Alton Downs
With a 10.2% vacancy rate yet 55.2% of households carrying a mortgage, Alton Downs presents a striking contrast: high housing debt alongside significant idle stock. The suburb spans 177 square kilometres west of Rockhampton with just 1,324 residents, giving a density of 7.5 people per km2, well below state norms. Household income sits at the 78.1st percentile nationally, above average despite the regional setting. Employment is dominated by Healthcare (16.7%), Construction (12.6%) and Mining (11.6%), reflecting the Central Queensland resource corridor. Only 3.6% of residents were born overseas, which is 18 percentage points below the national figure, making this one of Queensland's most Anglo-heritage communities.
Population
1,324
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,077/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Median House
$458K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The estimated median house price of $458,000 places Alton Downs well below capital city benchmarks, and the mortgage stress indicators are comfortable: mortgage repayments average $1,863 per month with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.7%, below the 30% stress threshold. The housing stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97.9%, so buyers get land-dominant properties rather than apartments. Four-plus bedroom homes make up 44.6% of dwellings and three-bedroom homes a further 38.2%, meaning the typical purchase is a large family home. Outright owners account for 39.2% and mortgaged households 55.2%, a high mortgage share that, combined with the 10.2% vacancy rate, suggests recent land releases drew buyers who are still paying down debt.
For Buyers
The estimated median house price of $458,000 places Alton Downs well below capital city benchmarks, and the mortgage stress indicators are comfortable: mortgage repayments average $1,863 per month with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.7%, below the 30% stress threshold. The housing stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97.9%, so buyers get land-dominant properties rather than apartments. Four-plus bedroom homes make up 44.6% of dwellings and three-bedroom homes a further 38.2%, meaning the typical purchase is a large family home. Outright owners account for 39.2% and mortgaged households 55.2%, a high mortgage share that, combined with the 10.2% vacancy rate, suggests recent land releases drew buyers who are still paying down debt.
For Investors
The 10.2% vacancy rate is the key risk for investors, materially above healthy thresholds and indicating oversupply relative to rental demand. Weekly rent sits at $330, and against the $458,000 median that implies a gross yield around 3.7%, moderate but not exceptional. Rental penetration is thin at only 5.6% of households, meaning this is predominantly an owner-occupier suburb and the tenant pool is small. One development application was lodged in the past 12 months, indicating low near-term supply pressure. The Central Queensland mining and construction sectors provide employment stability, but the suburb's 87.3% resident retention rate and minimal overseas migration limit demand-side growth compared to coastal or metropolitan markets.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1
Last 12 Months
1
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 41 matches the national average almost exactly, sitting just 1 year above it. The standout comparison is overseas-born residents at 3.6%, which is 18 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a strongly Anglo-heritage community. English (503 residents), Irish (187) and Scottish (136) are the three leading ancestries. University qualifications reach 17.9%, which is 12.2 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a trade and resource-sector workforce. Average household size of 2.8 is 0.3 above the national figure, and couples with children (442 families) outnumber couples without children (299), pointing to a family-oriented structure. The volunteering rate of 19% indicates strong civic engagement relative to population size.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.9%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The ownership profile is heavily mortgage-centric: 55.2% of households hold a mortgage versus 39.2% who own outright and just 5.6% who rent. That renter share is among the lowest you will find in Queensland, signalling the suburb functions almost entirely as an ownership market. The dwelling stock is 97.9% separate houses, with virtually no apartments or semi-detached properties. The four-plus bedroom category dominates at 44.6%, above the national proportion, reflecting large family homes on generous rural-fringe lots. The estimated median of $458,000 with monthly repayments of $1,863 keeps mortgage costs well below the 30% stress threshold at 20.7%. The high 10.2% vacancy rate is the main concern, suggesting not all lots from recent subdivisions have been absorbed by the market.
Mortgage / mo
$1,863
Rent / wk
$330
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$912
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.2%
Unoccupied
49
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.4%
Couples, no children
1,053
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 16.7% (69 workers), ahead of Construction at 12.6% (52) and Education at 12.1% (50). Mining accounts for 11.6% (48 workers), a meaningful share given the suburb's proximity to Central Queensland coal and resource operations, with Public Administration rounding out the top five at 6.8%. The unemployment rate is low at 1.8%, well below national averages, and the full-time employment rate reaches 71.8%. By occupation, Clerical/Admin (96) and Machinery/Drivers (93) lead, reflecting both the service and resource sectors. Household income at the 78.1st percentile nationally is notably higher than education levels alone would predict, consistent with mining-sector wage premiums flowing through the local economy.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
71.8%
Part-time
26.4%
Participation
60.9%
Employed
645
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.9%
Postgraduate
1.8%
Born Overseas
3.6%
Dwellings
437
Transport to Work
Car dependence is extreme: 90.5% of residents drive to work, compared to the national average, and only 0.7% use public transport, reflecting the 177 km2 footprint where distances make alternatives impractical. Walking or cycling accounts for 2.8% of commuters, reasonable for a semi-rural area. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families travel to Rockhampton or nearby centres for education. The need-for-assistance rate of 4.5% (55 residents) is moderate, and housing stress indicators are favourable: rent-to-income at 15.9% and mortgage-to-income at 20.7% both sit below stress thresholds. The 19% volunteering rate is above average, and the couples-with-children household majority at 442 families gives the suburb a stable family-community character.
Drive
90.5%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Alton Downs compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alton Downs a good suburb to live in?
Alton Downs suits families seeking affordable large homes with low housing stress. Household income sits at the 78.1st percentile nationally and mortgage repayments average $1,863 per month, below the 30% stress threshold at 20.7% of income. The main trade-offs are car dependence (90.5% drive to work), no schools within the suburb boundary, and a 10.2% vacancy rate signalling oversupply.
What is the median house price in Alton Downs?
The estimated median house price is $458,000, based on 2025 rent data. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,863, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent is $330. The stock is 97.9% separate houses, so buyers are purchasing land-dominant family homes.
What schools are in Alton Downs?
No schools are recorded within the Alton Downs suburb boundary in this dataset. Families in the suburb's 177 km2 area rely on schools in nearby Rockhampton and surrounding communities. University qualifications in the suburb reach 17.9%, which is 12.2 percentage points below the national average.
Is Alton Downs safe?
Specific crime statistics are not available for Alton Downs in this dataset. As context, the suburb has a low unemployment rate of 1.8% and housing stress indicators well below national thresholds, with mortgage-to-income at 20.7% and rent-to-income at 15.9%. Only 4.5% of residents (55 people) need daily assistance, indicating a relatively low-disadvantage community.
Is Alton Downs good for property investment?
The investment picture is mixed. Weekly rent of $330 against an estimated $458,000 median implies a gross yield around 3.7%, moderate for regional Queensland. The 10.2% vacancy rate is a significant risk, indicating current oversupply. The rental market is thin at 5.6% renter households. Low unemployment of 1.8% and mining-sector employment provide some demand stability.
How is Alton Downs's population changing?
The suburb has 1,324 residents across 177 km2 and shows an 87.3% resident retention rate, indicating stability rather than rapid turnover. Only 3.6% were born overseas, which is 18 percentage points below the national figure, so population growth depends primarily on internal migration and natural increase. The mortgage-belt identity signal suggests recent development activity has added dwellings ahead of full demand.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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