Clayfield
Apartments set Clayfield apart on Brisbane's inner north, with 51.4% of dwellings in apartments compared with 37.8% separate houses. That makes it denser than nearby Ascot and Hendra, packing 10,897 residents into 2.8 sq km at 3,895.4 people per sq km. The suburb also skews affluent and educated: 55.0% hold a university qualification and household income sits at the 73.1 percentile nationally. Its appeal is driven by rail access, schools and smaller households, not just prestige housing.
Population
10,897
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,948/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
83
Median House
$488K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Homebuyers should treat Clayfield as a compact, school rich inner north option rather than a pure detached house market. A current median house price is not recorded, but the housing mix is clear: 51.4% apartments, 37.8% separate houses and 10.6% semi detached homes. Two bedroom dwellings dominate at 45.9%, while 24.0% have 4 or more bedrooms. Mortgage costs average $2,000 per month, with mortgage to income at 23.7%, below common stress thresholds, because household income is relatively strong at $1,948 per week.
For Buyers
Homebuyers should treat Clayfield as a compact, school rich inner north option rather than a pure detached house market. A current median house price is not recorded, but the housing mix is clear: 51.4% apartments, 37.8% separate houses and 10.6% semi detached homes. Two bedroom dwellings dominate at 45.9%, while 24.0% have 4 or more bedrooms. Mortgage costs average $2,000 per month, with mortgage to income at 23.7%, below common stress thresholds, because household income is relatively strong at $1,948 per week.
For Investors
Clayfield has a renter heavy base, with 43.9% of homes rented, higher than the 31.2% under mortgage and 24.9% owned outright. The typical rent is $350 per week, but the 8.2% vacancy rate is a caution because apartment supply can dilute pricing power. Demand is supported by 68 development applications in 12 months and forecast overseas migration of +232 people a year compared with -70 net internal migration. Rent growth of 9.4% adds momentum, though investors should price vacancy risk carefully.
Development Activity
Total DAs
262
Last 12 Months
83
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+53.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Clayfield iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Agatha's Primary School
Prep-6 · 359 students
Eagle Junction State School
Prep-6 · 931 students
St Rita's College
5-12 · 1225 students
Clayfield College
Prep-12 · 604 students
Demographics
Clayfield is younger, smaller household and more educated than the national profile. The median age is 37, which is 3.0 years below the national benchmark, while 55.0% of residents have a university qualification, 24.9 percentage points above national. Overseas born residents make up 27.8%, or 6.2 percentage points above national, and average household size is 2.2, 0.3 lower than national. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry remain prominent, while Nepali is the largest non English language group at 171 speakers.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
37.8%
Houses
10.6%
Townhouse
51.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Clayfield's dwelling mix is the story: apartments account for 51.4% compared with 37.8% separate houses and 10.6% semi detached homes. That structure explains why 45.9% of dwellings have 2 bedrooms, while larger 4 plus bedroom homes are a smaller 24.0% slice. Tenure is balanced but renter leaning, with 43.9% renting, 31.2% paying a mortgage and 24.9% owned outright. Cost pressure looks contained, as rent to income is 18.0% and mortgage to income is 23.7%, both below common stress levels.
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,102
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.2%
Unoccupied
421
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.0%
Couples, no children
7,522
Total families
Economy & Employment
Clayfield's workforce is strongly professional, which matches its high education profile. Healthcare is the largest industry at 19.0% or 914 workers, followed by Professional/Tech at 16.3% or 785, Education at 8.0%, Public Admin at 7.5% and Finance at 6.0%. Professionals number 2,212 and Managers 929, supporting fulltime employment of 67.7% and unemployment of 4.8%. SEIFA is high on education and advantage, with IEO decile 9, IRSD decile 9 and IRSAD decile 9, while IER decile 5 is lower than the other measures.
Unemployment
3.9%
Labour Force
7,631
Unemployed
295
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.7%
Part-time
27.5%
Participation
66.2%
Employed
5,816
Occupations
Top Industries
University
55.0%
Postgraduate
14.8%
Born Overseas
27.8%
Dwellings
4,720
Transport to Work
Livability leans on schooling and connectivity more than large blocks. Clayfield has 4 local schools with ICSEA scores from 1135 to 1159, led by St Agatha's Primary School at 1159, Eagle Junction State School at 1153 and St Rita's College at 1153 across Catholic and Government options. Public transport use is 16.7%, above what many car dependent suburbs record, though 72.5% still drive and 4.8% walk or cycle. IRSAD decile 9 signals above average national advantage. Check current police maps, as a suburb crime rate is not available.
Drive
72.5%
Public Transport
16.7%
Walk / Cycle
4.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.72%/yr
(+85 people/yr)
EstablishedClayfield is on a steady established suburb path rather than a boom cycle. The medium forecast rises from 11,773 people in 2025 to 12,085 in 2031, with annual growth of 0.72% or 85 people. Growth is led by Overseas migration, averaging +232 net overseas residents a year compared with -70 net internal migration, so new demand is internationally driven. The gentrification score is 14 and the stage is Not gentrifying, while the broader shift is Mixed, with rent growth of 9.4% and real income growth of 6.5%.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+232
Net Internal / yr
-70
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +12% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +232/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Clayfield compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Clayfield a good suburb to live in?
Clayfield suits buyers who value schools, rail access and a compact inner north setting. It has 10,897 residents, 4 local schools and an IRSAD decile of 9, which is above the national average for socioeconomic advantage.
What is the median house price in Clayfield?
A current median house price is not recorded for Clayfield. For context, the suburb is 51.4% apartments and 37.8% separate houses, with typical rent at $350 per week and median mortgage payments of $2,000 per month.
What schools are in Clayfield?
Clayfield has 4 local schools: St Agatha's Primary School, Eagle Junction State School, St Rita's College and Clayfield College. ICSEA scores range from 1135 to 1159, with enrolments from 359 to 1,225 students.
Is Clayfield safe?
A current suburb crime rate is not available, so check Queensland Police updates before deciding. Clayfield has 10,897 residents and an IRSAD decile of 9, but socioeconomic advantage is not the same as a safety rating.
Is Clayfield good for property investment?
Clayfield has investor appeal because 43.9% of homes are rented and rent growth is 9.4%. The caution is an 8.2% vacancy rate, which is higher than a tight rental setting and reflects its apartment heavy supply.
How is Clayfield's population changing?
Clayfield is forecast to grow steadily from 11,773 people in 2025 to 12,085 in 2031. The trend is 0.72% per year, or about 85 people, with overseas migration adding +232 residents annually.
What development is happening in Clayfield?
Clayfield recorded 68 development applications in 12 months. Recent examples include building work for a dwelling house on 2026-04-02 and a house extension on 2026-03-17, both pointing to incremental renewal.
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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