Highfields
A 45-year median age, 5 years above the national figure, is the clearest clue to Highfields: it is an established, family-oriented market with an older resident base. The suburb has 8,568 people, household income at the 74.7th percentile, and 74.7% of dwellings with 4 or more bedrooms. Detached housing reaches 96.3%, supporting a lower-density pattern than apartment-led areas. Compared with nearby Toowoomba, Highfields is more strongly characterised by large homes, car travel and residential stability, with 77.0% of residents staying. Growth is still positive at 2.34% a year because internal migration continues to add demand even as the population trajectory ages.
Population
8,568
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,994/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
25
Highfields suits buyers prioritising space over apartment living. A striking 74.7% of dwellings contain 4 or more bedrooms, compared with 20.4% with 3 bedrooms, while 96.3% are separate houses versus 0.1% apartments. That form reflects a family-oriented layout and helps explain why the monthly mortgage figure is $1,842. Mortgage costs equal 21.3% of household income and rent costs 20.6%, with neither flagged as stress, a more manageable position than a stress-flagged household. Ownership is substantial, with 45.8% owning outright and 38.3% carrying a mortgage. Buyers should compare land, maintenance and commute costs because 80.9% drive to work.
For Buyers
Highfields suits buyers prioritising space over apartment living. A striking 74.7% of dwellings contain 4 or more bedrooms, compared with 20.4% with 3 bedrooms, while 96.3% are separate houses versus 0.1% apartments. That form reflects a family-oriented layout and helps explain why the monthly mortgage figure is $1,842. Mortgage costs equal 21.3% of household income and rent costs 20.6%, with neither flagged as stress, a more manageable position than a stress-flagged household. Ownership is substantial, with 45.8% owning outright and 38.3% carrying a mortgage. Buyers should compare land, maintenance and commute costs because 80.9% drive to work.
For Investors
Highfields has a relatively small rental pool, with 14.2% of households renting, yet the weekly rent benchmark is $410 and vacancy is 5.7%. The mortgage share is 38.3%, higher than renting, which points to an owner-occupier base rather than a deeply investor-led market. For investors, that can support family-home demand because 74.7% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms. Development activity is notable at 27 applications in 12 months, including community-use and operational works, so supply and amenity should be monitored. The growth trend is 2.34% annually and is driven by internal migration, but returns cannot be judged from rent alone without a current sale-price benchmark.
Development Activity
Total DAs
84
Last 12 Months
25
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+19.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Highfields
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Mary MacKillop Catholic College (Highfields)
Toowoomba Christian College (Highfields)
Highfields State Secondary College
Highfields State School
Demographics
Highfields has an older profile than the national norm: the median age is 45, or 5 years above national, while the average household size is 2.8, 0.3 above the national figure. University attainment is 32.5%, 2.4 percentage points above national, but overseas-born residents are 12.0%, 9.6 points below national. English ancestry leads at 3,912 people, followed by Irish at 1,312, Scottish at 1,256 and German at 1,077. Christianity is recorded for 5,628 residents versus 2,484 reporting no religion. The 77.0% stayed rate exceeds the 23.0% turnover rate because established ownership and larger homes encourage continuity. The aging trajectory is reinforced by a 6.8-point rise in senior share and a 3.9-point fall in young share.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.3%
Houses
3.6%
Townhouse
0.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Highfields is overwhelmingly a detached, larger-home market. Separate houses account for 96.3% of dwellings, compared with 0.1% apartments and 3.6% semi-detached homes. Four-plus-bedroom dwellings reach 74.7%, higher than the 20.4% share of 3-bedroom homes, while 2-bedroom stock is only 4.6%. Tenure is similarly established: 45.8% own outright, 38.3% have a mortgage and 14.2% rent. That ownership pattern supports stability, but it also means buyers should compare upkeep and land costs, not just the $1,842 monthly mortgage figure. Housing costs sit at 21.3% of income for mortgages and 20.6% for rent, both without a stress flag, compared with more pressured markets.
Mortgage / mo
$1,842
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $410.
$560
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $560
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$798
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.7%
Unoccupied
180
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.0%
Couples with children
47.4%
Couples, no children
8.3%
Single parent
2,595
Total families
Economy & Employment
Highfields has a service-led employment base: healthcare accounts for 20.7% of jobs, or 590 people, and education 16.9%, or 482, followed by public administration at 11.3%, construction at 9.6% and professional or technical work at 7.2%. This mix supports steadier demand because it is spread across essential services, government and trades. Professionals lead occupations at 1,024 people, ahead of trades at 583 and clerical or administrative work at 581. Unemployment is 3.4%, participation is 61.5% and full-time work is 59.5%. Household income is $1,994 weekly, at the 74.7th percentile and above the national midpoint. SEIFA is strong but uneven: education and occupation is decile 7 versus economic resources at decile 10, while disadvantage is decile 9 and advantage decile 8. The gap suggests financial capacity exceeds formal skills concentration.
Unemployment
3.4%
Labour Force
4,264
Unemployed
146
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.5%
Part-time
35.0%
Participation
61.5%
Employed
4,118
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
32.5%
Postgraduate
6.3%
Born Overseas
12.0%
Dwellings
2,985
Transport to Work
Highfields is practical for car-based households. Driving accounts for 80.9% of journeys to work, far higher than public transport at 0.3% and walking or cycling at 2.1%; working from home is 11.3%. That pattern fits a 26.69 square kilometre suburb with density of 321.1 people per square kilometre, where trip planning matters more than relying on frequent transit. Four local schools provide a broad sector mix: 2 government schools, 1 Catholic school and 1 independent school, covering primary and secondary options. Check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cross suburb edges. Livability resources are comparatively strong, with IRSAD at decile 8, IRSD at decile 9 and IER at decile 10, while volunteering is 21.0%. These indicators support access and participation, but household needs still vary by street and commute.
Drive
80.9%
Public Transport
0.3%
Walk / Cycle
2.1%
Work from Home
11.3%
Population Forecast
+2.34%/yr
(+389 people/yr)
EstablishedHighfields is growing rather than flat: the annual trend is 2.34%, with internal migration identified as the primary driver. Across the wider area, population change reaches 29.6% over 10 years, but the trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 6.8 points and the young share down 3.9 points. That combination suggests demand is expanding while the age mix shifts because established households and incoming movers are joining a maturing suburb. The gentrification score is 55 at the Active stage. Rent growth of 16.6% adds pressure to housing demand, while the affordability trend is marked Improving, moving from 53.5% in 2011 to 47.0% in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+29
Net Internal / yr
+365
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +45% since 2011, Net internal migration +365/yr, Accelerating: 17% → 24%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Highfields compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Highfields a good suburb to live in?
Highfields can suit households seeking large detached homes, established services and a quieter setting near Toowoomba. The median age is 45, 96.3% of dwellings are separate houses and 80.9% of commuters drive, so it is more car-oriented than pedestrian or transit-led. Its 74.7th-percentile household income also indicates stronger resources than the national midpoint.
What is the median house price in Highfields?
A current median house price is not available, so compare recent sales by street, land size and bedroom count. That matters because 74.7% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms. Compared with the weekly rent benchmark of $410, the monthly mortgage figure of $1,842 provides a useful affordability reference when assessing an asking price.
What schools are in Highfields?
Highfields has 4 listed schools: Highfields State School, Highfields State Secondary College, Mary MacKillop Catholic College and Toowoomba Christian College. The mix includes 2 government schools, 1 Catholic school and 1 independent school, covering primary and secondary options. Check the exact enrolment zone before signing a lease or contract.
Is Highfields safe?
Check the latest Queensland Police crime mapping and recent incident patterns for the exact address before deciding. Highfields has 8,568 residents, so conditions can vary by pocket and street. Compare the location with your evening travel, parking and household needs rather than relying only on a broad suburb impression.
Is Highfields good for property investment?
Highfields may suit investors targeting detached family homes, with weekly rent of $410, vacancy of 5.7% and 14.2% of households renting. Development activity reached 27 applications in 12 months, while the annual growth trend is 2.34% and driven by internal migration. The 38.3% mortgage share is higher than renting, so owner-occupier demand is important to the investment case.
How is Highfields's population changing?
Highfields is on a positive growth path, with an annual trend of 2.34% driven by internal migration. Population change across the wider area is 29.6% over 10 years. The shift is also Aging: the senior share rose 6.8 points while the young share fell 3.9 points, so growth is occurring alongside a progressively older age profile.
What development is occurring in Highfields?
Highfields recorded 27 development applications over 12 months. Recent examples include recreation and community-use activity, operational works and road-reserve works involving footpaths or stormwater. Compared with a quiet established suburb, that level of activity suggests residents should monitor construction timing, traffic changes and future amenity impacts.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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