Richlands
Three out of four homes in Richlands are rented, at 73.0%, and that single number explains much of the suburb's character. The median age sits at 28, a striking 12.0 years below the national figure, because the affordable $448,000 median house price and $370 weekly rent draw young households and recent arrivals rather than established owners. Half the residents, 50.7%, were born overseas, which is 29.1 points above national, and the stock is unusual: 71.6% semi-detached townhouses against just 0.5% apartments. Richlands scores decile 1 on all four SEIFA indexes, the lowest advantage tier nationally, yet household income still reaches the 60.1st percentile, a gap that reflects large 2.7-person working households rather than deep disadvantage.
Population
5,621
Median Age
28.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,709/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
38
Median House
$448K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $448,000 median, Richlands is one of Brisbane's more accessible entry points, and the monthly mortgage repayment of $1,517 sits well below what the price alone would suggest. The mortgage-to-income ratio is 20.5%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold, so buyers here carry far less repayment pressure than in pricier Brisbane markets. The catch is stock type: 71.6% of dwellings are semi-detached townhouses and only 28.0% are separate houses, with apartments a negligible 0.5%, so a standalone house competes for limited supply. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 66.7% and four-plus bedroom homes account for 29.9%, suiting families over singles. Owner-occupier numbers are thin, with just 6.5% owning outright and 20.4% on a mortgage, well below the 73.0% who rent, signalling a market still tilted toward investors and tenants rather than resident buyers.
For Buyers
At a $448,000 median, Richlands is one of Brisbane's more accessible entry points, and the monthly mortgage repayment of $1,517 sits well below what the price alone would suggest. The mortgage-to-income ratio is 20.5%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold, so buyers here carry far less repayment pressure than in pricier Brisbane markets. The catch is stock type: 71.6% of dwellings are semi-detached townhouses and only 28.0% are separate houses, with apartments a negligible 0.5%, so a standalone house competes for limited supply. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 66.7% and four-plus bedroom homes account for 29.9%, suiting families over singles. Owner-occupier numbers are thin, with just 6.5% owning outright and 20.4% on a mortgage, well below the 73.0% who rent, signalling a market still tilted toward investors and tenants rather than resident buyers.
For Investors
A 73.0% renter share gives landlords one of the deepest tenant pools in Brisbane, and the 5.2% vacancy rate leaves room without signalling chronic oversupply. Weekly rent of $370 against the $448,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.3%, materially higher than inner-city Brisbane suburbs where yields often sit below 3%. The demand base is structural rather than speculative: with 50.7% of residents born overseas, 29.1 points above national, and a median age of 28, Richlands captures young migrant households who rent before buying. Development is steady but modest at 37 applications in 12 months, including a Reconfigure a Lot subdivision and operational works rather than large new estates, so supply additions are unlikely to flood the market. Rent-to-income of 21.7% keeps tenants affordable and reduces arrears risk, which supports stable occupancy over aggressive rent escalation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
129
Last 12 Months
38
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+40.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 28 runs 12.0 years below the national figure, marking Richlands as a young-household suburb rather than a retiree or established-family one. Overseas-born residents reach 50.7%, which is 29.1 points above national and makes migrants the majority. Ancestry is led by an Other grouping of 1,736, then English at 1,080, with Vietnamese (439) and Indian (338) reflecting strong Asian settlement. The top non-English languages are Punjabi (146), Samoan (76) and Arabic (58), and Islam (537 residents) and Buddhism (305) sit behind Christianity (2,122), a religious spread unusually broad for an outer Brisbane suburb. University qualifications reach 38.6%, 8.5 points above national, higher than the decile 1 SEIFA scores would imply, because qualified migrants often arrive before their earnings catch up. Average household size is 2.7, 0.2 above national, consistent with the 2,002 couple-with-children families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
28.0%
Houses
71.6%
Townhouse
0.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily skewed toward renting: 73.0% rent, while only 20.4% hold a mortgage and 6.5% own outright. That outright-ownership figure is far below typical Australian suburbs and points to a young, mobile population that has not yet built equity. The stock itself is distinctive, with 71.6% semi-detached townhouses, 28.0% separate houses and just 0.5% apartments, so the suburb is dominated by medium-density attached housing rather than high-rise or detached homes. Three-bedroom dwellings make up 66.7% and four-plus bedroom homes 29.9%, leaving one and two-bedroom options scarce at 3.4% combined. The $448,000 median house price keeps the mortgage-to-income ratio at 20.5% and rent-to-income at 21.7%, both well under stress thresholds, which is why neither the mortgage-stress nor rent-stress flag is triggered despite incomes only in the 60.1st percentile.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wk
$370
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$832
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.2%
Unoccupied
105
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.1%
Couples, no children
4,287
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 20.4% (384 workers), well ahead of Manufacturing at 8.8% (166), Retail at 8.7% (163), Professional/Tech at 8.4% (157) and Transport at 7.6% (143), a spread that reflects nearby hospital and industrial precincts. By occupation, Professionals (533) top the list, followed by Community/Personal Service (428) and Clerical/Admin (378), with Machinery Operators/Drivers (360) and Labourers (334) underlining a sizeable blue-collar base. Unemployment is elevated at 7.6%, above the national norm, and the full-time rate is 66.1% with participation at 64.9%. Richlands scores decile 1 on all four SEIFA indexes, IRSAD 813, IER 829, IEO 877 and IRSD 758, the lowest advantage tier nationally. That bottom-decile reading sits oddly against 38.6% university qualifications and 60.1st-percentile household income, an anomaly driven by recent-migrant underemployment rather than a low-skill workforce.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.1%
Part-time
26.3%
Participation
64.9%
Employed
2,603
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.6%
Postgraduate
10.4%
Born Overseas
50.7%
Dwellings
1,910
Transport to Work
Richlands is car-dependent: 80.3% drive to work while only 9.4% use public transport and 1.8% walk or cycle, so a vehicle is close to essential despite the medium-density layout at 1,074.7 residents per km2. Affordability is the main draw, with rent-to-income at 21.7% and mortgage-to-income at 20.5%, both comfortably below stress thresholds, leaving households more disposable income than higher-priced Brisbane suburbs allow. The suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the lowest tier, yet only 3.0% of residents (156 people) need daily assistance, so the disadvantage reading reflects income and migration recency more than acute hardship. Volunteering is modest at 10.9%, consistent with a young, time-poor working population. No schools are recorded inside the 5.23 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs.
Drive
80.3%
Public Transport
9.4%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Richlands compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Richlands a good suburb to live in?
Richlands suits younger renters and families chasing affordability, with a $448,000 median house price and rent-to-income at 21.7%, below the stress threshold. The median age is 28, some 12.0 years below national. It scores decile 1 on SEIFA, the lowest tier, but household income still reaches the 60.1st percentile.
What is the median house price in Richlands?
The median house price in Richlands is $448,000, one of Brisbane's more affordable markets. Weekly rent averages $370 and the monthly mortgage repayment is about $1,517, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.5%, well under the 30% stress level.
What schools are in Richlands?
No schools are recorded inside the 5.23 km2 Richlands boundary in this dataset, so families generally rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is fairly educated, with university qualifications at 38.6%, which is 8.5 points above the national figure.
Is Richlands safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Richlands in this dataset. As an indirect signal, only 3.0% of residents (156 people) report needing daily assistance, and the suburb's IRSD score of 758 places it in decile 1 for relative disadvantage, a context worth weighing alongside local police data.
Is Richlands good for property investment?
Rent of $370 a week against the $448,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.3%, higher than inner Brisbane where yields often sit below 3%. A 73.0% renter share and 5.2% vacancy rate point to steady tenant demand, supported by 50.7% of residents being born overseas.
How is Richlands's population changing?
Richlands has a young, mobile population of 5,621 with a median age of 28, some 12.0 years below national. Turnover is high at 38.1% over five years, with 61.9% of residents staying. Migration drives renewal, as 50.7% were born overseas, 29.1 points above the national share.
What languages are spoken in Richlands?
About 50.7% of Richlands residents were born overseas, 29.1 points above national. English dominates, but the most common non-English languages are Punjabi (146 speakers), Samoan (76), Arabic (58) and Hindi (54), reflecting strong South Asian and Pacific Islander settlement.
How much development is happening in Richlands?
There were 37 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, a modest level. Recent examples include a Reconfigure a Lot subdivision and operational and compliance works rather than large new estates, suggesting incremental change rather than a major supply surge in a suburb where 71.6% of stock is townhouses.
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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