Bowen Hills
Suburb profile, market snapshot and recent listings for Bowen Hills, QLD 4006.
About Bowen Hills
Welcome to Bowen Hills
Bowen Hills sits barely two kilometres north-east of the Brisbane CBD, wedged between Fortitude Valley, Spring Hill, Herston, Newstead and Windsor. Once known mainly for its rail yards, showgrounds and light industry, it has spent the last two decades reinventing itself as one of inner Brisbane's most convenient apartment-living addresses.
With a population of just under 5,000 and a median age of 30, Bowen Hills has a distinctly young, city-oriented feel. It tends to suit professionals, downsizers and investors who want CBD proximity without CBD prices, rather than families chasing a big backyard.
Lifestyle & dining
Bowen Hills' own café and dining scene has grown up around its residential towers, but its real drawcard is how easily it connects to the eating and entertainment strips next door. Fortitude Valley's bars, live-music venues and restaurants are an easy walk or one train stop away, while James Street's boutiques and eateries and the Gasworks Newstead precinct are both close at hand. The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital precinct and the Brisbane Showgrounds, home of the annual Ekka, also give the suburb a distinct civic identity beyond its residential towers.
Getting around
Transport is arguably Bowen Hills' strongest card. Bowen Hills railway station sits on the Doomben and Shorncliffe lines, putting the CBD, Fortitude Valley and the airport within easy reach without a car. The suburb is also hugged by major arterials, including the Inner City Bypass and Lutwyche Road, which make driving to the northern suburbs or across to the west straightforward, and there are frequent bus services along the main corridors. Its position just off the M3/Inner City Bypass also makes it a popular base for those who work near the CBD but want to avoid inner-city parking costs.
Housing & architecture
Development in Bowen Hills has been dominated by mid- and high-rise apartment towers, and current listings reflect that emphatically: 88% of stock on the market is apartments or units, with houses making up just 7%, townhouses 3% and land 1%. Most of the housing stock is comparatively recent, built to capture skyline or river glimpses and to appeal to owner-occupiers and investors wanting low-maintenance inner-city living. The handful of older Queenslanders and post-war houses that remain, mostly on the suburb's fringes toward Windsor and Herston, are increasingly rare and tightly held.
The property market
With apartments so dominant, the market here is best read through unit prices, and the current median sits at $595,000. That price point is a relative rarity this close to the CBD, giving Bowen Hills an ongoing appeal to first-home buyers priced out of neighbouring Fortitude Valley and Newstead, as well as to investors chasing rental demand from hospital staff, students and young professionals. Because the suburb is so heavily skewed to unit stock, buyers after a house or townhouse face slim pickings and should expect competition when something does come up.
Parks & recreation
Green space is modest but well used, with Bowen Park and the surrounding Victoria Park corridor offering walking paths and open space close to the RBWH precinct, while the Breakfast Creek area towards Newstead provides a leafier outlook. Residents also make regular use of the parks and riverside paths of neighbouring Newstead and the New Farm area, both an easy cycle or short drive away, for anything more expansive than the local pocket parks allow.
Schools & families
Bowen Hills isn't a traditional family suburb, and the low proportion of houses reflects that, but it still sits within reach of well-regarded schools in Herston and Spring Hill, and families often look to those neighbouring areas, along with Windsor, for larger homes and established school communities while keeping Bowen Hills' transport links within easy reach.
Market snapshot
Bowen Hills property market
Median sale price
$595k
Unit · 1 bed
Median rent
$590
per week
Gross rental yield
5.2%
annual rent ÷ sale price
Typical price range
Entry
$484k
Median
$595k
Premium
$742k
Days on market
14
Auction clearance
0%
Sold this year
135
Median sold price trend · Unit 1 bed
Compound growth +15.1% / yr over 4 yrs
Median price by bedrooms · Unit
Property types on market
Share of current listings in Bowen Hills by dwelling type.
Who lives here
Demographics
ABS Census 2021 figures for Bowen Hills, QLD 4006.
Population
4,898
residents (2021)
Median age
30
years
Household income
$1,551
median, per week
Median rent
$390
per week
Median mortgage
$1,614
per month
Mortgage / income
24%
comfortable
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. Suburb-level (SAL) aggregates.
Recent results
Recently sold in Bowen Hills
$593k
2/1 Hurworth Street
Sold ~July 2026
$800k
106/24 Brewers Street
Sold ~July 2026
$603k
1065/16 Hamilton Place
Sold ~July 2026
$585k
1707/35 Campbell Street
Sold ~July 2026
$855k
910/36 King Street
Sold ~July 2026
$865k
1905/37 Mayne Road
Sold ~July 2026
$575k
804/37 Mayne Road
Sold ~June 2026
$1.10m
1302/510 St Pauls Terrace
Sold ~June 2026
Sold prices as published on the original listing; some may reflect the last advertised price. Dates are approximate.
Explore the area
Properties & amenities in Bowen Hills
Compare the area
Price map around Bowen Hills
Every listing for sale near Bowen Hills, coloured by price — so you can see how it stacks up against the streets and suburbs next door.
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Nearby suburbs
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Common questions
Bowen Hills suburb FAQ
What is the median property price in Bowen Hills?
The median unit price in Bowen Hills, QLD is $595k for a 1-bedroom home. Over the past year, median sold prices have risen about 30.8%.
How much is rent in Bowen Hills?
The median weekly rent in Bowen Hills is around $590 per week.
Is Bowen Hills a good place to live?
Bowen Hills is an inner north-eastern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Bowen Hills is an established residential suburb in QLD, with a population of around 4,898.
What is the population of Bowen Hills?
Bowen Hills has a population of 4,898 (ABS 2021 Census), with a median age of 30.
How long do homes take to sell in Bowen Hills?
Properties in Bowen Hills take around 14 days to sell on average, with an auction clearance rate of about 0%.
How much do you need to buy in Bowen Hills?
Entry-level properties in Bowen Hills start around $484k, while premium homes reach $742k.
What suburbs are near Bowen Hills?
Suburbs near Bowen Hills include Newstead, Windsor, Fortitude Valley, Spring Hill and Herston.
Fresh to market
New this week in Bowen Hills
Front Row to Brisbane's Best
Sunset views that simply don't come up often.
Rare Courtyard Living in a Tightly Held Bowen Hills Complex
Available now