Home Hill
At a median age of 49, Home Hill sits 9 years above the national figure, making it one of Queensland's more distinctly mature-aged communities. With 94.1% of dwellings being separate houses and 47.9% of residents owning outright, the suburb is dominated by long-established, debt-free households, a pattern consistent with its household income falling in just the 25.9th percentile nationally.
Local council: Burdekin
Population
2,876
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,210/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Separate houses make up 94.1% of the stock, giving buyers near-exclusive access to detached living. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 52.4%, followed by four-plus bedroom homes at 23.9%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 20.7%, below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes placing in the 25.9th percentile nationally. Nearly half of all dwellings, 47.9%, are owned outright, signalling that many long-term residents have paid down their debt, which reduces speculative pressure on prices.
For Buyers
Separate houses make up 94.1% of the stock, giving buyers near-exclusive access to detached living. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 52.4%, followed by four-plus bedroom homes at 23.9%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 20.7%, below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes placing in the 25.9th percentile nationally. Nearly half of all dwellings, 47.9%, are owned outright, signalling that many long-term residents have paid down their debt, which reduces speculative pressure on prices.
For Investors
Rental yields are constrained by the combination of affordable prices and a modest $220 weekly rent. The 12.3% vacancy rate is an important caution: it indicates meaningful competition among landlords and reflects the structural oversupply typical of smaller regional towns. Only 24.6% of households rent, so the tenant pool is narrower than the national average. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, confirming a static supply environment with no new stock entering the market.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2
Last 12 Months
0
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-100.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Home Hill
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
St Colman's School (Home Hill)
Home Hill State High School
Home Hill State School
Demographics
The median age of 49 is 9 years above the national figure, placing Home Hill firmly in the older-resident category. Only 8.7% of residents were born overseas, which is 12.9 percentage points below the national figure, and the ancestry profile is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (1,051 residents), Italian (450), Scottish (302) and Irish (278) are the top ancestries. Italian heritage at 450 people is notable given the town's sugar cane industry history. University qualifications reach just 13.3%, a full 16.8 points below the national rate, consistent with a trade and agricultural workforce. Average household size is 2.3, compared to 2.5 nationally, and 37.0% of families are couples with no dependent children, reflecting the older demographic profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.1%
Houses
4.6%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Outright ownership at 47.9% far exceeds the national average, reflecting the aging population that has had decades to pay off mortgages. Mortgage holders account for 27.5% and renters for 24.6%, a tenure split weighted toward established owners. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 94.1%, with semi-detached dwellings making up just 4.6% and virtually no apartments. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 52.4%, with four-plus bedroom homes at 23.9% and two-bedroom at 19.4%. Rent-to-income sits at 18.2%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning renters face manageable housing costs relative to income. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,083 represent 20.7% of household income, also below stress levels.
Mortgage / mo
$1,083
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$220
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$657
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
12.3%
Unoccupied
155
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.7%
Couples with children
49.9%
Couples, no children
17.1%
Single parent
789
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 18.1% (120 workers), followed by Manufacturing at 15.1% (100), Education at 12.4% (82) and Agriculture at 11.5% (76). The strong agriculture share, higher than in most metropolitan areas, reflects the town's sugar industry roots in the Burdekin district. By occupation, Labourers (178) are the largest group, followed by Managers (149) and Community/Personal Services (142). Full-time employment accounts for 69.4% of those in work, but the participation rate is just 48.3%, below state and national averages, because 958 residents are not in the labour force, a share driven upward by the older age structure. Unemployment runs at 5.0% based on 58 unemployed residents.
Unemployment
4.7%
Labour Force
1,241
Unemployed
58
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.2%
Part-time
28.7%
Participation
51.3%
Employed
1,183
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.3%
Postgraduate
1.4%
Born Overseas
8.7%
Dwellings
1,086
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total: 87.6% of residents drive to work and only 0.6% use public transport, well below national averages. Walking and cycling account for 4.8% of commutes, which is modest but above many comparable regional towns. Volunteering reaches 17.9% of residents, above the national rate, suggesting a cohesive community with active local participation. Housing stress is low on both measures: rent-to-income at 18.2% and mortgage-to-income at 20.7% are both comfortably below the 30% threshold. About 9.5% of residents (250 people) need daily assistance, a figure consistent with the median age of 49, which is 9 years above the national figure.
Drive
82.4%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
4.5%
Work from Home
5.9%
Growth Outlook
Home Hill recorded no development applications in the past 12 months, indicating effectively zero pipeline supply growth. The town's aging profile and below-average income, at the 25.9th percentile nationally, suggest gradual population decline is the more likely trajectory than expansion. Resident stability is high: 81.8% of people lived at the same address five years earlier, a turnover rate of just 18.2% compared to more mobile suburban markets. This low mobility means the community changes slowly, which tends to preserve character but also limits new household formation. For buyers or investors, the static supply environment is a double-edged signal, no new competition, but also no demand catalyst from development activity.
Population trend: Burdekin council area
Home Hill sits in the Burdekin council area. These are the council area's residents, not Home Hill's.
Residents 2025
17,220
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.3%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.5%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Home Hill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Home Hill a good suburb to live in?
Home Hill suits buyers seeking affordable detached housing well away from metropolitan pricing pressure. Car dependence is near-total at 87.6%, so a vehicle is essential.
What is the median house price in Home Hill?
Weekly rent averages $220. Monthly mortgage repayments run around $1,083, representing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.7%, which is below the 30% stress threshold. Almost all dwellings, 94.1%, are separate houses.
What schools are in Home Hill?
The suburb has a population of 2,876 with a median age of 49, and 13.3% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 16.8 points below the national figure. Families in the area rely on schools in surrounding Burdekin Shire communities.
Is Home Hill safe?
Detailed crime rate data is not available for Home Hill in this dataset. As a general indicator, housing stress is low, with rent-to-income at 18.2% and mortgage-to-income at 20.7%, both below the 30% stress threshold. Resident stability is high: 81.8% of people lived at the same address five years earlier, which is associated with lower community disruption than high-turnover suburbs.
Is Home Hill good for property investment?
However, the 12.3% vacancy rate signals significant competition for tenants, and weekly rent of $220 produces a modest gross yield. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, so new supply is not a pressure, but demand growth is also limited given the low participation rate of 48.3% and an aging population.
How is Home Hill's population changing?
Formal population forecasts are not included in this dataset, but structural indicators point to slow decline rather than growth. The median age of 49 is 9 years above the national figure, the participation rate is just 48.3%, and 958 residents are not in the labour force. No development was recorded in the past 12 months. Resident stability is high at 81.8% staying put over 5 years, limiting the natural churn that can attract new households.
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).
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