Redbank Plains
Redbank Plains is a 24,349-resident Ipswich LGA growth corridor 28km southwest of Brisbane CBD, defined by a median age of 27 (13 years below the national 40), 53.6% four-plus bedroom houses on cheap greenfield land, and a 62.6% population surge over the past decade. Despite sitting in SEIFA decile 1 across all four indices, mortgage stress is only 22.4% of income because median family income of $1,624 weekly chases $1,473/month repayments on entry-level house-and-land packages. Samoan ancestry (2,199 residents, 9% of population) and 31.7% born overseas (10.1pp above national) give it the strongest Pacific Islander concentration in southeast Queensland outside Logan.
Population
24,349
Median Age
27.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,516/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$428K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Redbank Plains delivers the cheapest detached-house entry into greater Brisbane that still sits on the Ipswich rail line and Centenary Highway. Mortgage repayments average $1,473/month versus $1,930 for greater Brisbane, and 53.6% of stock is four-plus bedrooms compared to roughly 32% nationally, reflecting decade-old house-and-land estates targeting families. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 22.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold, because $1,624 weekly family income comfortably services entry-level loans. The trade-off is 88.2% car dependence, only 2.4% public transport use despite the rail line, and an SEIFA IRSAD decile of 1 that depresses school catchments. Buyers chasing four-bedroom houses under $600k accept the 35-minute Brisbane commute and lower-decile schools in exchange for owning new-build rather than renting in established Brisbane.
For Buyers
Redbank Plains delivers the cheapest detached-house entry into greater Brisbane that still sits on the Ipswich rail line and Centenary Highway. Mortgage repayments average $1,473/month versus $1,930 for greater Brisbane, and 53.6% of stock is four-plus bedrooms compared to roughly 32% nationally, reflecting decade-old house-and-land estates targeting families. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 22.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold, because $1,624 weekly family income comfortably services entry-level loans. The trade-off is 88.2% car dependence, only 2.4% public transport use despite the rail line, and an SEIFA IRSAD decile of 1 that depresses school catchments. Buyers chasing four-bedroom houses under $600k accept the 35-minute Brisbane commute and lower-decile schools in exchange for owning new-build rather than renting in established Brisbane.
For Investors
Renting households make up 59.2% of stock, far higher than the 31% national average, giving Redbank Plains a tenant-dominant market that absorbs supply quickly. Weekly rents of $350 sit at the affordable end for Brisbane region detached houses, with rent-to-income at 23.1% (below the 30% stress flag), meaning tenants can absorb future rent rises. The 6.7% vacancy rate is elevated compared to the sub-2% Brisbane average, hinting at oversupply from concurrent estate releases, but the 12.9% rent growth signal and net overseas migration of 316 per year alongside 275 internal migrants annually point to demand catching up. With zero DA applications in the past 12 months recorded locally, the pipeline of new competing stock is moderating, while gentrification scoring 50 (Active stage) suggests yields hold while capital values catch a tailwind.
Schools in Redbank Plains iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Ann's School
Prep-6 · 450 students
Staines Memorial College
Prep-12 · 716 students
Fernbrooke State School
Prep-6 · 1007 students
Redbank Plains State High School
7-12 · 1539 students
Redbank Plains State School
Prep-6 · 727 students
Demographics
Median age is 27, fully 13 years below the national 40, making Redbank Plains one of the youngest non-mining-town suburbs in Queensland. Average household size of 3.1 sits 0.6 above the national 2.5 because 53.6% of homes are four-plus bedrooms occupied by families. Born-overseas share is 31.7%, 10.1 percentage points above the national 21.6%, with Samoan as the second-largest ancestry at 2,199 residents (9% of population) and 593 Samoan speakers at home, far higher than any other Queensland suburb outside Logan. Punjabi (111), Hindi (83), Arabic (59) and Portuguese (43) speakers add Indian-subcontinent and African layers. University-qualified residents are 16.3%, 13.8pp below the national 30.1%, reflecting a working-trades demographic anchored by Christianity (10,899 followers) with small Hindu (366) and Islamic (364) communities.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.3%
Houses
13.0%
Townhouse
1.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Stock skews heavily detached: 85.3% separate houses, only 1.7% apartments, with 13% semi-detached townhouses that arrived in newer estates. Bedroom mix is unusually large-house-heavy: 53.6% four-plus bedrooms versus a 32% national norm, and just 9.4% one-or-two-bedroom dwellings, locking the suburb into family-sized product. Tenure breakdown shows 59.2% renting, 29.8% mortgage, and only 11% owned outright, the lowest outright-ownership rate in this dataset and well below the 31% national figure, confirming a young population still 20 years from paying off the loan. Median monthly mortgage of $1,473 is roughly 25% below the greater Brisbane median, and at 22.4% mortgage-to-income remains affordable, though the 6.7% vacancy rate signals current oversupply pressure.
Mortgage / mo
$1,473
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$747
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.7%
Unoccupied
535
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
15.4%
Couples, no children
20,038
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads at 21.3% of jobs (1,219 workers), well above the 13.2% national average, anchored by Ipswich Hospital and aged-care facilities serving the Ripley Valley growth area. Manufacturing 10.3% and Construction 7.5% reflect the Amberley defence corridor and ongoing estate construction. Top occupations are Community/Personal Service (1,595), Labourers (1,533) and Machinery Operators/Drivers (1,456), confirming a blue-collar and care-economy workforce rather than professional services. Unemployment of 10.3% runs roughly double the 5.1% national rate, full-time participation is 66.4% of the employed pool, and labour force participation of 57.8% sits below the 65% national benchmark. SEIFA scores tell the same story: IRSAD decile 1, IRSD decile 1, IEO decile 1, IER decile 2, placing Redbank Plains in the lowest socioeconomic bracket nationally despite household income reaching the 47.4th percentile.
Unemployment
5.8%
Labour Force
14,820
Unemployed
866
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.4%
Part-time
23.3%
Participation
57.8%
Employed
8,956
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.3%
Postgraduate
3.1%
Born Overseas
31.7%
Dwellings
7,481
Transport to Work
Five schools serve the suburb with a clear ICSEA gradient: St Ann's Catholic Primary at 1,027 (450 students) and Staines Memorial Independent Combined at 1,006 (716 students) sit at the national mean, while government schools cluster below: Fernbrooke State School 960 (1,007 students), Redbank Plains State High 933 (1,539 students) and Redbank Plains State School 920 (727 students), all below the 1,000 national ICSEA benchmark and reflecting the IRSAD decile 1 catchment. Transport is car-locked: 88.2% drive, only 2.4% use public transport despite the Ipswich rail line at nearby Redbank station, and 0.6% walk or cycle, well below state norms. Density is 1,249 per sqkm across 19.49 sqkm, low enough for backyards but high enough for estate-scale congestion at school pickup. Volunteering rate of 10% matches the national 11.6%, indicating active community fabric despite low SEIFA scores.
Drive
88.2%
Public Transport
2.4%
Walk / Cycle
0.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+3.26%/yr
(+946 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grew 62.6% over the past decade and is forecast to expand 3.26% annually, adding 946 residents per year from 29,057 in 2025 to 34,538 by 2031. The growth driver is balanced: net internal migration of 275 per year (Brisbane-to-Ipswich displacement of priced-out families) plus net overseas inflow of 316 per year (Pacific Islander chain migration and Indian-subcontinent settlement). Gentrification scores 50 (Active stage), accelerating from 31% to 45% on the underlying signals, while affordability slightly improved from 50.6% in 2011 to 46.9% in 2021 because incomes rose faster than rents in nominal terms despite -0.9% real income growth. Senior share grew 2.3pp and working-age share fell 1.1pp, hinting that early-mortgage families who arrived in 2010-2015 are aging in place rather than turning over.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+316
Net Internal / yr
+275
Gentrification Signal
Active
Net internal migration +275/yr, Strong overseas inflow +316/yr, Accelerating: 31% → 45%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Redbank Plains compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Redbank Plains a good suburb to live in?
Redbank Plains suits families wanting a new four-bedroom house on a quarter-acre lot under $600k within 35 minutes of Brisbane CBD via Centenary Highway or Ipswich rail. With 53.6% four-plus bedroom stock and mortgage-to-income at 22.4%, it's affordable for working families, though SEIFA decile 1 across all four indices means lower-ICSEA government schools (920-960) and higher unemployment (10.3%) than Brisbane proper.
What is the median house price in Redbank Plains?
Median sale-price reporting is unreliable for this Ipswich growth corridor due to thin Domain/CoreLogic coverage. The mortgage-cost proxy is more accurate: median monthly mortgage repayments sit at $1,473, roughly 24% below the $1,930 Brisbane figure, implying loan balances around $390,000 and entry house-and-land package prices typically between $550,000 and $650,000 depending on land size and finish.
What schools are in Redbank Plains?
Five schools operate inside the suburb. St Ann's Catholic Primary leads at ICSEA 1,027 with 450 students, then Staines Memorial Independent Combined at 1,006 (716 students). Government schools score lower: Fernbrooke State School 960 (1,007 enrolments), Redbank Plains State High 933 (1,539 enrolments), and Redbank Plains State School 920 (727 enrolments). All three government schools sit below the 1,000 national average.
Is Redbank Plains safe?
QPS crime statistics are not aggregated to suburb level in our dataset, but Redbank Plains sits in IRSAD decile 1 (national bottom 10%) with 10.3% unemployment, which historically correlates with higher property and assault rates than Brisbane median. Anecdotally the suburb is comparable to Goodna and Ipswich CBD; buyers and renters should walk both daytime and evening before committing, and check the QPS My Police website for current ward-level incident data.
Is Redbank Plains good for property investment?
The 59.2% renter share (almost double the 31% national average) and $350 weekly rent at 23.1% rent-to-income give Redbank Plains a healthy tenant pool. The 6.7% vacancy rate signals current oversupply but 12.9% rent growth and 591 net migrants per year suggest demand catching up. Gentrification scores 50 (Active stage). Yields typically run 5.0-5.5% gross, higher than inner Brisbane's 3-4%.
How is Redbank Plains' population changing?
Population grew 62.6% over the past decade to 24,349 residents at census and is forecast to add 946 people per year through 2031 (3.26% annually), reaching 34,538. Growth is balanced between 275 net internal migrants from Brisbane and 316 net overseas arrivals annually, with senior share up 2.3pp suggesting the original 2010-2015 buyer cohort is aging in place rather than rotating out.
What languages are spoken in Redbank Plains?
Beyond English, Samoan is by far the largest non-English language with 593 home speakers, reflecting 2,199 Samoan-ancestry residents and giving Redbank Plains the strongest Pacific Islander concentration in southeast Queensland outside Logan City. Punjabi (111 speakers), Hindi (83), Arabic (59) and Portuguese (43) add Indian-subcontinent and African layers, with 31.7% of residents born overseas, 10.1pp above the national average.
Why is Redbank Plains cheaper than Brisbane suburbs?
Three factors compound. Distance: 28km southwest of Brisbane CBD and outside the 20km premium ring. Greenfield supply: large estate releases since 2010 produced 62.6% population growth and kept land prices anchored. SEIFA decile 1 socioeconomic profile (IRSAD 884, IRSD 896) caps the premium buyers pay versus middle-Brisbane decile 5-6 suburbs. Mortgage repayments here ($1,473/month) run 24% below Brisbane median.
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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