North Ward
An 18.0% vacancy rate sitting next to a $411,000 median house price is the headline tension in North Ward, and the two are linked. The stock is 57.5% apartments in a dense 2,048 residents per km2 footprint, so supply runs ahead of tenant demand even though 58.9% of residents rent. Household income lands in the 47.0th percentile nationally, close to mid-table, yet university qualifications reach 45.4%, which is 15.3 points above national. The median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly, but the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 6.1 points over the decade while the young-resident share fell 2.1 points.
Population
5,073
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,500/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
11
Median House
$411K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $411,000 median house price North Ward sits well below most coastal capital markets, and monthly mortgage repayments of $1,744 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.9%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold. The catch for buyers wanting a house is supply: separate houses are only 23.6% of dwellings, while apartments make up 57.5% and semi-detached 18.9%. Stock skews small, with 2-bedroom dwellings at 54.7% and 3-bedroom at 24.2%, leaving 4-plus bedroom homes at just 11.6%. Outright owners (23.2%) outnumber mortgage holders (17.9%), a sign that much of the owner-occupied housing is held debt-free by established residents rather than recent purchasers, which thins the pool of larger family homes that come to market.
For Buyers
At a $411,000 median house price North Ward sits well below most coastal capital markets, and monthly mortgage repayments of $1,744 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.9%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold. The catch for buyers wanting a house is supply: separate houses are only 23.6% of dwellings, while apartments make up 57.5% and semi-detached 18.9%. Stock skews small, with 2-bedroom dwellings at 54.7% and 3-bedroom at 24.2%, leaving 4-plus bedroom homes at just 11.6%. Outright owners (23.2%) outnumber mortgage holders (17.9%), a sign that much of the owner-occupied housing is held debt-free by established residents rather than recent purchasers, which thins the pool of larger family homes that come to market.
For Investors
A 58.9% renter share gives landlords a deep tenant base, the highest tenure category in the suburb, but the 18.0% vacancy rate is the warning sign. Weekly rent of $285 against the $411,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.6%, healthier than premium capital markets yet exposed to that oversupply, which traces to apartments being 57.5% of stock. Demand support is uneven: net overseas migration adds 190 residents a year while internal migration removes 138, leaving thin natural growth. Development is light at 10 applications in 12 months, mostly minor changes and building-work referrals rather than new towers, so fresh competing supply is limited. Rent grew 6.7% over the period, so the case rests more on yield and steady rent escalation than on capital growth or volume.
Development Activity
Total DAs
11
Last 12 Months
11
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 North Ward iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Townsville Grammar School
Prep-12 · 1288 students
St Joseph's Catholic School, The Strand
Prep-6 · 355 students
Townsville Central State School
Prep-6 · 144 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 sits exactly on the national figure, but the profile is shifting older, with the senior share up 6.1 points and the young-resident share down 2.1 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 25.1%, which is 3.5 points above national. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,868), Irish (685) and Scottish (580), and the top non-English languages are Italian (21), Hindi (15) and Nepali (15), a small migrant mix. University qualifications at 45.4% run 15.3 points above national, well ahead of the income percentile would suggest. Average household size is 1.8, which is 0.7 below national, consistent with a couples-and-singles profile: 41.8% of families are couples with no children against 842 couples with children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
23.6%
Houses
18.9%
Townhouse
57.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is renter-led: 58.9% rent, 23.2% own outright and only 17.9% carry a mortgage. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free housing rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is 57.5% apartments and 18.9% semi-detached, leaving separate houses at just 23.6%, which concentrates demand for the few detached homes. Dwellings are small, with 2-bedroom at 54.7% and 3-bedroom at 24.2%, while 4-plus bedroom homes are only 11.6%. The median house price of $411,000 is estimated from rent levels rather than recorded sales. Mortgage-to-income at 26.9% and rent-to-income at 19.0% both stay below the 30% stress line, so neither tenure group is flagged for housing stress, a function of modest prices relative even to mid-table local incomes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,744
Rent / wk
$285
HH Size
1.8
Personal Income / wk
$997
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
18.0%
Unoccupied
515
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.8%
Couples, no children
2,731
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is concentrated in public-facing service sectors: Healthcare leads at 26.2% (516 workers), Education follows at 15.6% (308) and Public Administration at 10.2% (201), with Professional/Tech at 9.6% and Hospitality at 7.6%. By occupation, Professionals (915) and Community/Personal workers (425) dominate, ahead of Managers (374), which aligns with the decile 9 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 4.2% and the full-time employment rate is 69.0%, though participation reads 61.0% because 1,226 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the aging profile. One anomaly stands out: the IER economic-resources score sits at decile 3 against decile 9 on IEO, because the 58.9% renter base depresses the aggregate household-wealth measures that index tracks.
Unemployment
5.9%
Labour Force
5,726
Unemployed
340
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
69.0%
Part-time
26.8%
Participation
61.0%
Employed
2,618
Occupations
Top Industries
University
45.4%
Postgraduate
14.2%
Born Overseas
25.1%
Dwellings
2,334
Transport to Work
Transport leans heavily on cars, with 81.1% driving against only 0.9% using public transport and 11.5% walking or cycling, reflecting limited transit in a 2.48 km2 inner-city pocket. The suburb earns decile 8 on IRSAD and decile 7 on IRSD, both above the midpoint, meaning relatively few residents face disadvantage. Volunteering runs at 19.0% and only 4.4% (204 people) need daily assistance despite the median age of 40. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a trade-off for the compact apartment-dominant setting where 57.5% of dwellings are units and density runs at 2,048 residents per km2.
Drive
81.1%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
11.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.64%/yr
(+61 people/yr)
EstablishedNorth Ward is a slow-growth, established suburb: annual population growth registers 0.64% and the 10-year change is 5.9%, modest by Queensland coastal standards. The medium forecast lifts the population from 9,589 in 2025 to 10,022 by 2031, an increase of about 61 residents a year. Overseas migration of 190 a year is the primary driver, offset by net internal outflow of 138, so growth depends almost entirely on arrivals from abroad. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying with a score near zero, and real income grew just 0.4% over the decade, reinforcing a stable rather than rising trajectory. Affordability actually improved from 33.2% in 2011 to 28.7% in 2021, a clear easing relative to the earlier period.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+190
Net Internal / yr
-138
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -138/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How North Ward compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is North Ward a good suburb to live in?
North Ward scores decile 8 on IRSAD and decile 9 on the IEO education-and-occupation index, both above the midpoint, and university qualifications reach 45.4%, which is 15.3 points above national. Neither renters nor mortgage holders are flagged for housing stress, with rent-to-income at 19.0%. The main trade-off is an 18.0% apartment vacancy rate.
What is the median house price in North Ward?
The median house price is $411,000, estimated from rent levels rather than recorded sales, and well below most coastal capital markets. Weekly rent averages $285 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,744, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.9%, under the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in North Ward?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.48 km2 North Ward boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 45.4%, which is 15.3 points above the national figure.
Is North Ward safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for North Ward in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 7 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, above the midpoint, and only 4.4% of its residents (204 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is North Ward good for property investment?
Rent of $285 a week against the $411,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.6%, healthier than premium capital markets. But the 18.0% vacancy rate signals apartment oversupply, and with 58.9% of residents renting plus net overseas migration of 190 a year, returns lean on yield rather than capital growth.
How is North Ward's population changing?
Population growth is 0.64% annually, with a 5.9% rise over 10 years. The medium forecast lifts the count from 9,589 in 2025 to 10,022 by 2031. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 6.1 points and the young-resident share down 2.1 points over the decade.
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.
Explore North Ward on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map