Bahrs Scrub
A 70.0% population change across the wider area over ten years sets Bahrs Scrub apart as a high-growth, mortgage-led suburb. Its 4,508 residents have a median age of 29, 11 years below the national figure, and 75.3% of homes have four or more bedrooms. Household income sits at the 79.4th percentile nationally, while 94.7% of dwellings are separate houses and only 0.7% are apartments. Compared with nearby Beenleigh, the suburb is more strongly oriented to detached family housing, with growth supported by internal migration and 81.5% of commuters driving to work.
Population
4,508
Median Age
29.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,100/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
885
Bahrs Scrub suits buyers prioritising detached, larger homes over apartment living: 94.7% of dwellings are separate houses, 75.3% have four or more bedrooms, and only 0.7% are apartments. The financing profile is mortgage-heavy, with 48.7% of households paying a mortgage versus 11.3% owning outright. A monthly mortgage figure of $1,863 equates to 20.5% of household income, while weekly rent is $420 and rent takes 20.0%, so both reported ratios are below 21%. Compared with the denser centre of nearby Beenleigh, buyers should expect greater car reliance and budget for transport, because 81.5% drive to work.
For Buyers
Bahrs Scrub suits buyers prioritising detached, larger homes over apartment living: 94.7% of dwellings are separate houses, 75.3% have four or more bedrooms, and only 0.7% are apartments. The financing profile is mortgage-heavy, with 48.7% of households paying a mortgage versus 11.3% owning outright. A monthly mortgage figure of $1,863 equates to 20.5% of household income, while weekly rent is $420 and rent takes 20.0%, so both reported ratios are below 21%. Compared with the denser centre of nearby Beenleigh, buyers should expect greater car reliance and budget for transport, because 81.5% drive to work.
For Investors
Investor appeal rests on tenant demand and a fast-changing supply environment. Renting accounts for 39.4% of households, weekly rent is $420 and vacancy is 4.9%, below 5%, suggesting limited slack if demand holds. Development activity reaches 842 records in 12 months, so investors should separate new dwellings from maintenance applications and assess each address, product and body-corporate cost. The annual growth trend is 3.64% and internal migration is the primary driver, while mortgage tenure is 48.7%, higher than outright ownership at 11.3%. Compared with a low-growth rental market, these signals point to opportunity with execution risk.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1,137
Last 12 Months
885
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1080.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bahrs Scrub
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Windaroo Valley State High School
Demographics
Bahrs Scrub's 4,508 residents are younger than the national profile: the median age is 29, or 11 years below the national figure. University attainment is 23.1%, 7 percentage points below national, while the overseas-born share is 25.7%, 4.1 points above national. Households average 2.9 people, 0.4 above national, aligning with 44.2% of families being couples with children and 35.3% couples without children. English ancestry leads at 1,693 people, followed by Scottish at 417 and Irish at 332. Punjabi and Samoan counts are 18 and 15 respectively, so no single language group dominates. Compared with nearby Beenleigh, the profile is younger and more family-weighted.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.7%
Houses
4.7%
Townhouse
0.7%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached and family-sized. Separate houses account for 94.7% of dwellings, four-bedroom-plus homes make up 75.3%, and semi-detached properties are 4.7%, compared with just 0.7% apartments. Tenure is concentrated in active mortgage households at 48.7%, while 39.4% rent and only 11.3% own outright, making interest rates and employment conditions important to local demand. Reported housing costs are around one-fifth of income, at 20.5% for mortgages and 20.0% for rent, both below 21%. Compared with nearby Beenleigh, Bahrs Scrub's detached mix is the clearer defining feature, while a 4.9% vacancy rate leaves some choice for renters.
Mortgage / mo
$1,863
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $420.
$600
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $600 · units $490
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$989
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.9%
Unoccupied
76
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.2%
Couples with children
35.3%
Couples, no children
18.7%
Single parent
1,273
Total families
Economy & Employment
Bahrs Scrub combines a high-participation workforce with service and trade employment. Healthcare leads at 20.2% with 312 workers, followed by construction at 12.9% and 199, education at 10.8% and 167, manufacturing at 7.8% and 121, and retail at 7.5% and 116. Participation is 74.4%, unemployment 4.1%, and full-time employment 65.0%, supporting mortgage capacity. Household income sits at the 79.4th percentile, above the national midpoint. SEIFA is uneven: economic resources are decile 8, education and occupation are decile 5, disadvantage is decile 6, and overall advantage and disadvantage is decile 5, suggesting stronger income capacity than formal qualification measures alone would imply.
Unemployment
4.1%
Labour Force
2,533
Unemployed
104
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.0%
Part-time
25.2%
Participation
74.4%
Employed
2,429
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.1%
Postgraduate
4.2%
Born Overseas
25.7%
Dwellings
1,481
Transport to Work
Daily life is easiest for car-oriented households. Car driving accounts for 81.5% of travel to work, compared with 1.6% using public transport and 0.6% walking or cycling; 12.0% work from home. The 9.83 sq km suburb has a density of 458.4 people per sq km, so trip planning is important. School access includes one nearby government secondary school, Windaroo Valley State High School; families should confirm catchment boundaries and travel times for each address. Social advantage is mixed, with IRSAD at decile 5 and IER at decile 8. Compared with a transit-led suburb, Bahrs Scrub suits residents who can drive and organise school, shopping and commuting trips.
Drive
81.5%
Public Transport
1.6%
Walk / Cycle
0.6%
Work from Home
12.0%
Population Forecast
+3.64%/yr
(+465 people/yr)
EstablishedBahrs Scrub is on a strong expansion path: annual growth is 3.64%, the trajectory is "Growing (all ages)", and internal migration is the primary driver. Across the wider area, population change is 70.0% over ten years, while rent growth is 6.4%, so demand is rising alongside rental cost pressure. The shift indicators give a gentrification score of 37 at the "Early signs" stage, while the separate gentrification field records score 0 and "New development". Affordability improved from 61.7 in 2011 to 45.1 in 2021, a lower figure than before, helping explain why growth is tied to new housing and incoming households.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+42
Net Internal / yr
+694
Gentrification Signal
New development
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bahrs Scrub compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bahrs Scrub a good suburb to live in?
Yes, Bahrs Scrub can suit households wanting detached space, but it is strongly car-oriented. About 94.7% of homes are separate houses, 75.3% have four or more bedrooms, and 81.5% of commuters drive, so the best fit is usually a family that values space and can manage regular driving.
What is the median house price in Bahrs Scrub?
A current median house price should be checked against recent settled sales because the housing mix is heavily skewed to large detached homes. Separate houses account for 94.7% of dwellings and four-bedroom-plus properties for 75.3%, so compare like-for-like sales rather than relying on a single suburb-wide figure.
What schools are in Bahrs Scrub?
One nearby government secondary option is Windaroo Valley State High School. Confirm the exact catchment, enrolment rules and travel route for each address, especially across a 9.83 sq km suburb where car travel accounts for 81.5% of commuting. School availability can differ by street and year level.
Is Bahrs Scrub safe?
Check recent Queensland Police figures and inspect the street at different times before deciding, rather than assuming safety from the suburb label. Bahrs Scrub has 4,508 residents and 81.5% car-based commuting, so traffic, parking and route conditions are also practical issues to assess at the exact address.
Is Bahrs Scrub good for property investment?
Bahrs Scrub has several investor-friendly signals: 39.4% of households rent, weekly rent is $420, vacancy is 4.9%, and the annual growth trend is 3.64%. However, 842 development records in 12 months make property selection important, so check whether each opportunity adds competing supply or improves the local rental offer.
How is Bahrs Scrub's population changing?
Population is 4,508 today, with the wider area's ten-year change recorded at 70.0%. The forecast trajectory is "Growing (all ages)", annual growth is 3.64%, and internal migration is the primary driver. That combination points to continued household inflow, with demand shaped by new development and family-sized housing.
What development is happening in Bahrs Scrub?
Development activity is high, with 842 records in the past 12 months. The sample includes roof replacement and reroofing work, so the total should not be treated as 842 new dwellings. Buyers and investors should review application type, dwelling count, completion status and nearby construction impacts, particularly where 75.3% of homes have four or more bedrooms.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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