Toogoom
At a median age of 52, Toogoom's resident base skews 12 years older than the national figure, making it one of the most distinctly retirement-oriented coastal settlements in Wide Bay. Household income sits at just the 16.7th percentile nationally, yet nearly half of all dwellings, 47.9%, are owned outright with no mortgage, a pattern typical of sea-changers who arrived mortgage-free. Detached houses account for 98.1% of stock and 52.4% of homes have four or more bedrooms, a combination that points to spacious owner-occupier living rather than density development. The vacancy rate of 13.3% is high compared to the national average, reflecting seasonal holiday use and a limited rental market.
Local council: Fraser Coast
Population
2,596
Median Age
52.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,081/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
17
Four-plus bedroom homes make up 52.4% of the housing mix, higher than most comparable coastal towns, so space comes standard rather than at a premium. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,415, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.2%, just above the 30% stress threshold, which means affordability is tight for wage-earning buyers rather than the established retirees who make up much of the owner base. Outright owners at 47.9% far outnumber mortgage holders at 26.5%, indicating the suburb attracts buyers who arrive with equity, not first-home buyers taking on large debt.
For Buyers
Four-plus bedroom homes make up 52.4% of the housing mix, higher than most comparable coastal towns, so space comes standard rather than at a premium. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,415, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.2%, just above the 30% stress threshold, which means affordability is tight for wage-earning buyers rather than the established retirees who make up much of the owner base. Outright owners at 47.9% far outnumber mortgage holders at 26.5%, indicating the suburb attracts buyers who arrive with equity, not first-home buyers taking on large debt.
For Investors
Toogoom's rental market is limited: only 25.6% of dwellings are rented, below the typical coastal town range, and weekly rent sits at $345. A vacancy rate of 13.3% is well above the benchmark for healthy rental demand, which signals genuine oversupply relative to the tenant pool of 2,596 residents. Development activity is thin, with just 2 applications lodged in the past 12 months, one of which was a pre-lodgement inquiry rather than a committed project. The low unemployment rate is misleading because the participation rate is only 39.9%, far below the national average, as most of the 1,139 residents not in the labour force are retirees. Rental stress is present, with rent-to-income at 31.9%, above the 30% threshold, suggesting renters are stretched despite modest absolute rents.
Development Activity
Total DAs
33
Last 12 Months
17
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+466.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 52 sits 12.0 years above the national figure, placing Toogoom firmly among Australia's older suburban communities. Overseas-born residents account for 16.9% of the population, which is 4.7 points below the national rate, reflecting a predominantly Australian-born, Anglo-Celtic heritage: English ancestry leads at 1,284 residents, followed by Scottish (301) and Irish (277). University qualifications reach only 17.7%, which is 12.4 points below the national average, consistent with a trade and services workforce rather than a knowledge-economy base. Average household size is 2.3 persons, slightly below the national figure, and couples without children make up 43.8% of families, matching the dominant retired-couple profile. Volunteering participation stands at 12.7%, typical for an older community with time and community investment.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.1%
Houses
0.5%
Townhouse
1.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Toogoom is among the most uniformly detached-house suburbs in Queensland: 98.1% separate houses with apartments at just 1.4% and semi-detached at 0.5%. Tenure is dominated by outright owners at 47.9%, a share that is substantially higher than the national level, with mortgage holders at 26.5% and renters at 25.6%. The four-plus bedroom category accounts for 52.4% of all dwellings, while three-bedroom homes represent 38.9%, together covering over 90% of stock. Mortgage stress applies at a 30.2% ratio and rent stress at 31.9%, indicating both owner-occupiers and renters face moderate financial pressure relative to local income levels, which sit at just the 16.7th household income percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,415
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $345.
$590
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $590 · units $480
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$520
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.3%
Unoccupied
158
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.9% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.2% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.9%
Couples with children
57.1%
Couples, no children
14.4%
Single parent
791
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer, accounting for 29.2% of local workers (163 people), well above the share seen in most small coastal towns. Construction follows at 11.1% and Education at 10.2%, with Retail at 8.6% and Public Administration at 6.3%. By occupation, Community and Personal Services leads at 150 workers, Professionals at 147 and Labourers at 122. The unemployment rate is 10.0%, which is elevated compared to national benchmarks, but the participation rate of just 39.9% is the more telling figure: 1,139 residents are not in the labour force, predominantly retirees. Personal weekly income averages $520, placing this well below national median incomes, and the household income at the 16.7th percentile nationally confirms that most households rely on superannuation or pensions rather than wages.
Unemployment
9.3%
Labour Force
929
Unemployed
86
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
52.6%
Part-time
39.6%
Participation
42.9%
Employed
843
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.7%
Postgraduate
3.8%
Born Overseas
16.9%
Dwellings
1,037
Transport to Work
Car dependency is total: 91.1% of residents drive to work, compared to the national average where public transport takes a meaningful share, and public transport use in Toogoom records as effectively nil. Active transport (walking or cycling) accounts for just 1.3% of commuters. No schools are recorded within the suburb, so families with school-age children rely on facilities in nearby Hervey Bay. Crime data is not available for Toogoom at suburb level. The need-for-assistance rate is 10.3%, covering 256 residents, which is above the national average and consistent with the older age profile where 10% or more of residents have a disability or health condition requiring daily support. The 13.3% vacancy rate, while elevated, contributes to a lower-density, quieter coastal character that many owner-occupiers actively seek.
Drive
81.4%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
1.1%
Work from Home
10.7%
Growth Outlook
Toogoom shows the hallmarks of a stable, slowly aging coastal community rather than a growth suburb. The identity signals of high vacancy, an aging resident base and low development activity combine to suggest population change will come from turnover rather than new arrivals. With just 2 development applications in the past 12 months and no multi-dwelling projects, new dwelling supply is effectively static. The turnover rate is 30.6%, meaning roughly one in three residents moved in the past five years, lower than the state average for coastal towns, and 69.4% of residents have stayed put, reinforcing stability over growth. The suburb's low income decile and high retiree share suggest population levels will track national retirement migration trends rather than employment or infrastructure investment.
Population trend: Fraser Coast council area
Toogoom sits in the Fraser Coast council area. These are the council area's residents, not Toogoom's.
Residents 2025
122,924
Growth, 5 yr average
+2.3%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+2.1%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Toogoom compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Toogoom a good suburb to live in?
Toogoom suits retirees and sea-changers well. Nearly 47.9% of homes are owned outright, median age is 52 (12 years above national), and 98.1% of dwellings are detached houses with space. The trade-off is limited services, no recorded schools within the suburb, and household income at the 16.7th percentile nationally, so it works better for those arriving with equity than wage earners.
What is the median house price in Toogoom?
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,415, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.2%. Weekly rent averages $345. Over 52.4% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, so buyers get substantial space relative to price.
What schools are in Toogoom?
No schools are recorded within Toogoom's 9.66 km2 boundary. Families rely on schools in the wider Hervey Bay area. University qualifications in the suburb reach only 17.7% of residents, which is 12.4 points below the national average, reflecting the older, working-trades demographic rather than a young family population.
Is Toogoom safe?
Suburb-level crime statistics are not available for Toogoom in this dataset. The 10.3% need-for-assistance rate (256 residents) is above the national average, reflecting the older age profile (median 52) rather than crime-related disadvantage. Development activity is minimal at 2 applications in 12 months, consistent with a quiet, low-activity area.
Is Toogoom good for property investment?
The case for investment is mixed. Development activity is nearly zero at 2 applications in 12 months, limiting land value upside from construction activity.
How is Toogoom's population changing?
Toogoom is stable rather than growing. The 30.6% turnover rate suggests about 1 in 3 residents arrived in the past 5 years, while 69.4% have stayed. The aging median of 52 years, which is 12 years above national, and participation rate of 39.9% indicate demographic change will be driven by retirement migration rather than family or employment growth.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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