Brandon
At a median age of 46, Brandon sits 6 years above the national figure, making it one of the older communities in the Burdekin region. The suburb covers 110 square kilometres with just 1,088 residents, giving a density of 9.9 people per km2, far below state and national averages. Household income sits at the 47th percentile nationally, close to the Australian median despite the rural setting. What stands out is the ownership culture: 46.9% of households own outright, and every single dwelling is a separate house, a rate that is higher than virtually any urban suburb.
Local council: Burdekin
Population
1,088
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,504/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,149, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most metropolitan benchmarks. All dwellings are separate houses, so buyers are not choosing between dwelling types. The bedroom mix favours 3-bedroom homes at 59.9%, followed by 4-plus bedroom at 26.5%, with 2-bedroom homes at 11.8%. Outright owners at 46.9% significantly outnumber mortgage holders at 29.9%, indicating long-established residents rather than recent first-home buyers.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,149, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most metropolitan benchmarks. All dwellings are separate houses, so buyers are not choosing between dwelling types. The bedroom mix favours 3-bedroom homes at 59.9%, followed by 4-plus bedroom at 26.5%, with 2-bedroom homes at 11.8%. Outright owners at 46.9% significantly outnumber mortgage holders at 29.9%, indicating long-established residents rather than recent first-home buyers.
For Investors
The renter share of 23.2% is below average, reflecting the strong ownership culture compared to national rental rates. The vacancy rate of 9.1% is elevated and signals limited rental demand, so investors should weigh yield against the risk of vacancy. No development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, consistent with a stable rather than growing market. Population is small at 1,088, so rental demand fluctuations can have an outsized effect on vacancy compared to larger suburban centres.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2
Last 12 Months
0
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-100.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Brandon
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Brandon State School
Kalamia State School
Demographics
Brandon's median age of 46 is 6 years above the national figure, placing it among Queensland's older rural communities. The overseas-born population is just 5.6%, which is 16 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a predominantly locally-born resident base. Ancestry is Anglo-Celtic in character: English (361) and Italian (200) are the top two ancestries, with Scottish (128) and Irish (113) also well represented. University qualifications reach only 17.3%, which is 12.8 points below the national figure, consistent with a trade and agriculture economy. Average household size of 2.4 is close to the national average, and 30.3% of families are couples without children, pointing toward an established, post-family-raising demographic.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Every dwelling in Brandon is a separate house, giving the suburb a 100% detached rate that is higher than the Queensland and national figures. Outright owners at 46.9% outnumber mortgage holders at 29.9% and renters at 23.2%, a tenure split typical of long-established rural towns. The dominant bedroom size is 3 bedrooms at 59.9%, with a substantial 4-plus bedroom cohort of 26.5%, suggesting family-scale homes rather than downsizer stock. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,149 are among the lowest you will find in Queensland's property market.
Mortgage / mo
$1,149
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$200
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$762
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.1%
Unoccupied
40
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
13.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.3%
Couples with children
43.0%
Couples, no children
10.4%
Single parent
298
Total families
Economy & Employment
Manufacturing (16.8%, 52 workers) and Agriculture (16.2%, 50 workers) together account for about a third of Brandon's workforce, reflecting the suburb's industrial and farming character in the Burdekin cane-growing belt. Education (10.0%) and Construction (9.1%) round out the top sectors. By occupation, Managers (90) and Machinery/Drivers (89) are almost equally the largest groups, with Labourers (81) close behind, pointing to a hands-on workforce rather than a professional services economy. The full-time employment rate of 70.9% is solid, and the unemployment rate of 3.1% is low compared to broader regional Queensland averages. The participation rate of 58.3% is moderate, partly because 260 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the older median age.
Unemployment
2.9%
Labour Force
549
Unemployed
16
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.4%
Part-time
27.2%
Participation
62.1%
Employed
533
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.3%
Postgraduate
1.3%
Born Overseas
5.6%
Dwellings
389
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 90.9% of employed residents drive to work, which is above the national rate given the rural setting and absence of public transport data. The walk or cycle rate of 3.9% is low but not unusual for a low-density rural community of 9.9 people per km2. No schools are recorded within Brandon's boundaries, so families travel to nearby Burdekin district centres for education. Crime statistics are not available for this suburb. Housing stress is minimal compared to national figures: rent-to-income at 13.3% and mortgage-to-income at 17.6% both sit well below the 30% stress threshold. The need-assistance rate of 4.4% (44 residents) is modest, and volunteering at 14.6% reflects community engagement typical of rural Queensland towns.
Drive
83.2%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
3.6%
Work from Home
8.5%
Growth Outlook
No forecast migration or population projection data is available for Brandon, which limits forward-looking analysis. What the current snapshot shows is a small, stable community of 1,088 across 110 square kilometres, with a residential turnover rate of 16.4%, meaning about 83.6% of residents stayed in the same dwelling over the census period, well above national mobility rates. Zero development applications in the past 12 months confirms no near-term supply additions. The aging median age of 46, which is 6 years above national, and a volunteering rate of 14.6% suggest a settled population rather than one in active growth. Income growth or decline trend data is not available in the brief, so assessment of real wage growth versus national averages cannot be made.
Population trend: Burdekin council area
Brandon sits in the Burdekin council area. These are the council area's residents, not Brandon's.
Residents 2025
17,220
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.3%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.5%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Brandon compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brandon a good suburb to live in?
Brandon suits buyers seeking affordability and low housing stress. Trade-offs are limited services, no public transport data, and an aging population with a median age of 46.
What is the median house price in Brandon?
Weekly rent averages $200 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,149, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.6%, well below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Brandon?
No schools are recorded within Brandon's boundaries in this dataset. The suburb covers 110 square kilometres with 1,088 residents, so families rely on schools in nearby Burdekin district towns. Locally, 17.3% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 12.8 points below the national figure.
Is Brandon safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Brandon in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, housing stress is low, with rent-to-income at 13.3% and mortgage-to-income at 17.6%, both below the national stress threshold. Only 4.4% of the 1,088 residents need daily assistance, suggesting a stable community.
Is Brandon good for property investment?
However, the vacancy rate of 9.1% is elevated, and zero development applications in the past 12 months signals a static market. Returns depend on yield rather than capital growth in this small rural town.
How is Brandon's population changing?
Brandon has 1,088 residents across 110 square kilometres. No forward population forecast data is available. The residential turnover rate is low, with 83.6% of residents staying in the same dwelling over the census period, and zero new development applications indicate a stable rather than growing community.
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).
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