Bushland Beach
Almost the entire dwelling stock here is detached: 98.5% are separate houses and just 0.3% apartments, with 77.4% carrying four or more bedrooms. That family-house profile shows in the people, too. The median age of 35 sits 5.0 years below the national figure and the average household holds 2.9 people, 0.4 above national, reflecting the 2,844 couples with children who outnumber every other family type. Household income reaches $2,283 a week, in the 87.6th percentile nationally, yet the median house price stays at $480,000, so mortgage repayments consume only 17.5% of income. The result is a young, owner-occupied coastal pocket north of Townsville where affordability and space coexist rather than trade off.
Population
6,641
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,283/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
Median House
$480K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $480,000 median house price is the headline draw, because at $2,283 weekly household income it leaves monthly repayments of $1,733 absorbing just 17.5% of income, well below the 30% stress threshold. Buyers get space for that price: 77.4% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 21.4% have three, with two-bedroom or smaller dwellings a rounding error at 1.2% combined. The stock is 98.5% separate houses and only 0.3% apartments, so this is a market for owner-occupiers wanting land rather than unit investors. More than half of residents, 51.3%, hold a mortgage and 21.7% own outright, leaving 27.0% renting. The combination of detached supply, a sub-$500,000 median and a household income in the 87.6th percentile makes entry far easier here than in comparable city markets.
For Buyers
The $480,000 median house price is the headline draw, because at $2,283 weekly household income it leaves monthly repayments of $1,733 absorbing just 17.5% of income, well below the 30% stress threshold. Buyers get space for that price: 77.4% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 21.4% have three, with two-bedroom or smaller dwellings a rounding error at 1.2% combined. The stock is 98.5% separate houses and only 0.3% apartments, so this is a market for owner-occupiers wanting land rather than unit investors. More than half of residents, 51.3%, hold a mortgage and 21.7% own outright, leaving 27.0% renting. The combination of detached supply, a sub-$500,000 median and a household income in the 87.6th percentile makes entry far easier here than in comparable city markets.
For Investors
The case for landlords is steady rather than spectacular. Weekly rent of $380 against the $480,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.1%, higher than premium city suburbs but supported by a thin tenant pool: only 27.0% of residents rent, against a 51.3% mortgage majority. The 6.0% vacancy rate is moderate, leaving some letting risk. Development is minimal at just 3 applications in 12 months, and those were minor changes and compliance certificates rather than new dwellings, so supply is effectively static and existing houses hold their scarcity. Rent absorbs only 16.6% of local income, which signals headroom for rent growth before affordability strains tenants. With turnover at 27.0% a year, the suburb sees enough movement to keep stock trading, but the investment thesis rests on owner-occupier demand and yield more than capital churn.
Development Activity
Total DAs
6
Last 12 Months
6
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
This is a young family suburb. The median age of 35 runs 5.0 years below national, and the average household of 2.9 people sits 0.4 above national, driven by 2,844 couples with children versus 1,316 couples without, or 23.6% of families. The population leans Anglo: English ancestry leads at 2,830, followed by Irish at 796 and Scottish at 756, and just 11.6% of residents were born overseas, fully 10.0 points below the national share. That insularity carries into language, with Afrikaans the only notable non-English tongue at 20 speakers. University qualification reaches 22.2%, which is 7.9 points below national, consistent with a workforce built on healthcare, trades and public-sector roles rather than knowledge professions. Christianity dominates religious affiliation at 2,987 residents, far ahead of any alternative.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.5%
Houses
1.1%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is mortgage-dominated: 51.3% of households carry a home loan, 21.7% own outright and 27.0% rent, a profile typical of a younger suburb where families are still paying down recent purchases. The stock is almost uniformly detached at 98.5% separate houses, with apartments at 0.3% and semi-detached at 1.1%, and it skews large, as 77.4% of homes have four or more bedrooms against 21.4% with three. The $480,000 median house price relative to $118,716 in annualised household income gives a price-to-income ratio near 4.0, low by Australian standards and the reason mortgage repayments take only 17.5% of income. Rent-to-income at 16.6% is similarly comfortable. Both stress flags read clear, so neither owners nor tenants here face the cost pressure common in higher-priced markets.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$380
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$1,002
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.0%
Unoccupied
137
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.6%
Couples, no children
5,584
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored in services and government rather than private enterprise. Healthcare leads industries at 19.7% (434 workers), Public Administration follows at 15.2% (334), then Construction at 11.1% (244) and Education at 11.0% (242), reflecting the suburb's role as a residential base for Townsville's hospital, defence and council employment. By occupation, Professionals number 576, Community and Personal Service workers 492 and Clerical and Administrative 457, a spread tilted toward caring and administrative roles more than the manager-heavy mix of wealthier suburbs. Unemployment is low at 3.8% and the full-time employment rate is 69.1%, while participation reads 66.8%, held down partly by the 1,135 residents not in the labour force. Personal income of $1,002 a week supports the 87.6th-percentile household figure once dual-earner families are counted.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
69.1%
Part-time
27.1%
Participation
66.8%
Employed
3,237
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.2%
Postgraduate
4.5%
Born Overseas
11.6%
Dwellings
2,129
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-centric: 92.5% of working residents drive, while public transport carries just 0.9% and active travel another 0.9%, a near-total car dependence consistent with a coastal suburb 18 km north of central Townsville without rail. No schools are recorded inside the 8.82 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for the beachside setting. On the social side, only 4.9% of residents, 306 people, report needing daily assistance, and volunteering runs at 12.0%, both consistent with a healthy younger population at a median age of 35. Affordability underpins quality of life: with rent at 16.6% and mortgage at 17.5% of income, households retain more disposable income than residents of pricier markets, offsetting the longer commute.
Drive
92.5%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
0.9%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bushland Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bushland Beach a good suburb to live in?
Bushland Beach suits families seeking space and affordability. The median house price is $480,000 while household income sits in the 87.6th percentile nationally, so mortgage repayments take just 17.5% of income. The median age is 35, 5.0 years below national, and 98.5% of homes are detached houses. The main trade-off is heavy car dependence at 92.5% of commuters.
What is the median house price in Bushland Beach?
The median house price is $480,000, low by Australian standards. With household income of $2,283 a week, monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 absorb only 17.5% of income, well below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $380, giving a gross yield near 4.1%.
What schools are in Bushland Beach?
No schools are recorded inside the 8.82 km2 Bushland Beach boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs near Townsville. The suburb is family-heavy, with 2,844 couples with children and an average household size of 2.9 people, 0.4 above the national figure.
Is Bushland Beach safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Bushland Beach in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, only 4.9% of residents, 306 people, need daily assistance, and 73.0% of residents stayed in place over the period, both consistent with a settled, low-turnover family area at a median age of 35.
Is Bushland Beach good for property investment?
Rent of $380 a week against the $480,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.1%, higher than premium city suburbs. However only 27.0% of residents rent versus a 51.3% mortgage majority, and the 6.0% vacancy rate adds letting risk. Just 3 development applications in 12 months keeps supply static.
How is Bushland Beach's population changing?
The suburb holds 6,641 residents at a density of 753 per km2, with a young median age of 35, which is 5.0 years below national. Turnover is 27.0% a year while 73.0% stayed put, pointing to gradual household-driven growth rather than rapid expansion, especially with only 3 development applications lodged in the past 12 months.
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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