Tanah Merah
At a $480,000 median house price with household income in the 70.9th percentile nationally, Tanah Merah works as a value play in Logan's mortgage belt. Detached houses make up 83.4% of dwellings and apartments just 0.2%, an unusually house-heavy profile that suits the 54.0% of homes carrying four or more bedrooms. The median age of 37 runs 3.0 years below national, yet the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 4.7 points over the decade. More than half of households (51.4%) hold a mortgage, well above the outright-owner share of 22.8%, marking this as a recent-buyer suburb rather than an established one.
Population
4,754
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,899/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
309
Median House
$480K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $480,000 median house price is the core draw, sitting far below Brisbane's metro figure and keeping monthly mortgage repayments near $1,733. That repayment level produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 21.1%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold, which explains why 51.4% of households can carry a mortgage here against only 22.8% owning outright. The stock favours families: 83.4% are separate houses and 54.0% have four or more bedrooms, with three-bedroom homes adding another 37.8%. Apartments are effectively absent at 0.2%, so buyers seeking low-maintenance units must look elsewhere. The combination of large detached homes and sub-stress repayments is why average household size reaches 2.8, which is 0.3 above national.
For Buyers
The $480,000 median house price is the core draw, sitting far below Brisbane's metro figure and keeping monthly mortgage repayments near $1,733. That repayment level produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 21.1%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold, which explains why 51.4% of households can carry a mortgage here against only 22.8% owning outright. The stock favours families: 83.4% are separate houses and 54.0% have four or more bedrooms, with three-bedroom homes adding another 37.8%. Apartments are effectively absent at 0.2%, so buyers seeking low-maintenance units must look elsewhere. The combination of large detached homes and sub-stress repayments is why average household size reaches 2.8, which is 0.3 above national.
For Investors
Renters make up 25.7% of households and weekly rent averages $380, giving a deep but modest tenant pool. Against the $480,000 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 4.1%, materially higher than the 1 to 2% seen in premium inner-city markets, which is the main investor case here. The vacancy rate of 4.6% is on the looser side, so rent setting needs care, though rent grew 14.7% over the period. Development activity is strong at 264 applications in 12 months, but the samples skew to roof, carport and renovation work on existing houses rather than new supply, so stock growth is limited. Demand support is balanced: net overseas migration adds 77 residents a year and net internal migration 52, with affordability improving from 51.2% in 2011 to 47.2% in 2021.
Development Activity
Total DAs
405
Last 12 Months
309
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+930.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 37 is 3.0 years below the national figure, and overseas-born residents reach 27.5%, which is 5.9 points above national, pointing to a younger, moderately multicultural family base. University qualifications sit at 26.1%, running 4.0 points below national, consistent with a workforce weighted toward trades, healthcare and clerical roles rather than knowledge sectors. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,892), Irish (516) and Scottish (505), while the top non-English languages are Mandarin (27), Arabic (15) and Hindi (15). Average household size of 2.8 is 0.3 above national, and couples with children (1,812 families) outnumber couples with no children (927), a family-formation profile that fits the four-bedroom-dominant housing stock.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.4%
Houses
13.9%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward recent buyers: 51.4% of households carry a mortgage, 22.8% own outright and 25.7% rent. Mortgage holders more than doubling outright owners is a marker of a younger suburb still paying down debt rather than long-held wealth. The stock is 83.4% separate houses with semi-detached at 13.9% and apartments at just 0.2%, and bedroom counts run large, with 54.0% of homes at four-plus bedrooms and 37.8% at three. The $480,000 median produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.1% and a rent-to-income ratio of 20.0%, both well below the 30% stress line, so neither tenure faces affordability strain. That dual comfort, rare in higher-priced markets, reflects how the modest median sits against household income in the 70.9th percentile.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$380
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$841
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.6%
Unoccupied
79
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.4%
Couples, no children
3,969
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in essential-services and trades sectors: Healthcare leads at 18.0% (283 workers), Construction follows at 14.0% (220) and Education at 10.1% (159), with Manufacturing at 8.2% and Public Admin at 7.5%. By occupation, Professionals (415) and Clerical/Admin (349) top the list, ahead of Community/Personal (269) and Managers (266), a spread that explains why university attainment trails national by 4.0 points. Unemployment is moderate at 5.7% and the full-time employment rate is 67.3%, with participation at 62.9%. On SEIFA the suburb reads middling, scoring decile 4 on IRSAD and decile 5 on IRSD, while economic resources rank higher at decile 7 (IER), because broad home ownership and large dwellings lift the resources measure even where education and occupation (decile 4 IEO) sit lower.
Unemployment
2.9%
Labour Force
7,258
Unemployed
213
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.3%
Part-time
27.0%
Participation
62.9%
Employed
2,234
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.1%
Postgraduate
4.6%
Born Overseas
27.5%
Dwellings
1,655
Transport to Work
Transport here is overwhelmingly car-based, with 91.5% of commuters driving, only 2.5% using public transport and 0.6% walking or cycling, well below the public-transport share of denser metro suburbs and a reflection of the low-density 1,176 residents per km2 layout. No schools are recorded inside the 4.04 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Logan suburbs, a practical trade-off for the detached-housing setting. On the disadvantage measures the suburb sits mid-pack, scoring decile 5 on IRSD and decile 4 on IRSAD, and only 5.6% of residents (254 people) need daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 12.4% and resident mobility is low, with 79.0% staying put, signs of a settled family population.
Drive
91.5%
Public Transport
2.5%
Walk / Cycle
0.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.92%/yr
(+117 people/yr)
EstablishedAnnual population growth runs at 0.92%, adding roughly 117 residents a year, and the 10-year change of 8.0% classifies this as an established, steady-growth suburb rather than a boom market. Medium forecasts lift the catchment population from 12,626 in 2026 to 13,212 by 2031, a continuation of the existing trend with no inflection. Growth is balanced across drivers, with net overseas migration of 77 a year just ahead of net internal migration of 52. The gentrification read is mixed: an early-signs score of 26 flags a 14% population rise since 2011 and accelerating change, yet real income grew only 1.1% over the decade and affordability improved from 51.2% to 47.2%, so price-led displacement is not yet evident.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+77
Net Internal / yr
+52
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +14% since 2011, Net internal migration +52/yr, Accelerating: 4% → 10%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Tanah Merah compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tanah Merah a good suburb to live in?
Tanah Merah suits families after space and value, with a $480,000 median house price, 83.4% separate houses and 54.0% of homes holding four or more bedrooms. Household income sits in the 70.9th percentile nationally and mortgage-to-income is a comfortable 21.1%. The main trade-off is heavy car reliance, with 91.5% of commuters driving.
What is the median house price in Tanah Merah?
The median house price is $480,000, well below Brisbane's metro figure. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.1%, under the 30% stress line. Weekly rent averages $380, implying a gross rental yield near 4.1%.
What schools are in Tanah Merah?
No schools are recorded inside the 4.04 km2 Tanah Merah boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Logan suburbs. The area skews young, with a median age of 37, which is 3.0 years below the national figure, and a family base of 1,812 couples with children.
Is Tanah Merah safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Tanah Merah in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, mid-pack nationally, and only 5.6% of its residents (254 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a typical settled family area.
Is Tanah Merah good for property investment?
Rent of $380 a week against a $480,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.1%, higher than premium inner-city markets at 1 to 2%. Rent grew 14.7% over the period and 25.7% of households rent, though the 4.6% vacancy rate is loose. Balanced migration adds 129 residents a year, supporting steady demand.
How is Tanah Merah's population changing?
Population growth runs at 0.92% annually, about 117 people a year, with an 8.0% rise over 10 years. The catchment is forecast to grow from 12,626 in 2026 to 13,212 by 2031. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 4.7 points and the working-age share down 1.4 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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