Bellbowrie
Bellbowrie's standout feature is its high-income, detached-home profile: household income ranks at the 89.5th percentile, 97.2% of dwellings are separate houses, and 75.4% have 4 or more bedrooms. The median age is 42, or 2 years above the national figure. Bellbowrie has 5,495 residents across 5.78 square kilometres, giving a density of 951.2 people per square kilometre. For buyers comparing Bellbowrie with nearby Moggill or Pullenvale, the large-home format and mortgage-belt character are the clearest points of difference.
Population
5,495
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,358/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
21
Bellbowrie suits buyers seeking detached family stock rather than apartment living. Separate houses account for 97.2% of dwellings, while 75.4% have 4 or more bedrooms and only 0.4% are apartments. Tenure is mortgage-heavy: 52.1% own with a mortgage, compared with 33.7% outright ownership and 13.3% renting. Monthly mortgage cost is $1,950 and weekly rent is $440, while the mortgage-to-income ratio is 19.1% and is not flagged as mortgage stress. Because the housing format is so consistent, buyers should compare land, renovation quality and commuting needs rather than rely on broad suburb averages.
For Buyers
Bellbowrie suits buyers seeking detached family stock rather than apartment living. Separate houses account for 97.2% of dwellings, while 75.4% have 4 or more bedrooms and only 0.4% are apartments. Tenure is mortgage-heavy: 52.1% own with a mortgage, compared with 33.7% outright ownership and 13.3% renting. Monthly mortgage cost is $1,950 and weekly rent is $440, while the mortgage-to-income ratio is 19.1% and is not flagged as mortgage stress. Because the housing format is so consistent, buyers should compare land, renovation quality and commuting needs rather than rely on broad suburb averages.
For Investors
Bellbowrie presents a lower-turnover rental market, with 13.3% of households renting versus 52.1% paying a mortgage. The turnover rate is 14.9%, weekly rent is $440 and vacancy is 2.9%, so income potential depends on retaining tenants in a suburb dominated by owner-occupier houses. There were 21 development lodgements in 12 months, including subdivision applications for 1 dwelling, pointing to incremental supply. Growth is forecast at 1.46% annually and is driven by overseas migration, while the gentrification score is 7 and the stage is Not gentrifying. Compared with a high-rental precinct, Bellbowrie is more sensitive to buyer demand and family-oriented tenant depth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
57
Last 12 Months
21
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+133.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Bellbowrie has a mature, highly educated profile. Median age is 42, 2 years above national, and university attainment is 47.8%, or 17.7 percentage points above the national comparison. Overseas-born residents account for 34.4%, 12.8 points above national, helping explain language diversity alongside English, Scottish and Irish ancestry counts of 2,458, 737 and 709. Couples with children make up 50.3% of families, while average household size is 2.9, 0.4 above national. The aging trajectory is consistent with a 4.9-point rise in senior share and a 2.4-point fall in young share.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.2%
Houses
2.4%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Bellbowrie's housing stock is concentrated in detached, larger-format homes: 97.2% are separate houses versus 0.4% apartments, and 75.4% contain 4 or more bedrooms compared with 23.4% with 3 bedrooms. Ownership is also stronger than the rental share, with 33.7% owned outright, 52.1% mortgaged and 13.3% rented. The 19.1% mortgage-to-income ratio and 18.7% rent-to-income ratio are both marked as not stressed. This structure supports family occupancy because larger dwellings and a 2.9-person average household align with the 50.3% share of couples with children.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$440
Census 2021
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$883
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.9%
Unoccupied
56
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
50.3%
Couples with children
35.5%
Couples, no children
13.6%
Single parent
1,640
Total families
Economy & Employment
Bellbowrie's labour market is anchored by healthcare at 19.1% of employment, or 405 workers, and education at 17.7%, or 375 workers. Professional and technical work contributes 12.7%, public administration 8.0% and construction 7.4%. Professionals number 913, ahead of managers at 398, clerical and administrative workers at 380, community and personal service workers at 322 and trades workers at 308. The labour force totals 2,966, participation is 67.3%, unemployment is 4.5% and full-time employment is 58.4%. SEIFA results sit above the midpoint: IEO decile 9, IER 10, IRSD 10 and IRSAD 9. That combination matches household income at the 89.5th percentile because higher-skilled industries and occupations are prominent.
Unemployment
4.5%
Labour Force
2,966
Unemployed
134
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.4%
Part-time
30.2%
Participation
67.3%
Employed
2,832
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
47.8%
Postgraduate
15.0%
Born Overseas
34.4%
Dwellings
1,853
Transport to Work
Daily life in Bellbowrie is car-oriented: 60.6% travel as car drivers, compared with 5.5% using public transport and 1.3% walking or cycling. Work-from-home participation is 29.6%, which can reduce commuting pressure for some households, but the low active and public transport shares make trip planning important. The suburb covers 5.78 square kilometres with 951.2 people per square kilometre, and 85.1% of residents stayed at the same address, compared with a 14.9% turnover rate. IRSAD sits in decile 9, while volunteering is 18.4% and need for assistance is 4.0%. A definitive safety rating cannot be given without a local crime rate, so current incident information and exact street context should be checked.
Drive
60.6%
Public Transport
5.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
29.6%
Population Forecast
+1.46%/yr
(+164 people/yr)
EstablishedBellbowrie is an established suburb with growth running at 1.46% a year, driven primarily by overseas migration. Across the wider area, population change is 16.7% over 10 years, but the trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 4.9 points while the young share has fallen 2.4 points. Rent growth is 18.4%, and the affordability measure improved from 51.0 in 2011 to 48.1 in 2021. Gentrification remains Not gentrifying, with a score of 7, so the likely pattern is steady established-area change rather than rapid reinvention. The 21 development lodgements reinforce an incremental growth story, above the pace expected from a major redevelopment corridor.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+92
Net Internal / yr
-14
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +20% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bellbowrie compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bellbowrie a good suburb to live in?
Bellbowrie suits households wanting space, detached housing and a stable residential setting. Separate houses represent 97.2% of dwellings, 75.4% have 4 or more bedrooms and 85.1% of residents stayed at the same address. The trade-off is car dependence, with 60.6% driving and 5.5% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Bellbowrie?
A current median house price is unavailable. Bellbowrie is 97.2% separate houses, and 75.4% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, so buyers should compare recent sales by land size, condition and bedroom count rather than use an unsuitable suburb-wide benchmark.
What schools are in Bellbowrie?
Families should check school options by exact address because enrolment zones can cross suburb boundaries. Bellbowrie has 50.3% couples with children and 29.6% of residents working from home, so catchment rules, travel time and before or after-school logistics may be important when comparing properties.
Is Bellbowrie safe?
A definitive safety rating cannot be given without a local crime rate. Bellbowrie has 85.1% of residents staying at the same address and an 18.4% volunteering rate, which provide community context but are not substitutes for incident data. Check current police information and the exact street before deciding.
Is Bellbowrie good for property investment?
Bellbowrie may suit investors seeking a family-house rental market, but only 13.3% of households rent and vacancy is 2.9%. Weekly rent is $440, development activity reached 21 lodgements in 12 months, and annual growth is 1.46%. The low rental share means tenant demand should be tested carefully.
How is Bellbowrie's population changing?
Bellbowrie has 5,495 residents today, with growth running at 1.46% a year and overseas migration the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 16.7% over 10 years. The trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 4.9 points and the young share down 2.4 points.
What development is occurring in Bellbowrie?
There were 21 development lodgements in the last 12 months. The examples include 1-dwelling lot subdivisions and design-and-siting referrals, suggesting incremental infill rather than a large apartment program. Check approval status, servicing and proposed lot changes before relying on future supply.
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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