South Maclean
With 260 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, South Maclean is building at a rate that stands out for a suburb of only 2,232 residents. The housing stock is 99.6% separate houses, one of the most detached-dominant profiles you will find anywhere in Queensland, and 65.5% of those dwellings have four or more bedrooms, signalling a suburb built for families rather than downsizers. Household income sits in the 77.2nd percentile nationally, above average yet paired with a median house price of $572,000 that remains accessible compared to Brisbane inner-ring suburbs. Mortgage holders account for 60.2% of households, consistent with a mortgage-belt community in active expansion.
Population
2,232
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,061/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
289
Median House
$572K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $572,000 reflects a suburb priced below many southeast Queensland growth corridors, offering a four-bedroom detached house as the standard product rather than the exception. Four-plus bedroom dwellings represent 65.5% of stock, with three-bedroom homes adding another 30.4%, so buyer choice is deep in family sizes. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, and at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9% the suburb sits below the 30% financial stress threshold, lower than many comparable family suburbs. Only 12.5% of households rent, so the market is owner-occupier dominated, which tends to support price stability. Outright ownership at 27.3% shows a meaningful proportion of long-held, debt-free homes in the area.
For Buyers
The median house price of $572,000 reflects a suburb priced below many southeast Queensland growth corridors, offering a four-bedroom detached house as the standard product rather than the exception. Four-plus bedroom dwellings represent 65.5% of stock, with three-bedroom homes adding another 30.4%, so buyer choice is deep in family sizes. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, and at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9% the suburb sits below the 30% financial stress threshold, lower than many comparable family suburbs. Only 12.5% of households rent, so the market is owner-occupier dominated, which tends to support price stability. Outright ownership at 27.3% shows a meaningful proportion of long-held, debt-free homes in the area.
For Investors
A 12.5% renter share is thin compared to typical investment suburbs, but weekly rent of $470 against a $572,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.3%, reasonable for southeast Queensland. The vacancy rate of 4.2% is slightly elevated, suggesting supply has been outpacing tenant demand in recent periods. Development activity is high at 260 applications in 12 months, nearly all detached dwellings, which shows sustained construction momentum. Rent-to-income sits at 22.8%, below stress levels, meaning existing tenants are not under pressure to exit. The combination of affordable entry prices below Brisbane median, family-scale dwellings, and a 77.2nd-percentile household income base creates a relatively stable tenant demographic for investors who enter at current levels.
Development Activity
Total DAs
325
Last 12 Months
289
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+9533.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
South Maclean has a median age of 39, one year below the national average, and an average household size of 3.1 persons, which is 0.6 above the national figure. That larger household reflects the prevalence of couples with children: 841 of the 1,931 families are couples with children, while 501 are couples without children. Overseas-born residents make up 16.3% of the population, which is 5.3 points below the national rate, and ancestry leans strongly Anglo-Celtic with English (936), Irish (270) and Scottish (244) the top three groups. University qualification rates are 15.8%, which is 14.3 points below the national figure, consistent with a trade and technical workforce rather than a knowledge-sector professional base. Turnover is moderate, with 72.1% of residents having stayed in the same address for five or more years.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.6%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing profile is exceptionally uniform: 99.6% separate houses with virtually no apartments or semi-detached dwellings, a proportion that is above almost all urban Queensland suburbs. Within that stock, 65.5% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms, which is the dominant size category by a wide margin, compared to 30.4% with three bedrooms. Mortgage holders at 60.2% outnumber outright owners (27.3%) and renters (12.5%) by a large margin, meaning the suburb is predominantly held by working households still paying off their homes. The median house price of $572,000 paired with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9% means the typical buyer is not under financial stress, unlike higher-priced suburbs where the same income base stretches further. Weekly rent of $470 is below southeast Queensland metro averages.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wk
$470
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$782
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.2%
Unoccupied
30
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.9%
Couples, no children
1,931
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction dominates local employment at 16.9% of the workforce (111 workers), followed by Healthcare at 15.7% (103 workers) and Education at 11.9% (78 workers), giving the suburb a mix of trades and community-services jobs rather than a purely professional economy. Manufacturing at 9.9% and Public Administration at 7.8% round out the top five sectors. By occupation, Clerical and Admin leads with 168 workers, followed by Managers (129), Labourers (126) and Professionals (124), reflecting a spread across blue and white collar roles. The full-time employment rate is 67.1%, close to the national norm, and the unemployment rate of 4.5% is not significantly elevated. Household income in the 77.2nd percentile nationally sits higher than the industry mix might suggest, likely because Construction and Healthcare both pay above median wages in the current Queensland labour market.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.1%
Part-time
28.4%
Participation
58.4%
Employed
991
Occupations
Top Industries
University
15.8%
Postgraduate
2.3%
Born Overseas
16.3%
Dwellings
686
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total: 92.5% of residents drive to work, and only 1.3% use public transport, well below state and national averages. Walking and cycling account for just 0.9%, reflecting the low-density, road-oriented layout across the 17.72 square kilometre area. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby facilities in the Logan-Beaudesert corridor. Crime statistics are not available for South Maclean at the suburb level. On the positive side, rent-to-income at 22.8% and mortgage-to-income at 21.9% both fall below financial stress thresholds, meaning residents at both ends of the tenure spectrum are not stretched. The volunteering rate of 11.3% is modest but consistent with a suburb where the majority of adults are working full-time or raising children.
Drive
92.5%
Public Transport
1.3%
Walk / Cycle
0.9%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How South Maclean compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is South Maclean a good suburb to live in?
South Maclean suits families wanting a detached house at an accessible price. Household income sits in the 77.2nd percentile nationally, mortgage-to-income is 21.9% (below stress), and 99.6% of dwellings are separate houses with 65.5% having four or more bedrooms. The main limitation is near-total car dependence, with 92.5% of residents driving to work.
What is the median house price in South Maclean?
The median house price is approximately $572,000, estimated from current rental data for 2025. Weekly rent averages $470, and monthly mortgage repayments run around $1,950, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9%, which is below the 30% financial stress threshold.
What schools are in South Maclean?
No schools are recorded inside the South Maclean boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs within the Logan-Beaudesert corridor. At 15.8% university qualification rate, the suburb is 14.3 points below the national figure, and the local workforce is oriented toward trades and community services.
Is South Maclean safe?
Suburb-level crime statistics are not available for South Maclean in this dataset. As a contextual indicator, the area has a high 60.2% mortgage-holder rate and household incomes in the 77.2nd percentile nationally, both associated with settled, owner-occupier communities. Only 6.3% of residents (131 people) require assistance with daily activities.
Is South Maclean good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $470 against a $572,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.3%, better than many inner-city markets. However, the vacancy rate of 4.2% is slightly elevated and the renter share is only 12.5%, so tenant demand is limited. The 260 development applications in 12 months show active supply growth, which investors should weigh against demand.
How is South Maclean's population changing?
South Maclean is growing, with 260 development applications lodged in the past 12 months for a population of just 2,232, an exceptionally high construction ratio. The turnover rate of 27.9% shows roughly 1 in 4 households changed over a five-year period, consistent with an area attracting new residents rather than a static established community.
How much development is happening in South Maclean?
There were 260 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, high relative to the current population of 2,232. Recent applications include detached dwellings, garages, patios and alterations, indicating both new construction and upgrades to existing homes. This activity is consistent with the Logan-Beaudesert urban growth corridor designation.
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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