Thornlands
Fast growth, family scale and detached housing define Thornlands more than a bayside holiday image. The suburb has 19,263 residents across 21.65 sq km, with 87.4% separate houses and 71.5% of dwellings at 4 or more bedrooms, higher than inner Brisbane patterns. Household income sits at the 84.3rd percentile nationally, helping explain why 48.0% of homes carry a mortgage. Compared with nearby Cleveland and Victoria Point, Thornlands reads more suburban and low-rise, with growth running at 2.9% a year.
Population
19,263
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,218/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$597K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Homebuyers are mostly paying for space and family utility. Separate houses make up 87.4% of dwellings, 71.5% have 4 or more bedrooms, and apartments are only 1.0%, so choice is much stronger for detached living than compact housing. The typical mortgage payment is $2,167 a month, with mortgage costs at 22.6% of income, below common stress thresholds. Because household income is $2,218 a week and in the 84.3rd percentile nationally, larger homes are more supportable than in lower-income mortgage belts.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mostly paying for space and family utility. Separate houses make up 87.4% of dwellings, 71.5% have 4 or more bedrooms, and apartments are only 1.0%, so choice is much stronger for detached living than compact housing. The typical mortgage payment is $2,167 a month, with mortgage costs at 22.6% of income, below common stress thresholds. Because household income is $2,218 a week and in the 84.3rd percentile nationally, larger homes are more supportable than in lower-income mortgage belts.
For Investors
Investor demand is driven more by population growth than new supply. Renters account for 26.7% of households, below the owner-occupier base, while the weekly rent is $470 and vacancy sits at 3.5%. With 0 recorded developments in the past 12 months, rental competition is less about a construction wave and more about household formation. Forecast migration is supportive: internal migration adds about 273 people a year and overseas migration adds 174, giving landlords a deeper tenant pool.
Schools in Thornlands iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Carmel College
7-12 · 1220 students
Thornlands State School
Prep-6 · 800 students
Bay View State School
Prep-6 · 809 students
Demographics
Thornlands has a younger and larger-household profile than the national baseline. The median age is 36, which is 4.0 years below national, and average household size is 2.9, or 0.4 higher than national. University attainment is 28.1%, 2.0 percentage points below national, while the overseas-born share is 26.3%, 4.7 points above national. English ancestry is the largest recorded group at 8,644 people, followed by Scottish at 2,335 and Irish at 2,066, so the suburb is mixed but still strongly Anglo-Celtic in origin.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.4%
Houses
11.6%
Townhouse
1.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is heavily weighted to large detached ownership. Separate houses represent 87.4% of stock, semi-detached homes 11.6%, and apartments just 1.0%, which is lower than apartment-led markets closer to Brisbane. Ownership is also stable: 25.3% own outright, 48.0% are mortgaged, and 26.7% rent. The absence of a current median house price means buyers should lean on recent comparable sales, but the structure is clear because 71.5% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and rent-to-income is 21.2%, below stress levels.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$470
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$920
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.5%
Unoccupied
234
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.7%
Couples, no children
16,893
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is anchored in population-serving and skilled industries. Healthcare employs 1,282 residents, or 18.6%, followed by construction at 943 and 13.7%, education at 765 and 11.1%, professional and tech at 519, and retail at 483. Professionals are the largest occupation group with 1,954 people, ahead of clerical and admin at 1,572 and managers at 1,406. The SEIFA pattern is above average overall: IRSD and IRSAD are both decile 8, while economic resources rank higher at decile 9 than education and occupation at decile 6.
Unemployment
1.8%
Labour Force
13,639
Unemployed
246
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.0%
Part-time
29.9%
Participation
64.2%
Employed
9,324
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.1%
Postgraduate
5.7%
Born Overseas
26.3%
Dwellings
6,402
Transport to Work
Daily life is built around cars, schools and detached family routines. Car driving accounts for 91.6% of commuting, compared with only 1.9% using public transport and 1.2% walking or cycling, so convenience depends on road access. The suburb has 3 schools with ICSEA scores from 1008 to 1045, led by Carmel College, a Catholic secondary school with 1,220 enrolments, and Thornlands State School, a government primary with 800. IRSAD decile 8 supports livability because advantage is higher than the national middle.
Drive
91.6%
Public Transport
1.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.9%/yr
(+633 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is the standout risk and opportunity. The forecast trend is 2.9% a year, or about 633 extra residents annually, which is higher than a flat established-suburb profile. The medium scenario reaches 25,647 people by 2031, up from 21,863 in 2025. Migration is the main engine because internal migration contributes 273 people a year and overseas migration adds 174, with internal migration named as the primary driver. Gentrification is scored 40 and classed as Active, supported by 14.6% rent growth and 13.0% real income growth.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+174
Net Internal / yr
+273
Gentrification Signal
Active
Net internal migration +273/yr, Accelerating: 14% → 44%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Thornlands compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Thornlands a good suburb to live in?
Thornlands suits households wanting space, schools and a quieter Redlands setting. It has 87.4% separate houses, 71.5% homes with 4 or more bedrooms, and 3 local schools, but commuting is car-based with 91.6% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Thornlands?
A current median house price is not available for Thornlands. Buyers can still read the market through structure: 87.4% of dwellings are separate houses, typical mortgages are $2,167 a month, and weekly rent is $470.
What schools are in Thornlands?
Thornlands has 3 local schools: Carmel College, Thornlands State School and Bay View State School. The ICSEA range is 1008 to 1045, with Carmel College enrolling 1,220 students and Thornlands State School enrolling 800.
Is Thornlands safe?
A current crime rate per 1,000 residents is not available, so buyers should check the latest Queensland Police local maps. The suburb does have relatively strong area indicators, including IRSD decile 8 and IRSAD decile 8.
Is Thornlands good for property investment?
Thornlands has a moderate rental base, with 26.7% of households renting, weekly rent at $470 and vacancy at 3.5%. The stronger investment signal is growth, with population forecast to rise by 633 people a year.
How is Thornlands's population changing?
Thornlands is growing quickly. The forecast trend is 2.9% a year, equal to about 633 more residents annually, and the medium scenario reaches 25,647 people by 2031 from 21,863 in 2025.
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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