Gympie
Gympie's most revealing number is its age profile: the median age is 42, which is 2 years above the national figure. With 11,355 residents, 85.0% separate houses and only 4.3% apartments, it remains a detached, car-based regional centre rather than an inner-urban market. Household income sits at the 13.5 percentile, so affordability and service access matter more than prestige. Compared with nearby Southside and Monkland, Gympie reads more as the employment and schooling hub because healthcare, education and retail anchor daily life.
Population
11,355
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,022/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
9
Homebuyers should treat Gympie as a house-first market: 85.0% of dwellings are separate houses, far higher than the 4.3% apartment share. The median house price is not currently recorded, so recent comparable sales matter more than suburb-wide pricing. Carrying costs look relatively contained, with a $1,200 monthly mortgage and mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.1%. Family-sized stock is common because 48.1% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 27.8% have 4 or more.
For Buyers
Homebuyers should treat Gympie as a house-first market: 85.0% of dwellings are separate houses, far higher than the 4.3% apartment share. The median house price is not currently recorded, so recent comparable sales matter more than suburb-wide pricing. Carrying costs look relatively contained, with a $1,200 monthly mortgage and mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.1%. Family-sized stock is common because 48.1% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 27.8% have 4 or more.
For Investors
Gympie has a large rental pool, with 38.8% of homes rented and a median weekly rent of $295. The caution is vacancy: 9.0% is higher than a tight rental market, so investors need to assess tenant depth by street and dwelling condition. Rent growth has been 23.5%, helped by internal migration, but there were 0 development approvals in the past 12 months. That can support existing stock because supply is not expanding locally, though lease-up risk remains elevated.
Development Activity
Total DAs
9
Last 12 Months
9
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 Gympie iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Patrick's Primary School
Prep-6 · 346 students
St Patrick's College
7-12 · 514 students
Victory College
Prep-12 · 851 students
Cooloola Christian College
Prep-12 · 537 students
James Nash State High School
7-12 · 1027 students
Demographics
Gympie is older and more locally born than the national profile. The median age is 42, 2 years above national, while the overseas-born share is 11.5%, 10.1 percentage points below national. University attainment is 16.9%, or 13.2 points below national, which lines up with a practical service and trades workforce. English ancestry is the largest group at 4,955 people, followed by Irish at 1,301 and Scottish at 1,213. Average household size is 2.3, slightly below national by 0.2.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.0%
Houses
10.3%
Townhouse
4.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Gympie's housing mix is shaped by established detached stock and moderate carrying costs. Separate houses make up 85.0% of dwellings, compared with 10.3% semi-detached homes and 4.3% apartments. Tenure is mixed: 33.7% are owned outright, 27.5% with a mortgage and 38.8% rented. The mortgage-to-income ratio is 27.1%, below common stress thresholds, because the recorded monthly mortgage is $1,200. With household income at the 13.5 percentile, buyers still need careful budgeting despite the low-density format.
Mortgage / mo
$1,200
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Mar 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $295.
$550
Bond data Mar 2026 quarter · houses $550 · units $420
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$565
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.0%
Unoccupied
454
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.9%
Couples, no children
7,994
Total families
Economy & Employment
Gympie's economy is service-led, with healthcare the largest industry at 21.8% or 563 workers. Education follows at 12.1%, then construction at 10.6%, retail at 9.6% and manufacturing at 8.9%. Labourers are the biggest occupation group at 652, ahead of community and personal service workers at 614. Unemployment is 7.5% and participation is 44.6%, below stronger labour markets, which helps explain SEIFA weakness: IEO decile 2, IER decile 3, IRSD decile 2 and IRSAD decile 2.
Unemployment
6.9%
Labour Force
7,465
Unemployed
517
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.5%
Part-time
35.0%
Participation
44.6%
Employed
3,827
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.9%
Postgraduate
3.1%
Born Overseas
11.5%
Dwellings
4,571
Transport to Work
Gympie's livability is practical and car-based rather than transit-led. Car driving accounts for 86.4% of commuting, far higher than public transport at 0.7%, while 4.6% walk or cycle. School choice is a major strength: 9 local schools span Catholic, Independent and Government sectors, with ICSEA scores from 925 to 1039. St Patrick's Primary scores 1039 with 346 students, St Patrick's College scores 1037 with 514, and Victory College scores 1026 with 851. IRSAD decile 2 points to lower advantage than many state peers.
Drive
86.4%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
4.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.08%/yr
(+189 people/yr)
EstablishedGympie's growth outlook is driven more by internal moves than overseas inflow. The trend rate is 2.08% a year, equal to about 189 people, while migration averages +312 internal residents a year compared with +28 from overseas. The medium projection rises from 8,840 in 2026 to 9,786 in 2031. The shift profile is Aging, with seniors up 8.1 points and young residents down 6.3 points, yet the gentrification score is 54 and stage is Active because population and rent pressure are both moving higher.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+28
Net Internal / yr
+312
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +41% since 2011, Net internal migration +312/yr, Accelerating: 5% → 33%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Gympie compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gympie a good suburb to live in?
Gympie suits buyers who value detached housing, schools and regional services. It has 11,355 residents, 85.0% separate houses and 9 local schools, but public transport use is only 0.7%, so a car is important.
What is the median house price in Gympie?
A current median house price is not recorded for Gympie, so recent comparable sales are essential. The suburb does show a $1,200 median monthly mortgage and a 27.1% mortgage-to-income ratio.
What schools are in Gympie?
Gympie has 9 local schools across Catholic, Independent and Government sectors. Higher ICSEA options include St Patrick's Primary at 1039, St Patrick's College at 1037 and Victory College at 1026.
Is Gympie safe?
A current suburb-level crime rate per 1,000 is not available, so safety should be checked street by street. Daily movement is mainly car-based, with 86.4% driving and 4.6% walking or cycling.
Is Gympie good for property investment?
Gympie has investor appeal through a 38.8% renting share and $295 median weekly rent, but the 9.0% vacancy rate is a higher risk signal. Internal migration of +312 people a year supports demand.
How is Gympie's population changing?
Gympie is growing and aging. The trend rate is 2.08% a year, or about 189 people, with internal migration averaging +312 annually. Seniors rose 8.1 points while the young share fell 6.3 points.
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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