Douglas
At a median age of 26, Douglas is 14 years younger than the national figure, yet its longer-term direction is aging. The suburb has 7,780 residents across 8.8 square kilometres and a renter share of 51.6%, while 84.6% of dwellings are separate houses. Household income sits at the 75.8th percentile, and university attainment reaches 45.6%, 15.5 percentage points above the national comparison. That mix reflects a young, educated base tied to health, education and public-service employment. Douglas contrasts with nearby Annandale and Aitkenvale through its combination of a 26-year median age and detached-house share, although its 82.7% car-driver rate makes transport planning important.
Population
7,780
Median Age
26.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,025/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
19
Douglas suits buyers who value a larger dwelling format but need to price the purchase carefully because no suburb-wide median house price is available. Separate houses account for 84.6% of homes, higher than the 11.4% apartment share and the 4.0% semi-detached share. Larger homes are common, with 49.9% having 4 or more bedrooms and 36.2% having 3 bedrooms. The indicative mortgage figure is $1,633 a month, equal to 18.6% of household income, while rent is $360 a week. Affordability is worsening, moving from 40.7 in 2011 to 51.1 in 2021, so current listings and property condition matter more than dwelling type alone.
For Buyers
Douglas suits buyers who value a larger dwelling format but need to price the purchase carefully because no suburb-wide median house price is available. Separate houses account for 84.6% of homes, higher than the 11.4% apartment share and the 4.0% semi-detached share. Larger homes are common, with 49.9% having 4 or more bedrooms and 36.2% having 3 bedrooms. The indicative mortgage figure is $1,633 a month, equal to 18.6% of household income, while rent is $360 a week. Affordability is worsening, moving from 40.7 in 2011 to 51.1 in 2021, so current listings and property condition matter more than dwelling type alone.
For Investors
Douglas has a renter-majority profile: 51.6% of dwellings are rented, higher than the 18.2% outright ownership share and the 29.4% mortgage share. Weekly rent is $360 and vacancy is 7.8%, so investors should not assume scarcity-driven leasing and should test tenant appeal at the property level. Development activity reached 17 applications in 12 months, creating a measurable pipeline without indicating a large oversupply. The wider growth trend is 2.56% annually, driven by internal migration, while rent growth is 84.9%. The gentrification score of 25, rated Early signs, supports a selective rather than speculative approach because no median sale price is available for yield calculations.
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 combines a median age of 26 with a university attainment rate of 45.6%, which is 15.5 percentage points above the national comparison. The overseas-born share is 26.6%, 5 percentage points above the national figure, and the largest reported ancestries are English at 2,498 people, Other at 1,205, Irish at 785 and Scottish at 733. Christianity counts 3,425 people, while 2,953 report no religion and 234 Hinduism. Average household size is 2.6, only 0.1 above the national comparison, with couples with children forming 43.7% of families. Turnover is 40.8%, so services and rentals need to accommodate a mobile population. For comparisons with nearby Annandale and Aitkenvale, Douglas's 26-year median age and 45.6% university rate are the clearest differentiators, although the aging trajectory points to gradual change.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.6%
Houses
4.0%
Townhouse
11.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Douglas's housing is detached and renter-led. Separate houses make up 84.6% of dwellings, higher than the 11.4% apartment share and the 4.0% semi-detached share. Larger homes are common: 49.9% have 4 or more bedrooms and 36.2% have 3, while only 1.3% have 0 or 1 bedroom. Tenure is split between 51.6% renting, 29.4% mortgage ownership and 18.2% outright ownership, a pattern that can support rental turnover but may limit entry-level stock. Weekly rent is $360 and rent-to-income is 17.8%, with no rent-stress flag. For buyers comparing Douglas with nearby Annandale or Aitkenvale, dwelling age, lot size and insurance considerations should be checked at the address level because the suburb-wide median sale price is unavailable.
Mortgage / mo
$1,633
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $360.
$565
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $565 · units $450
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$771
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.8%
Unoccupied
211
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.7%
Couples with children
39.6%
Couples, no children
13.4%
Single parent
1,651
Total families
Economy & Employment
Douglas has a concentrated service economy. Healthcare accounts for 35.1% of industry employment, followed by Education at 13.8% and Public Administration at 12.3%; Retail is 5.4% and Professional/Tech 5.0%. That base aligns with 1,344 Professionals and 794 Community/Personal workers, while Clerical/Admin at 439, Sales at 429 and Trades at 366 add occupational breadth. The labour force is 4,427, participation is 67.2% and unemployment is 5.0%, so local purchasing power depends on sustained employment in public and human services. Household income is $2,025 weekly, at the 75.8th percentile and above the national midpoint. SEIFA results are mixed: IEO is decile 9, IER decile 5, and both IRSD and IRSAD are decile 8. Compared with the education and occupation result, the lower IER score suggests economic advantage is not uniform across households.
Unemployment
5.0%
Labour Force
4,427
Unemployed
221
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.0%
Part-time
38.3%
Participation
67.2%
Employed
4,206
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
45.6%
Postgraduate
11.2%
Born Overseas
26.6%
Dwellings
2,473
Transport to Work
Daily life in Douglas is strongly car-oriented: 82.7% travel as a car driver, compared with 1.3% using public transport and 4.9% walking or cycling. Only 5.3% work from home, so access to services, parking and peak-hour road links matters more than in a transit-led suburb. Two schools operate locally, both non-state and independent, giving families a clear sector and type profile; enrolment arrangements should still be checked against the exact address. IRSAD is in decile 8 and IRSD in decile 8, above the middle of the national distribution, while need for assistance is 2.7%. A suburb-wide crime rate is not available, so safety checks should use current local incident information and an address-level inspection. The main livability trade-off is clear: car access is high, but public and active travel shares are lower.
Drive
82.7%
Public Transport
1.3%
Walk / Cycle
4.9%
Work from Home
5.3%
Growth Outlook
Douglas carries a positive growth signal despite an established classification. The annual trend is 2.56%, with internal migration named as the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 57.2% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 3.7 percentage points and the working share has fallen 4.1 points. Affordability is marked Worsening, moving from 40.7 in 2011 to 51.1 in 2021, while rents have grown 84.9%. Gentrification signals are mixed: the shift score is 49 and stage Active, but the dedicated gentrification score is 25 with stage Early signs. Compared with a simple high-growth narrative, Douglas needs planning for both incoming residents and an older age profile.
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 may suit households wanting a young, detached-house suburb with strong service-sector employment. The median age is 26, 84.6% of dwellings are separate houses and household income is $2,025 a week. Its age profile is lower than the national figure, while the trade-offs are a 51.6% renter share, 82.7% car-driver rate and an aging trajectory.
What is the median house price in Douglas?
A suburb-wide median house price is not available, so buyers should compare current Douglas listings rather than rely on an invented benchmark. Useful context includes $360 weekly rent, a $1,633 monthly mortgage figure and 84.6% separate houses. Compared with apartment-oriented options, Douglas has a larger-home profile, with 49.9% of dwellings containing 4 or more bedrooms.
What schools are in Douglas?
Douglas has 2 listed schools, Enkindle Village School and Tec-NQ. Both are non-state schools in the independent sector. Families should confirm enrolment arrangements, age range, transport and any catchment requirements directly because access can depend on the exact address. The local school count is small compared with larger suburban areas, so nearby options may also matter.
Is Douglas safe?
A suburb-wide crime rate is not available, so no categorical safety verdict is appropriate. IRSAD and IRSD are both decile 8, while 2.7% of residents need assistance, but those measures do not replace incident-level checks. Review recent local reports, lighting, parking and the immediate street before deciding. Safety can vary by pocket within the 8.8-square-kilometre suburb.
Is Douglas good for property investment?
Douglas can suit an investor seeking a renter-oriented market, but the missing median sale price prevents a reliable yield calculation. Renting is 51.6%, higher than the 18.2% outright ownership share; weekly rent is $360 and vacancy is 7.8%. Development activity reached 17 applications in 12 months, while the annual growth trend is 2.56% and internal migration is the primary driver.
How is Douglas's population changing?
Douglas's wider-area population change is 57.2% over 10 years, but the forecast trajectory is Aging. The annual trend is 2.56% and internal migration is the primary driver. The senior share has risen 3.7 percentage points, while the working share has fallen 4.1 points. Compared with a growth-only reading, this points to ongoing demand alongside a gradual shift in the age 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).
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