Mooloolah Valley
With 98.2% of dwellings being separate houses, Mooloolah Valley is one of the most detached-dominant suburbs on the Sunshine Coast hinterland. The median age of 40 matches the national average, household income sits at the 72.2nd percentile nationally, and only 13.4% of residents rent, well below state norms. Healthcare and construction together account for 37.2% of the local workforce, reflecting a community that earns and builds rather than commutes to an office. A vacancy rate of 5.2% signals a loose rental market compared to coastal neighbours.
Population
3,629
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,931/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
14
Median House
$540K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $540,000 places Mooloolah Valley considerably below the Sunshine Coast coastal median, offering buyers a detached house at a lower entry point than suburbs like Buderim or Caloundra. Separate houses represent 98.2% of all dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom homes making up exactly half the stock (50.0%), which suits families needing space. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,996, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.9%, below the 30% stress threshold. Some 58.3% of households carry a mortgage, compared to 28.3% who own outright, indicating a suburb still building equity rather than one that has fully matured.
For Buyers
The median house price of $540,000 places Mooloolah Valley considerably below the Sunshine Coast coastal median, offering buyers a detached house at a lower entry point than suburbs like Buderim or Caloundra. Separate houses represent 98.2% of all dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom homes making up exactly half the stock (50.0%), which suits families needing space. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,996, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.9%, below the 30% stress threshold. Some 58.3% of households carry a mortgage, compared to 28.3% who own outright, indicating a suburb still building equity rather than one that has fully matured.
For Investors
The 5.2% vacancy rate is higher than the national investment benchmark of around 3%, suggesting supply exceeds current rental demand. Weekly rent of $420 against a $540,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.0%, competitive for a tree-change hinterland area. The rental pool is thin at 13.4% of households, well below the national average, meaning landlord competition for tenants is real. Development activity shows 15 applications in the past 12 months, a modest volume for a suburb of 3,629 people. The income profile at the 72.2nd household income percentile nationally supports stable mortgage performance among owner-occupiers, which limits distressed sales pressure on prices.
Development Activity
Total DAs
31
Last 12 Months
14
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+75.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mooloolah Valley iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Mooloolah State School
Prep-6 · 230 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 sits at the national average, with an average household size of 2.8, slightly above the national figure. Just 18.7% of residents were born overseas, which is 2.9 percentage points below the national rate, and the dominant ancestries are English (1,612), Irish (415) and Scottish (402), reflecting a broadly Anglo-Celtic profile. University qualifications reach 24.6%, which is 5.5 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with the trade and healthcare-oriented employment base. Resident turnover is moderate at 25.7%, meaning three in four households stayed at the same address over the five-year census reference period.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.2%
Houses
0.8%
Townhouse
0.7%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is overwhelmingly owner-occupied, with 58.3% carrying a mortgage and 28.3% owning outright, leaving renters at just 13.4%, far below the national average. Separate houses account for 98.2% of all dwellings, apartments 0.7% and semi-detached 0.8%, making this one of the most house-dominant suburbs in QLD. The bedroom distribution skews large: 4-plus bedroom homes at 50.0% and 3-bedroom at 40.1% together account for 90.1% of stock, signalling a family-focused, land-intensive area. Rent-to-income sits at 21.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, and mortgage-to-income at 23.9% is comfortably below stress levels, despite the suburb sitting in a mortgage-belt classification.
Mortgage / mo
$1,996
Rent / wk
$420
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$768
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.2%
Unoccupied
66
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.5%
Couples, no children
2,942
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads industry employment at 20.1% (246 workers), notably higher than its national weight, suggesting the suburb draws health workers from surrounding Sunshine Coast facilities. Construction follows at 17.1% (210 workers), consistent with a growing hinterland area. Education and Professional/Tech sectors together account for 18.8%. By occupation, Professionals top the list at 373 workers, followed by Clerical/Admin at 213 and Community/Personal at 203. The unemployment rate of 4.2% is above the national low-unemployment benchmarks seen in coastal QLD, and the participation rate of 56.1% is modest, partly because 848 residents are outside the labour force. Full-time employment makes up 59.4% of the employed.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.4%
Part-time
36.4%
Participation
56.1%
Employed
1,546
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.6%
Postgraduate
5.0%
Born Overseas
18.7%
Dwellings
1,200
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total: 91.5% of residents drive to work and only 1.3% use public transport, reflecting the rural setting where bus frequency is low compared to the urban Sunshine Coast corridor. Active transport accounts for 2.4%, suited to local trips rather than commuting. Crime data is not available for this suburb in the current dataset. Volunteering is active at 16.8% of residents, above the national average, consistent with community cohesion in lower-density rural areas. Housing stress is absent on both measures: rent-to-income at 21.8% and mortgage-to-income at 23.9% both sit below the 30% threshold, making day-to-day affordability stronger than in many coastal QLD suburbs.
Drive
91.5%
Public Transport
1.3%
Walk / Cycle
2.4%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mooloolah Valley compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mooloolah Valley a good suburb to live in?
Mooloolah Valley suits families and owner-occupiers who want space and affordability. The median house price of $540,000 is well below Sunshine Coast coastal benchmarks, 98.2% of dwellings are separate houses, and mortgage-to-income sits at 23.9%, below the 30% stress level. The trade-off is near-total car dependence, with only 1.3% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Mooloolah Valley?
The median house price is $540,000 (estimated from 2025 rental data). Weekly rent averages $420 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,996. The household income percentile of 72.2 nationally means most residents can service these costs without financial stress.
What schools are in Mooloolah Valley?
No schools are recorded inside the Mooloolah Valley suburb boundary in this dataset. Families typically rely on schools in nearby Landsborough, Palmwoods and Beerwah, all within a short drive. University qualifications among residents reach 24.6%, which is 5.5 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Mooloolah Valley safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Mooloolah Valley in the current dataset. As an indirect indicator, housing stress is absent on both rent (21.8% of income) and mortgage (23.9%) measures, and volunteering runs at 16.8%, both consistent with a stable, low-disadvantage community.
Is Mooloolah Valley good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $420 against a $540,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.0%, reasonable for a hinterland suburb. However, the 5.2% vacancy rate is above the 3% benchmark investors typically seek, and the rental pool is thin at 13.4% of households. The suburb may suit long-hold investors targeting capital growth as Sunshine Coast coastal prices push buyers inland.
How is Mooloolah Valley's population changing?
The current population is 3,629 across 18.46 sq km. Resident stability is high, with 74.3% of people staying at the same address over the 5-year census period, suggesting slow but settled growth rather than rapid turnover. Development approvals numbered 15 in the past 12 months, modest for the area size.
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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