Middlemount
A mining town built around coal, Middlemount's most striking number is a 44.0% vacancy rate, meaning nearly half the dwellings sit empty at any given time. The population of 1,899 skews young at a median age of 32, which is 8 years below the national figure, and male-heavy at 62.5%, both signatures of a fly-in fly-out workforce. Household income sits in the 94.8th percentile nationally, yet the median house price is just $170,000, making this one of Australia's most affordable high-income postcodes. The combination of high earnings and low purchase costs is a product of the mining economy, where residents earn generously but few intend to stay permanently.
Population
1,899
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,721/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$170K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $170,000 median house price (estimated from 2025 rent data) is extremely low compared to Queensland's state median, reflecting the town's resource-sector character rather than conventional residential demand. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,135, and mortgage-to-income sits at just 9.6% of household income, well below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses dominate at 87.4% of stock, with 3-bedroom dwellings making up 71.5% of the supply and 4-plus bedroom homes a further 17.0%. Only 3.5% of residents hold a mortgage, because the population is overwhelmingly renters at 93.7%, the highest renter share found in any Queensland suburb with comparable income levels. Buyers who do purchase face thin comparable sales data given the high vacancy rate of 44.0%.
For Buyers
The $170,000 median house price (estimated from 2025 rent data) is extremely low compared to Queensland's state median, reflecting the town's resource-sector character rather than conventional residential demand. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,135, and mortgage-to-income sits at just 9.6% of household income, well below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses dominate at 87.4% of stock, with 3-bedroom dwellings making up 71.5% of the supply and 4-plus bedroom homes a further 17.0%. Only 3.5% of residents hold a mortgage, because the population is overwhelmingly renters at 93.7%, the highest renter share found in any Queensland suburb with comparable income levels. Buyers who do purchase face thin comparable sales data given the high vacancy rate of 44.0%.
For Investors
Middlemount's investment case is unconventional. The renter share of 93.7% is extremely high, but weekly rent of $54 implies a gross yield that depends on mining-cycle demand rather than residential scarcity. The 44.0% vacancy rate is the clearest risk: when mine rosters contract, occupancy can collapse quickly. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, consistent with a town where housing supply is already over-built relative to permanent population. Full-time employment runs at 81.2% and unemployment is just 2.4%, signalling strong current activity, but the town's population of 1,899 across 513 km2 offers little buffer. Investors seeking income stability rather than capital growth would need confidence in the underlying mine's operational horizon.
Schools in Middlemount iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Middlemount Community School
Prep-12 · 252 students
Demographics
Middlemount's profile is shaped by the mining workforce. The median age of 32 sits 8 years below the national average, and the male share of 62.5% is substantially higher than the national baseline of roughly 49%. The overseas-born share of 14.1% is 7.5 points below the national figure, reflecting the predominantly Anglo-Celtic workforce drawn from regional Queensland and NSW. English and Irish ancestry each feature prominently in the top ancestry groups. University qualifications reach only 11.2% of residents, which is 18.9 points below the national rate, because the dominant occupations of machinery operators and drivers require trade certificates rather than degrees. Average household size is 2.6, slightly above the national figure, with couples-with-children making up the majority of the 969 families recorded.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.4%
Houses
6.2%
Townhouse
6.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing in Middlemount is almost entirely separate houses at 87.4%, with apartments at 6.4% and semi-detached dwellings at 6.2%. The bedroom mix is narrow: 71.5% are 3-bedroom homes and 17.0% have 4 or more bedrooms. Tenure is the most extreme feature: 93.7% of residents rent, compared to the national average where renting typically runs around 30%, while only 2.8% own outright and 3.5% hold a mortgage. This tenure structure reflects employer-provided or managed accommodation tied to mine rosters rather than conventional homeownership. The $170,000 estimated median and $54 weekly rent are low in absolute terms, though rent-to-income at 2.0% means housing costs absorb almost nothing of the town's high median earnings.
Mortgage / mo
$1,135
Rent / wk
$54
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,667
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
44.0%
Unoccupied
339
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
2.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
9.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
21.7%
Couples, no children
969
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining accounts for 57.4% of all employment in Middlemount, with 282 workers in the sector, a concentration far above any state or national average for residential suburbs. Education follows at 9.8% and construction at 5.7%, both supporting the mining workforce population. By occupation, machinery operators and drivers form the largest group with 219 workers, followed by professionals at 107 and labourers at 84. The full-time employment rate of 81.2% is high compared to the national norm, because the town's labour market is built around structured mine rosters. Unemployment sits at 2.4% and the participation rate is 47.1%, lower than expected, partly because non-working partners and children of FIFO workers are counted as residents. Household income in the 94.8th percentile nationally reflects these mining wage premiums directly.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
81.2%
Part-time
16.4%
Participation
47.1%
Employed
701
Occupations
Top Industries
University
11.2%
Postgraduate
1.4%
Born Overseas
14.1%
Dwellings
435
Transport to Work
Transport patterns reflect a remote mining town: 67.4% of residents drive to work and 14.9% use public transport, higher than many comparable regional towns. Walking and cycling account for 8.4% of trips, feasible given the town's compact nature within its 513 km2 area. No schools are recorded inside Middlemount in the dataset, so families with school-age children rely on facilities tied to the mine operator's camp infrastructure or travel to nearby centres. Crime data is not available for this postcode. Volunteering at 22.2% is notably high compared to most suburbs, suggesting a strong community participation culture typical of isolated resource towns. Only 0.9% of residents (12 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the young and working-age population profile.
Drive
67.4%
Public Transport
14.9%
Walk / Cycle
8.4%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Middlemount compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Middlemount a good suburb to live in?
Middlemount suits workers attached to the coal mining sector. Household income sits in the 94.8th percentile nationally, housing costs are low with rent-to-income at just 2.0%, and unemployment is only 2.4%. The trade-offs are remoteness, a 44.0% vacancy rate reflecting impermanent population, and limited services compared to urban centres.
What is the median house price in Middlemount?
The median house price is estimated at $170,000 based on 2025 rent data, one of the lowest figures in Queensland for a suburb where household income sits in the 94.8th percentile nationally. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,135, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 9.6%.
What schools are in Middlemount?
No schools are recorded inside the Middlemount suburb boundary in this dataset. Families with school-age children typically rely on the educational facilities associated with the mine township infrastructure. The local workforce is trade-certificate oriented, with university qualifications at 11.2%, which is 18.9 points below the national figure.
Is Middlemount safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Middlemount in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb has a 2.4% unemployment rate, which is low, and 81.2% of employed residents work full-time. Only 0.9% of the 1,899 residents need daily assistance, consistent with a young, working-age population.
Is Middlemount good for property investment?
Middlemount presents high risk alongside low entry costs. The $170,000 median is accessible but the 44.0% vacancy rate signals chronic oversupply relative to permanent population. The 93.7% renter share provides a tenant pool, but weekly rent of $54 and zero development applications in the past 12 months reflect a market driven by mining rosters, not residential growth.
How is Middlemount's population changing?
Formal forecasts are not available, but the 27.5% one-year turnover rate confirms the population is highly transient, with more than 1 in 4 residents moving in or out annually. The median age of 32 is 8 years below the national average, and the 44.0% vacancy rate suggests housing capacity well exceeds current permanent occupancy.
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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