Bucca
At 186 square kilometres, Bucca is a sparsely populated rural locality west of Bundaberg with just 5.7 residents per km2 compared to dense suburban averages. The median age of 47 sits 7 years above the national figure, making this one of the older communities in Queensland. Household income falls in the 29th percentile nationally, which anchors the affordability story: the estimated median house price is $332,000, well below state and national medians. Owner-occupancy is strong at 91.3% combined ownership (outright plus mortgage), while only 8.8% rent, a pattern typical of established, long-held agricultural communities. The workforce is concentrated in Healthcare (28.2%), Agriculture (13.4%) and Education (12%), reflecting the service and land-use character of regional Queensland.
Population
1,063
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,281/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$332K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The estimated median house price of $332,000 makes Bucca significantly more affordable than the Queensland state median, offering genuine entry-level opportunity for buyers priced out of coastal markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,213, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The housing stock is almost entirely separate houses at 96.9% of dwellings, with 3-bedroom homes at 42% and 4-plus bedroom at 33%, giving buyers larger land holdings than typical suburban stock. Outright owners account for 45.5% of households, a high proportion compared to metropolitan areas, signalling a stable community that has paid down debt over time. Only 8.8% of residents rent, so competition for purchase is mostly owner-occupier demand rather than investor speculation.
For Buyers
The estimated median house price of $332,000 makes Bucca significantly more affordable than the Queensland state median, offering genuine entry-level opportunity for buyers priced out of coastal markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,213, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The housing stock is almost entirely separate houses at 96.9% of dwellings, with 3-bedroom homes at 42% and 4-plus bedroom at 33%, giving buyers larger land holdings than typical suburban stock. Outright owners account for 45.5% of households, a high proportion compared to metropolitan areas, signalling a stable community that has paid down debt over time. Only 8.8% of residents rent, so competition for purchase is mostly owner-occupier demand rather than investor speculation.
For Investors
A vacancy rate of 12% is elevated, signalling that rental demand in Bucca is thin and investors may struggle to maintain occupancy. Weekly rent of $260 against a $332,000 median house price implies a gross yield near 4.1%, above coastal Queensland averages in absolute terms, but the high vacancy partially offsets this. Only 8.8% of the 1,063-strong population rents, leaving a very small tenant pool relative to the wide catchment area. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, indicating minimal new supply and little speculative building activity. The rural setting and aging resident base (median age 47, which is 7 years above the national figure) moderate the case for capital growth, though the low entry price of $332,000 limits downside risk.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Bucca's median age of 47 is 7 years above the national average, placing it firmly among Queensland's most senior rural communities. The overseas-born share is 12.7%, which is 8.9 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with the Anglo-Celtic ancestry profile: English (434), Scottish (107) and Irish (98) are the three largest ancestry groups. University qualifications reach just 13.3%, which is 16.8 points below national, reflecting the trade and primary industry orientation of the workforce. Average household size is 2.7, slightly above the national figure by 0.2, as couples-with-children (266 families) and couples-without-children (273 families) make up most of the 790-family base. The volunteering rate of 14.5% suggests active local participation despite the small population of 1,063.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.9%
Houses
2.2%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is almost entirely separate houses at 96.9%, with semi-detached at 2.2% and virtually no apartments, a profile typical of low-density rural Queensland rather than urban centres. Ownership tenure is high: 45.5% own outright and 45.8% hold a mortgage, totalling 91.3%, well above national averages. The 8.8% rental share is low by any state or national comparison. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 42%, followed by 4-plus bedroom at 33%, pointing to larger family-scale dwellings on rural lots. The estimated median house price of $332,000 reflects 2025 rent-based estimation, and monthly mortgage repayments of $1,213 are modest. Rent-to-income at 20.3% and mortgage-to-income at 21.9% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, suggesting residents carry manageable housing costs relative to incomes in the 29th percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,213
Rent / wk
$260
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$574
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.0%
Unoccupied
48
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.6%
Couples, no children
790
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare employs the largest share of workers at 28.2% (59 people), a surprisingly dominant sector for a rural area, likely because Bucca residents access health services in the broader Bundaberg region. Agriculture follows at 13.4% (28 workers) and Education at 12% (25 workers), with Construction at 10% and Mining at 6.2%. By occupation, Labourers (75) and Community/Personal workers (60) lead, consistent with the rural and health-services character. The full-time employment rate is 65.7% among employed residents, but the participation rate is 46.1%, significantly below the national average, because 333 residents are not in the labour force, a natural outcome of the older age profile. Unemployment sits at 6.8%, higher than most metropolitan benchmarks, partly because labour demand is limited in a 186 km2 rural locality. Household income in the 29th percentile nationally reflects these structural labour market constraints.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.7%
Part-time
27.5%
Participation
46.1%
Employed
385
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.3%
Postgraduate
0.8%
Born Overseas
12.7%
Dwellings
358
Transport to Work
Car ownership is nearly universal in Bucca: 94.1% of residents drive to work, higher than most rural Queensland benchmarks, because the 186 km2 area has no public transport recorded. Just 1.3% walk or cycle. No schools are recorded within the Bucca boundary, so families depend on Bundaberg-region schools, which is typical for rural localities of this size and density. Crime data is not available for the suburb in this dataset, though the high owner-occupancy rate (91.3%) and low resident turnover (78.2% stayed) are broadly associated with stable, low-crime communities. Housing affordability is a clear livability positive: rent-to-income of 20.3% and mortgage-to-income of 21.9% are both below the 30% stress threshold, meaning residents in the 29th income percentile nationally still manage housing costs without significant financial pressure.
Drive
94.1%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bucca compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bucca a good suburb to live in?
Bucca suits people who value rural space and affordable ownership. At $332,000 median house price, it is well below Queensland and national medians. Mortgage-to-income sits at 21.9%, below the 30% stress threshold. Trade-offs include no public transport, no schools recorded within the locality, and a small local workforce with unemployment at 6.8%.
What is the median house price in Bucca?
The estimated median house price in Bucca is $332,000, based on 2025 rent data. Weekly rent averages $260 and monthly mortgage repayments run around $1,213. Both rent-to-income (20.3%) and mortgage-to-income (21.9%) are below the 30% financial stress threshold.
What schools are in Bucca?
No schools are recorded within the Bucca boundary in this dataset. The suburb covers 186 square kilometres with a population of just 1,063, so families travel to Bundaberg and surrounding areas for schooling. University qualifications are held by 13.3% of residents, which is 16.8 points below the national figure.
Is Bucca safe?
Crime statistics for Bucca are not available in this dataset. As indirect indicators, 91.3% of residents are owner-occupiers, and 78.2% stayed in the same address over the five-year census period, both features associated with stable, low-turnover communities. The population of 1,063 lives across 186 km2 at very low density of 5.7 per km2.
Is Bucca good for property investment?
The $332,000 median price implies a gross yield near 4.1% at $260 weekly rent, above many coastal Queensland markets in percentage terms. However, the 12% vacancy rate is elevated and the tenant pool is small, with only 8.8% of residents renting. Zero development applications in 12 months and an aging median age of 47 suggest limited capital growth catalysts.
How is Bucca's population changing?
Bucca's current population is 1,063. No forward forecast data is available for this locality. The median age of 47 is 7 years above the national average, and 333 residents are not in the labour force, suggesting the community is aging in place. Residential turnover is low, with 78.2% of residents remaining at the same address over the census period.
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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