Sarina
A $421,000 median house price paired with a household income in the 52.8th percentile makes Sarina genuinely affordable, with mortgage repayments consuming just 24.9% of income and rent 18.7%, both below the 30% stress threshold. The 250.54 km2 footprint holds only 5,619 residents at 22.4 per km2, and the housing is overwhelmingly detached at 91.7% with apartments at just 1.0%. Mining leads employment at 14.4%, which explains the Machinery Operators and Drivers occupation group of 431 workers, the largest in town. University qualifications sit at 9.7%, which is 20.4 points below the national figure, consistent with a trades and operator economy rather than a knowledge one.
Population
5,619
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,605/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
8
Median House
$421K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $421,000 median house price is well below most coastal Queensland markets, and the trades-heavy economy keeps purchasing within reach: monthly repayments average $1,733, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.9% that stays under the 30% stress line. Buyers get genuine houses rather than units, since 91.7% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.0% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.6% and four-plus bedroom homes reach 32.4%, so family-sized stock is the norm rather than the exception. Mortgage holders at 37.4% already outnumber outright owners at 35.7%, a sign that working families buying with debt make up the active end of the market more than established cash owners do.
For Buyers
The $421,000 median house price is well below most coastal Queensland markets, and the trades-heavy economy keeps purchasing within reach: monthly repayments average $1,733, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.9% that stays under the 30% stress line. Buyers get genuine houses rather than units, since 91.7% of dwellings are separate houses and only 1.0% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.6% and four-plus bedroom homes reach 32.4%, so family-sized stock is the norm rather than the exception. Mortgage holders at 37.4% already outnumber outright owners at 35.7%, a sign that working families buying with debt make up the active end of the market more than established cash owners do.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $300 against the $421,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.7%, higher than the sub-2% yields common in capital-city markets, which is the main draw for investors here. The tenant pool is moderate, with 26.8% of households renting, below the national renter share. The catch is an 11.8% vacancy rate, elevated and a likely reflection of the mining workforce's transience rather than deep structural oversupply. Development is thin at 6 applications in 12 months, so new supply will not flood the market. Demand support is balanced, with net internal migration adding 55 residents a year and overseas migration 24, and rent-to-income at 18.7% gives tenants room to absorb increases, so the case rests on yield more than 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 Sarina iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Anne's Catholic Primary School
Prep-6 · 162 students
Sarina State High School
7-12 · 775 students
Swayneville State School
Prep-6 · 114 students
Sarina State School
Prep-6 · 359 students
Demographics
Sarina's median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly, but the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 6.8 points while the working-age share fell 3.7 points and the young share dropped 2.2 points over the decade. The population is strongly Anglo, with overseas-born residents at just 7.4%, which is 14.2 points below the national level, and ancestry led by English (2,139), Scottish (530), Irish (511) and German (336). Average household size is 2.6, marginally above national by 0.1, fitting a family profile where couples with children (1,679) outnumber couples without (1,240) across 4,203 families. University qualifications reach only 9.7%, 20.4 points below national, because the local economy rewards trades and operating skills over degrees.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.7%
Houses
6.6%
Townhouse
1.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is split fairly evenly: 37.4% carry a mortgage, 35.7% own outright and 26.8% rent. Mortgage holders edging past outright owners points to working families buying in rather than a settled, debt-free base. The stock is almost entirely detached at 91.7%, with semi-detached at 6.6% and apartments at just 1.0%, so density is effectively absent across the 250.54 km2 area. Bedroom counts confirm the family orientation, with 47.6% three-bedroom and 32.4% four-plus bedroom homes against only 4.7% with one bedroom or none. The $421,000 median against a household income in the 52.8th percentile keeps both mortgage-to-income (24.9%) and rent-to-income (18.7%) below the 30% stress threshold, a comfort margin most coastal markets cannot match.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$710
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.8%
Unoccupied
260
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.5%
Couples, no children
4,203
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is concentrated in physical, resource-linked sectors: Mining leads at 14.4% (193 workers), Healthcare follows at 13.1% (175) and Transport at 12.3% (165), with Manufacturing at 9.1% and Education at 7.5%. By occupation, Machinery Operators and Drivers (431) and Labourers (357) dominate, which aligns with the mining and transport base and explains the IEO education-and-occupation score landing in decile 1, the lowest tier. Unemployment is 5.3% and the full-time rate is a high 69.8%, reflecting steady resource-sector work. Participation reads only 52.4% because the aging profile leaves 1,492 residents out of the labour force. One anomaly: the IER economic-resources score sits at decile 6, well above the decile 1 IEO, because affordable housing and full-time wages lift household resources even where formal education is low.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
6,575
Unemployed
239
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
69.8%
Part-time
24.9%
Participation
52.4%
Employed
2,242
Occupations
Top Industries
University
9.7%
Postgraduate
1.0%
Born Overseas
7.4%
Dwellings
1,938
Transport to Work
Sarina is car-dependent by design: 86.8% drive to work while only 1.1% use public transport and 5.3% walk or cycle, a far heavier car reliance than the national average, unsurprising across a spread-out 250.54 km2 area at 22.4 residents per km2. The suburb scores decile 4 on IRSD for relative disadvantage and decile 3 on IRSAD, both below the midpoint, indicating a working community with limited surplus advantage. Volunteering runs at 15.5% and 6.3% of residents (317 people) need daily assistance, in line with the aging profile. Housing comfort is the standout: rent takes just 18.7% of income and mortgages 24.9%, both below the 30% stress line, so residents trade transport convenience for affordable, detached family homes.
Drive
86.8%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
5.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.62%/yr
(+78 people/yr)
EstablishedSarina is an established, slow-growth suburb: population rises about 0.62% a year, roughly 78 people, and the 10-year change was just 1.9%. Growth is balanced between drivers, with net internal migration adding 55 residents annually and overseas migration 24, so neither dominates. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying, fitting a suburb where real incomes actually fell 2.0% over the decade rather than climbing. Affordability still improved, easing from 47.2% of income in 2011 to 39.1% in 2021, because house prices stayed restrained relative to wages. With development at only 6 applications in 12 months and an aging trajectory, expansion will stay modest and incremental rather than transformative.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+24
Net Internal / yr
+55
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal migration +55/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Sarina compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sarina a good suburb to live in?
Sarina suits buyers who want affordability and space: the $421,000 median house price keeps mortgage costs at 24.9% of income, below the 30% stress line, and 91.7% of dwellings are detached houses. The trade-offs are a car-dependent layout where 86.8% drive and SEIFA scores in decile 3 to 4, below the midpoint.
What is the median house price in Sarina?
The median house price in Sarina is $421,000, well below most coastal Queensland markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.9%, while weekly rent of $300 takes just 18.7% of household income, both under the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Sarina?
No schools are recorded inside the 250.54 km2 Sarina boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools nearby. The suburb has a family profile, with 1,679 couples with children among 4,203 families and average household size of 2.6, just 0.1 above national.
Is Sarina safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Sarina in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 4 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, and 6.3% of residents (317 people) need daily assistance, both broadly consistent with a typical working regional community.
Is Sarina good for property investment?
Rent of $300 a week against the $421,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.7%, above the sub-2% common in capital cities. The catch is an 11.8% vacancy rate tied to the transient mining workforce, though net internal migration of 55 residents a year supports steady demand.
How is Sarina's population changing?
Sarina's population grows about 0.62% a year, around 78 people, with a 10-year change of just 1.9%, marking it as established and slow-growing. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 6.8 points and the working-age share down 3.7 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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