Douglas
A 152-person population, a median age of 50, and density of 3.0 people per square kilometre make Douglas markedly older and less dense than Australia overall. Housing is strongly detached and owner-held: 100.0% of dwellings are separate houses, 61.4% are owned outright, and 31.8% have a mortgage. Household income sits at the 72.3rd percentile, above the national midpoint, while Douglas is smaller and less service-rich than nearby Highfields. Growth remains notable at 2.56% annually, but the trajectory is Aging rather than youthful expansion.
Population
152
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,937/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
19
Douglas suits buyers who value land, larger homes, and longer tenure over apartment choice or a large sales sample. Every dwelling is a separate house, with 51.0% containing 4 or more bedrooms, 39.2% having 3 bedrooms, and 9.8% having 2. The mortgage benchmark is $1,400 per month, while mortgage costs equal 16.7% of household income compared with 15.5% for rent. Those ratios indicate limited flagged stress, but the absence of a dependable median sale price means buyers should compare recent local contracts, building condition, and access to services before committing. Compared with denser nearby markets, Douglas provides more detached stock but fewer obvious entry points for compact-home buyers.
For Buyers
Douglas suits buyers who value land, larger homes, and longer tenure over apartment choice or a large sales sample. Every dwelling is a separate house, with 51.0% containing 4 or more bedrooms, 39.2% having 3 bedrooms, and 9.8% having 2. The mortgage benchmark is $1,400 per month, while mortgage costs equal 16.7% of household income compared with 15.5% for rent. Those ratios indicate limited flagged stress, but the absence of a dependable median sale price means buyers should compare recent local contracts, building condition, and access to services before committing. Compared with denser nearby markets, Douglas provides more detached stock but fewer obvious entry points for compact-home buyers.
For Investors
For investors, Douglas combines a $300 weekly rent with an 11.7% vacancy rate, pointing to a looser rental market than tightly occupied areas and making tenant selection important. Outright ownership is 61.4% and mortgage tenure is 31.8%, so the local renter pool may be thinner than in a larger regional centre. There were 17 development applications in 12 months, enough to show activity but not a broad construction pipeline. The 2.56% annual growth trend, driven by Internal migration, supports a longer holding view. Compared with a high-demand, low-vacancy market, the trade-off is lower rent but potentially more leasing time; without a median house price, gross yield cannot be calculated responsibly.
Development Activity
Total DAs
19
Last 12 Months
19
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 Douglas
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Enkindle Village School (Douglas)
Tec-NQ (Douglas)
Demographics
Douglas has an older resident base than the national pattern: the median age is 50, or 10.0 years above national, while university attainment is 14.0%, 16.1 percentage points below national. Only 6.2% of residents were born overseas, 15.4 points lower than national, and household size is 2.8 people, 0.3 above national. English ancestry counts 49 and German 31, followed by Irish and Scottish at 14 each. Christianity counts 101 residents versus 29 reporting no religion. High residential stability, with 88.8% staying and turnover of 11.2%, helps explain why Douglas feels more established than a mobile growth suburb.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Douglas has a detached, long-tenure housing structure rather than a mixed apartment market. Separate houses account for 100.0% of dwellings, and the largest bedroom groups are 4 or more at 51.0%, 3 bedrooms at 39.2%, and 2 bedrooms at 9.8%. Ownership is the defining feature: 61.4% own outright, 31.8% hold a mortgage, and 6.8% sit in other tenure categories. Outright ownership is higher than mortgage tenure by 29.6 percentage points, consistent with a median age of 50 and an established wealth profile. Mortgage-to-income is 16.7%, compared with rent-to-income of 15.5%; both stress flags are false. Compared with apartment-oriented regional centres, Douglas has a narrower product mix but greater consistency in detached form.
Mortgage / mo
$1,400
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$300
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$710
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.7%
Unoccupied
7
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
38.3%
Couples with children
66.0%
Couples, no children
47
Total families
Economy & Employment
Douglas has a small but concentrated employment base. Manufacturing leads with 26.2% and 11 workers, followed by Construction at 14.3% and 6, while Agriculture, Wholesale, and Public Administration each account for 9.5% and 4 workers. Occupations are led by Managers at 21, Trades at 14, and Professionals at 12, which fits a hands-on and supervisory economy. Participation is 66.9%, full-time employment is 65.4%, and recorded unemployment is 0. SEIFA is mixed but favourable: IEO ranks in decile 9, IRSAD and IRSD in decile 8, while IER is only decile 5. Compared with the strong education and advantage rankings, the mid-range employment rank suggests residents may rely on jobs beyond the locality.
Unemployment
0.0%
Labour Force
81
Unemployed
0
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.4%
Part-time
30.9%
Participation
66.9%
Employed
81
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
14.0%
Postgraduate
N/A
Born Overseas
6.2%
Dwellings
51
Transport to Work
Douglas offers a low-density, car-oriented setting, with 68.4% travelling as car drivers, 21.1% working from home, and 5.3% walking or cycling. Car use is higher than active travel, so daily errands are likely to depend on a vehicle because the population is only 152 across 50.06 square kilometres. Local education access is limited to 2 non-state schools, both independent, so families should check enrolment arrangements, transport, and year-level availability against the exact address. The IRSAD decile is 8, above the middle of the national distribution, but that advantage does not remove the practical distance costs of a dispersed locality. Compared with denser centres, Douglas provides more space and less walkable convenience. For safety, verify recent incident information rather than inferring risk from density alone.
Drive
68.4%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
5.3%
Work from Home
21.1%
Population Forecast
+2.56%/yr
(+341 people/yr)
EstablishedDouglas is an established locality with a positive 2.56% annual trend, higher than zero and primarily driven by Internal migration. The wider-area population change is 57.2% over 10 years, yet the trajectory is Aging: the senior share rose 3.7 percentage points while the working share fell 4.1 points. Housing pressure is building because rent growth reached 84.9% and affordability worsened from 40.7 in 2011 to 51.1 in 2021. Gentrification is classified as Early signs with a score of 25, which is more cautious than the broader shift reading of Active at 49. Compared with a static rural market, Douglas has stronger momentum but an older growth profile.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+48
Net Internal / yr
+401
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Net internal migration +401/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Douglas compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Douglas a good suburb to live in?
Douglas can suit households seeking detached homes, quiet surroundings, and established ownership. It has 152 residents, a median age of 50, 100.0% separate houses, and an IRSAD decile of 8. The trade-off is car dependence, with 68.4% travelling as drivers and only 5.3% walking or cycling, so check services and travel times.
What is the median house price in Douglas?
A reliable median house price cannot be quoted for Douglas. The suburb has 152 residents and 100.0% separate houses, so a small number of sales can make any median unstable. A useful local benchmark is $300 per week in rent, while buyers should use recent comparable sales and an independent appraisal before making an offer.
What schools are in Douglas?
Douglas has 2 local school options: Enkindle Village School and Tec-NQ. Both are non-state schools in the Independent sector. Because school access and enrolment can depend on the exact address and year level, families should confirm availability, transport, and intake arrangements before choosing a property. Sector or location alone does not establish performance.
Is Douglas safe?
Douglas has 152 residents and a density of 3.0 people per square kilometre, but those figures do not establish crime risk. Safety should be checked using recent Queensland Police information, incident patterns, lighting, and the exact street before deciding. Low density may feel private, while distance can affect response times and everyday surveillance.
Is Douglas good for property investment?
Douglas may suit a patient investor rather than a yield-focused buyer. Weekly rent is $300, vacancy is 11.7%, and 17 development applications were lodged over 12 months. Growth is 2.56% annually and driven by Internal migration, but no median house price is available for a sound gross-yield calculation. Compare purchase contracts, holding costs, leasing history, and tenant demand before relying on the growth story.
How is Douglas's population changing?
Douglas has 152 residents today and a median age of 50. The wider-area trend points to 2.56% annual growth, with Internal migration the primary driver, while the 10-year population change is 57.2%. At the same time, the trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 3.7 percentage points and the working share down 4.1 points. Growth is therefore positive but likely to reinforce an older resident mix.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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