Upper Kedron
Almost nothing here is a unit: 100% of dwellings are separate houses and 88.6% carry four or more bedrooms, the clearest signal of a family-formation suburb 12km northwest of Brisbane's CBD. Household income sits in the 97.1st percentile nationally, yet the $610,000 median house price keeps mortgage-to-income at just 18.5%, well below the 30% stress line. SEIFA reads decile 10 on both IRSD and economic resources, with the population aging slowly as the senior share rose 4.7 points over the decade while the median age of 34 still runs 6 years below national. Growth has been the headline story, with the local population up 29.1% over 10 years.
Population
5,800
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,980/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
36
Median House
$610K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $610,000 median is the rare combination of a detached-only market that is still affordable on local wages, because incomes sit in the 97.1st percentile nationally while monthly mortgage repayments average $2,383. That produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.5%, far below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most Brisbane growth corridors. The catch for buyers is product type: 100% of dwellings are separate houses and 88.6% have four or more bedrooms, with three-bedroom homes just 10.9% and two-bedroom stock a token 0.5%. There is effectively no smaller or attached option here, so downsizers and first-home buyers chasing a compact dwelling will not find one. The trade-off suits larger households, which is why the average household size of 3.2 runs 0.7 above national.
For Buyers
The $610,000 median is the rare combination of a detached-only market that is still affordable on local wages, because incomes sit in the 97.1st percentile nationally while monthly mortgage repayments average $2,383. That produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.5%, far below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most Brisbane growth corridors. The catch for buyers is product type: 100% of dwellings are separate houses and 88.6% have four or more bedrooms, with three-bedroom homes just 10.9% and two-bedroom stock a token 0.5%. There is effectively no smaller or attached option here, so downsizers and first-home buyers chasing a compact dwelling will not find one. The trade-off suits larger households, which is why the average household size of 3.2 runs 0.7 above national.
For Investors
The investment case rests on tight supply rather than yield. With 26.8% of residents renting, the tenant pool is modest, and weekly rent of $455 against the $610,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.9%, ordinary by Brisbane standards. What supports the thesis is scarcity: the vacancy rate is 3.1%, and rent has grown 33.3% over the period covered, faster than most established markets. Demand is underpinned by balanced migration, with net overseas inflow of 93 a year and net internal inflow of 84, plus annual population growth forecast at 1.89%. Development is steady but not flooding supply, with 25 applications in 12 months, many of them operational works and vegetation plans rather than new dwellings, which protects existing landlords from oversupply in a 100% detached-house market.
Development Activity
Total DAs
88
Last 12 Months
36
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+200.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 34 is 6.0 years below the national figure, consistent with a family suburb where 3,219 of 5,424 families are couples with children and couples without children make up only 16.9%. University qualifications reach 43.1%, which is 13.0 points above national, and the average household size of 3.2 runs 0.7 above national, both pointing to educated households raising children. The population leans Anglo, led by English (2,335), Irish (698) and Scottish (652) ancestry, with overseas-born residents at 21.7%, essentially level with national at 0.1 points above. Non-English languages are thin, the largest being Mandarin (28 speakers) and Afrikaans (20), so this is a predominantly English-speaking community rather than a migrant gateway.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is mortgage-belt by definition: 53.8% of households carry a mortgage, 26.8% rent and only 19.4% own outright, so most homes here are still being paid off. The stock is uniform, with 100% separate houses and 88.6% holding four or more bedrooms, versus 10.9% three-bedroom and 0.5% two-bedroom, leaving no apartment or attached supply at all. The $610,000 median sits low relative to local earning power, which is why the mortgage-to-income ratio is 18.5% and rent-to-income is 15.3%, both comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes in the 97.1st percentile. That gap between high income and moderate prices, combined with a 3.1% vacancy rate, explains why the market clears quickly and rent has climbed 33.3% over the period.
Mortgage / mo
$2,383
Rent / wk
$455
HH Size
3.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,238
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.1%
Unoccupied
57
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
16.9%
Couples, no children
5,424
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored in stable, public-facing sectors, led by Public Administration at 20.1% (479 workers), Healthcare at 15.5% (369) and Professional/Tech at 12.7% (303), with Education at 11.4% and Construction at 6.2%. By occupation, Professionals (920) and Managers (503) dominate, which aligns with the decile 8 IEO score for education and occupation and university qualifications 13.0 points above national. Unemployment is low at 4.1% and the full-time employment rate is 71.5%, while participation reads 70.8%. The suburb scores decile 10 on the economic resources index, the top tier, because the 53.8% mortgage base reflects households with the income to service debt rather than disadvantage. Real incomes grew 14.5% over the decade, supporting the steady move up the SEIFA ranks.
Unemployment
3.2%
Labour Force
6,954
Unemployed
225
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
71.5%
Part-time
24.4%
Participation
70.8%
Employed
2,855
Occupations
Top Industries
University
43.1%
Postgraduate
11.4%
Born Overseas
21.7%
Dwellings
1,774
Transport to Work
This is a car-dependent suburb by design: 87.1% of residents drive to work while just 5.2% use public transport and 1.5% walk or cycle, well below the national mix, a function of the low-density 623.8 residents per square kilometre across 9.3 square kilometres. Detailed crime statistics are not recorded for the suburb in this dataset, but indirect indicators point to a low-disadvantage area, with a decile 10 IRSD score, the top tier for relative disadvantage, and only 3.7% of residents (213 people) needing daily assistance. Affordability improved from 39.7% in 2011 to 37.6% in 2021, and with rent-to-income at 15.3% and mortgage-to-income at 18.5%, both below the 30% stress line, household budgets here carry more slack than in most comparable Brisbane suburbs.
Drive
87.1%
Public Transport
5.2%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.89%/yr
(+243 people/yr)
EstablishedUpper Kedron is one of Brisbane's faster-expanding established pockets, with the local population up 29.1% over 10 years and annual growth forecast at 1.89%, or about 243 people a year. Medium projections lift the population from 13,005 in 2026 to 14,221 by 2031, continuing the recent climb from 12,267 in 2023 to 12,833 in 2025. The drivers are balanced, with net overseas migration of 93 a year and net internal migration of 84, rather than reliance on a single source. Gentrification reads early signs at a score of 38, supported by a participation rate accelerating from 10% to 24% and steady internal inflow. The trajectory is slowly aging, with the senior share up 4.7 points and the working-age share down 2.0 points, though the median age of 34 stays well below national.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+93
Net Internal / yr
+84
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +37% since 2011, Net internal migration +84/yr, Accelerating: 10% → 24%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Upper Kedron compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Upper Kedron a good suburb to live in?
Upper Kedron scores decile 10 on the IRSD and economic resources SEIFA indexes, the top tier, with household income in the 97.1st percentile nationally. University qualifications reach 43.1%, 13.0 points above national. The main trade-off is car dependence, with 87.1% driving to work and only 5.2% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Upper Kedron?
The median house price is $610,000, affordable relative to local incomes in the 97.1st percentile. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,383, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.5%, below the 30% stress line. Weekly rent averages $455, implying a gross yield near 3.9%.
What schools are in Upper Kedron?
No schools are recorded inside the Upper Kedron boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 43.1%, which is 13.0 points above the national figure, typical of a family suburb with a median age of 34.
Is Upper Kedron safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Upper Kedron in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier, and only 3.7% of residents (213 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Upper Kedron good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $455 against the $610,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.9%, with a tight 3.1% vacancy rate and rent growth of 33.3% over the period. Balanced migration adds 177 residents a year and annual population growth is forecast at 1.89%, so the case favours supply scarcity over high yield.
How is Upper Kedron's population changing?
The local population grew 29.1% over 10 years and is forecast to rise about 1.89% a year, lifting from 13,005 in 2026 to 14,221 by 2031. Growth is balanced between net overseas migration of 93 and net internal migration of 84 a year. The profile is slowly aging, with the senior share up 4.7 points.
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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