Newtown
Newtown, QLD (postcode 4305) packs 1,498 residents into just 0.72 square kilometres, producing a density of 2,090 people per km2 that is high for a suburb where 92% of dwellings are separate houses, well above the national average for comparable suburban areas. The median house price sits at $392,000, and mortgage repayments of $1,517 per month consume only 20% of household income, below the 30% stress threshold seen nationally. Household income ranks at the 61.6th percentile nationally, placing Newtown above the midpoint rather than in the bottom tier. Healthcare employs 20.3% of the local workforce, the single largest industry share, pointing to anchor public-sector employment nearby.
Population
1,498
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,753/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
16
Median House
$392K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $392,000 median house price, Newtown sits at an accessible entry point compared to broader metropolitan QLD values. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,517 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20%, comfortably below the 30% stress level seen nationally. The stock is heavily weighted to separate houses at 92% of all dwellings, with apartments at only 5.3% and semi-detached at 1.2%, so buyers get genuine house-and-land rather than medium-density product. Three-bedroom homes account for 45.5% of stock and four-plus bedrooms a notable 30.3%, which suits families better than singles or couples. Only 23.6% of households own outright, while 43.2% carry a mortgage, indicating a working-age buyer base still in the equity-building phase rather than an established retiree market. Rent-to-income at 16.8% leaves renters with comfortable headroom compared to inner-city suburbs.
For Buyers
At a $392,000 median house price, Newtown sits at an accessible entry point compared to broader metropolitan QLD values. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,517 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20%, comfortably below the 30% stress level seen nationally. The stock is heavily weighted to separate houses at 92% of all dwellings, with apartments at only 5.3% and semi-detached at 1.2%, so buyers get genuine house-and-land rather than medium-density product. Three-bedroom homes account for 45.5% of stock and four-plus bedrooms a notable 30.3%, which suits families better than singles or couples. Only 23.6% of households own outright, while 43.2% carry a mortgage, indicating a working-age buyer base still in the equity-building phase rather than an established retiree market. Rent-to-income at 16.8% leaves renters with comfortable headroom compared to inner-city suburbs.
For Investors
A 33.3% renter share and weekly rent of $295 generate a gross yield of approximately 3.9% on the $392,000 median, higher than sub-2% yields typical of premium inner-city markets. The vacancy rate of 6.6% is above the 3% balanced-market benchmark nationally, signalling some oversupply that could pressure rents in the short term. Development activity recorded 16 applications in the past 12 months, including a dual occupancy material change of use and operational works on road reserves, indicating gradual densification rather than speculative oversupply. The rent-to-income ratio of 16.8% is well below the 30% stress threshold nationally, suggesting tenants have capacity to absorb modest rent increases without high churn risk. The 6.8% unemployment rate is above the national average of approximately 4%, so tenant demand may be more sensitive to economic conditions than in lower-unemployment suburbs.
Development Activity
Total DAs
84
Last 12 Months
16
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 Newtown iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Newtown State School
Prep-6 · 337 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly, making Newtown age-neutral rather than skewing toward retirees or young families. Overseas-born residents account for 13.5%, which is 8.1 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a more locally settled community than most metropolitan suburbs. English ancestry dominates (654 residents), followed by Irish (225), Scottish (187) and German (143), a composition characteristic of older Ipswich-region suburbs. University qualification rates of 30.2% sit just 0.1 points above the national average, indicating a mainstream rather than highly-educated workforce. Average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure, and couples with children (494 families) outnumber couples without children (284) among 1,167 total families, consistent with the predominantly 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom house stock.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.0%
Houses
1.2%
Townhouse
5.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses at 92% give Newtown one of the most uniform dwelling profiles in Southeast QLD, well above the national average for suburban areas. Tenure splits into 23.6% owning outright, 43.2% on mortgages and 33.3% renting. The mortgage-dominant profile, at nearly double the outright-ownership rate, is consistent with a suburb mid-cycle in building equity. Three-bedroom configurations are the mode at 45.5%, followed by 4-plus bedroom homes at 30.3% and 2-bedroom dwellings at 22.1%, with the smallest stock category of 0-1 bedroom at just 2.1%. The estimated median house price of $392,000 and monthly repayments of $1,517 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.0%, below both the 30% stress threshold and the typical ratio seen in Brisbane inner-ring suburbs. Rent-to-income at 16.8% is similarly comfortable, making housing costs manageable across both tenures.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wk
$295
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$844
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.6%
Unoccupied
40
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.3%
Couples, no children
1,167
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 20.3% of the workforce (103 residents), followed by Public Administration at 14.6% (74) and Education at 14.2% (72). These three public-sector-linked industries together account for nearly half of all local employment, giving Newtown greater income stability than suburbs dependent on cyclical sectors like construction (7.9%, 40 workers) or retail (6.7%, 34 workers). By occupation, Professionals lead at 152 workers, Clerical/Admin at 106 and Community/Personal roles at 98. The unemployment rate of 6.8% sits above the national average of approximately 4%, and 392 residents are not in the labour force. Personal weekly income of $844 and household weekly income of $1,753 place the suburb in the 61.6th percentile nationally, above the median but not among high-income areas.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.3%
Part-time
26.9%
Participation
58.7%
Employed
668
Occupations
Top Industries
University
30.2%
Postgraduate
7.4%
Born Overseas
13.5%
Dwellings
563
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 87.7% of residents drive to work, well above the national average, while public transport use sits at just 3.2% and walking or cycling at 1.8%, consistent with Ipswich-region suburbs where rail and bus coverage is more limited than inner Brisbane. No schools are recorded within the 0.72 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby Ipswich institutions. Crime statistics are not available for this suburb, limiting a direct safety comparison vs state or national rates. As indirect indicators, the volunteering rate of 16.2% reflects moderate civic engagement and 8.9% of residents (127 people) need daily assistance, in line with a suburb whose median age of 40 matches the national average. Rent-to-income at 16.8% and mortgage-to-income at 20.0% both remain well below the 30% stress threshold, a livability advantage compared to higher-cost state and national markets.
Drive
87.7%
Public Transport
3.2%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Newtown compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Newtown a good suburb to live in?
Newtown suits affordability-focused families and first-home buyers. The median house price of $392,000 is lower than the national median for separate houses, and 92% of dwellings are detached homes. Mortgage repayments consume just 20% of household income, well below the 30% stress threshold. Household income ranks in the 61.6th percentile nationally. The main trade-off is high car dependency at 87.7% of commuters, because public transport use sits at just 3.2%.
What is the median house price in Newtown?
The median house price in Newtown QLD is $392,000, estimated from 2025 rental data, lower than most metropolitan Queensland suburbs. Weekly rent averages $295 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,517, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.0%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold for a household earning $1,753 per week.
What schools are in Newtown?
No schools are recorded inside the 0.72 km2 Newtown boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in the broader Ipswich area, postcode 4305. University qualifications among local residents stand at 30.2%, just 0.1 percentage points above the national average, in line with the broader Australian norm.
Is Newtown safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Newtown in this dataset, making a direct comparison vs state or national crime rates impossible. As contextual indicators, 76.7% of residents stayed at the same address between Census periods, a stable rather than high-churn profile. Housing stress is low: rent-to-income is 16.8% and mortgage-to-income is 20.0%, both below the 30% threshold. The unemployment rate of 6.8% is above the national average of approximately 4%.
Is Newtown good for property investment?
Rent of $295 a week against a $392,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.9%, higher than the sub-2% yields common in premium capital-city markets. Renters make up 33.3% of households, providing a broad tenant pool. However, the 6.6% vacancy rate is above the 3% balanced-market benchmark nationally, so the investment case rests on yield and affordability rather than scarcity-driven capital growth.
How is Newtown's population changing?
Forward population forecasts are not available for Newtown QLD in this dataset. The current population is 1,498 across 0.72 km2. The residential stay rate of 76.7% and annual turnover of 23.3% indicate moderate stability compared to fast-growing greenfield suburbs. Development activity is modest at 16 applications over 12 months, and the compact boundary means future growth is more likely through gradual infill, including dual occupancy approvals, than large-scale land release.
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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