Goondiwindi
A $392,000 median house price sits beside a 9.7% rental vacancy rate here, and both reflect a regional border town that grows little but stays affordable. Household income reads in the 56.4th percentile nationally, close to the middle, yet the suburb scores only decile 3 on IEO and decile 4 on IRSAD, the education and advantage indexes. The stock is 87.1% separate houses across an 830.46 km2 footprint at just 7.5 residents per km2. University qualifications reach 22.4%, which is 7.7 points below the national figure, and the population of 6,230 skews slightly younger at a median age of 38, two years below national.
Population
6,230
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,629/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$392K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $392,000 median makes Goondiwindi one of the more affordable markets in the dataset, far below the prices of metro Queensland. The stock suits families: 87.1% are separate houses with apartments at only 2.5%, and large homes dominate as 4-plus bedroom dwellings make up 42.1% and three-bedroom homes 40.9%, leaving two-bedroom stock at just 14.6%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and a key reason buyers face little pressure here. Mortgage holders (31.9%) and outright owners (31.3%) are roughly balanced, a sign of a settled owner base rather than a churn of recent purchasers stretched by debt.
For Buyers
The $392,000 median makes Goondiwindi one of the more affordable markets in the dataset, far below the prices of metro Queensland. The stock suits families: 87.1% are separate houses with apartments at only 2.5%, and large homes dominate as 4-plus bedroom dwellings make up 42.1% and three-bedroom homes 40.9%, leaving two-bedroom stock at just 14.6%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and a key reason buyers face little pressure here. Mortgage holders (31.9%) and outright owners (31.3%) are roughly balanced, a sign of a settled owner base rather than a churn of recent purchasers stretched by debt.
For Investors
A 36.9% renter share and weekly rent of $295 give landlords a steady tenant pool against a low $392,000 median, implying a gross yield near 3.9%, far higher than premium metro suburbs. The catch is the 9.7% vacancy rate, well above a tight market, which signals soft demand and limits rent escalation in the short term. Demand drivers are thin: net overseas migration adds only 17 residents a year while internal migration removes 62, and annual population growth is negative at -0.13%. Rent has still grown 47.5% over the period, the standout figure for income returns, and no development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, so new supply is not a near-term threat. The case rests on yield and rent growth rather than capital appreciation.
Schools in Goondiwindi iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Mary's School
Prep-10 · 385 students
Border Rivers Christian College
Prep-12 · 91 students
Goondiwindi State School
Prep-6 · 424 students
Goondiwindi State High School
7-12 · 453 students
Demographics
The median age of 38 is 2.0 years below the national figure, but the trajectory is aging because the senior share rose 4.6 points while the working-age share fell 1.8 points and the young share dropped 3.1 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach just 6.9%, which is 14.7 points below national, marking a strongly Australian-born population. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,374), Irish (774) and Scottish (658), with German (349) the largest continental group, and the top non-English languages are Afrikaans (22) and Mandarin (18). University qualifications at 22.4% run 7.7 points below national, consistent with a regional workforce. Average household size is 2.5, in line with the national figure, and couples with children (2,110 families) outnumber couples without children (28.1%).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.1%
Houses
9.5%
Townhouse
2.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits almost into thirds: 31.3% own outright, 31.9% carry a mortgage and 36.9% rent. The near balance between outright and mortgaged owners points to a stable, established ownership base rather than rapid turnover, which the 77.9% who stayed put confirms against a 22.1% turnover rate. The stock is 87.1% separate houses with semi-detached at 9.5% and apartments at only 2.5%, so this is detached-house country with little density. Large homes prevail, as 4-plus bedroom dwellings reach 42.1% and three-bedroom homes 40.9%, while two-bedroom stock sits at 14.6%. The $392,000 median against household income produces an affordability ratio that worsened from 31.3% in 2011 to 34.3% in 2021, yet mortgage-to-income at 21.5% and rent-to-income at 18.1% both stay well below stress, a divergence that reflects how low prices remain relative to incomes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wk
$295
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$859
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.7%
Unoccupied
238
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.1%
Couples, no children
4,532
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is anchored in services and primary industry: Healthcare leads at 15.9% (278 workers), Agriculture follows at 14.7% (258) and Education at 13.2% (231), with Construction at 10.0% and Retail at 8.0%. By occupation, Professionals (445) and Managers (441) are nearly level, ahead of Clerical/Admin (373) and Labourers (366), a mix that reflects both the agricultural base and the town's role as a regional service hub. Unemployment is low at 3.5% and the full-time employment rate reads 68.7%, but participation sits at 60.9%, held down by 1,271 residents not in the labour force as the population ages. The decile 3 IEO score for education and occupation runs below the decile 5 IER score for economic resources, a gap that reflects modest formal qualifications despite middle-band household incomes.
Unemployment
3.4%
Labour Force
3,657
Unemployed
124
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.7%
Part-time
27.8%
Participation
60.9%
Employed
2,859
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.4%
Postgraduate
2.6%
Born Overseas
6.9%
Dwellings
2,201
Transport to Work
This is car-dependent country: 88.5% drive to work while only 0.3% use public transport and 5.3% walk or cycle, far above the national reliance on cars and a function of the 7.5 residents per km2 density across 830.46 km2. The suburb scores decile 4 on IRSAD and decile 4 on IRSD, both mid-low on the national advantage and disadvantage scales, and 5.9% of residents (334 people) need daily assistance, slightly above what the younger median age of 38 would suggest because of the aging trajectory. Volunteering runs high at 23.0%, a marker of strong community participation typical of regional towns. Rent-to-income at 18.1% keeps tenants comfortable, well below stress, which supports day-to-day affordability even as headline prices have crept up.
Drive
88.5%
Public Transport
0.3%
Walk / Cycle
5.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.13%/yr
(-8 people/yr)
EstablishedGoondiwindi is shrinking slowly: annual population growth registers -0.13%, about 8 fewer residents a year, and the 10-year change is -2.6%, below the flat-to-positive trajectory of most established suburbs. The recent run confirms the drift, with population easing from 6,286 in 2024 to 6,251 in 2025, and medium forecasts hold it on a gentle decline from 6,299 in 2026 to 6,261 by 2031. The only positive driver is overseas migration at 17 a year, lower than the net internal outflow of 62, which is why the suburb classifies as established and slow-growth. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying with a score of 0, though the shift index flags early signs at 30, driven by 47.5% rent growth running higher than the 9.3% real income growth over the decade against a backdrop of worsening affordability.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+17
Net Internal / yr
-62
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Goondiwindi compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Goondiwindi a good suburb to live in?
Goondiwindi scores decile 4 on IRSAD and decile 4 on IRSD, mid-low on national advantage scales, with household income in the 56.4th percentile. Affordability is a draw, with rent-to-income at 18.1% and mortgage-to-income at 21.5%, both well below the 30% stress threshold, and volunteering runs high at 23.0%.
What is the median house price in Goondiwindi?
The median house price is $392,000, well below metro Queensland levels. Weekly rent averages $295 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,517, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.5%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold for a regional market.
What schools are in Goondiwindi?
No schools are recorded inside the 830.46 km2 Goondiwindi boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools nearby. The local workforce includes Education as the third-largest industry at 13.2% (231 workers), and university qualifications reach 22.4%, 7.7 points below the national figure.
Is Goondiwindi safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Goondiwindi in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 4 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, and only 5.9% of its residents (334 people) need daily assistance, both broadly consistent with a settled regional town.
Is Goondiwindi good for property investment?
Rent of $295 a week against a $392,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.9%, higher than metro suburbs, and rent grew 47.5% over the period. The catch is a 9.7% vacancy rate and -0.13% annual population growth, so returns rely on yield rather than capital appreciation.
How is Goondiwindi's population changing?
Population growth is -0.13% annually, about 8 fewer residents a year, with a -2.6% change over 10 years. The count eased from 6,286 in 2024 to 6,251 in 2025. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 4.6 points and the young share down 3.1 points over the decade.
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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