Biloela
A $342,000 median house price sits alongside a 14.9% vacancy rate here, and both trace back to the same engine: a regional mining and agriculture town where 16.4% of workers are in Mining and the population is slowly shrinking. Household income reaches the 70.3rd percentile nationally, comfortable for the price point, yet only 16.1% hold a university qualification, which is 14.0 points below national. The median age of 36 runs 4.0 years below national, but the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 3.2 points over the decade. Housing is overwhelmingly detached at 88.4%, and the SEIFA education score lands in decile 1, the lowest tier, a reflection of a trades and labour workforce rather than disadvantage.
Population
5,692
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,884/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$342K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $342,000 median house price, Biloela is far below most metropolitan markets, and buying is cheaper than renting in real terms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 15.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold, while rent-to-income sits at 13.8%. The stock suits families: separate houses make up 88.4% of dwellings, three-bedroom homes account for 48.2% and four-plus bedroom homes another 36.1%, so larger floor plans dominate. Apartments are scarce at 6.2%. The low entry price relative to a 70.3rd-percentile household income means buyers carry far less debt stress than city counterparts, though the trade-off is a thin resale market in a town with a declining population.
For Buyers
At a $342,000 median house price, Biloela is far below most metropolitan markets, and buying is cheaper than renting in real terms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 15.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold, while rent-to-income sits at 13.8%. The stock suits families: separate houses make up 88.4% of dwellings, three-bedroom homes account for 48.2% and four-plus bedroom homes another 36.1%, so larger floor plans dominate. Apartments are scarce at 6.2%. The low entry price relative to a 70.3rd-percentile household income means buyers carry far less debt stress than city counterparts, though the trade-off is a thin resale market in a town with a declining population.
For Investors
A 40.2% renter share gives landlords a deep tenant pool, and weekly rent of $260 against a $342,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.0%, well above what inner-city markets return. The catch is a 14.9% vacancy rate, which signals real oversupply and the risk of extended vacant periods between tenants. Rent grew 23.8% over the period, a strong tailwind, but demand is structurally soft: net internal migration runs at negative 63 a year, partly offset by 52 overseas arrivals. With no development applications recorded in the past 12 months and annual population growth at negative 0.1%, the case rests on yield and rent escalation rather than capital growth, and the high vacancy rate demands conservative occupancy assumptions.
Schools in Biloela iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Redeemer Lutheran College, Biloela
Prep-12 · 317 students
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Prep-6 · 166 students
Biloela State High School
7-12 · 529 students
Biloela State School
Prep-6 · 289 students
Demographics
The median age of 36 is 4.0 years below the national figure, younger than most established suburbs, though the senior share has risen 3.2 points while the young share fell 3.3 points, an aging trend. Overseas-born residents reach just 14.9%, which is 6.7 points below national, so the town is more Anglo-leaning than the country as a whole. Ancestry is led by English (1,934), Irish (479), Scottish (409) and German (408), the last reflecting historical regional settlement. University qualifications at 16.1% run 14.0 points below national, consistent with a trades and labour economy. The most common non-English languages are Mandarin (72) and Nepali (15), small numbers that mirror the low overseas-born share. Couples with children make up 1,912 families against 1,047 couples without, a family-heavy profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.4%
Houses
4.3%
Townhouse
6.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward renters and mortgage holders: 40.2% rent, 33.9% carry a mortgage and 25.9% own outright. The high renter share for a regional town reflects a transient mining and trades workforce. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 88.4%, with apartments at only 6.2% and semi-detached at 4.3%, so density is low at 315.8 residents per km2. Three-bedroom homes lead at 48.2% and four-plus bedroom homes at 36.1%, leaving two-bedroom dwellings at 11.8%. At a $342,000 median against a 70.3rd-percentile household income of $1,884 a week, the price-to-income ratio is modest, which keeps mortgage-to-income at 15.9% and rent-to-income at 13.8%, both comfortably below the 30% stress line. Affordability has held stable, easing from 29.8% in 2011 to 29.2% in 2021.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$260
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$889
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
14.9%
Unoccupied
346
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
13.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.3%
Couples, no children
3,981
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is concentrated in resource and essential-service sectors: Mining leads at 16.4% (263 workers), Healthcare follows at 12.3% (197) and Education at 11.2% (180), with Manufacturing at 9.5% and Utilities at 9.2%. By occupation, Labourers (454) and Machinery operators and Drivers (401) outnumber Professionals (350), a manual-skewed profile that explains why the SEIFA education and occupation index sits in decile 1, the lowest tier, despite household income reaching the 70.3rd percentile. The IER index of economic resources reads higher at decile 4, showing the gap is about qualifications and job type rather than money. Unemployment is low at 3.2% and the full-time employment rate is 70.8%, but participation is 57.5% because 1,063 residents are out of the labour force.
Unemployment
3.4%
Labour Force
3,453
Unemployed
119
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
70.8%
Part-time
26.0%
Participation
57.5%
Employed
2,493
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.1%
Postgraduate
2.9%
Born Overseas
14.9%
Dwellings
1,975
Transport to Work
This is a car-dependent town: 82.2% drive to work and only 1.2% use public transport, well above the national reliance on cars, while 6.7% walk or cycle. The compact services and low density of 315.8 residents per km2 keep commutes short despite the car reliance. On affordability, rent-to-income at 13.8% and mortgage-to-income at 15.9% are both far below the 30% stress threshold, giving residents more disposable income than most metropolitan areas. Volunteering runs at 21.2% and only 5.0% of residents (246 people) need daily assistance, both signs of an engaged, healthy community. The SEIFA disadvantage index sits at decile 4, mid-range, indicating moderate relative disadvantage rather than entrenched hardship.
Drive
82.2%
Public Transport
1.2%
Walk / Cycle
6.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.1%/yr
(-6 people/yr)
EstablishedBiloela is contracting slowly: annual population growth registers negative 0.1%, roughly 6 fewer residents a year, and the 10-year change is negative 3.3%, classifying it as an established, declining town. The current population of 5,838 has recovered past its COVID low of 5,757 but remains 1.9% below the pre-COVID 5,949. Medium forecasts trim the population from 5,830 to 5,800 between 2026 and 2031, so no growth is expected. The only positive driver is overseas migration at 52 a year, offset by net internal outflow of 63. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying, consistent with real income growth of just 2.7% over the decade and an aging profile. Investors and buyers should treat this as a yield and lifestyle market, not a capital-growth play.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+52
Net Internal / yr
-63
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
COVID recovered (-3% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Biloela compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Biloela a good suburb to live in?
Biloela offers strong affordability, with a $342,000 median house price and rent-to-income at just 13.8%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The median age of 36 is 4.0 years below national. The trade-offs are a car-dependent layout, with 82.2% driving to work, and a slowly declining population.
What is the median house price in Biloela?
The median house price is $342,000, far below most metropolitan markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average about $1,300, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 15.9%, well under the 30% stress line. Weekly rent averages $260, which implies a gross rental yield near 4.0%.
What schools are in Biloela?
No individual schools are recorded inside the Biloela boundary in this dataset, though the town has a family-heavy profile with 1,912 couple-with-children families. University qualifications sit at 16.1%, which is 14.0 points below the national figure, reflecting a trades and labour economy.
Is Biloela safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Biloela in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 4 on the SEIFA index of relative disadvantage, mid-range, and only 5.0% of residents (246 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a moderate, stable community.
Is Biloela good for property investment?
Rent of $260 a week against a $342,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.0%, above inner-city returns, and 40.2% of residents rent. The catch is a 14.9% vacancy rate signalling oversupply, plus negative 0.1% population growth, so returns depend on yield and rent escalation rather than capital growth.
How is Biloela's population changing?
Population growth is negative 0.1% annually, about 6 fewer residents a year, with a 3.3% decline over 10 years. The current 5,838 residents remain 1.9% below the pre-COVID 5,949. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 3.2 points and the young share down 3.3 points 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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