Suburb Spotlight – Toowong in Review

A prestigious, highly desirable blue-chip area, Toowong was declared Brisbane’s most liveable suburb by professional services firm PwC in their recent CityPulse SEQ report.

The suburb beat Brisbane’s 260 suburbs, assessed on a diverse range of factors including affordability, crime rates, walkability and transport, access to employment and essential services, entertainment, and cultural amenity.

The SEQ Regional Plan functions as the overarching urban planning guide to all future growth and development decisions in South East Queensland. Toowong’s designation as one of only
ten “Major Activity Centres” within the region ensures sustained public and commercial investment in the suburb. As such, the area’s exceptional pre-existing locational attributes will be further enhanced, boding well for residential investment prospects.

Hugging the bend of the Brisbane River and only minutes to Brisbane’s CBD, Toowong is a coveted address of true distinction. Abundantly rich in lifestyle and convenience amenity, and within short reach of Brisbane’s major attractions, it’s easy to see why the suburb of Toowong is so desirable and in such high demand.

Why invest in Toowong?

1. A location of distinction

Located less than 4km from Brisbane’s CBD, Toowong boasts exceptional accessibility to employment, lifestyle amenity, hospitals, transport, the Brisbane Airport, and Gold and Sunshine Coasts via the M1 Motorway.

2. A growing infrastructure pipeline

While Toowong is already amenity rich, residential values stand to capitalise further from a significant pipeline of development and proposed infrastructure. This includes a new $450 million mixed-use precinct on a 9,000sqm site opposite Toowong Village, incorporating retail, dining, and a 5-star hotel.

Toowong is also set to greatly benefit from the Brisbane City Council ‘Green Bridges’ initiative, with technical investigations now underway for a cycling and pedestrian connection linking Archer Street, Toowong to Orleigh Park, West End.

3. Proximity to education

With its proximity to some of the city’s most sought-after schools and tertiary institutions, including the University of Queensland, property is consistently in strong demand and very tightly held.

4. Strong employment

Toowong’s most recently recorded unemployment rate of 4.4% sits comfortably below Greater Brisbane’s rate of 5.6%, and well below that of other inner-city locations.

5. Growing population

Toowong’s residential population has grown by more than 10% in the previous decade to approximately 12,331 at the end of 2019. Based on current underlying demographic trends, the population is projected to increase by close to 20% by 2036.

6. High demand

Strong demand for limited rental stock has seen 2- and 3-bedroom apartment rents rise by 23% in the previous three years.

7. Outstanding performance

Reflecting Toowong’s status as an extremely desirable blue-chip location, houses sold during 2020 commanded an average premium of $427,000 (or 75%) over those sold across the Greater Brisbane area during the same month.

Read more about the thriving suburb of Toowong in our Suburb Profile Report