Molendinar
Household income lands in the 62.2nd percentile nationally, comfortably mid-pack, while the median age of 37 runs 3.0 years below the national figure, pointing to a family-stage population. SEIFA scores cluster around decile 5 to 6 on all four indexes, an ordinary advantage profile, and 37.0% of residents were born overseas, which is 15.4 points above national. Four-bedroom-plus homes make up 57.6% of stock, a clear signal this is a detached, family-oriented pocket rather than an investor apartment market.
Population
6,450
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,767/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Separate houses dominate at 84.2% while apartments are a negligible 0.4%, so buyers chasing a detached home are not competing against high-rise supply. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,850, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, which is below the 30% stress threshold and reflects how the modest median works against a 62.2nd-percentile household income. Mortgage holders at 41.4% outnumber outright owners at 23.1%, a sign of an active owner-occupier market built on recent buyers rather than long-settled, debt-free households.
For Buyers
Separate houses dominate at 84.2% while apartments are a negligible 0.4%, so buyers chasing a detached home are not competing against high-rise supply. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,850, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, which is below the 30% stress threshold and reflects how the modest median works against a 62.2nd-percentile household income. Mortgage holders at 41.4% outnumber outright owners at 23.1%, a sign of an active owner-occupier market built on recent buyers rather than long-settled, debt-free households.
For Investors
The vacancy rate of 3.3% is tight enough to support rent escalation, and rent has already climbed 28.6% over the period. Demand has a clear driver: net overseas migration adds 101 residents a year, more than offsetting the net internal outflow of 86, while annual population growth holds at 0.78%. The catch is supply for landlords, since 84.2% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments are just 0.4%, so entry costs run higher than in unit-heavy suburbs even though yields compare favourably.
Demographics
The median age of 37 is 3.0 years below the national figure, and the household profile backs that up with an average size of 3.0, which is 0.5 above national and consistent with couples-with-children making up 2,162 of the 5,206 families. Overseas-born residents reach 37.0%, 15.4 points above national, giving the area a strongly migrant character. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,024), Irish (577) and Scottish (476), but Chinese (598) ranks second among named groups, and the top non-English languages are Mandarin (187), Korean (74) and Cantonese (56). University qualifications sit at 32.7%, 2.6 points above national, a modest education edge that matches the mid-tier income percentile rather than a professional-elite profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.2%
Houses
15.4%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward mortgaged owners: 41.4% carry a mortgage, 23.1% own outright and 35.5% rent, so leveraged buyers rather than debt-free households drive the market. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 84.2% separate houses, with semi-detached at 15.4% and apartments at just 0.4%, which keeps the area family-oriented and limits high-density turnover. Larger homes dominate, with 57.6% holding four or more bedrooms and 34.0% three bedrooms. That dual affordability is unusual and reflects a median price that stays modest relative to a 62.2nd-percentile household income.
Mortgage / mo
$1,850
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Mar 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $450.
$850
Bond data Mar 2026 quarter · houses $850 · units $700
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$703
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.3%
Unoccupied
70
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.8%
Couples, no children
5,206
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service sectors rather than knowledge industries, led by Healthcare at 21.5% (453 workers), Construction at 11.0% (231) and Education at 10.3% (217), with Hospitality at 9.4% and Retail at 8.4%. By occupation, Professionals lead at 640, followed by Community and Personal Service workers (411) and Clerical and Admin staff (368), a spread that matches the mid-tier SEIFA profile. The four SEIFA indexes cluster tightly between decile 5 and decile 6, an ordinary advantage band with no standout strength or weakness. Unemployment is elevated at 7.1% against a participation rate of 58.0%, and 1,556 residents sit outside the labour force, which together with real income growth of just 10.6% over the decade tempers the otherwise affordable cost base.
Unemployment
5.2%
Labour Force
3,912
Unemployed
203
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.8%
Part-time
35.1%
Participation
58.0%
Employed
2,823
Occupations
Top Industries
University
32.7%
Postgraduate
8.0%
Born Overseas
37.0%
Dwellings
2,082
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high, with 88.0% of residents driving to work against only 1.4% taking public transport and 1.9% walking or cycling, well below the national reliance on active travel and a practical reality of the suburb's low 842.7 per km2 density. No schools are recorded inside the 7.65 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a notable trade-off given the family-heavy profile where 57.6% of homes have four or more bedrooms. The area scores decile 5 on IRSAD and decile 5 on IRSD, a mid-range advantage and disadvantage tier, and 6.1% of residents (370 people) need daily assistance. Affordability improved from 67.7% in 2011 to 64.0% in 2021, easing pressure relative to a decade ago.
Drive
88.0%
Public Transport
1.4%
Walk / Cycle
1.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.78%/yr
(+52 people/yr)
EstablishedMolendinar is an established, slow-growth suburb, with annual population growth of 0.78% (about 52 residents a year) and a 10-year change of 3.8%. The current population of 6,693 has fully recovered from the COVID dip, sitting 2.7% above the COVID low of 6,514 and back above the pre-COVID level of 6,663 after a shallow 2.2% fall. Medium forecasts lift the population from 6,883 in 2026 to 7,143 by 2031, a gradual climb driven mainly by overseas migration of 101 a year against a net internal outflow of 86. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying with a score of 10, and the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 3.9 points while the young share fell 2.0 points over the decade.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+101
Net Internal / yr
-86
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
COVID recovered (-2% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Molendinar compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Molendinar a good suburb to live in?
Molendinar scores decile 5 on IRSAD, a mid-range advantage tier, with household income in the 62.2nd percentile nationally. The main trade-off is high car dependence, with 88.0% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Molendinar?
Weekly rent averages $450 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,850, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, which sits below the 30% stress threshold and reflects the suburb's relative affordability.
What schools are in Molendinar?
No schools are recorded inside the 7.65 km2 Molendinar boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The area is family-oriented, with 57.6% of homes carrying four or more bedrooms and an average household size of 3.0, which is 0.5 above the national figure.
Is Molendinar safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Molendinar in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a mid-range tier, and 6.1% of its residents (370 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with an ordinary, mid-tier area rather than a high-disadvantage one.
Is Molendinar good for property investment?
Net overseas migration of 101 a year supports demand, but with 84.2% detached houses and 0.4% apartments, entry costs run higher than unit-heavy suburbs.
How is Molendinar's population changing?
Population growth is 0.78% annually, about 52 residents a year, with a 3.8% rise over 10 years. The current 6,693 residents have fully recovered from a shallow 2.2% COVID dip. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 3.9 points and the young share down 2.0 points over the decade.
What languages are spoken in Molendinar?
About 37.0% of residents were born overseas, 15.4 points above the national figure. English dominates, but the most common non-English languages are Mandarin (187 speakers), Korean (74) and Cantonese (56), reflecting a sizeable migrant population alongside the Anglo-Celtic majority led by English ancestry (2,024).
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.
Explore Molendinar on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map