Newmarket
Newmarket's most distinctive feature is its compact, educated and rental-oriented profile: 5,083 residents occupy just 1.65 square kilometres, producing a density of 3,089.4 people per square kilometre. Compared with nearby Wilston and Alderley, it reads as the more urban choice, with 45.7% of households renting and 10.6% of dwellings vacant. The median age is 33, or 7 years below the national comparison, while 56.5% of residents hold a university qualification, 26.4 percentage points above national levels. Household income sits at the 86.9th percentile, helping support local professional demand despite a relatively high level of rental turnover.
Population
5,083
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,251/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
28
Homebuyers in Newmarket are choosing from a mixed housing base rather than a detached-house-only market. Separate houses account for 54.6% of dwellings, compared with 28.9% apartments and 16.5% semi-detached homes. The most common formats are 3-bedroom homes at 32.0%, 2-bedroom homes at 30.1% and 4-plus-bedroom homes at 29.8%, so the suburb can suit singles, couples and larger households. A monthly mortgage benchmark of $2,167 represents 22.2% of household income, higher than the 17.0% rent-to-income share. With 45.7% renting and only 22.8% owning outright, buyers should compare body corporate costs, renovation needs and future resale appeal alongside the purchase price.
For Buyers
Homebuyers in Newmarket are choosing from a mixed housing base rather than a detached-house-only market. Separate houses account for 54.6% of dwellings, compared with 28.9% apartments and 16.5% semi-detached homes. The most common formats are 3-bedroom homes at 32.0%, 2-bedroom homes at 30.1% and 4-plus-bedroom homes at 29.8%, so the suburb can suit singles, couples and larger households. A monthly mortgage benchmark of $2,167 represents 22.2% of household income, higher than the 17.0% rent-to-income share. With 45.7% renting and only 22.8% owning outright, buyers should compare body corporate costs, renovation needs and future resale appeal alongside the purchase price.
For Investors
Newmarket has a tenant-heavy base, with 45.7% of households renting compared with 22.8% owning outright. Weekly rent is $383 and the vacancy rate is 10.6%, higher than would be expected in a tightly constrained rental market, which may give tenants more choice and make property presentation important. Rents have grown 18.2% in the wider forecast indicators, while overseas migration is identified as the primary growth driver. There were 25 development applications over the past year, although the examples are mainly extensions, partial demolitions and building work rather than confirmed new dwelling supply. That mix supports an investment case based on established location and tenant demand, but the high vacancy rate argues for conservative cash-flow assumptions.
Development Activity
Total DAs
114
Last 12 Months
28
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+27.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Newmarket
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
St Ambrose's Primary School (Newmarket)
Newmarket State School
Demographics
Newmarket has a younger and more highly educated population than the national comparison. The median age is 33, which is 7 years below national levels, and 56.5% of residents have a university qualification, 26.4 percentage points above the national figure. Overseas-born residents account for 26.3%, 4.7 points above national levels, with English, Irish and Scottish ancestry recorded at 1,840, 841 and 715 people respectively. No religion is the largest reported affiliation at 2,265 people, ahead of Christianity at 2,086. Couples with children represent 45.6% of families, while couples without children account for 39.0%, helping explain demand for both family homes and smaller dwellings. Household size is 2.5 people, equal to the national comparison.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
54.6%
Houses
16.5%
Townhouse
28.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Newmarket's housing stock is more varied than a conventional detached suburb. Separate houses make up 54.6% of dwellings, higher than the 28.9% apartment share and the 16.5% semi-detached share. Two-bedroom and 3-bedroom homes are the largest groups at 30.1% and 32.0%, while 4-plus-bedroom homes account for 29.8%. Renting is the largest tenure position at 45.7%, ahead of mortgage ownership at 29.9% and outright ownership at 22.8%. Weekly rent is $383, and the rent-to-income ratio of 17.0% is lower than the mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.2%. The 10.6% vacancy rate may reflect the suburb's rental and apartment turnover, giving residents choice but also making well-maintained properties more competitive.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $383.
$750
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $750 · units $615
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$1,038
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.6%
Unoccupied
227
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
45.6%
Couples with children
39.0%
Couples, no children
12.1%
Single parent
1,219
Total families
Economy & Employment
Newmarket has a professional and service-led economy. Healthcare is the largest industry at 20.5%, or 476 workers, followed by Professional and Technical services at 16.9%, or 391 workers, and Education at 11.4%, or 264 workers. Professionals number 1,135, well ahead of Managers at 406 and Clerical and Administrative workers at 355. Household income is $2,251 per week and sits at the 86.9th percentile, above the national distribution. Labour-force participation is 72.4%, unemployment is 4.4% and full-time employment is 59.6%, supporting a relatively strong employment base. The SEIFA education and occupation decile is 10 and the overall advantage decile is 9, while the economic resources decile is 6, indicating that educational attainment is higher than the suburb's broader resources position.
Unemployment
4.4%
Labour Force
3,133
Unemployed
139
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.6%
Part-time
32.0%
Participation
72.4%
Employed
2,994
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
56.5%
Postgraduate
15.9%
Born Overseas
26.3%
Dwellings
1,917
Transport to Work
Newmarket provides a dense inner-suburban setting, with 5,083 residents across 1.65 square kilometres and density of 3,089.4 people per square kilometre. Car driving is the leading travel mode at 52.1%, followed by public transport at 12.5%; 4.5% walk or cycle to work and 26.5% work from home. Two local schools provide both Government state and Catholic non-state options, giving families a choice of sector while making enrolment-zone checks important for a specific address. Socioeconomic advantage is above national levels, reflected in an IRSAD decile of 9 and an IEO decile of 10. The average household size is 2.5, so the mix of smaller dwellings, family homes and nearby services supports varied household types. Check the latest Queensland Police statistics and inspect streets at different times before making a safety decision.
Drive
52.1%
Public Transport
12.5%
Walk / Cycle
4.5%
Work from Home
26.5%
Population Forecast
+0.89%/yr
(+49 people/yr)
EstablishedNewmarket is classified as an established area, with an annual growth trend of 0.89%, below 1% but still positive. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the forecast trajectory is labelled Mixed. Population change across the wider area is 14.4% over 10 years, and the suburb recovered from a 3.9% COVID-related dip with a 5.1% recovery measure. Gentrification signals are restrained: the main forecast score is 16 with a stage of Not gentrifying, while the shift indicators record a score of 28 and Early signs. Rent growth of 18.2% and 25 development applications point to ongoing pressure and incremental renewal. Together, these figures suggest steady established-suburb change rather than a rapid redevelopment cycle.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+92
Net Internal / yr
-23
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +18% since 2011, COVID recovered (-4% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Newmarket compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Newmarket a good suburb to live in?
Newmarket suits residents wanting a dense inner-north setting with strong professional employment links and varied housing. Its median age is 33, university attainment is 56.5% and public transport is used by 12.5% of workers. The 10.6% vacancy rate may provide more rental choice than tightly held suburbs.
What is the median house price in Newmarket?
A current median house price is not available for Newmarket. Buyers should compare recent settled sales by dwelling type because 54.6% of homes are separate houses, 28.9% are apartments and 16.5% are semi-detached. Mortgage costs are benchmarked at $2,167 per month.
What schools are in Newmarket?
Newmarket has 2 local schools, covering both Government state and Catholic non-state sectors. Families should check the exact enrolment zone, year-level availability and transport route before committing, because school access can vary across a suburb of only 1.65 square kilometres.
Is Newmarket safe?
Use the latest Queensland Police statistics and inspect the surrounding streets before deciding, because a current suburb-level crime rate is not available here. Compare the most recent 12-month incident patterns by category and location rather than relying on a single safety label.
Is Newmarket good for property investment?
Newmarket has a substantial renter base at 45.7%, weekly rent of $383 and overseas migration as the primary growth driver. However, the 10.6% vacancy rate is high and means investors should allow for letting periods, while 25 recent development applications indicate ongoing but mainly incremental building activity.
How is Newmarket's population changing?
Growth is steady rather than rapid. The annual trend is 0.89%, population change across the wider area is 14.4% over 10 years and overseas migration is the primary driver. The trajectory is Mixed, while the main gentrification stage is Not gentrifying with a score of 16.
What development is occurring in Newmarket?
There were 25 development applications over the past year. The examples include house extensions, partial demolition and commercial building work, suggesting incremental renewal rather than a confirmed large apartment pipeline. Buyers should check individual approvals, construction timing and impacts on nearby access.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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