Svensson Heights
All four SEIFA indexes place Svensson Heights in decile 1 nationally, the most disadvantaged tier, yet household income sits in the 15.1st percentile and weekly rent is $265, making it one of the most affordable residential areas in regional Queensland. The suburb covers 2.78 km2 in the Bundaberg area with a population of 3,334 and a median age of 44, four years above the national figure. Separate houses make up 80.9% of dwellings, rent cost runs at 25.1% of income (below the 30% stress threshold), and 33.2% own their home outright. Growth is slow at 0.9% over 10 years, reflecting an established, lower-income area where affordability has actually improved since 2011.
Population
3,334
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,054/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
3
Median House
$336K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The estimated median house price of $336,000 is well below state and national medians, placing Svensson Heights firmly in the affordable bracket for detached housing. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,213, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 26.6%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers here face less financial strain than in most QLD markets. Separate houses account for 80.9% of stock, with three-bedroom homes the most common at 51.5% and four-plus bedroom homes at 21.6%. Semi-detached dwellings reach 18.0%, while apartments are rare at 0.8%. Outright ownership at 33.2% exceeds the mortgage cohort at 26.2%, suggesting many residents have held these homes for a long time rather than recently purchased.
For Buyers
The estimated median house price of $336,000 is well below state and national medians, placing Svensson Heights firmly in the affordable bracket for detached housing. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,213, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 26.6%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers here face less financial strain than in most QLD markets. Separate houses account for 80.9% of stock, with three-bedroom homes the most common at 51.5% and four-plus bedroom homes at 21.6%. Semi-detached dwellings reach 18.0%, while apartments are rare at 0.8%. Outright ownership at 33.2% exceeds the mortgage cohort at 26.2%, suggesting many residents have held these homes for a long time rather than recently purchased.
For Investors
A 40.6% renter share is notably higher than the national average, and weekly rent of $265 against a $336,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.1%, meaningfully higher than most capital-city benchmarks. The 8.0% vacancy rate is elevated and warrants caution, reflecting softer rental demand in a low-income regional market. Net internal migration averages 55 people per year, the primary growth driver, while overseas migration adds 19 annually. Development activity is low at just 2 applications in the past 12 months, limiting new supply pressure. Population growth over 10 years was 0.9%, so capital growth expectations should be modest, and the investment case rests on yield rather than appreciation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
3
Last 12 Months
3
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
Demographics
The median age of 44 is 4.0 years above the national figure, and the senior share grew 1.1 points over the decade while the young-adult share fell 2.0 points, consistent with an aging trajectory. Overseas-born residents account for 9.4% of the population, 12.2 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting an Anglo-leaning community where English (1,397 ancestry responses), Irish (344) and Scottish (326) dominate. University qualifications reach 18.3%, sitting 11.8 points below the national rate, and the participation rate is 47.0%, with 1,238 residents not in the labour force. Average household size is 2.2, slightly below the national figure of 2.5. A volunteering rate of 13.1% suggests moderate community engagement.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
80.9%
Houses
18.0%
Townhouse
0.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits across 33.2% outright owners, 26.2% mortgage holders and 40.6% renters. The high outright ownership share compared to mortgage holders points to long-held properties rather than active buyer turnover. Stock is dominated by separate houses at 80.9%, with three-bedroom homes the single largest type at 51.5%. The 8.0% vacancy rate is above the typical 2-3% healthy level, indicating softer rental conditions than tighter urban markets. Rent-to-income at 25.1% sits below the 30% stress threshold, and mortgage-to-income at 26.6% also remains comfortable. The population turnover rate of 30.7% shows that around 1 in 3 residents moved in the previous 5 years, while 69.3% stayed, reflecting moderate residential stability.
Mortgage / mo
$1,213
Rent / wk
$265
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$574
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.0%
Unoccupied
118
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.6%
Couples, no children
2,336
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 31.3% of local workers (246 employed), well above its national weight, followed by Education at 14.2% (112), Construction at 8.7% (68) and Retail at 8.1% (64). Public Administration employs 6.9% (54). By occupation, Community/Personal Service workers lead at 225, followed closely by Professionals at 220 and Labourers at 186. The unemployment rate is 7.3%, above average for Queensland, and the full-time employment rate is 60.4%. All four SEIFA indexes sit in decile 1, placing the suburb in the bottom 10% nationally for advantage, education/occupation, economic resources and relative disadvantage. Real income grew 13.7% over the decade but from a low base, with weekly household income at $1,054.
Unemployment
5.9%
Labour Force
3,067
Unemployed
181
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.4%
Part-time
32.3%
Participation
47.0%
Employed
1,214
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.3%
Postgraduate
2.6%
Born Overseas
9.4%
Dwellings
1,348
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 87.8% of residents drive to work, compared to lower rates in more urban Queensland suburbs, while public transport use is just 0.4%, reflecting limited services in this regional setting. Walking and cycling accounts for 4.1%. Detailed crime data is not available for Svensson Heights, but all four SEIFA indexes score decile 1, indicating high disadvantage relative to national benchmarks. The need-for-assistance rate is 13.8% (436 people), higher than the national average, consistent with an older and lower-income profile. Rent-to-income at 25.1% keeps housing costs manageable for renters, and the 8.0% vacancy rate means rental options are available. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset.
Drive
87.8%
Public Transport
0.4%
Walk / Cycle
4.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.17%/yr
(+10 people/yr)
EstablishedTen-year population growth of 0.9% places Svensson Heights well below the national average for urban suburbs, adding roughly 10 residents per year at 0.17% annually. Medium forecasts project around 6,013 residents by 2031, representing minimal change from the 2025 estimate of 6,028. Net internal migration of 55 per year is the primary driver, with overseas migration adding 19 annually. The gentrification score is 7 (not gentrifying), and affordability improved from 54.6% in 2011 to 47.7% in 2021, a positive shift alongside 22.2% rent growth and 13.7% real income growth over the decade.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+19
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 Svensson Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Svensson Heights a good suburb to live in?
Svensson Heights scores decile 1 on all four SEIFA indexes, placing it in the most disadvantaged 10% nationally. The trade-off is genuine affordability: the estimated median house price is $336,000, rent averages $265 a week, and mortgage-to-income sits at a manageable 26.6%. It suits buyers prioritising low purchase costs over proximity to urban amenities.
What is the median house price in Svensson Heights?
The estimated median house price is $336,000 (derived from 2025 rental data). Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,213 and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 26.6%, below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $265, giving a rent-to-income ratio of 25.1%.
What schools are in Svensson Heights?
No schools are recorded inside the Svensson Heights boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in surrounding Bundaberg suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 18.3%, which is 11.8 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Svensson Heights safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Svensson Heights in this dataset. As a proxy, all four SEIFA indexes rank in decile 1 nationally, indicating high relative disadvantage, and the need-for-assistance rate is 13.8%, above average. Prospective residents should check Queensland Police Service area crime data directly.
Is Svensson Heights good for property investment?
The 40.6% renter share and $265 weekly rent against a $336,000 median imply a gross yield near 4.1%, higher than most capital-city markets. However, the 8.0% vacancy rate signals soft rental demand, and 10-year population growth was only 0.9%, so capital growth expectations should be modest. Yield rather than appreciation is the investment thesis here.
How is Svensson Heights's population changing?
Population growth over 10 years was 0.9%, adding roughly 10 residents per year at 0.17% annually. The 2025 population is estimated near 6,028. Medium forecasts project around 6,013 residents by 2031, with balanced migration driving modest positive flow. The gentrification score is 7, classified as not gentrifying.
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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