Innes Park
With 98.1% of dwellings being separate houses, Innes Park sits well above the national average for detached housing and presents one of Bundaberg region's most owner-occupier-dominated pockets. At a median age of 42, residents skew 2 years older than the national figure, and with 40.1% owning their home outright, this is a suburb where established owners significantly outnumber both mortgagees and renters.
Local council: Bundaberg
Population
2,653
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,674/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
36
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The housing stock heavily favours space: 50.4% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms and 42.5% have 3, meaning buyers get room to grow. Separate houses make up 98.1% of all dwellings, leaving apartments and semi-detached homes at just 1.9% combined. Outright owners at 40.1% outnumber mortgage holders (45.3%), which signals long-held properties and lower forced-sale pressure compared to high-churn markets. With 16 development applications in the past 12 months, construction activity is modest, keeping supply tight.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.9%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The housing stock heavily favours space: 50.4% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms and 42.5% have 3, meaning buyers get room to grow. Separate houses make up 98.1% of all dwellings, leaving apartments and semi-detached homes at just 1.9% combined. Outright owners at 40.1% outnumber mortgage holders (45.3%), which signals long-held properties and lower forced-sale pressure compared to high-churn markets. With 16 development applications in the past 12 months, construction activity is modest, keeping supply tight.
For Investors
Innes Park's investment case rests on affordability rather than yield compression. The renter share is only 14.6%, meaning demand for rentals is limited, but those who do rent face a vacancy rate of 7.7%, which is elevated and signals some oversupply relative to current tenant demand. The 16 development applications in the past year are modest for the suburb's size, so new competing supply is not aggressive. The strong owner-occupier base, with 40.1% owning outright, tends to anchor price floors. Household income sits at the 58.1st percentile nationally, a mid-tier position, meaning rental affordability at $335 a week and rent-to-income of 20.0% keeps this within reach for local tenants.
Development Activity
Total DAs
36
Last 12 Months
36
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
Demographics
Innes Park's 2,653 residents skew 2 years older than the national median age of 40, consistent with a sea-change demographic that has settled rather than churned. Only 12.7% were born overseas, which is 8.9 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a predominantly Anglo-Celtic community: English ancestry (1,150 residents) leads well ahead of Scottish (331) and Irish (328). University qualifications sit at 25.1%, which is 5 percentage points below the national rate, and the participation rate of 55.7% is moderate. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above the national figure. Couples with children account for 1,027 families and couples without children for 674, typical of an established outer suburb. The volunteering rate of 17.6% suggests an engaged, community-minded population.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.1%
Houses
0.8%
Townhouse
1.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Almost all of Innes Park is detached housing: separate houses account for 98.1% of the stock, compared to the national figure where apartments and semi-detached homes make up a much larger share. The size skew is pronounced, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 50.4% and 3-bedroom at 42.5%, so sub-3-bedroom stock is rare. Tenure is stable: 40.1% own outright, 45.3% hold a mortgage and only 14.6% rent, which is low by national standards. Both mortgage-to-income (20.9%) and rent-to-income (20.0%) sit below the 30% stress threshold, indicating that housing costs are manageable at current income levels.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $335.
$585
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $585 · units $440
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$726
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.7%
Unoccupied
76
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.1%
Couples with children
45.0%
Couples, no children
11.9%
Single parent
762
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates the local workforce at 25.8% of employed residents (206 workers), well above the proportion typical in similar-sized suburbs and reflecting the service needs of an older population. Education follows at 15.3% (122 workers) and Construction at 12.0% (96 workers), the latter consistent with ongoing regional development activity. By occupation, Professionals lead (249 workers), followed by Community and Personal services (167) and Managers (138). The unemployment rate is low at 3.8%, with 669 residents employed full-time and 450 part-time. The participation rate of 55.7% is moderate because 783 residents are outside the labour force, consistent with the older age profile. Personal weekly income averages $726 and household income sits at the 58.1st percentile nationally, a middle-tier position.
Unemployment
3.5%
Labour Force
1,241
Unemployed
44
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.9%
Part-time
37.6%
Participation
59.4%
Employed
1,197
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.1%
Postgraduate
4.3%
Born Overseas
12.7%
Dwellings
908
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high in Innes Park: 92.6% of employed residents drive to work, and only 0.5% use public transport, which is below the national average. Walking and cycling account for just 0.6%. This reflects a low-density, suburban layout spread across 10.11 km2 where destinations are spread out. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families depend on institutions in Bundaberg or nearby suburbs. Crime statistics are not available for Innes Park specifically. On affordability, rent-to-income at 20.0% and mortgage-to-income at 20.9% both fall below the 30% stress threshold, meaning day-to-day housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes sitting at the 58.1st percentile nationally. The need-for-assistance rate is 6.7%, or 171 residents.
Drive
84.8%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
0.6%
Work from Home
8.5%
Growth Outlook
Innes Park has no formal population forecast or migration data in the available records, limiting forward-looking analysis. What the current data does show is a stable, established community: the mobility turnover rate is 22.3%, meaning 77.7% of residents stayed in the suburb over the Census period, a strong retention signal compared to higher-churn coastal markets. The suburb covers 10.11 square kilometres with a density of 262.4 persons per km2, low by urban standards, leaving physical room for incremental infill. Development activity at 16 applications in the past 12 months is moderate. The 2,653 population, median age of 42, and dominant owner-occupier tenure structure all point to low near-term volatility rather than rapid expansion or decline.
Population trend: Bundaberg council area
Innes Park sits in the Bundaberg council area. These are the council area's residents, not Innes Park's.
Residents 2025
107,297
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.6%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.3%
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 Innes Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Innes Park a good suburb to live in?
Innes Park suits owner-occupiers seeking affordable space and low housing stress. Mortgage-to-income sits at 20.9% and rent-to-income at 20.0%, both well below the 30% stress threshold. The trade-offs are high car dependency (92.6% drive to work) and limited public transport at 0.5%, so a vehicle is essential.
What is the median house price in Innes Park?
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517 and weekly rent averages $335. There is no full transacted price series available, so historical growth trends are not confirmed in this dataset.
What schools are in Innes Park?
No schools are recorded within the Innes Park boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in Bundaberg and surrounding suburbs. The suburb's university qualification rate is 25.1%, which is 5 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a working-class and trades-oriented community.
Is Innes Park safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Innes Park in this dataset. Indirect indicators are broadly positive: the suburb has a low unemployment rate of 3.8%, 40.1% of residents own their home outright, and community engagement is solid with a volunteering rate of 17.6%, all factors associated with stable, low-crime neighbourhoods.
Is Innes Park good for property investment?
However, the vacancy rate of 7.7% is elevated and renter share is only 14.6%, signalling limited tenant demand. The low-turnover owner base (77.7% stayed over the Census period) supports price stability but not rapid capital growth.
How is Innes Park's population changing?
No formal population forecast is available for Innes Park. The current population is 2,653 across 10.11 km2. Residential stability is high, with 77.7% of residents staying over the Census period and a turnover rate of just 22.3%, lower than most coastal suburbs. The median age of 42 is 2 years above national, suggesting slow natural population growth.
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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