Cabarlah
With household income at the 87.4th percentile nationally yet a median house price of $496,000, Cabarlah delivers purchasing power that few suburbs at this income level can match. The 1,307-resident community spreads across 19.54 square kilometres at just 66.9 people per km2. Mortgage costs absorb 20.3% of household income, well below the 30% stress threshold. Ownership dominates, with 43.1% owning outright and only 9.5% renting. The workforce skews toward Professionals and Managers, and 30.3% hold university qualifications, in line with the national average.
Population
1,307
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,273/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$496K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $496,000 median house price sits well below what household income at the 87.4th percentile nationally would imply in metropolitan markets. Monthly repayments average $2,000, or 20.3% of household income, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses make up 99.0% of stock, and 4-plus bedroom homes account for 73.3% of dwellings, catering to families seeking space. Two-bedroom options are scarce at 3.8% of stock. With 43.1% of residents owning outright and 47.4% still paying mortgages, this is a market of committed owner-occupiers rather than investors or renters.
For Buyers
The $496,000 median house price sits well below what household income at the 87.4th percentile nationally would imply in metropolitan markets. Monthly repayments average $2,000, or 20.3% of household income, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses make up 99.0% of stock, and 4-plus bedroom homes account for 73.3% of dwellings, catering to families seeking space. Two-bedroom options are scarce at 3.8% of stock. With 43.1% of residents owning outright and 47.4% still paying mortgages, this is a market of committed owner-occupiers rather than investors or renters.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $360 against a $496,000 median implies a gross yield around 3.8%, modest but supported by a vacancy rate of 3.4%. The renter share of just 9.5% is well below state and national averages, meaning the tenant pool is thin. Development over the past 12 months recorded only 4 applications, all operational infrastructure works rather than new dwellings, so supply pressure is minimal. The 72.6% of residents who stayed at the same address over five years signals low turnover, but also limits the flow of new tenants if a property becomes vacant.
Development Activity
Total DAs
22
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Cabarlah's median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly. The overseas-born share of 10.4% is 11.2 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a predominantly locally-born population. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English leads at 567 residents, followed by Irish (197), Scottish (163) and German (152). University qualifications at 30.3% sit just 0.2 percentage points above the national rate. Average household size of 2.9 is 0.4 above national, consistent with family-oriented stock where 73.3% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses make up 99.0% of Cabarlah's dwellings, with virtually no apartments or semi-detached stock. Ownership is strong: 43.1% own outright, 47.4% carry mortgages and fewer than 1 in 10 residents rent. The 4-plus bedroom category accounts for 73.3% of homes, reflecting the larger lots typical of the Toowoomba hinterland. The $496,000 median with $2,000 monthly repayments produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.3%, and rent-to-income sits at 15.8%, both well below stress thresholds that metropolitan Brisbane buyers commonly exceed.
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$360
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$1,033
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.4%
Unoccupied
14
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.7%
Couples, no children
1,044
Total families
Economy & Employment
Public Administration leads local employment at 19.7% (97 workers), followed by Healthcare at 14.8% (73) and Construction at 13.8% (68), with Education at 12.0% (59). By occupation, Professionals (143) top the list, ahead of Community and Personal Service (127), Clerical and Admin (99) and Managers (95). Unemployment of 2.3% is low compared to national averages, and full-time employment runs at 68.0% of those working. Household income in the 87.4th percentile nationally reflects this concentration in stable public-sector and professional roles.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.0%
Part-time
29.7%
Participation
66.5%
Employed
684
Occupations
Top Industries
University
30.3%
Postgraduate
6.0%
Born Overseas
10.4%
Dwellings
398
Transport to Work
Car dependence is pronounced: 76.7% of residents drive to work and public transport use is just 0.9%, well below national averages for suburbs at this income level. However, 17.6% walk or cycle, notably elevated for a rural-fringe area. Crime statistics are not available in the current dataset for direct comparison to state rates. Volunteering participation at 18.3% exceeds the national average of roughly 14-15%, pointing to genuine community engagement. Only 3.6% of residents (45 people) need daily assistance, low for a median age of 40. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on Toowoomba-area institutions.
Drive
76.7%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
17.6%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cabarlah compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cabarlah a good suburb to live in?
Cabarlah suits families seeking space and affordability. Household income sits in the 87.4th percentile nationally, yet the median house price is $496,000 and mortgage repayments average $2,000 per month, only 20.3% of household income. Volunteering at 18.3% points to strong community engagement, though car ownership is essential with only 0.9% public transport use.
What is the median house price in Cabarlah?
The median house price is $496,000 (estimated from 2025 rental data). Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, representing 20.3% of household income, well below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $360 and the vacancy rate sits at 3.4%.
What schools are in Cabarlah?
No schools are recorded within the Cabarlah suburb boundary in this dataset. With a population of 1,307 across 19.54 square kilometres, families typically access schools in nearby Toowoomba. University qualifications among residents reach 30.3%, in line with the national average.
Is Cabarlah safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Cabarlah in this dataset. As contextual indicators, unemployment is 2.3% (low relative to national averages), household income sits in the 87.4th percentile nationally, and only 3.6% of the 1,307 residents need daily assistance, all consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Cabarlah good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $360 against a $496,000 median implies a gross yield around 3.8%, with a vacancy rate of 3.4% within a balanced range. However, the renter share is just 9.5%, well below state averages, so the tenant pool is thin. Only 4 development applications were lodged in 12 months, all infrastructure works, so supply pressure is minimal.
How is Cabarlah's population changing?
Population forecasts are not available for Cabarlah in this dataset. The existing population of 1,307 shows strong stability: 72.6% of residents stayed at the same address over five years, a lower churn rate than most comparable Queensland localities. Only 4 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, none adding new dwellings.
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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