Morningside
Nearly 1 in 2 Morningside households rent, with 47.7% renting compared with 36.0% paying a mortgage and 16.3% owned outright. Between Hawthorne, Bulimba and Cannon Hill, it has a younger, high-income inner-east profile: median age is 34, which is 6.0 years below the national benchmark, and household income sits at the 87.6 percentile. University attainment is 49.2%, 19.1 percentage points above national, so demand is shaped by mobile professionals as much as long-term family buyers.
Population
11,755
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,280/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
85
Median House
$563K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Morningside suits buyers who want choice rather than only detached houses. Separate houses make up 40.9% of dwellings, while semi-detached stock is 31.6% and apartments are 27.4%, giving more formats than many lower-density suburbs. The dominant size is 3 bedrooms at 41.3%, higher than 2 bedrooms at 32.3%, while 4 plus bedrooms are 21.0%. Mortgage costs take 21.6% of income, so repayments sit below rental exposure at 18.9% only in dollar terms because household incomes are high.
For Buyers
Morningside suits buyers who want choice rather than only detached houses. Separate houses make up 40.9% of dwellings, while semi-detached stock is 31.6% and apartments are 27.4%, giving more formats than many lower-density suburbs. The dominant size is 3 bedrooms at 41.3%, higher than 2 bedrooms at 32.3%, while 4 plus bedrooms are 21.0%. Mortgage costs take 21.6% of income, so repayments sit below rental exposure at 18.9% only in dollar terms because household incomes are high.
For Investors
Investor appeal is rental-depth led. Renters are 47.7% of households, higher than the 36.0% mortgage share, and the median weekly rent is $430. The caution is vacancy at 6.7%, which is above what a landlord would expect in a very tight market, so asset selection matters. Development activity is heavy, with 78 applications in 12 months, and forecast rent growth of 17.8% points to demand, but new supply can compete with older apartments and townhouses.
Development Activity
Total DAs
310
Last 12 Months
85
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+26.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Morningside iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Morningside State School
Prep-6 · 475 students
Demographics
Morningside is younger and more educated than the national average. Median age is 34, 6.0 years below national, and 49.2% have a university qualification, 19.1 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents are 25.7%, which is 4.1 points above national, but the language counts are relatively small: Mandarin 49, Portuguese 37, Japanese 33, Hindi 31 and Punjabi 30. English ancestry leads at 4739 people, followed by Irish at 1828 and Scottish at 1346.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
40.9%
Houses
31.6%
Townhouse
27.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing tenure is mixed, with renting at 47.7% compared with 16.3% owned outright and 36.0% with a mortgage. A current median house price and price-summary series are not available, so affordability is best read through cash-flow measures: median rent is $430 weekly, mortgage repayments are $2132 monthly, rent-to-income is 18.9% and mortgage-to-income is 21.6%. The built form is more balanced than a detached-house suburb, with 40.9% separate houses and 31.6% semi-detached homes.
Mortgage / mo
$2,132
Rent / wk
$430
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,202
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.7%
Unoccupied
348
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.8%
Couples, no children
8,243
Total families
Economy & Employment
Morningside has an above-average white-collar labour base. Healthcare employs 902 people, or 16.5%, followed by Professional/Tech at 849 and 15.6%, Education at 537 and 9.8%, Construction at 467 and 8.6%, and Public Admin at 443 and 8.1%. Professionals number 2422 and Managers 1158, which helps explain the IEO decile 9 and IRSAD decile 9. IER is lower at decile 6, while IRSD is decile 9, suggesting high education and occupation levels but more mixed household resources.
Unemployment
4.5%
Labour Force
10,934
Unemployed
493
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
72.2%
Part-time
23.5%
Participation
71.4%
Employed
6,698
Occupations
Top Industries
University
49.2%
Postgraduate
11.2%
Born Overseas
25.7%
Dwellings
4,808
Transport to Work
Morningside is practical for inner-east commuting, though car use remains dominant. Public transport is used by 11.4% of commuters, while 78.8% drive and 4.2% walk or cycle, so access is useful but below a rail-core lifestyle. Local schooling is led by 1 government primary, Morningside State School, with ICSEA 1075 and 475 enrolments, placing it above average academically. Safety is harder to rank because no suburb crime rate is available; IRSAD decile 9 points to strong area advantage.
Drive
78.8%
Public Transport
11.4%
Walk / Cycle
4.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.78%/yr
(+285 people/yr)
EstablishedForecast momentum is moderate rather than explosive. The trend path adds 1.78% a year, or about 285 people annually, with the medium scenario rising from 16207 in 2026 to 17635 in 2031. Migration is clearly overseas-led: average net overseas migration is 276 a year compared with net internal migration of -30. The gentrification score is 36 and the stage is Early signs, while the shift series shows 17.8% rent growth and 11.8% real income growth, supporting gradual renewal.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+276
Net Internal / yr
-30
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +34% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +276/yr, Accelerating: 10% → 21%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Morningside compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Morningside a good suburb to live in?
Yes for many inner-east buyers and renters, especially those wanting a younger, professional area. Median age is 34, household income is at the 87.6 percentile, and 11.4% use public transport, although 78.8% still drive.
What is the median house price in Morningside?
A current median house price is not available for Morningside. Affordability can still be benchmarked through $2132 monthly mortgage repayments, $430 weekly median rent, and a 21.6% mortgage-to-income ratio.
What schools are in Morningside?
Morningside State School is the listed local school. It is a government primary school with ICSEA 1075 and 475 enrolments, giving families 1 in-suburb option before considering nearby suburbs.
Is Morningside safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available for Morningside, so street-level checks still matter. Area advantage is strong, with IRSAD decile 9, and the suburb has 11755 residents across 5.15 square kilometres.
Is Morningside good for property investment?
Morningside has a strong renter base, with 47.7% of households renting and median rent at $430 a week. Investors should also weigh the 6.7% vacancy rate and 78 development applications in 12 months.
How is Morningside's population changing?
The forecast trend is 1.78% annual growth, equal to about 285 extra people a year. The medium path rises from 16207 in 2026 to 17635 in 2031, led by 276 net overseas migrants a year.
Is there much development happening in Morningside?
Yes. Morningside recorded 78 development applications in the past 12 months, including commercial, subdivision and referral matters. That is a high activity signal compared with a quiet fully built-out suburb.
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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