joseph's College Catholic · Combined above peers
  • St James College Catholic · Combined at peers
  • Brisbane Central State School Government · Primary below peers
  • Brisbane Girls Grammar School Independent · Secondary
  • Brisbane Girls Grammar School - Primary Campus Independent · Primary

Schools in Fortitude Valley

  • All Hallows' School Catholic · Combined above peers
  • Angelorum College Independent · Combined above peers
  • Humanitas High School Independent · Secondary above peers
  • Fortitude Valley State Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Humanitas High School - Initial Campus Independent · Secondary
  • Music Industry College Independent · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Supermarkets 2 4
Cafes & restaurants 29 72
Parks & reserves 5
same for both
Childcare 5 4
GPs 6 5
Pharmacies 7 4
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2 3
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Walkability score 99/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 1.3 km 2 km
+54% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 5 min 6 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 94/100
Rail · Bus · Ferry
Peak arrivals per hour 141.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 583.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 5.2%
postcode 4000
 3.6%
postcode 4006
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 4
postcode 4000
 4
postcode 4006

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.

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Car (driver) 29.8% / 30.6%
Spring Hill — Car (driver): 29.8% Fortitude Valley — Car (driver): 30.6%
Walked Only 27.8% / 23.8%
Spring Hill — Walked Only: 27.8% Fortitude Valley — Walked Only: 23.8%
Worked from Home 24.2% / 23.3%
Spring Hill — Worked from Home: 24.2% Fortitude Valley — Worked from Home: 23.3%
Bus 7.6% / 8.9%
Spring Hill — Bus: 7.6% Fortitude Valley — Bus: 8.9%
Train 4.4% / 8.0%
Spring Hill — Train: 4.4% Fortitude Valley — Train: 8.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.6%).

Setting

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Elevation 30 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.0 km
4.1 km to a named beach
 8.9 km
4.0 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Connectivity score 72/100 81/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 13%
5,864 premises
 41%
9,869 premises

Climate

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
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)

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Average residential rate $1,519/yr
same for both
Council Brisbane
same for both

Federal electorate

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Division Brisbane
same for both
Member Madonna Jarrett
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Spring Hill Fortitude Valley
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Spring Hill

Apartments Cafe Culture Inner Multicultural Nightlife Parks Professionals Urban

Fortitude Valley

Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Nightlife Parks River Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Spring Hill

Spring Hill vs Brisbane City Spring Hill vs Kelvin Grove Spring Hill vs Bowen Hills Spring Hill vs Herston Spring Hill vs Petrie Terrace

Other comparisons with Fortitude Valley

Fortitude Valley vs Brisbane City Fortitude Valley vs New Farm Fortitude Valley vs Kangaroo Point Fortitude Valley vs Newstead Fortitude Valley vs Teneriffe Fortitude Valley vs Bowen Hills
Full data on Spring Hill Full data on Fortitude Valley
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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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