Goombungee
With just 1,066 residents spread across 76.48 square kilometres, Goombungee is a low-density farming community in the Darling Downs region where 97.6% of dwellings are separate houses, well above the national average. The median house price of $330,000 sits significantly lower than QLD state medians, making it one of the more affordable detached-house markets in the region. Household income lands in the 26.2nd percentile nationally, reflecting an economy anchored in laboring, healthcare, and trades rather than knowledge workers. The median age of 43 is 3 years above the national figure, and just 12.9% of residents hold university qualifications, compared to the national average of around 30%.
Population
1,066
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,218/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$330K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $330,000 makes Goombungee accessible compared to broader QLD markets, where coastal and metro medians run far higher. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,257, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers here carry lighter debt loads than in most urban centres. The stock is overwhelmingly detached houses at 97.6%, and 51.6% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms, with a further 29.9% at 4 or more bedrooms, catering well to families needing space. Ownership rates are strong: 40.3% own their home outright and 41.4% are paying a mortgage, leaving just 18.3% as renters. The vacancy rate of 7.3% is elevated compared to tighter urban markets, so buyers have more choice but also face less capital growth pressure.
For Buyers
The median house price of $330,000 makes Goombungee accessible compared to broader QLD markets, where coastal and metro medians run far higher. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,257, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers here carry lighter debt loads than in most urban centres. The stock is overwhelmingly detached houses at 97.6%, and 51.6% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms, with a further 29.9% at 4 or more bedrooms, catering well to families needing space. Ownership rates are strong: 40.3% own their home outright and 41.4% are paying a mortgage, leaving just 18.3% as renters. The vacancy rate of 7.3% is elevated compared to tighter urban markets, so buyers have more choice but also face less capital growth pressure.
For Investors
Goombungee's rental market is modest: weekly rent of $250 against a $330,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.9%, above most metro-suburb benchmarks. The 18.3% renter share is lower than the national average, so the tenant pool is limited, and the 7.3% vacancy rate is high, pointing to more supply than active demand. Development activity is minimal, with just 2 applications lodged in the past 12 months, both material change of use rather than new residential dwellings. Population is small at 1,066 and income in the 26.2nd percentile nationally keeps rent growth constrained. Investors here are buying a yield play in a stable agricultural community rather than a capital growth story, and the low entry price of $330,000 keeps the exposure manageable.
Development Activity
Total DAs
12
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-60.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Goombungee iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Goombungee State School
Prep-6 · 80 students
Demographics
The median age of 43 is 3 years above the national figure, signalling a community that skews older and established. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (383), German (152), Scottish (117) and Irish (110) are the four largest groups, reflecting the region's settler heritage. Just 8.7% of residents were born overseas, which is 12.9 percentage points below the national figure, making this one of the less internationally diverse communities in Queensland. University qualifications sit at 12.9%, about 17 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with an economy that runs on trades, agriculture and healthcare rather than professional services. Average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure, and 31.6% of families are couples without children, a pattern common in older regional communities.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.6%
Houses
0.8%
Townhouse
1.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses account for 97.6% of dwellings, higher than almost any metro suburb, and the bedroom split favours family-sized homes: 51.6% have 3 bedrooms and 29.9% have 4 or more. Apartments at 1.6% and semi-detached at 0.8% are effectively negligible. Tenure is split between owners outright (40.3%) and mortgagees (41.4%), with renters at 18.3%, a tenure profile that reflects a settled population rather than a transient one. The rent-to-income ratio is 20.5%, below the 30% stress threshold, and mortgage-to-income at 23.8% is also comfortable, so housing costs are not a financial burden compared to state and national averages. The median house price of $330,000 is estimated from rent data for 2025 given limited transaction volume.
Mortgage / mo
$1,257
Rent / wk
$250
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$595
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.3%
Unoccupied
30
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.6%
Couples, no children
810
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 15.9% of the workforce, followed by Public Administration at 11.9% and Construction at 10.8%, with Retail (9.7%) and Education (9.0%) rounding out the top five. By occupation, Labourers lead at 64 workers, then Clerical/Admin (53), Professionals (50), Community/Personal services (47) and Machinery/Drivers (46). The unemployment rate is 6.9%, above the national average, and the participation rate is just 49.3%, lower than typical urban markets, partly because the 26.2nd-percentile household income reflects a community where part-time and casual agricultural work is common. Weekly personal income of $595 is below the national median. The full-time employment rate of 63.5% among those who are employed is reasonable, but the overall labour force engagement is low.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.5%
Part-time
29.6%
Participation
49.3%
Employed
394
Occupations
Top Industries
University
12.9%
Postgraduate
1.7%
Born Overseas
8.7%
Dwellings
379
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high in this rural setting: 88.8% of residents drive to work, compared to lower shares in urban centres, and 4.7% walk or cycle. Public transport data is not available, which is typical for low-density communities at this scale. No schools are recorded inside the Goombungee boundary in the dataset, so families depend on schools in neighbouring towns such as Toowoomba. Crime data is not available at this suburb level. The volunteering rate of 18.1% is a positive community indicator, above many urban suburbs, and the 7.6% needing daily assistance (76 people) is a modest care burden consistent with the older median age of 43. Rent-to-income at 20.5% and mortgage-to-income at 23.8% both sit below stress thresholds, so residents face lower housing cost pressure than state and national averages.
Drive
88.8%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
4.7%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Goombungee compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Goombungee a good suburb to live in?
Goombungee suits those seeking affordable, quiet rural living. The median house price of $330,000 is well below QLD metro markets, and mortgage-to-income sits at 23.8%, below the 30% stress threshold. Trade-offs include limited services, no recorded schools within the boundary, and a 6.9% unemployment rate above the national average.
What is the median house price in Goombungee?
The median house price is $330,000, estimated from rent data for 2025. Weekly rent averages $250 and monthly mortgage repayments run approximately $1,257. The rent-to-income ratio is 20.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold, making housing costs manageable compared to state averages.
What schools are in Goombungee?
No schools are recorded inside the Goombungee boundary in this dataset. Families typically rely on schools in nearby Toowoomba or other Darling Downs towns. Just 12.9% of residents hold university qualifications, about 17 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Goombungee safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Goombungee at this level. As a contextual indicator, household income is in the 26.2nd percentile nationally and the community has a high retention rate of 81.5%, meaning most residents choose to stay, which is often associated with stable, low-disruption environments.
Is Goombungee good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $250 against a $330,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.9%, above most metro-suburb benchmarks. However, the 7.3% vacancy rate is elevated, the renter pool is thin at 18.3% of households, and just 2 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, pointing to limited supply competition but also limited demand growth.
How is Goombungee's population changing?
Goombungee has a small population of 1,066 across 76.48 square kilometres, giving a density of 13.9 people per kilometre squared, well below regional averages. No ABS suburb-level forecasts are available, but the 81.5% retention rate and minimal development pipeline of 2 applications in 12 months suggest a stable rather than growing community.
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 Goombungee on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map