Blackstone

Demographics

The median age of 37 is three years below the national figure, giving the suburb a slightly younger profile than the national average. Overseas-born residents make up 15.6%, which is 6.0 points below the national average, and ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (483), Scottish (135) and Irish (102). University qualifications stand at 18.1%, which is 12.0 points below national, consistent with the blue-collar and trade workforce present in Ipswich corridor suburbs. Average household size is 2.6, marginally above national. The demographic trajectory is aging, with the senior share rising 7.3 points over the decade while the young share fell 2.5 points, pointing to longer-term service and housing demand shifts.

The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached houses at 98.5%, compared to the national mix where apartments and semi-detached dwellings make up a much larger share. Larger homes dominate: 46.5% have 3 bedrooms and 38.1% have 4 or more bedrooms, while just 13.0% are 2-bedroom. Tenure splits into 49.5% under mortgage, 26.1% owning outright and 24.4% renting. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.9% and rent-to-income of 19.8% both sit below stress thresholds, suggesting affordability is not a current household pressure. The $398,000 median price is derived from rental data given limited sale volume, so buyers should verify with recent comparable sales. Vacancy at 5.2% is slightly above typical norms, indicating some excess supply relative to current demand.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare is the dominant employing sector at 20.6% of local workers, followed by Education at 12.5% and Construction and Public Administration each at 9.6%. This government and services-heavy mix is typical of outer Ipswich corridor suburbs. By occupation, Professionals lead with 76 workers, followed by Clerical/Admin (73), Community/Personal (71) and Labourers (65). The full-time employment rate is 67.4% and unemployment stands at 4.7%, above the national average, reflecting fewer high-value local employers. The SEIFA IRSD decile is 5, placing the suburb at the national median for disadvantage. The IEO decile of 3 indicates education and occupation advantage is below average nationally, consistent with the 18.1% university qualification rate.

Transport to Work

Car dependency is high at 89.8% of commuters driving, well above the national average, as the suburb has minimal public transport with just 1.2% of residents using it. This reflects its outer Ipswich location where road access is the primary commute mode. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on nearby institutions in Booval and Ipswich. The IER decile of 4 for economic resources and the IRSAD decile of 4 for relative advantage both sit below the national average, indicating moderate socioeconomic conditions. On the positive side, housing stress is absent, with mortgage and rent cost ratios both below 20%. The volunteering rate of 13.1% and 77.8% of residents staying five or more years signals a stable, committed resident base.

Population Forecast

Population grew 7.4% over the decade, and medium projections forecast steady annual growth of 0.6%, adding about 42 persons per year to reach an estimated 7,256 by 2031. Net overseas migration of 24 per year provides consistent demand, partially offset by a mild net internal outflow of minus 12. Real income growth of 10.3% over the decade is positive but below the growth seen in higher-gentrifying suburbs. The gentrification score of 27 out of 100 signals early signs of transition without strong momentum yet. Affordability has been stable, moving from 42.3% in 2011 to 40.7% in 2021, which means ownership has remained roughly as accessible as before despite broader Queensland price inflation.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Blackstone compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

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