Drayton
Drayton sits at the affordable end of the Toowoomba housing market, with a median house price of $375,000 well below state capital benchmarks, yet the suburb carries one of the lowest advantage scores in Queensland. IRSAD decile 1 places it nationally in the bottom 10% for socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage, and household income sits at just the 35.3rd percentile. Despite that, 42.1% of residents rent rather than own, a tenure mix that reflects both price accessibility and limited wealth accumulation. Healthcare is the backbone of local employment at 24.1% of workers, which is consistent with the service-oriented occupational profile.
Population
1,813
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,362/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
11
Median House
$375K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At $375,000, the median house price in Drayton is among the more accessible in the broader Toowoomba region, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.7% stays below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability is underpinned by a housing stock that runs 73.3% separate houses, with 3-bedroom dwellings the most common at 44.1% and 4-plus bedroom homes at 31.6%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,400. Outright owners account for 28.7% of households and mortgage holders 29.2%, compared to the 42.1% who rent, suggesting many residents choose tenancy rather than ownership at this price point. Semi-detached and apartment stock is limited at 11.7% and 15.0% respectively.
For Buyers
At $375,000, the median house price in Drayton is among the more accessible in the broader Toowoomba region, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.7% stays below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability is underpinned by a housing stock that runs 73.3% separate houses, with 3-bedroom dwellings the most common at 44.1% and 4-plus bedroom homes at 31.6%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,400. Outright owners account for 28.7% of households and mortgage holders 29.2%, compared to the 42.1% who rent, suggesting many residents choose tenancy rather than ownership at this price point. Semi-detached and apartment stock is limited at 11.7% and 15.0% respectively.
For Investors
A 42.1% renter share is higher than typical suburban averages, pointing to a large tenant pool relative to the suburb's size of 1,813 residents. Weekly rent averages $290, which against a $375,000 median implies a gross yield around 4.0%, meaningfully above the low single-digit yields common in capital city markets. The 7.4% vacancy rate is elevated and worth watching, as it suggests some oversupply in the rental segment. Overseas migration is the primary population driver at 78 net arrivals per year, while internal migration adds just 12. Development activity recorded 11 applications in the past 12 months, low for any scale of new supply. Rent has grown 32.3% over the period measured, suggesting underlying demand even with the current vacancy.
Development Activity
Total DAs
39
Last 12 Months
11
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+120.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Drayton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Drayton State School
Prep-6 · 165 students
Demographics
The median age of 36 is 4 years below the national figure of 40, skewing toward working-age residents. Overseas-born residents represent 13.3% of the population, which is 8.3 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a predominantly locally-born community with English (687), Irish (207) and German (172) ancestry leading. University qualifications at 24.1% run 6 points below the national benchmark, consistent with the SEIFA IEO decile 2 score that places Drayton in the lower tiers of educational and occupational advantage. Average household size of 2.4 is marginally below national. Couples with children (438) slightly outnumber couples without children (403) among the 1,350 total families recorded.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
73.3%
Houses
11.7%
Townhouse
15.0%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is detached-dominant, with 73.3% separate houses against a lower apartment share of 15.0% and 11.7% semi-detached. Three-bedroom homes make up 44.1% of all dwellings and 4-plus bedroom homes 31.6%, indicating a stock oriented toward families rather than singles or downsizers. Tenure is split between renters at 42.1%, mortgage holders at 29.2% and outright owners at 28.7%, so renters are the single largest tenure group. That renting rate sits above average for a suburb where the median house price of $375,000 is well below metropolitan norms, pointing to income constraints rather than price barriers alone. Rent-to-income at 21.3% is below the 30% stress threshold, and mortgage-to-income at 23.7% is similarly manageable.
Mortgage / mo
$1,400
Rent / wk
$290
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$707
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.4%
Unoccupied
58
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.9%
Couples, no children
1,350
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 24.1% of local workers, nearly double the next sector of Education at 13.2%. Construction follows at 12.3%, consistent with a regional centre where residential building remains active. Manufacturing at 7.1% and Hospitality at 6.8% round out the top five. By occupation, Community and Personal service workers (142) edge out Labourers (137) and Professionals (130), pointing to a service-weighted workforce rather than a high-income professional one. The full-time employment rate is 61.6% with unemployment at 6.4%, which is higher than typical metropolitan levels. The suburb scores IRSD decile 2 and IRSAD decile 1, placing it among the more disadvantaged areas nationally, driven by below-average incomes at the 35.3rd percentile.
Unemployment
6.3%
Labour Force
5,458
Unemployed
345
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.6%
Part-time
32.0%
Participation
60.1%
Employed
855
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.1%
Postgraduate
6.4%
Born Overseas
13.3%
Dwellings
712
Transport to Work
Car dependency is extremely high, with 89.5% of residents commuting by car and only 0.6% using public transport, which is far below the national public transport usage rate. Active transport (walking or cycling) covers just 2.1% of commuters. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families depend on nearby Toowoomba facilities. Crime data is unavailable for this area. As a proxy for disadvantage, the IRSAD decile 1 score places Drayton in the bottom 10% nationally for combined advantage and disadvantage. On the positive side, rent-to-income at 21.3% and mortgage-to-income at 23.7% both stay below stress thresholds, giving residents more financial headroom than the low income percentile alone would suggest. Volunteering runs at 14.6%.
Drive
89.5%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
2.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.76%/yr
(+88 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grew 7.2% over the decade and is now tracking at 0.76% annually, adding roughly 88 residents per year. Overseas migration at 78 net arrivals per year is the primary driver because internal migration contributes only 12. Medium forecasts project the broader statistical area reaching 11,945 by 2031, up from 11,514 in 2025. The gentrification score of 18 and stage of not gentrifying signals that income and qualification levels have not shifted substantially, which is consistent with stable affordability: the rent-to-income ratio held almost flat from 45.4% in 2011 to 45.5% in 2021. Real income grew 7.5% over the period, modest compared to national wage trends. The resident stability rate of 71.9% staying in the same dwelling over 5 years suggests limited churn.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+78
Net Internal / yr
+12
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +10% since 2011, Accelerating: -0% → 11%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Drayton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Drayton a good suburb to live in?
Drayton offers affordable housing with a $375,000 median and mortgage-to-income at 23.7%, below the stress threshold. The trade-off is a low IRSAD decile 1 score, placing it in the bottom 10% nationally for socioeconomic advantage, and household income at the 35.3rd percentile. Car ownership is essential as only 0.6% use public transport.
What is the median house price in Drayton?
The median house price in Drayton is $375,000, estimated from 2025 rental data. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,400 and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 23.7%. Weekly rent averages $290, implying a gross yield around 4.0% for investors.
What schools are in Drayton?
No schools are recorded within the Drayton suburb boundary in this dataset. Residents rely on schools in neighbouring Toowoomba suburbs. Locally, 24.1% of adults hold university qualifications, which is 6 percentage points below the national average.
Is Drayton safe?
Crime statistics are not available for Drayton in this dataset. As a proxy, the suburb scores IRSD decile 2 nationally, indicating elevated relative disadvantage compared to most Australian suburbs. Unemployment at 6.4% is above typical metropolitan levels, which can correlate with higher crime rates, though no direct crime data confirms this.
Is Drayton good for property investment?
The 42.1% renter share and weekly rent of $290 against a $375,000 median price imply a gross yield around 4.0%, higher than most capital city suburbs. Rent grew 32.3% over the measured period. The 7.4% vacancy rate is elevated and merits monitoring, but overseas migration of 78 net arrivals annually supports ongoing rental demand.
How is Drayton's population changing?
Drayton is growing at 0.76% per year, adding about 88 residents annually. Over the past decade the population rose 7.2%. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 78 net arrivals per year, while internal migration contributes just 12. The resident stability rate of 71.9% staying put over 5 years shows low churn.
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.
Explore Drayton on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map