Kawungan
A median age of 50, sitting 10 years above the national figure, is Kawungan's clearest marker: this is an older, settled part of Hervey Bay rather than a youth-led growth pocket. In the same urban setting as nearby Urangan and Pialba, Kawungan is defined by 84.4% separate houses, 44.0% owned outright and a 47.0% share of homes with 4 or more bedrooms. That housing form fits the 2.4-person average household and helps explain why health and community services are prominent. Population is 5,460 today, while the annual trend is 0.87%, so demand looks steadier and more established than rapid expansion. A gentrification score of 29, rated Early signs, suggests change is present but still limited.
Population
5,460
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,148/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
29
Kawungan suits buyers seeking established detached housing, with 84.4% of dwellings classed as separate houses and 47.0% containing 4 or more bedrooms. A current median house price is not available, so purchasers need recent comparable sales rather than a suburb-wide benchmark. The weekly rent is $340, while modelled mortgage repayments are $1,408 per month. Mortgage-to-income is 28.3%, lower than the 29.6% rent-to-income figure, and both stress flags are false. Compared with apartment-oriented markets, low-rise choice is limited: apartments account for only 0.4%, while semi-detached homes make up 13.6%. The 40.1% 3-bedroom share gives families and downsizers more practical choice than the small-home mix alone would suggest.
For Buyers
Kawungan suits buyers seeking established detached housing, with 84.4% of dwellings classed as separate houses and 47.0% containing 4 or more bedrooms. A current median house price is not available, so purchasers need recent comparable sales rather than a suburb-wide benchmark. The weekly rent is $340, while modelled mortgage repayments are $1,408 per month. Mortgage-to-income is 28.3%, lower than the 29.6% rent-to-income figure, and both stress flags are false. Compared with apartment-oriented markets, low-rise choice is limited: apartments account for only 0.4%, while semi-detached homes make up 13.6%. The 40.1% 3-bedroom share gives families and downsizers more practical choice than the small-home mix alone would suggest.
For Investors
Kawungan's investment case rests on established rental demand and ongoing local activity rather than a tightly constrained vacancy market. Renters represent 23.1% of households, lower than the 44.0% owned-outright share and the 28.3% with a mortgage, indicating a predominantly owner-occupier base. Weekly rent is $340 and vacancy is 5.7%, so investors should allow for more leasing competition than in a lower-vacancy suburb. Rent growth of 29.8% supports recent income momentum, while 29 development matters recorded over 12 months point to continuing estate, lot and dwelling activity. Compared with outright owners, renters are a smaller segment, so tenant selection and property presentation matter. Internal migration is the primary growth driver, which may support demand from relocating households, but the aging trajectory favours accessible, low-maintenance homes.
Development Activity
Total DAs
52
Last 12 Months
29
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+163.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Kawungan
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Hervey Bay Special School
Kawungan State School
Demographics
Kawungan has an older profile than the national average: the median age is 50, or 10 years above national, while university attainment is 17.6%, 12.5 percentage points below national. Overseas-born residents account for 17.3%, 4.3 points below national, and the average household contains 2.4 people, 0.1 below the national comparison. English ancestry is prominent at 2,505 people, followed by Scottish at 624, Irish at 544 and German at 400. Christianity counts 2,681 residents and no religion 2,250. The household structure is consistent with an aging area, with 50.4% of couples recorded as having no children and only 31.6% with children. Compared with a younger, university-heavy suburb, Kawungan is more settled, with 73.3% of residents staying at the same address and turnover at 26.7%.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.4%
Houses
13.6%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Kawungan is a detached-dominant housing market, with separate houses accounting for 84.4% of dwellings, compared with 13.6% semi-detached homes and just 0.4% apartments. Ownership is also more common than renting: 44.0% own outright, 28.3% have a mortgage and 23.1% rent. The 44.0% outright ownership share is higher than both the mortgage and rental shares, reflecting an established resident base and helping explain the median age of 50. Larger homes are common, with 47.0% containing 4 or more bedrooms and 40.1% containing 3 bedrooms. Weekly rent is $340, and mortgage repayments are modelled at $1,408 per month. Mortgage-to-income is 28.3%, lower than rent-to-income at 29.6%, with both stress flags false. A current median house price is not available, so comparison with nearby listings is important for buyers and investors.
Mortgage / mo
$1,408
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $340.
$590
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $590 · units $480
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$550
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.7%
Unoccupied
127
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.6%
Couples with children
50.4%
Couples, no children
17.6%
Single parent
1,515
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Kawungan's dominant industry at 31.6% of workers, or 395 people, followed by education at 12.8% and 160 people, construction at 9.1% and 114, retail at 7.8% and 97, and hospitality at 6.0% and 75. Healthcare's 31.6% share is higher than education's 12.8%, giving the local economy a strong service orientation. Occupations are led by community and personal services at 355 people, professionals at 303 and trades at 294. Participation is 45.0%, full-time employment is 53.6% and unemployment is 6.6%, while 2,288 residents are outside the labour force. Household income is $1,148 weekly and sits at the 21.6th percentile, below the middle of the national distribution. SEIFA ranks Kawungan in decile 2 for IEO, IER and IRSD, and decile 1 for IRSAD, all below the middle deciles. The older population helps explain the combination of healthcare concentration and lower labour-force participation.
Unemployment
6.6%
Labour Force
2,070
Unemployed
137
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.6%
Part-time
39.4%
Participation
45.0%
Employed
1,933
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.6%
Postgraduate
2.8%
Born Overseas
17.3%
Dwellings
2,083
Transport to Work
Daily life in Kawungan is strongly car dependent: 83.8% of residents drive to work, compared with 0.4% using public transport and 1.9% walking or cycling. Work from home accounts for 6.3%, so access to a reliable vehicle remains more important than in transit-oriented suburbs. There are 2 nearby government schools, covering state-school and special-school settings; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cross suburb lines. A suburb-specific crime rate is not available, so safety should be assessed through current local information rather than assumed from housing or demographics. Social-economic rankings are low compared with national conditions, with IRSAD in decile 1 and IRSD, IEO and IER each in decile 2. The median age of 50 and 13.6% needing assistance suggest that accessible homes, health services and straightforward car access are particularly important to livability.
Drive
83.8%
Public Transport
0.4%
Walk / Cycle
1.9%
Work from Home
6.3%
Population Forecast
+0.87%/yr
(+146 people/yr)
EstablishedKawungan's wider-area growth trend runs at 0.87% annually and is driven primarily by Internal migration. The forecast trajectory is Aging, with population change across the wider area recorded at 8.8% over 10 years. Compared with the -3.8 percentage-point change in the young share, the 8.8-point rise in the senior share makes the demographic direction clear, while the working share has fallen by 3.4 points. Gentrification is rated Early signs, with a score of 29, and rent growth is 29.8%, indicating more pressure in housing costs than a rapid transformation of the suburb. Affordability is labelled Improving, moving from 59.5 in 2011 to 56.8 in 2021. The combination of 0.87% annual growth, internal migration and an aging trajectory points to gradual consolidation rather than fast, youth-led expansion.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+101
Net Internal / yr
+233
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +12% since 2011, Net internal migration +233/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kawungan compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kawungan a good suburb to live in?
Kawungan can suit residents who prefer established, detached housing and a quieter older demographic. The median age is 50, 84.4% of homes are separate houses and 83.8% of workers drive, so it is better suited to car-oriented households than those seeking strong public transport.
What is the median house price in Kawungan?
A current median house price is not available for Kawungan. Buyers can use the $340 weekly rent, the 84.4% separate-house share and recent comparable sales to assess value. The housing stock is mostly larger homes, with 47.0% containing 4 or more bedrooms.
What schools are in Kawungan?
Kawungan has 2 nearby government schools: Kawungan State School and Hervey Bay Special School. They cover state-school and special-school settings. Families should confirm the exact enrolment zone for an address, as boundaries can differ between properties.
Is Kawungan safe?
A current suburb crime rate is not available for Kawungan, so no evidence-based safety ranking should be claimed. The 83.8% car-driver share describes transport rather than crime; review current Queensland Police information and inspect the area at different times before deciding.
Is Kawungan good for property investment?
Kawungan may suit investors seeking established housing and moderate rental demand. Weekly rent is $340, vacancy is 5.7% and renters make up 23.1% of households. Rent growth of 29.8% is a positive recent signal, but the high 44.0% outright-ownership share points to a mainly owner-occupier market.
How is Kawungan's population changing?
The wider-area forecast records annual growth of 0.87%, driven by Internal migration, with 8.8% population change over 10 years. Kawungan's trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 8.8 percentage points while the young share has fallen 3.8 points.
What development is happening in Kawungan?
Kawungan recorded 29 development matters over 12 months. Recent activity includes subdivision plan approvals, changes to earthworks and retaining-wall plans, and dwelling-house siting plans. The available activity points to estate and lot-level work, but does not establish a total number of new dwellings.
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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