Bethania
A median age of 48 sits a full 8.0 years above the national figure, and that aging skew drives much of what defines Bethania. Household income lands in just the 16.4th percentile nationally, while three of four SEIFA indexes score decile 2, placing the suburb in the lower-disadvantage tiers. Housing stays affordable as a result: the median house price of $424,000 is far below most of metropolitan Brisbane, and the stock is overwhelmingly detached at 74.7%. Despite the older profile, this Logan-area suburb shows early gentrification signals, with population up 42.2% over the decade and net internal migration adding 144 residents a year.
Population
6,333
Median Age
48.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,074/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
127
Median House
$424K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $424,000 median house price keeps Bethania accessible to first-time buyers priced out of inner Brisbane, and the affordability is structural rather than temporary. Detached houses make up 74.7% of dwellings, with three-bedroom homes the dominant format at 50.0% and four-plus-bedroom stock at 17.6%, so families find genuine houses rather than the apartments common in pricier suburbs (apartments sit at just 0.2% here). Owner-occupiers hold the majority, with 39.4% owning outright and 25.8% carrying a mortgage. The catch is repayment pressure relative to local incomes: monthly mortgage repayments of $1,500 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.3%, above the 30% stress threshold, because household income ranks in only the 16.4th percentile nationally.
For Buyers
The $424,000 median house price keeps Bethania accessible to first-time buyers priced out of inner Brisbane, and the affordability is structural rather than temporary. Detached houses make up 74.7% of dwellings, with three-bedroom homes the dominant format at 50.0% and four-plus-bedroom stock at 17.6%, so families find genuine houses rather than the apartments common in pricier suburbs (apartments sit at just 0.2% here). Owner-occupiers hold the majority, with 39.4% owning outright and 25.8% carrying a mortgage. The catch is repayment pressure relative to local incomes: monthly mortgage repayments of $1,500 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.3%, above the 30% stress threshold, because household income ranks in only the 16.4th percentile nationally.
For Investors
Renters make up 34.8% of households and weekly rent averages $340, which against the $424,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.2%, well above the sub-2% yields typical of premium Brisbane suburbs. The 6.4% vacancy rate is higher than a tight market would show, signalling some softness in tenant demand. Demand support comes from balanced migration, with net internal migration of 144 a year and net overseas migration of 134, both positive. Development activity is moderate at 115 applications in 12 months, weighted toward renovations, roof repairs and secondary dwellings rather than large new supply. Rent grew 10.9% over the period, and with population up 42.2% over the decade the investment case rests on yield and tenant growth more than rapid capital gains.
Development Activity
Total DAs
235
Last 12 Months
127
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+353.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bethania iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Bethania Lutheran Primary School
Prep-6 · 353 students
Demographics
The median age of 48 runs 8.0 years above national, and the trajectory keeps aging: the senior share rose 2.1 points while the working-age share fell 0.7 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 29.5%, which is 7.9 points above national, though university qualifications sit at only 14.6%, fully 15.5 points below the national figure, a gap that aligns with the suburb's lower income percentile. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,560), Scottish (624) and Irish (600), and the top non-English languages are Mandarin (32), Hindi (13) and Samoan (13). Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, consistent with the older profile where couples without children make up 34.5% of the 4,255 families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
74.7%
Houses
25.1%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward ownership: 39.4% own outright, 25.8% carry a mortgage and 34.8% rent. The high outright-ownership share reflects the older, long-settled resident base rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is 74.7% separate houses and 25.1% semi-detached, with apartments effectively absent at 0.2%, which keeps the market house-focused and family-oriented. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 50.0%, two-bedroom at 28.4% and four-plus-bedroom at 17.6%. The median house price of $424,000 stays well below metropolitan Brisbane norms, yet affordability strain shows in the numbers: mortgage-to-income at 32.3% and rent-to-income at 31.7% both exceed the 30% stress threshold, because incomes rank in just the 16.4th percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,500
Rent / wk
$340
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$602
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.4%
Unoccupied
170
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.7% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.3% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.5%
Couples, no children
4,255
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in service and trade sectors: Healthcare leads at 23.2% (297 workers), Construction follows at 11.4% (146), Education at 10.1% (129), Retail at 9.5% (121) and Manufacturing at 7.9% (101). By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers (316) and Labourers (310) outnumber Professionals (253), which fits the decile 2 IEO score for education and occupation and the 14.6% university rate, 15.5 points below national. Unemployment is elevated at 9.2% against a full-time employment rate of 64.8%. Participation reads just 39.8%, well below most markets, because the aging profile leaves 2,480 residents not in the labour force. Real incomes grew only 4.0% over the decade, modest growth that helps explain why three of four SEIFA indexes hold at decile 2.
Unemployment
4.2%
Labour Force
6,303
Unemployed
264
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.8%
Part-time
26.0%
Participation
39.8%
Employed
1,942
Occupations
Top Industries
University
14.6%
Postgraduate
3.1%
Born Overseas
29.5%
Dwellings
2,484
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high, with 87.8% of residents driving to work and only 3.8% using public transport and 1.7% walking or cycling, well above the national reliance on cars and a practical consequence of the low-density, 1,085-per-km2 detached layout. No schools are recorded inside the 5.84 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Logan suburbs. The suburb scores decile 2 on IRSAD, a lower-advantage tier nationally, and 15.8% of residents (916 people) need daily assistance, a figure lifted by the median age of 48. Volunteering runs at 11.1%. Rent-to-income at 31.7% sits above the stress threshold, so while the $424,000 median is affordable to buy, ongoing housing costs still press on local budgets.
Drive
87.8%
Public Transport
3.8%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.45%/yr
(+321 people/yr)
EstablishedBethania is growing steadily rather than booming: the trend forecast points to 2.45% annual population growth, adding about 321 residents a year, and the 10-year change reached 42.2%. That expansion, paired with net internal migration of 144 a year, has pushed the gentrification score to 34, classified as early signs, an unusual reading for a suburb with such an old median age. Migration is balanced, with overseas inflow of 134 a year roughly matching internal gains. Affordability improved from 60.0% in 2011 to 52.1% in 2021, an easing trend even as rents rose 10.9%. The young-resident share slipped 0.4 points while seniors gained 2.1, so growth is arriving more through new household formation and migration than through a younger demographic shift.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+134
Net Internal / yr
+144
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +49% since 2011, Net internal migration +144/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bethania compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bethania a good suburb to live in?
Bethania scores decile 2 on three of four SEIFA indexes and household income ranks in the 16.4th percentile nationally, so it sits in lower advantage tiers. The trade-off is affordability: the median house price of $424,000 is far below most of Brisbane, and 74.7% of homes are detached houses suited to families.
What is the median house price in Bethania?
The median house price is $424,000, well below metropolitan Brisbane norms. Weekly rent averages $340 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,500, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.3%, above the 30% stress threshold because incomes rank in the 16.4th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Bethania?
No schools are recorded inside the 5.84 km2 Bethania boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Logan suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 14.6%, which is 15.5 points below the national figure, reflecting a service and trade oriented workforce.
Is Bethania safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Bethania in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 2 on the IRSAD index, a lower-advantage tier, and 15.8% of its 6,333 residents need daily assistance, a figure lifted by the older median age of 48.
Is Bethania good for property investment?
Rent of $340 a week against the $424,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.2%, well above premium Brisbane suburbs. The 6.4% vacancy rate signals some demand softness, but net internal migration of 144 a year and renters at 34.8% of households support the tenant pool.
How is Bethania's population changing?
The trend forecast projects 2.45% annual growth, adding about 321 residents a year, after a 42.2% rise over the decade. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 2.1 points and the working-age share down 0.7 points, while the gentrification score of 34 shows early signs of change.
What languages are spoken in Bethania?
About 29.5% of residents were born overseas, 7.9 points above the national figure. English is the dominant language, with Mandarin (32 speakers), Hindi (13), Samoan (13) and German (11) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a modest but international resident mix.
How much development is happening in Bethania?
There were 115 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Most are renovations, roof repairs and secondary dwellings rather than large new supply, consistent with an established suburb where 74.7% of dwellings are detached houses and population grew 42.2% over the decade.
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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