Pimlico
At a median house price of $333,000 and with 59% of residents renting, Pimlico sits firmly in Townsville's affordable rental belt rather than its ownership heartland. The suburb scores IRSAD decile 3, placing it among the bottom 30% nationally for relative advantage and disadvantage, yet household income at the 21st percentile nationally tells an equally clear story about purchasing power. What stands out is the mismatch between a dense 2,231 people per square kilometre and very low development activity, just 2 applications in the past 12 months, suggesting the housing stock is mature and largely static. Healthcare dominates local employment at 25% of workers, consistent with proximity to Townsville University Hospital.
Population
2,557
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,128/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$333K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $333,000 median house price sits well below the Queensland state median, making Pimlico one of the more accessible entry points in Townsville for owner-occupiers on moderate incomes. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,354, and mortgage-to-income sits at 27.7%, below the 30% stress threshold. Only 23% of dwellings carry a mortgage and 18% are owned outright, compared to the 59% renting, which signals this has historically attracted more tenants than buyers. Stock is split 45.1% separate houses, 38.8% semi-detached and 16.1% apartments, with two-bedroom dwellings the most common at 40.8%, followed by three-bedroom at 31.4%. Buyers seeking a full house on a separate lot will find supply limited relative to semi-detached options.
For Buyers
The $333,000 median house price sits well below the Queensland state median, making Pimlico one of the more accessible entry points in Townsville for owner-occupiers on moderate incomes. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,354, and mortgage-to-income sits at 27.7%, below the 30% stress threshold. Only 23% of dwellings carry a mortgage and 18% are owned outright, compared to the 59% renting, which signals this has historically attracted more tenants than buyers. Stock is split 45.1% separate houses, 38.8% semi-detached and 16.1% apartments, with two-bedroom dwellings the most common at 40.8%, followed by three-bedroom at 31.4%. Buyers seeking a full house on a separate lot will find supply limited relative to semi-detached options.
For Investors
Pimlico's 59% renter share is substantially higher than the national average, providing landlords with a large potential tenant pool. Weekly rent of $240 against a $333,000 median implies a gross yield around 3.7%, reasonable for a regional market. The 15.2% vacancy rate is the key risk signal: it is elevated and indicates that demand is not absorbing available rental supply at current rates. Development activity is minimal at 2 applications over 12 months, so new supply is not the driver of that vacancy. Net tenant churn runs at 28.3% turnover annually, suggesting a transient renter base tied to healthcare and public sector employment. The IRSAD decile 3 rating places the suburb in lower-advantage territory nationally, which historically correlates with higher rental yield but lower capital growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
4
Last 12 Months
4
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
Demographics
Pimlico's median age of 39 is 1 year below the national figure, a modest but consistent signal of a relatively younger working-age profile. Overseas-born residents make up 19.4% of the population, 2.2 percentage points below the national average, reflecting the suburb's anglo-leaning ancestry composition where English (901), Irish (330) and Scottish (263) ancestries lead. University qualifications reach 28.7%, which is 1.4 points below national, a moderate gap consistent with a workforce concentrated in healthcare, public administration and community services rather than high-end professional sectors. Average household size of 2.0 is 0.5 below the national figure, matching the dominant two-bedroom, single or couple renter profile. The volunteering rate of 13.4% is moderate.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
45.1%
Houses
38.8%
Townhouse
16.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure in Pimlico is renter-dominated: 59% rent, 23% hold a mortgage and 18% own outright, a distribution that skews heavily toward the rental market compared to national norms. Separate houses account for 45.1% of dwellings, semi-detached 38.8% and apartments 16.1%, which is a relatively diverse stock composition for a 1.15 square kilometre suburb. Two-bedroom dwellings lead at 40.8%, with three-bedroom at 31.4% and one-bedroom or studio at 15.1%. Weekly rent of $240 produces a rent-to-income ratio of 21.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning renters are not financially stressed on average. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,354 represent 27.7% of income. The vacancy rate of 15.2% is high, pointing to a supply surplus rather than a tight rental market.
Mortgage / mo
$1,354
Rent / wk
$240
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$738
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.2%
Unoccupied
202
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.3%
Couples, no children
1,557
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare accounts for 25% of local employment at 186 workers, well above what most suburbs sustain, driven by proximity to major Townsville health infrastructure. Education (11.8%, 88 workers) and Public Administration (11.4%, 85 workers) round out the top three, giving the suburb a pronounced public-sector employment base. By occupation, Professionals lead at 262 workers, followed by Community and Personal Service workers (173) and Clerical and Admin (135). The unemployment rate is 7.8%, above the national average, and participation sits at 54.9%, with 708 residents not in the labour force. Personal weekly income of $738 and household income in the 21st percentile nationally reflect the impact of high part-time and community-sector employment. The IRSAD decile 3 and IER decile 1 ratings indicate both low advantage and very low economic resource access by national standards.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.2%
Part-time
27.0%
Participation
54.9%
Employed
1,089
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.7%
Postgraduate
4.4%
Born Overseas
19.4%
Dwellings
1,124
Transport to Work
Car dependency is pronounced in Pimlico: 84.1% of workers drive to work, higher than the national average, while only 2.0% use public transport and 8.5% walk or cycle. The suburb's IRSAD decile 3 places it in the lower third nationally for relative advantage, and the IEO decile 5 score for education and occupation is mid-range. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families depend on nearby Townsville institutions. Crime data is not available in this dataset, but 9.2% of residents (215 people) need daily assistance, above the national norm, reflecting the healthcare-heavy population and IRSD decile 2 disadvantage profile. Rent-to-income of 21.3% keeps renters within comfortable thresholds, and mortgage-to-income of 27.7% is similarly manageable.
Drive
84.1%
Public Transport
2.0%
Walk / Cycle
8.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Pimlico compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pimlico a good suburb to live in?
Pimlico suits renters and healthcare workers well, given its proximity to Townsville's hospital precinct and affordable rents averaging $240 a week. The IRSAD decile 3 rating places it in the lower third nationally for relative advantage, and unemployment runs at 7.8%. Lifestyle trade-offs include high car dependency at 84.1% and a 15.2% vacancy rate that reflects soft rental demand.
What is the median house price in Pimlico?
The median house price is estimated at $333,000, well below the Queensland state median. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,354, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.7%, below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent is $240, producing a rent-to-income ratio of 21.3%.
What schools are in Pimlico?
No schools are recorded within the Pimlico suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Townsville suburbs. Locally, 28.7% of residents hold university qualifications, 1.4 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with the community and healthcare workforce profile.
Is Pimlico safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Pimlico in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores IRSD decile 2, placing it in the bottom 20% nationally for relative disadvantage. About 9.2% of the 2,557 residents (215 people) need daily assistance, above average, which reflects a healthcare-adjacent population rather than necessarily elevated safety risk.
Is Pimlico good for property investment?
The 59% renter share provides a broad tenant pool, and weekly rent of $240 against a $333,000 median implies a gross yield around 3.7%. However, the 15.2% vacancy rate signals existing oversupply in the rental market. Development activity is very low at just 2 applications in 12 months, so new supply is not driving the vacancy. Investors should factor in the IRSAD decile 3 profile, which typically favours yield over capital growth.
How is Pimlico's population changing?
Pimlico has a population of 2,557 across 1.15 square kilometres, giving a density of 2,231 residents per square kilometre. The annual resident turnover rate is 28.3%, meaning roughly 1 in 4 households change each year, indicating a transient renter-dominated community. The 19.4% overseas-born share is 2.2 percentage points below the national average.
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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