Mount Louisa
Real income declined 2.3% over the decade, making Mount Louisa the only suburb in this batch where wages went backwards in real terms, yet household income sits at the 78th percentile ($2,072/week) and mortgage-to-income is just 18.1%, one of the lowest stress ratios in this analysis. This paradox reflects a suburb locked into Townsville's flat wage structure where existing affordability compensates for stagnant growth. The stock is 96.4% detached houses with 57.7% four-plus bedrooms, an extreme concentration of large family housing. The senior share grew 5.9 percentage points, the second-largest aging shift in this batch, even as population expanded 28.3% over the decade.
Population
9,227
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,072/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
5
Median House
$446K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $446,000 estimated median is among the most affordable in this batch, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.1% is comfortably below the stress threshold. The stock is 96.4% detached, with 57.7% having four or more bedrooms and 38.3% having three, leaving virtually no small-dwelling options. Semi-detached at 3.6% is the only alternative. This uniformity means buyers seeking apartments or townhouses must look elsewhere. Car dependence is extreme at 91.4%, the highest in this batch, with public transport at just 0.7% and walking/cycling at 1.8%. Full-time employment at 68.4% is above the national average, reflecting Townsville's defence and public sector employment base.
For Buyers
The $446,000 estimated median is among the most affordable in this batch, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.1% is comfortably below the stress threshold. The stock is 96.4% detached, with 57.7% having four or more bedrooms and 38.3% having three, leaving virtually no small-dwelling options. Semi-detached at 3.6% is the only alternative. This uniformity means buyers seeking apartments or townhouses must look elsewhere. Car dependence is extreme at 91.4%, the highest in this batch, with public transport at just 0.7% and walking/cycling at 1.8%. Full-time employment at 68.4% is above the national average, reflecting Townsville's defence and public sector employment base.
For Investors
Renters at 33.9% provide a moderate tenant pool. Weekly rent of $350 against a $446,000 estimated median produces a gross yield around 4.1%, reasonable for regional Queensland. The vacancy rate of 6.6% is moderate. Only 4 development applications were lodged in 12 months, confirming the suburb is fully built out with no new supply pressure. Population growth of 2.22% per year (243 persons) is strong, driven by balanced internal (69 net/year) and overseas (44 net/year) migration, an unusual pattern where domestic arrivals are the larger source. The low vacancy and zero new supply could support rental tightening.
Development Activity
Total DAs
5
Last 12 Months
5
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mount Louisa iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Calvary Christian College
Prep-12 · 1128 students
Demographics
English ancestry leads at 3,435, with Irish (1,001), Scottish (979), and Italian (634) forming an Anglo-Celtic base. Just 13.5% were born overseas, 8.1 points below the national average, the second-lowest in this batch. Italian (27 speakers), Afrikaans (26), Australian Indigenous languages (20), German (17), and Malayalam (17) top non-English languages, all in very small numbers. University qualifications at 26.5% are 3.6 points below national. Average household size of 2.8 is above the national 2.5. Couples with children (3,559) far outnumber couples without (1,768), and the median age of 34 sits 6 years below national.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.4%
Houses
3.6%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Mortgaged households at 44.5% form the largest tenure group, with 21.6% owning outright and 33.9% renting. The stock is 96.4% detached houses, the highest in this analysis, with virtually no apartment provision. Four-plus bedrooms at 57.7% and three-bedrooms at 38.3% account for 96% of all homes, a remarkably uniform large-dwelling profile. The estimated $446,000 median makes Mount Louisa affordable by any national benchmark. Mortgage-to-income at 18.1% and rent-to-income at 16.9% are among the lowest in this dataset, reflecting the combination of moderate Townsville incomes and genuinely low housing costs.
Mortgage / mo
$1,626
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$945
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.6%
Unoccupied
223
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.3%
Couples, no children
7,579
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates at 22.0% (716 workers), the highest single-sector concentration in this batch, reflecting Townsville's role as the regional health hub. Public Admin at 13.2% (431) likely includes defence-related employment at Lavarack Barracks. Education at 12.3% (402), Construction at 9.3% (302), and Retail at 6.4% (209) follow. Professionals (937) lead occupations, but Community/Personal (747) and Clerical/Admin (686) are close behind, reflecting the service-sector orientation. Full-time employment at 68.4% is above national, and unemployment at 4.4% is near national. SEIFA IRSAD decile 5 and IER decile 7 suggest moderate economic resources.
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
6,023
Unemployed
186
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.4%
Part-time
27.2%
Participation
67.3%
Employed
4,582
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.5%
Postgraduate
4.0%
Born Overseas
13.5%
Dwellings
3,172
Transport to Work
Car dependence is the highest in this batch at 91.4%, with public transport at 0.7% and walking/cycling at 1.8%, reflecting Townsville's dispersed layout. One combined school serves the suburb: Calvary Christian College (Independent, ICSEA 1,020, 1,128 students), sitting above the national 1,000 benchmark. Families needing additional school options must travel to neighbouring suburbs. SEIFA IRSAD decile 5 places Mount Louisa in the middle band of advantage. Rent-to-income at 16.9% and mortgage-to-income at 18.1% are among the lowest in this analysis, making day-to-day affordability a genuine strength of the suburb.
Drive
91.4%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.22%/yr
(+243 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grows at 2.22% per year (243 persons), strong for an established suburb. The 10-year change of 28.3% is well above the national average. Unlike most suburbs in this batch, growth is driven by balanced internal (69 net/year) and overseas (44 net/year) migration, with internal migration larger. The aging trajectory is pronounced: the senior share grew 5.9 points (second-highest in this batch) while the working-age share contracted 3.1 points and the young share declined 1.8 points. The medium forecast projects 12,697 by 2031, up from 10,932 in 2025. Real income declined 2.3% over the decade, the only suburb in this analysis with negative real wage growth.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+44
Net Internal / yr
+69
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +35% since 2011, Net internal migration +69/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mount Louisa compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mount Louisa a good suburb to live in?
Mount Louisa suits families wanting large, affordable homes in Townsville. The $446,000 median, 96.4% detached stock, and 57.7% four-plus bedroom homes deliver family-scale living at low cost (mortgage-to-income 18.1%). The median age of 34 and household size of 2.8 confirm a young-family orientation. The trade-off is 91.4% car dependence and limited school choice (1 school within suburb boundaries).
What is the median house price in Mount Louisa?
The estimated median is $446,000 (derived from rent, 2025). Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,626 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.1%, well below the stress threshold. Median weekly rent is $350. No PSI price history is available for trend analysis.
What schools are in Mount Louisa?
One combined school serves the suburb: Calvary Christian College (Independent, ICSEA 1,020, 1,128 students), covering both primary and secondary levels and sitting above the national 1,000 ICSEA benchmark. Additional school options in neighbouring Townsville suburbs are necessary for families wanting government or Catholic alternatives.
Is Mount Louisa safe?
Crime data is not available for Mount Louisa in the current dataset. IRSD decile 6 indicates moderate socio-economic standing. The 73.8% residential stability rate is typical. The family-heavy demographic (median age 34, household size 2.8, couples with children 3,559) and IRSAD decile 5 suggest a community in the mid-range of safety indicators.
Is Mount Louisa good for property investment?
Gross yield of approximately 4.1% ($350/week on $446,000) is reasonable. The 6.6% vacancy rate is moderate, and only 4 DAs in 12 months mean no new supply pressure. Population growth of 2.22% annually is strong. However, real income declined 2.3% over the decade (the only negative in this batch), which may constrain future rent and price growth relative to inflation.
How is Mountlouisa's population changing?
Growth of 2.22% per year (243 persons) is strong, driven by balanced internal (69 net/year) and overseas (44 net/year) migration. The 28.3% ten-year change is well above national. However, the senior share grew 5.9 points (second-highest in this batch) and real income declined 2.3% over the decade. Medium projection reaches 12,697 by 2031.
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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