Rocklea
Rocklea's clearest signature is its renting base: 47.9% of households rent, while 88.0% of dwellings are separate houses. The suburb has 1,672 residents across 9.22 sq km, with a median age of 34, six years below the national figure. Overseas-born residents account for 36.8%, 15.2 percentage points above national, adding an international layer to a compact, detached-housing market. Compared with nearby Moorooka and Salisbury, Rocklea rewards address-level checking because its housing, commercial activity and transport needs can vary within a small area. Growth is slow at 0.47% a year, and the 7.6% vacancy rate gives renters more choice than a tightly constrained market.
Local council: Brisbane
Population
1,672
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,493/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
45
Rocklea suits buyers who prioritise a detached home and can assess each property on its own merits. Separate houses represent 88.0% of dwellings, with 45.7% containing 3 bedrooms, while apartments are 7.7%, making the stock more house-led than apartment-led. A current median house price is unavailable, so buyers should rely on recent comparable sales rather than a suburb-wide headline. The listed mortgage repayment is $1,635 per month, and mortgage costs equal 25.3% of household income, higher than the 22.4% rent-to-income figure. With 47.9% renting and vacancy at 7.6%, purchasers can compare owner-occupier and investment demand before committing. Check flood, traffic and planning conditions for the exact street, particularly where residential and commercial uses meet.
For Buyers
Rocklea suits buyers who prioritise a detached home and can assess each property on its own merits. Separate houses represent 88.0% of dwellings, with 45.7% containing 3 bedrooms, while apartments are 7.7%, making the stock more house-led than apartment-led. A current median house price is unavailable, so buyers should rely on recent comparable sales rather than a suburb-wide headline. The listed mortgage repayment is $1,635 per month, and mortgage costs equal 25.3% of household income, higher than the 22.4% rent-to-income figure. With 47.9% renting and vacancy at 7.6%, purchasers can compare owner-occupier and investment demand before committing. Check flood, traffic and planning conditions for the exact street, particularly where residential and commercial uses meet.
For Investors
Rocklea has a tenant-oriented profile, with 47.9% of households renting and weekly rent at $335. Vacancy is 7.6%, so investors should not assume every property will lease instantly; presentation, access and property type will matter because 88.0% of dwellings are separate houses. Rent growth is 17.5% in the shift indicators, while the broader growth trend is a modest 0.47% annually. Development activity is also material, with 43 applications in 12 months, including warehouse, commercial educational and lot-reconfiguration proposals. Compared with a purely residential market, this mix creates both employment access and land-use risk. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, and the overseas-born share is 36.8%, 15.2 points above national, which may support a broad tenant pool without guaranteeing returns. Test insurance, flood exposure, vacancy assumptions and exit liquidity before buying.
Development Activity
Total DAs
141
Last 12 Months
45
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+36.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Rocklea
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Rocklea State School
Demographics
Rocklea is younger and more internationally connected than the national profile. Median age is 34, six years below national, while 36.8% of residents were born overseas, 15.2 percentage points above national. University attainment is 38.2%, 8.1 points above national, yet average household size is 2.3, 0.2 below national. English, Other and Irish are the largest recorded ancestry responses at 489, 297 and 178 people; no religion is recorded for 734 residents, compared with 605 identifying with Christianity. Turnover is 32.1%, leaving 67.9% in the same address, suggesting both mobility and continuity. Compared with nearby Moorooka and Salisbury, Rocklea's smaller population of 1,672 makes demographic percentages more sensitive to modest household changes. Mandarin, Arabic and Cantonese are each recorded by 14, 11 and 11 residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.0%
Houses
4.3%
Townhouse
7.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Rocklea's housing stock is strongly detached: 88.0% separate houses, 4.3% semi-detached dwellings and 7.7% apartments. The largest bedroom group is 3 bedrooms at 45.7%, followed by 2 bedrooms at 25.0%, while 13.9% have 0 or 1 bedroom and 15.3% have 4 or more. Tenure is tilted toward renters, at 47.9%, versus 32.2% paying a mortgage and 18.3% owning outright. The listed mortgage repayment is $1,635 monthly, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.3% is higher than rent-to-income at 22.4%, although neither stress flag is triggered. Compared with apartment-heavy inner suburbs, Rocklea gives buyers more land-oriented stock, but flood, access and planning checks are more important than relying on a suburb median, which is unavailable. Nearby Moorooka and Salisbury should be treated as separate comparable markets.
Mortgage / mo
$1,635
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$335
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$793
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.6%
Unoccupied
53
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
38.5%
Couples with children
38.8%
Couples, no children
18.7%
Single parent
348
Total families
Economy & Employment
Rocklea's employment base mixes services with hands-on work. Healthcare leads the listed industries at 19.2% and 110 workers, followed by Education at 13.8% and 79, Professional/Tech at 9.4% and 54, Public Administration at 7.7% and 44, and Construction at 7.0% and 40. Occupations are led by Professionals at 209, Trades at 135 and Clerical/Admin at 105. Participation is 66.2%, full-time employment 59.4%, and unemployment 8.3%. The 38.2% university share is 8.1 points above national, but household income sits at the 46.6 percentile. That helps explain the contrast between skilled residents and low area-level scores: IEO is decile 3, while IER, IRSD and IRSAD are each decile 1. Compared with higher-decile suburbs, Rocklea's workforce capability has not translated into broad socioeconomic advantage.
Unemployment
8.3%
Labour Force
936
Unemployed
78
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.4%
Part-time
31.1%
Participation
66.2%
Employed
858
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.2%
Postgraduate
9.7%
Born Overseas
36.8%
Dwellings
626
Transport to Work
Daily life in Rocklea is car-oriented: 70.0% use a car for transport, compared with 5.4% using public transport and 3.5% walking or cycling. That matters because access and trip planning are likely to shape convenience more than rail or active-transport habits; 18.2% work from home, which can reduce some weekday travel. There is 1 local government school, Rocklea State School, so families should check enrolment zones and nearby options against the exact address rather than infer access from the suburb name. For safety, review recent police and council incident information before choosing a street. The IRSAD result is in decile 1, below the national median position, and the suburb's 1,672 residents are spread across 9.22 sq km. Compared with more transit-oriented inner suburbs, Rocklea is better suited to households comfortable with driving and property-specific due diligence.
Drive
70.0%
Public Transport
5.4%
Walk / Cycle
3.5%
Work from Home
18.2%
Growth Outlook
Rocklea's forecast profile is established and slow-moving rather than expansionary. Annual trend growth is 0.47%, the trajectory is Stable, and overseas migration is the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 11.5% over 10 years, while the working-age share has shifted 1.5 percentage points and the young share 0.4 points. Gentrification signals are mixed: one model records score 3 and stage Not gentrifying, while the shift indicators record score 40 and stage Early signs. Rent growth of 17.5% and real income growth of 15.5% may improve turnover and purchasing capacity, but the slower 0.47% trend argues for measured expectations. Compared with faster-growth corridors, Rocklea's stable trajectory favours investors seeking established demand over a rapid repricing story.
Population trend: Brisbane council area
Rocklea sits in the Brisbane council area. These are the council area's residents, not Rocklea's.
Residents 2025
1,375,301
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.7%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.6%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Rocklea compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rocklea a good suburb to live in?
Rocklea can suit households that value detached housing, with 88.0% of dwellings separate houses and 70.0% using a car for transport. Renting is also common at 47.9%, and the IRSAD result is decile 1, so buyers should weigh housing preferences against address-level flood, traffic, planning and safety checks.
What is the median house price in Rocklea?
A current median house price is unavailable for Rocklea. Useful affordability markers are a listed mortgage repayment of $1,635 per month, weekly rent of $335 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.3%. Use recent comparable sales and confirm property-specific costs before setting a budget.
What schools are in Rocklea?
Rocklea has 1 local government school, Rocklea State School. Families should confirm the school's year levels, enrolment zone and nearby alternatives for the exact address, especially if they are comparing homes around the 9.22 sq km suburb.
Is Rocklea safe?
Rocklea has 1,672 residents, and safety can vary by street and land-use setting. Review recent police and council incident information before choosing a property, and inspect lighting, traffic, industrial interfaces and flood exposure at different times rather than relying only on a suburb-wide impression.
Is Rocklea good for property investment?
Rocklea may suit investors seeking established rental demand rather than rapid growth. Renting accounts for 47.9%, weekly rent is $335, vacancy is 7.6%, and 43 development applications were recorded over 12 months. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, but returns still depend on property type, insurance, flood risk and exit demand.
How is Rocklea's population changing?
Rocklea's wider-area forecast is stable: annual trend growth is 0.47%, with overseas migration the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 11.5% over 10 years, while the suburb has 1,672 residents today. The gentrification model labels it Not gentrifying with score 3, despite shift indicators marked Early signs with score 40.
What languages are spoken in Rocklea?
Recorded language responses include Mandarin at 14 people, Arabic at 11 and Cantonese at 11. Overseas-born residents account for 36.8% of Rocklea's population, so service providers may encounter language needs beyond English. For a tenancy or school matter, confirm preferred communication directly rather than assuming from suburb-level figures.
What development is happening in Rocklea?
Rocklea recorded 43 development applications over 12 months. Examples include an industry warehouse, a commercial educational establishment and a lot-reconfiguration proposal associated with 1 dwelling. This points to ongoing land-use activity rather than a purely residential pipeline, so buyers should check planning approvals, truck routes, construction timing and impacts on adjoining streets.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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