Rasmussen
At a median age of 32, Rasmussen runs 8 years younger than the national figure, and that youth sits alongside an estimated $349,000 median house price that keeps the suburb firmly affordable. Household income lands in the 41.7th percentile nationally, and all four SEIFA indexes sit in the bottom tiers: decile 1 on IRSAD and IEO, decile 2 on IRSD and IER. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached at 88.9% of dwellings, with apartments just 4.6%, and only 14.9% of residents hold a university qualification, 15.2 points below national. The result is a young, owner and renter mix on the southern edge of Townsville built around standalone family homes rather than density.
Population
4,669
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,420/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
8
Median House
$349K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The estimated $349,000 median house price makes Rasmussen one of the more accessible markets in the Townsville region, and the affordability ratio improved from 51.6% in 2011 to 41.7% in 2021. Buyers here are buying houses rather than units: 88.9% of dwellings are separate houses and only 4.6% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 56.9% with four-plus-bedroom stock at 31.8%, so the typical purchase is a family-sized standalone home. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,343 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.8%, well below the 30% stress threshold, which means servicing a loan here is comfortable relative to local incomes. Mortgage holders (36.3%) outnumber outright owners (19.4%), pointing to a buyer base still paying down recent purchases.
For Buyers
The estimated $349,000 median house price makes Rasmussen one of the more accessible markets in the Townsville region, and the affordability ratio improved from 51.6% in 2011 to 41.7% in 2021. Buyers here are buying houses rather than units: 88.9% of dwellings are separate houses and only 4.6% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 56.9% with four-plus-bedroom stock at 31.8%, so the typical purchase is a family-sized standalone home. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,343 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.8%, well below the 30% stress threshold, which means servicing a loan here is comfortable relative to local incomes. Mortgage holders (36.3%) outnumber outright owners (19.4%), pointing to a buyer base still paying down recent purchases.
For Investors
Renters make up 44.2% of households, a deep tenant pool, and weekly rent averages $263. Against the estimated $349,000 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 3.9%, far stronger than premium metro suburbs where yields sit closer to 1.3%. The catch is the 8.6% vacancy rate, above a balanced market, which signals tenants have choice and limits rent escalation; rent actually fell 3.3% over the measurement period. Development is modest at 6 applications in 12 months, but two are large lot reconfigurations creating 157 and 139 residential lots, which points to meaningful new supply ahead. Migration is balanced, adding about 42 overseas and 8 internal residents a year, so the investment case rests on yield and affordability rather than rapid capital growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
8
Last 12 Months
8
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 Rasmussen iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Prep-6 · 276 students
Rasmussen State School
Prep-6 · 336 students
Demographics
The median age of 32 is 8.0 years below the national figure, marking Rasmussen as a young-family suburb, and average household size at 2.7 sits 0.2 above national. The population leans Anglo: English ancestry leads at 1,683 residents, ahead of Scottish (438) and Irish (427), and only 10.4% were born overseas, 11.2 points below national. University attainment is low at 14.9%, 15.2 points under the national rate, which aligns with a workforce weighted toward community, labouring and clerical roles. Couples with children form 1,434 of the 3,592 families against 830 couples without children, reinforcing the family profile. The trajectory is aging despite the young median: the senior share rose 5.7 points over the decade while the young-resident share fell 3.5 points.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.9%
Houses
6.5%
Townhouse
4.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits across renting at 44.2%, mortgages at 36.3% and outright ownership at just 19.4%, an unusually low outright share that reflects a younger population still building equity. The stock is 88.9% separate houses, 6.5% semi-detached and only 4.6% apartments, so density is minimal. Three-bedroom homes account for 56.9% of dwellings and four-plus-bedroom 31.8%, leaving one and two-bedroom stock under 12% combined. At an estimated $349,000 median against a $1,420 weekly household income, the price-to-income ratio is low, which is why mortgage-to-income sits at 21.8% and rent-to-income at 18.5%, both comfortably below stress levels. Neither rent nor mortgage stress flags are triggered here, a contrast to higher-priced markets where servicing costs routinely exceed 30% of income.
Mortgage / mo
$1,343
Rent / wk
$263
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$722
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.6%
Unoccupied
150
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.1%
Couples, no children
3,592
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 22.9% of the local workforce (250 workers), followed by Public Administration at 13.2% (144) and Education at 11.1% (121), with Construction at 10.2% and Retail at 8.7%. By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers lead at 399, ahead of Labourers (230) and Clerical staff (228), while Professionals trail at 204, consistent with the decile 1 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is elevated at 9.5%, above national, and participation reads 55.2% with 1,137 residents not in the labour force. The full-time employment rate of 68.1% is reasonable, but real incomes fell 2.7% over the decade, which helps explain the bottom-decile IRSAD ranking despite stable headline employment.
Unemployment
9.2%
Labour Force
5,174
Unemployed
475
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.1%
Part-time
22.4%
Participation
55.2%
Employed
1,773
Occupations
Top Industries
University
14.9%
Postgraduate
2.0%
Born Overseas
10.4%
Dwellings
1,606
Transport to Work
Rasmussen is heavily car-dependent: 90.0% of residents drive to work while only 1.0% use public transport and 1.6% walk or cycle, well below national active-transport rates and typical of an outer Townsville location. The suburb sits in the bottom SEIFA tiers, decile 1 on IRSAD and decile 2 on IRSD, indicating relative disadvantage, and 8.2% of residents (347 people) need daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 10.3%, and resident turnover is moderate at 26.8% with 73.2% staying put, a sign of settled households. No schools are recorded inside the 5.52 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off offset by the low estimated $349,000 median house price.
Drive
90.0%
Public Transport
1.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.68%/yr
(+78 people/yr)
EstablishedRasmussen is classified as an established suburb with steady, modest expansion: annual population growth runs at 0.68%, about 78 persons a year, and the 10-year change was 4.4%. Medium forecasts lift the SA2 population from 11,457 in 2025 to 11,868 by 2031, a continuation of trend rather than a surge. Migration is balanced, with net overseas inflow of 42 a year slightly ahead of net internal migration of 8, so growth is organic rather than speculative. The gentrification score is 0, placing the suburb in the not-gentrifying category, which fits a market where real incomes declined 2.7% and rents fell 3.3%. Affordability still improved over the decade, from 51.6% to 41.7%, but that reflects flat prices more than rising wages.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+42
Net Internal / yr
+8
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Rasmussen compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rasmussen a good suburb to live in?
Rasmussen suits affordability-focused families: the estimated median house price is $349,000 and mortgage-to-income sits at 21.8%, below the 30% stress mark. The trade-offs are bottom-tier SEIFA rankings, decile 1 on IRSAD, and a 9.5% unemployment rate, above national. The young median age of 32 reflects its family-oriented profile.
What is the median house price in Rasmussen?
The estimated median house price is $349,000, among the most affordable in the Townsville region. Weekly rent averages $263 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,343, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.8%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Rasmussen?
No schools are recorded inside the 5.52 km2 Rasmussen boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is young, with a median age of 32, which is 8 years below the national figure, and 1,434 families are couples with children.
Is Rasmussen safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Rasmussen in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 2 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a lower tier, and 8.2% of its residents, about 347 people, report needing daily assistance.
Is Rasmussen good for property investment?
Rent of $263 a week against an estimated $349,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.9%, well above premium metro suburbs. The 44.2% renter share offers a deep tenant pool, but an 8.6% vacancy rate and a 3.3% rent decline mean returns lean on yield rather than capital growth.
How is Rasmussen's population changing?
Population growth is steady at 0.68% a year, about 78 people, with a 4.4% rise over 10 years. The SA2 medium forecast lifts numbers to 11,868 by 2031. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.7 points and the young-resident share down 3.5 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.
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