Palmwoods
Detached living defines Palmwoods, where 90.7% of dwellings are separate houses and just 1.2% are apartments, one of the most house-dominant profiles on the Sunshine Coast hinterland. The median age of 43 runs 3 years above the national figure, and the suburb is aging: the senior share rose 5.0 points over the decade while the working-age share slipped 1.9 points. Population has grown 14.6% over 10 years, and English ancestry leads heavily at 3,132 residents, well above any other group.
Population
6,357
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,738/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
19
Family buyers are the natural fit because 50.6% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and a further 35.5% have 3, so two and one-bedroom options are scarce at 10.5% and 3.3%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,878, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes only in the 61st percentile. Ownership is widespread, with 34.2% owning outright and 44.0% holding a mortgage, so 78% of households are owners rather than renters, a sign of a settled, family-oriented buyer base.
For Buyers
Family buyers are the natural fit because 50.6% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and a further 35.5% have 3, so two and one-bedroom options are scarce at 10.5% and 3.3%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,878, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes only in the 61st percentile. Ownership is widespread, with 34.2% owning outright and 44.0% holding a mortgage, so 78% of households are owners rather than renters, a sign of a settled, family-oriented buyer base.
For Investors
The headline risk is supply: the vacancy rate reads 4.8%, above the tight 2-3% range that signals landlord pricing power, so tenant demand is not scarce. Growth drivers are solid, with internal migration adding a net 324 residents a year, well above the 71 from overseas, and rent has grown 24.2% over the decade. Development is modest at 16 applications in 12 months, mostly single-unit residential and building works rather than large new estates, which limits future rental oversupply and supports existing landlords.
Development Activity
Total DAs
62
Last 12 Months
19
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+5.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Palmwoods iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Palmwoods State School
Prep-6 · 485 students
Demographics
The median age of 43 is 3.0 years above the national figure, and the population is aging rather than renewing, with the senior share up 5.0 points and the young-adult share down 3.6 points over the decade. Only 18.2% of residents were born overseas, which is 3.4 points below national, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (3,132), Scottish (841) and Irish (806). University qualifications reach 27.5%, sitting 2.6 points below the national rate, consistent with a workforce weighted toward trades and care roles rather than professional services. Average household size is 2.7, just 0.2 above national, and family structure leans traditional, with couples-with-children outnumbering couples without at 2,070 against 1,484.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.7%
Houses
8.1%
Townhouse
1.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is owner-heavy: 34.2% own outright and 44.0% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at 21.8%, so owners outnumber tenants by more than three to one. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 90.7% separate houses and apartments at just 1.2%, which keeps the market family-driven and supply of small dwellings thin. Larger homes dominate, as 50.6% have 4-plus bedrooms and 35.5% have 3, against only 10.5% two-bedroom. That affordability margin, paired with high outright ownership, points to a stable market with limited forced-sale pressure.
Mortgage / mo
$1,878
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Mar 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $430.
$750
Bond data Mar 2026 quarter · houses $750
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$746
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.8%
Unoccupied
113
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.9%
Couples, no children
5,131
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads the local workforce at 22.1% (448 workers), ahead of Construction at 13.3% (269) and Education at 12.5% (254), with Retail (7.4%) and Professional/Tech (6.7%) trailing, a mix weighted toward care and building rather than corporate roles. By occupation, Professionals (595) and Clerical/Admin (406) top the list, followed by Managers (393). Unemployment is low at 4.5% and the full-time employment rate is 59.0%. SEIFA places the suburb mid-table: decile 6 on IRSAD and IRSD and decile 6 on IEO for education and occupation, while IER sits higher at decile 8, because widespread home ownership lifts the economic-resources measure even though incomes are only mid-range. Real incomes grew 15.2% over the decade.
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
6,947
Unemployed
217
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.0%
Part-time
36.5%
Participation
55.3%
Employed
2,725
Occupations
Top Industries
University
27.5%
Postgraduate
5.3%
Born Overseas
18.2%
Dwellings
2,240
Transport to Work
Palmwoods is heavily car-dependent, with 91.0% of commuters driving and only 0.8% using public transport, well below metro levels, a function of its 266 residents per square kilometre spread across 23.88 square kilometres of hinterland. Walking or cycling accounts for 2.6% of trips. The suburb scores decile 6 on the IRSAD index, a middle band nationally, and decile 6 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, so deprivation is moderate rather than concentrated. Volunteering runs at 17.8%, and 6.9% of residents (417 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the older median age of 43. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas, a practical trade-off for a low-density rural-residential setting.
Drive
91.0%
Public Transport
0.8%
Walk / Cycle
2.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.63%/yr
(+221 people/yr)
EstablishedPalmwoods is an established suburb on a steady upward path, with annual population growth of 1.63% and a 10-year rise of 14.6%, faster than a typical mature market. Internal migration is the main engine, adding a net 324 residents a year against just 71 from overseas, so the inflow is domestic relocation rather than international arrivals. The gentrification stage reads active with a score of 50, supported by a population up 29% since 2011 and rent growth accelerating from 4% to 25%. Affordability has improved, from 63.7% in 2011 to 55.9% in 2021, an unusual gain in a growing market. Medium-case forecasts project continued expansion at roughly 221 persons a year through 2031, so demand for housing should keep building.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+71
Net Internal / yr
+324
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +29% since 2011, Net internal migration +324/yr, Accelerating: 4% → 25%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Palmwoods compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Palmwoods a good suburb to live in?
Palmwoods scores decile 6 on the IRSAD advantage index, a mid-range national band, with household income in the 61st percentile.
What is the median house price in Palmwoods?
Weekly rent averages $430, and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,878, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.0%. Rent has grown 24.2% over the past decade as demand has risen.
What schools are in Palmwoods?
No schools are recorded inside the Palmwoods boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is moderately educated, with university qualifications at 27.5%, which is 2.6 points below the national figure.
Is Palmwoods safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Palmwoods in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 6 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a middle national band, and 6.9% of its 6,357 residents need daily assistance, consistent with a moderate-disadvantage area.
Is Palmwoods good for property investment?
Net internal migration of 324 residents a year supports tenant demand and ongoing rental growth.
How is Palmwoods's population changing?
Population is growing at 1.63% a year, a 14.6% rise over 10 years, driven mainly by net internal migration of 324 residents annually. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.0 points and the young-adult share down 3.6 points over the decade.
How much development is happening in Palmwoods?
There were 16 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, a modest pace. Most are single-unit residential and building works rather than large estates, which limits future rental oversupply and supports the existing market amid 1.63% annual population growth.
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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