Newtown
That density is unusually high for a suburb where 92% of dwellings are separate houses, pointing to small land lots rather than apartment towers. Household income at the 61.6th percentile nationally makes this an affordable, mortgage-belt pocket, and the numbers confirm it: mortgage-to-income sits at just 20%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The workforce leans toward Healthcare (20.3%), Public Admin (14.6%) and Education (14.2%), sectors that provide stable employment even as the local unemployment rate of 6.8% runs above the national average.
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
23
The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 92% separate houses and just 5.3% apartments, so buyers get land rather than strata. Bedroom mix favours three-bedroom homes at 45.5% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom properties making up another 30.3%, suiting growing families. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20% is comfortably below the 30% stress threshold seen nationally. Outright owners represent 23.6% of households and mortgage holders 43.2%, a profile typical of an established suburb where residents are building equity. The 76.7% of residents who stayed at the same address signals stable owner-occupier demand rather than speculative churn.
For Buyers
The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 92% separate houses and just 5.3% apartments, so buyers get land rather than strata. Bedroom mix favours three-bedroom homes at 45.5% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom properties making up another 30.3%, suiting growing families. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 20% is comfortably below the 30% stress threshold seen nationally. Outright owners represent 23.6% of households and mortgage holders 43.2%, a profile typical of an established suburb where residents are building equity. The 76.7% of residents who stayed at the same address signals stable owner-occupier demand rather than speculative churn.
For Investors
A 6.6% vacancy rate is higher than the 2 to 3% threshold typically associated with tight rental conditions nationally, which means landlords face more competition for tenants than in many Brisbane-fringe suburbs. The renter share of 33.3% provides a solid tenant pool. Development activity recorded 16 applications in 12 months, including a dual occupancy material change of use lodged in April 2026, suggesting limited new supply pressure. Income at the 61.6th percentile nationally positions the suburb as affordable relative to state and national medians, which may support rent stability for entry-level tenants. The 6.8% unemployment rate, higher than the national average, means tenant demand is more sensitive to economic conditions than in lower-unemployment suburbs.
Development Activity
Total DAs
92
Last 12 Months
23
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+4.5%
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 compared to both state and national benchmarks. The overseas-born share of 13.5% is 8.1 percentage points below the national average, reflecting the suburb's Anglo-leaning ancestry: English (654 residents), Irish (225) and Scottish (187) account for the three largest ancestry groups. University qualifications reach 30.2%, fractionally above the national average by 0.1 percentage points. Average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure. Couples with children make up the largest family type at 494 families, with couples without children at 284, among 1,167 total families. Christianity is the dominant religion at 703 residents. The 16.2% volunteering rate reflects moderate civic participation broadly in line with comparable outer-suburban communities nationally.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.0%
Houses
1.2%
Townhouse
5.3%
Apartment
Tenure
The tenure split reflects an owner-occupier community: 43.2% carry a mortgage, 23.6% own outright, and 33.3% rent, a lower renter share than is typical in inner and middle-ring Queensland suburbs. The dominant dwelling type is the separate house at 92%, with apartments at 5.3% and semi-detached at 1.2%, a higher detached-house concentration than the national average. Three-bedroom homes account for 45.5% of the stock and 4-plus bedroom properties 30.3%, with two-bedroom dwellings at 22.1% and the smallest category at 2.1%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517 and the mortgage-to-income ratio at 20% is well below the 30% stress threshold. Rent-to-income at 16.8% is similarly comfortable, indicating housing costs are manageable at local income levels that rank in the 61.6th percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Mar 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $295.
$540
Bond data Mar 2026 quarter · houses $540 · units $420
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 is the dominant industry at 20.3% of employed residents (103 workers), followed by Public Administration at 14.6% (74) and Education at 14.2% (72), with Construction at 7.9% and Retail at 6.7%. This public-sector tilt gives the local employment base more stability than suburbs dependent on cyclical industries. By occupation, Professionals lead at 152 workers, followed by Clerical and Admin staff at 106 and Community and Personal services 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, because participation at 58.7% is below average. Personal weekly income of $844 and household income at the 61.6th percentile nationally confirm the suburb is mid-range in earning capacity rather than an affluent or deeply disadvantaged area.
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 dependence is high at 87.7% driving to work, above the national average, while only 3.2% use public transport and 1.8% walk or cycle, consistent with Ipswich-region suburbs where rail and bus coverage is less frequent than inner Brisbane. No schools are recorded within the 0.72 sqkm boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in adjoining suburbs. Crime data is not available for comparison vs state or national rates. As indirect indicators, the need-assistance rate of 8.9% (127 residents) is moderate for outer-suburban areas, and the volunteering rate of 16.2% is broadly in line with similar communities nationally. Rent-to-income at 16.8% and mortgage-to-income at 20.0% both sit well below the 30% stress threshold, a notable livability advantage compared to higher-cost national and state 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. 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, with public transport use at just 3.2%.
What is the median house price in Newtown?
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 sqkm 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, indicating education levels broadly in line with the national norm.
Is Newtown safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Newtown in this dataset, making a direct comparison vs state or national 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 higher than the national average of approximately 4%.
Is Newtown good for property investment?
Renters make up 33.3% of households, providing a broad tenant pool. The 6.6% vacancy rate is above the 3% balanced-market benchmark nationally, so the investment case rests on yield and affordability rather than tight scarcity conditions.
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 sqkm. 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 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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