Lawnton
A $411,000 median house price sitting alongside 23.9% population growth over the past decade is what sets this Moreton Bay suburb apart, and the two facts reinforce each other. Affordability is the core draw: household income lands in the 35.5th percentile nationally, below the midpoint, yet the median age of 37 runs 3.0 years below the national figure, pointing to younger, price-sensitive households moving in. The stock is house-dominated, with 69.2% separate houses across an 8.13 km2 footprint, and the suburb scores decile 3 on IRSAD and IRSD, in the lower advantage tiers. Renters make up 41.9% of dwellings, well above the owner-occupier base, which signals a market still in transition rather than settled ownership.
Population
5,905
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,371/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
33
Median House
$411K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $411,000 median house price is the headline for buyers, well below Brisbane metro levels and a reason the suburb has drawn 23.9% population growth over the decade. Stock suits families: 69.2% are separate houses and three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 56.3%, with four-plus bedroom homes adding 22.5%, so smaller apartments at just 6.0% are not the typical entry. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold even though household income sits in the 35.5th percentile. Outright owners are only 21.2% against 36.8% with a mortgage, meaning most buyers here are still paying down loans rather than holding debt-free homes, consistent with a younger median age of 37, three years below national.
For Buyers
The $411,000 median house price is the headline for buyers, well below Brisbane metro levels and a reason the suburb has drawn 23.9% population growth over the decade. Stock suits families: 69.2% are separate houses and three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 56.3%, with four-plus bedroom homes adding 22.5%, so smaller apartments at just 6.0% are not the typical entry. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold even though household income sits in the 35.5th percentile. Outright owners are only 21.2% against 36.8% with a mortgage, meaning most buyers here are still paying down loans rather than holding debt-free homes, consistent with a younger median age of 37, three years below national.
For Investors
A 41.9% renter share gives landlords a deep tenant pool, the standout feature of the local investment case. Weekly rent of $320 against the $411,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.0%, far stronger than premium inner-city markets and well above the sub-2% yields seen in expensive suburbs. The vacancy rate of 4.9% is on the higher side, so tenant demand is not tight, but rent has grown 21.4% over the measured period, supporting income returns. Demand is underpinned by net internal migration of 128 residents a year plus 63 from overseas, with the forecast trend pointing to 1.74% annual population growth. With 31 development applications lodged in 12 months, including a one-into-ten lot subdivision, new supply is coming, which investors should weigh against the elevated vacancy.
Development Activity
Total DAs
90
Last 12 Months
33
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-28.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Lawnton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Lawnton State School
Prep-6 · 643 students
Demographics
The median age of 37 is 3.0 years below the national figure, a younger profile that fits the affordable, family-forming character of the area. University qualifications reach only 20.6%, which is 9.5 points below national, the clearest marker that this is a trades and services population rather than a knowledge-worker enclave. Overseas-born residents sit at 19.5%, 2.1 points below national, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-leaning, led by English (2,357), Scottish (665) and Irish (626). Average household size is 2.4, just 0.1 below national, and couples with children (1,704) outnumber couples without (1,066), reinforcing the family skew. Top non-English languages are tiny, with Mandarin and Hindi at 13 speakers each, so this remains a predominantly Australian-born, English-speaking community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
69.2%
Houses
24.5%
Townhouse
6.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward renting and mortgages rather than outright ownership: 41.9% rent, 36.8% carry a mortgage and just 21.2% own outright. Outright owners trailing both other groups points to a younger market still building equity rather than long-held, debt-free wealth. The stock is 69.2% separate houses with apartments at only 6.0%, so detached living dominates, and three-bedroom homes lead at 56.3% ahead of four-plus bedroom at 22.5%. The $411,000 median against a household income in the 35.5th percentile keeps the price-to-income load manageable, reflected in a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6% and rent-to-income of 23.3%, both below the 30% stress line. Affordability has improved over the decade, easing from 49.4% in 2011 to 42.9% in 2021, a rare direction for an Australian housing market.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wk
$320
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$747
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.9%
Unoccupied
119
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.3%
Couples, no children
4,381
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in services and trades rather than high-paying professional sectors. Healthcare leads at 20.0% (338 workers), with Construction at 10.8% (182), Education at 9.5% (161), Retail at 9.0% (153) and Public Admin at 8.5% (144). By occupation, Clerical and Admin roles (420) edge out Professionals (413), with Community and Personal services (359) and Labourers (299) close behind, an occupational mix that aligns with the decile 4 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is elevated at 7.8%, above typical metro rates, and participation is modest at 54.5%, partly because 1,633 residents are not in the labour force. The full-time employment rate of 67.7% is solid, and real incomes grew 13.6% over the decade, but SEIFA deciles of 3 across IRSAD and IRSD confirm a lower-advantage economic base.
Unemployment
9.7%
Labour Force
4,464
Unemployed
435
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.7%
Part-time
24.5%
Participation
54.5%
Employed
2,404
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.6%
Postgraduate
3.5%
Born Overseas
19.5%
Dwellings
2,319
Transport to Work
Daily life leans heavily on cars: 82.7% of residents drive to work, well above suburbs with strong transit, while only 8.9% use public transport and 2.6% walk or cycle, so car access is close to essential here. The suburb scores decile 3 on IRSAD, in the lower advantage tiers nationally, and decile 3 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, indicating a meaningful share of residents face economic pressure, with 8.7% (483 people) needing daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 11.3%, a measure of community engagement, and rent-to-income at 23.3% keeps tenants below the 30% stress threshold. No schools are recorded inside the 8.13 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical consideration given the family-heavy profile and median age of 37.
Drive
82.7%
Public Transport
8.9%
Walk / Cycle
2.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.74%/yr
(+141 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth is the suburb's defining trend: annual growth runs at 1.74%, adding roughly 141 residents a year, and the 10-year change reaches 23.9%, classifying it as an established but expanding area. Historical counts show the population climbing from 7,632 in 2023 to 8,120 in 2025, and the medium forecast projects continued gains to 8,696 by 2031. The primary driver is internal migration at 128 net residents a year, ahead of 63 from overseas, so this is domestic relocation drawn by affordability rather than migrant settlement. The gentrification stage reads Active with a score of 43, supported by signals including a 37% population rise since 2011 and acceleration from a 5% to a 30% pace, suggesting upward pressure on prices that have so far stayed below metro levels.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+63
Net Internal / yr
+128
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +37% since 2011, Net internal migration +128/yr, Accelerating: 5% → 30%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Lawnton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lawnton a good suburb to live in?
Lawnton suits affordability-focused families, with a $411,000 median house price and 69.2% separate houses. The median age of 37 is 3.0 years below national. Trade-offs include a decile 3 IRSAD score in the lower advantage tiers and an elevated 7.8% unemployment rate.
What is the median house price in Lawnton?
The median house price is $411,000, well below Brisbane metro levels. Weekly rent averages $320 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,517, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6%, below the 30% stress threshold despite household income in the 35.5th percentile.
What schools are in Lawnton?
No schools are recorded inside the 8.13 km2 Lawnton boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The area is family-heavy, with couples with children (1,704) outnumbering couples without (1,066), and a median age of 37.
Is Lawnton safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Lawnton in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 3 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a lower tier, and 8.7% of its 5,905 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a lower-advantage area.
Is Lawnton good for property investment?
Rent of $320 a week against the $411,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.0%, well above expensive metro suburbs. A 41.9% renter share offers a deep tenant pool, though the 4.9% vacancy rate is elevated. Net internal migration of 128 a year supports demand and 1.74% growth.
How is Lawnton's population changing?
Population growth runs at 1.74% a year, adding about 141 residents annually, with a 23.9% rise over the decade. Counts climbed from 7,632 in 2023 to 8,120 in 2025, and the medium forecast projects 8,696 by 2031, driven by net internal migration of 128 a year.
How much development is happening in Lawnton?
There were 31 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including a one-into-ten lot subdivision and several Class 1 building works. This activity is consistent with the suburb's 1.74% annual population growth and 23.9% rise over the decade.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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