Karalee
A household income at the 93rd percentile is Karalee's standout feature, alongside a 98.3% separate-house share and an average household size of 3.1. The suburb has 5,521 residents and a median age of 37, which is 3 years below the national comparison. Compared with nearby Moggill and Bellbowrie, Karalee's profile is defined by detached family housing, high mortgage participation at 60.2%, and a relatively settled base, with 76.8% staying at the same address. That combination supports larger households and car-based routines more than apartment living.
Population
5,521
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,559/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Karalee suits buyers prioritising detached space over compact formats: 98.3% of dwellings are separate houses, 75.2% have 4 or more bedrooms, and only 0.7% are apartments. The monthly mortgage figure is $2,133, while mortgage costs equal 19.3% of household income and are not flagged as stressed. Rent is $400 a week, useful for comparing buy-versus-rent decisions. Compared with smaller-home markets, the suburb's 60.2% mortgage tenure share points to an established owner-occupier base, because larger homes and family demand shape the local stock.
For Buyers
Karalee suits buyers prioritising detached space over compact formats: 98.3% of dwellings are separate houses, 75.2% have 4 or more bedrooms, and only 0.7% are apartments. The monthly mortgage figure is $2,133, while mortgage costs equal 19.3% of household income and are not flagged as stressed. Rent is $400 a week, useful for comparing buy-versus-rent decisions. Compared with smaller-home markets, the suburb's 60.2% mortgage tenure share points to an established owner-occupier base, because larger homes and family demand shape the local stock.
For Investors
Investors get a largely detached rental proposition rather than an apartment-led one: 13.2% of households rent, weekly rent is $400, and vacancy is 3.2%. The 98.3% separate-house share can support demand from families seeking space, while a 3.1-person average household size reinforces that positioning. Development activity was 0 in the past 12 months, so near-term new-supply pressure appears limited from that measure. Compared with a high-turnover rental market, Karalee's 76.8% address stability may support longer tenancies, but the 2.17% annual growth trend and Balanced migration signal a market requiring conservative yield and vacancy assumptions.
Schools in Karalee
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Karalee State School
Demographics
Karalee has a settled, mostly Anglo-ancestry profile, with English ancestry recorded 2,458 times, followed by Irish at 659, Scottish at 654 and German at 518. The median age of 37 is 3 years below the national comparison, while the 16.7% overseas-born share is 4.9 percentage points below national and university attainment at 29.8% is 0.3 points lower. Household size is 3.1, or 0.6 above national, because couples with children make up 53.7% of families. Compared with more migrant-heavy parts of greater Brisbane, only 16.7% were born overseas and the listed language group totals 27 people.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.3%
Houses
1.0%
Townhouse
0.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Karalee's housing is overwhelmingly detached and geared to larger households. Separate houses account for 98.3% of dwellings, 4 or more bedrooms for 75.2%, and apartments just 0.7%. Tenure is mortgage-led: 60.2% are paying a mortgage, compared with 25.7% owned outright and 13.2% rented. The 60.2% mortgage share is higher than the outright share because the suburb's stock and household size encourage family ownership, with 3.1 people per household. Mortgage costs absorb 19.3% of household income and rent 15.6%, neither flagged as stressed, while vacancy is 3.2%.
Mortgage / mo
$2,133
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $400.
$600
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $600 · units $475
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$1,042
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.2%
Unoccupied
57
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
53.7%
Couples with children
36.2%
Couples, no children
9.7%
Single parent
1,602
Total families
Economy & Employment
Karalee's labour market is anchored by healthcare at 17.5% of workers, education at 14.5%, public administration at 13.0%, construction at 11.1% and professional or technical work at 8.0%. The occupation mix is led by 661 professionals, 454 clerical and administrative workers, 443 trades workers and 439 managers. Participation is 73.4%, unemployment 3.3% and full-time employment 62.7%, supporting a stronger earning base because household income sits at the 93rd percentile. SEIFA reinforces that position: IEO decile 7, IER decile 10, IRSD decile 9 and IRSAD decile 8. The higher resources decile than education and occupation decile suggests household wealth outpaces formal occupational advantage.
Unemployment
3.3%
Labour Force
3,085
Unemployed
103
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.7%
Part-time
28.6%
Participation
73.4%
Employed
2,982
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
29.8%
Postgraduate
5.7%
Born Overseas
16.7%
Dwellings
1,751
Transport to Work
Karalee suits residents comfortable with a car-oriented suburban routine. Car driving accounts for 73.9% of journeys, compared with 1.3% using public transport and 0.8% walking or cycling; 19.8% work from home, which can reduce commute frequency. The 15.55 sq km area and density of 355 people per sq km give the suburb a spread-out feel, so access depends on where a home sits relative to services. There is 1 local government school, Karalee State School, and exact enrolment zones should be checked by address. IRSAD is in decile 8, above the national midpoint, while current police incident information is the right safety check because no suburb-level crime rate is available.
Drive
73.9%
Public Transport
1.3%
Walk / Cycle
0.8%
Work from Home
19.8%
Population Forecast
+2.17%/yr
(+159 people/yr)
EstablishedKaralee is forecast to grow at 2.17% annually, with migration labelled Balanced rather than driven by a single inflow source. The wider area's population change is 39.8% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is Aging, including a 4.4 percentage-point rise in the senior share and a 0.8-point fall in the young share. Gentrification remains at Early signs, with a score of 38, so growth is more established than speculative. The 2.6% rent-growth rate and 8.9% real-income growth can support gradual demand, because improving incomes give established households more capacity even as the age profile matures.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+24
Net Internal / yr
+62
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +47% since 2011, Net internal migration +62/yr, Accelerating: 14% → 29%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Karalee compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Karalee a good suburb to live in?
Karalee can suit households wanting space, because 98.3% of dwellings are separate houses and 75.2% have 4 or more bedrooms. Car access is important: 73.9% drive to work, while 1.3% use public transport. Household income at the 93rd percentile supports the suburb's family and mortgage-led profile.
What is the median house price in Karalee?
A current median house price is not available for Karalee. Buyers should compare recent local sales and active listings by dwelling size, because 75.2% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 98.3% are separate houses. The $2,133 monthly mortgage figure and $400 weekly rent provide useful affordability reference points, but they are not a sale-price substitute.
What schools are in Karalee?
Karalee State School is the 1 local government school in Karalee. Families should check the school's current catchment, enrolment capacity and year levels against the exact address, since school zones can cross local boundaries. The suburb's 3.1-person average household size and 75.2% share of 4 or more bedroom homes indicate substantial family demand, but they do not measure school performance.
Is Karalee safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available, so a safety judgement should not be made from housing or income figures alone. Check recent incident locations, street lighting, traffic conditions and police updates before deciding. Karalee has 5,521 residents and 73.9% commute by car, making local road conditions and route design relevant to day-to-day safety.
Is Karalee good for property investment?
Karalee may suit a long-term investor seeking detached family rentals: 13.2% of households rent, weekly rent is $400 and vacancy is 3.2%. Development activity was 0 over the past 12 months, while the annual growth trend is 2.17% and migration is Balanced. Check purchase price, insurance, maintenance and achievable rent carefully, as no median house price is available and gross yield cannot be calculated reliably without a sale price.
How is Karalee's population changing?
Karalee's population is 5,521 today. The wider area's forecast growth trend is 2.17% a year, with 39.8% population change over 10 years and migration classified as Balanced. The shift trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 4.4 percentage points and the young share down 0.8 points. Gentrification is at Early signs with a score of 38, so change is occurring alongside demographic maturation rather than a sudden population surge.
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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