The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between housing market segmentation and housing careers in Brisbane, Australia using discriminant analysis. This paper first investigates the significant changes in socio-economic and demographic factors impinging on the housing market fragmentation and then systematically analyses nine housing market areas within Brisbane. Changes in performance of housing markets and individual socio-economic and demographic characteristics are considered. This paper demonstrates the existence of housing market segmentation in Brisbane and identifies key characteristics of housing submarkets. In particular the method highlights the distinct characteristics of the Western outer suburban and beside areas in Brisbane which have reinforced their established prestige submarket character as a location for upward housing career movement. The attraction of the Western suburbs is their combination of access, a privileged environmental setting and a spacious, frequently recently constructed, housing stock. Other distinct housing market segments are more suited to populations at earlier stages in their housing careers and include suburbs such as Taringa and St Lucia with a strong university rental component and inner city revitalising suburbs such as West End. Overall we confirm in Brisbane the well established disaggregation of housing market choice
