Bundaberg North
A $332,000 median house price and a median age of 49 sit at the centre of Bundaberg North's story, and the two are linked. The age figure runs 9.0 years above the national median, and that older, settled profile shows up in tenure, where 44.9% of homes are owned outright against just 20.7% carrying a mortgage. Household income lands in the 10.1th percentile nationally, which keeps prices low and explains why the suburb scores decile 1 on three of the four SEIFA indexes, the most disadvantaged tier. Across 14.74 km2 the population of 5,563 is detached-housing dominant at 72.9%, and Healthcare anchors local work at 26.6% of jobs, well above the share in most regional centres.
Population
5,563
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$937/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$332K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $332,000 median, Bundaberg North is far below metropolitan markets and even most coastal Queensland towns, which makes it accessible for first buyers on modest incomes. The stock favours families: 72.9% are separate houses and 47.0% have three bedrooms, with four-plus-bedroom homes at 23.8% and apartments only 22.6%. Affordability is real here because monthly mortgage repayments average just $1,083, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes in the 10.1th percentile. Owners who buy tend to stay: 44.9% own outright versus 20.7% on a mortgage, and the turnover rate of 25.8% is moderate, so listings are not abundant. The trade-off is low capital growth, with the 10-year population change at only 2.2%.
For Buyers
At a $332,000 median, Bundaberg North is far below metropolitan markets and even most coastal Queensland towns, which makes it accessible for first buyers on modest incomes. The stock favours families: 72.9% are separate houses and 47.0% have three bedrooms, with four-plus-bedroom homes at 23.8% and apartments only 22.6%. Affordability is real here because monthly mortgage repayments average just $1,083, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes in the 10.1th percentile. Owners who buy tend to stay: 44.9% own outright versus 20.7% on a mortgage, and the turnover rate of 25.8% is moderate, so listings are not abundant. The trade-off is low capital growth, with the 10-year population change at only 2.2%.
For Investors
A 34.3% renter share and weekly rent of $280 give investors a steady tenant base, and against the $332,000 median that rent implies a gross yield near 4.4%, far stronger than the sub-2% yields common in capital cities. The 6.6% vacancy rate is higher than a tight regional market but still leaves rent-to-income at 29.9%, just under the stress line. Demand support is balanced rather than booming: net internal migration adds 77 residents a year and overseas migration 73, while annual population growth runs 0.68%. Development is minimal, with only 2 applications lodged in 12 months, both minor works rather than new dwellings, so supply stays tight. Rent has grown 27.3% over the period, which means the yield case rests more on income return and slow rent escalation than on capital gains.
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
Schools in Bundaberg North iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Bundaberg North State High School
7-12 · 676 students
Bundaberg North State School
Prep-6 · 249 students
Demographics
The median age of 49 is 9.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is clearly aging: the senior share rose 5.8 points while the working-age share fell 1.1 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach just 13.3%, which is 8.3 points below national, so the suburb is strongly Anglo-leaning. Ancestry is led by English (2,391), Scottish (603), Irish (554) and German (462), and Mandarin is the only sizeable non-English language at 13 speakers. University qualifications sit at 13.8%, running 16.3 points below national, consistent with a workforce weighted toward trades and care roles. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, and 39.9% of families are couples with no children, a profile that fits the older age structure and the high outright-ownership rate.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
72.9%
Houses
2.6%
Townhouse
22.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward established owners: 44.9% own outright, 20.7% carry a mortgage and 34.3% rent. Outright owners more than doubling mortgage holders reflects the older, debt-free resident base rather than a churn of new buyers. The stock is 72.9% separate houses and only 22.6% apartments, with 47.0% of dwellings holding three bedrooms and 23.8% four or more, a family-oriented mix. The $332,000 median is modest, and with monthly repayments of $1,083 the mortgage-to-income ratio is 26.7%, below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes in the 10.1th percentile. Rent-to-income runs slightly higher at 29.9%, so tenants feel costs more than owners, a divergence driven by the large share of households who long ago paid off their homes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,083
Rent / wk
$280
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$548
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.6%
Unoccupied
164
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.9%
Couples, no children
3,915
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is concentrated in care and service sectors: Healthcare leads at 26.6% (282 workers), Education follows at 9.7% (103), Construction at 8.9% (94), Retail at 8.6% (91) and Manufacturing at 6.7% (71). By occupation, Labourers (367) and Community/Personal workers (281) outnumber Professionals (211), which aligns with the decile 1 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is elevated at 8.9% and the participation rate is low at 40.7%, because the aging profile leaves 2,241 residents not in the labour force. The suburb scores decile 1 on IRSAD and IRSD and decile 2 on IER, the lowest advantage tiers nationally, yet real incomes still grew 16.8% over the decade, showing modest improvement off a low base rather than entrenched decline.
Unemployment
8.6%
Labour Force
3,545
Unemployed
306
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.0%
Part-time
32.1%
Participation
40.7%
Employed
1,747
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.8%
Postgraduate
2.0%
Born Overseas
13.3%
Dwellings
2,309
Transport to Work
Daily life here is car-dependent: 86.9% drive to work while only 0.4% use public transport and 2.6% walk or cycle, well below the national share for active and public transport. The suburb scores decile 1 on IRSAD and IRSD, the most disadvantaged tier nationally, and 13.4% of residents (698 people) need daily assistance, a figure tied to the median age of 49. Volunteering runs at 12.5%, and no schools are recorded inside the 14.74 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Bundaberg suburbs. The offsetting strength is affordability: at a $332,000 median with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7%, housing costs stay below the stress threshold, easing pressure on lower-income households.
Drive
86.9%
Public Transport
0.4%
Walk / Cycle
2.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.68%/yr
(+54 people/yr)
EstablishedBundaberg North is a slow, established market: annual population growth registers 0.68%, about 54 people a year, and the 10-year change is just 2.2%. Growth is balanced between drivers, with net internal migration of 77 a year and net overseas migration of 73, neither dominant. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying with a score of 10, though the broader shift index flags early signs at 20, supported by 16.8% real income growth and rent growth of 27.3% over the period. Affordability improved from 55.6% in 2011 to 49.2% in 2021, a sign the income base is slowly catching up to housing costs. The medium forecast projects steady continuation rather than acceleration, consistent with an aging suburb where the senior share rose 5.8 points.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+73
Net Internal / yr
+77
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal migration +77/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bundaberg North compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bundaberg North a good suburb to live in?
Bundaberg North suits buyers who value affordability over capital growth. The $332,000 median house price and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7% keep costs below the stress line, though the suburb scores decile 1 on IRSAD, the most disadvantaged tier nationally, and the median age of 49 runs 9.0 years above national.
What is the median house price in Bundaberg North?
The median house price is $332,000, far below metropolitan markets. Weekly rent averages $280 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,083, giving a gross rental yield near 4.4% and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Bundaberg North?
No schools are recorded inside the 14.74 km2 Bundaberg North boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Bundaberg suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 13.8%, which is 16.3 points below the national figure, reflecting a trades and care focused workforce.
Is Bundaberg North safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Bundaberg North in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, and 13.4% of its 5,563 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with an older, lower-income regional area.
Is Bundaberg North good for property investment?
Rent of $280 a week against a $332,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.4%, far above the sub-2% common in capital cities. The 6.6% vacancy rate is moderate and net migration adds about 150 residents a year, but 0.68% annual growth means returns rest on yield rather than capital gains.
How is Bundaberg North's population changing?
Population growth is 0.68% annually, about 54 people a year, with a 2.2% rise over 10 years. The profile is aging: the senior share rose 5.8 points while the working-age share fell 1.1 points over the decade, and the median age of 49 sits 9.0 years above national.
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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