Wandal
Detached homes, an 11.6% vacancy rate and an aging trajectory shape Wandal's position in Rockhampton. The suburb has 3,949 residents across 3.6 sq km, with density of 1,098.3 people per sq km and a median age of 40, equal to the national comparison. Compared with nearby Allenstown and The Range, Wandal has a more car-oriented, established housing profile: 88.3% of dwellings are separate houses and 82.4% of commuters drive. Household income sits at the 43.9th percentile nationally, while internal migration and 1.47% annual growth point to gradual change rather than a rapid turnover market.
Population
3,949
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,447/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
9
For buyers, Wandal's strongest practical signal is its housing form rather than a quoted median price: 88.3% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 6.0% apartments and 5.7% semi-detached homes. Compared with nearby Allenstown and The Range, this gives Wandal a clear detached-home identity. The monthly mortgage figure is $1,300, with mortgage repayments at 20.7% of household income and no mortgage-stress flag. Weekly rent is $270 and rent absorbs 18.7% of household income. The 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom shares are 23.4% and 44.0%, while 24.7% have 4 or more bedrooms. An average household size of 2.3 is 0.2 below the national average, supporting demand from smaller households as well as families.
For Buyers
For buyers, Wandal's strongest practical signal is its housing form rather than a quoted median price: 88.3% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 6.0% apartments and 5.7% semi-detached homes. Compared with nearby Allenstown and The Range, this gives Wandal a clear detached-home identity. The monthly mortgage figure is $1,300, with mortgage repayments at 20.7% of household income and no mortgage-stress flag. Weekly rent is $270 and rent absorbs 18.7% of household income. The 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom shares are 23.4% and 44.0%, while 24.7% have 4 or more bedrooms. An average household size of 2.3 is 0.2 below the national average, supporting demand from smaller households as well as families.
For Investors
Wandal has an income-oriented rental case, but the 11.6% vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market would normally record, so investors should allow for leasing competition. Renters represent 33.1% of occupied housing, while the weekly rent is $270 and rent takes 18.7% of household income. The suburb's detached housing share of 88.3% can support family and long-term tenant demand, although the aging trajectory may shift the preferred dwelling mix over time. Recent development activity totals 9 applications across 12 months, including cafe, access, parking, stormwater and awning works, which points to incremental rather than large-scale change. Internal migration is the primary growth driver, with an annual forecast trend of 1.47%, giving the suburb a steadier outlook than a high-churn market.
Development Activity
Total DAs
9
Last 12 Months
9
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
Schools in Wandal
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Wandal)
Rockhampton State High School
The Hall State School
Demographics
Wandal's median age is 40, matching the national comparison, while its average household size of 2.3 is 0.2 below the national average. The overseas-born share is 9.0%, which is 12.6 percentage points below the national figure, and university attainment is 28.2%, or 1.9 points below national. Reported ancestry is led by English at 1,645, followed by Irish at 484, Scottish at 480 and German at 288. Christianity is recorded for 2,080 residents and no religion for 1,509, while Hinduism accounts for 40. A 72.0% same-address share and 28.0% turnover rate suggest a relatively settled population, because established households are more likely to remain than relocate frequently. Compared with a more migrant-oriented regional profile, Wandal is more Anglo-leaning.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.3%
Houses
5.7%
Townhouse
6.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Wandal is dominated by conventional family housing: separate houses account for 88.3% of dwellings, compared with 6.0% apartments and 5.7% semi-detached homes. Compared with apartment-oriented parts of Rockhampton, this creates a clearer detached-lot profile. Three-bedroom homes are the largest group at 44.0%, followed by 4 or more bedrooms at 24.7% and 2-bedroom dwellings at 23.4%; smaller 0 or 1-bedroom homes account for 7.8%. Tenure is split between 28.4% owned outright, 36.3% owned with a mortgage and 33.1% rented. Mortgage repayments equal 20.7% of household income, below the rent-to-income figure of 18.7% only in absolute burden terms, while neither tenure group carries a recorded stress flag. A current median house price and price-to-income ratio are unavailable, so recent comparable sales matter more than a suburb headline.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $270.
$550
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $550 · units $410
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$803
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.6%
Unoccupied
214
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.8%
Couples with children
39.4%
Couples, no children
22.0%
Single parent
1,038
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Wandal's largest listed industry at 28.4%, or 351 workers, followed by Education at 13.1% and 162 workers, Construction at 8.3% and 102, Public Administration at 7.1% and 88, and Professional or Technical services at 5.8% and 72. Healthcare's share is higher than every other listed industry, creating an employment base linked to essential services. Occupations include 424 Professionals, 320 Trades workers, 265 Community or Personal service workers, 232 Clerical or Administrative workers and 208 Labourers. Unemployment is 4.7%, participation is 61.3% and full-time employment is 63.3%. The household income percentile is 43.9, below the median percentile position. SEIFA results are uneven: IEO is decile 1, IER decile 6, IRSD decile 4 and IRSAD decile 3, indicating lower education and broader disadvantage scores than income ranking alone would suggest.
Unemployment
4.7%
Labour Force
2,023
Unemployed
95
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.3%
Part-time
29.3%
Participation
61.3%
Employed
1,928
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.2%
Postgraduate
4.9%
Born Overseas
9.0%
Dwellings
1,628
Transport to Work
Wandal is most practical for residents with cars: 82.4% travel as car drivers, compared with 1.1% using public transport, 4.8% walking or cycling and 4.5% working from home. Families have access to 3 local schools across Catholic and government sectors, including a Catholic primary option and government primary and high-school pathways. Exact enrolment zones should be checked against the address because school boundaries can cut across suburb limits. The IRSAD score is decile 3 and the IRSD score is decile 4, both below the middle of the national decile scale, so household resources and access to opportunity are more constrained than in higher-ranked suburbs. A comparable crime rate per 1,000 is unavailable, making current police and council information important for street-level safety decisions.
Drive
82.4%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
4.8%
Work from Home
4.5%
Population Forecast
+1.47%/yr
(+104 people/yr)
EstablishedAcross the wider area, population change runs at 20.2% over 10 years, while the annual forecast trend is 1.47% and internal migration is the primary driver. Compared with a static established suburb, that combination points to continuing but measured demand. Wandal's trajectory is classified as Aging, with the young share down 3.1 points and the senior share up 3.3 points, so future change is likely to favour older households and established services. Affordability is described as Stable, moving from 59.3 in 2011 to 59.0 in 2021, while rent growth has reached 46.3%. Gentrification signals are mixed: the shift measure records a score of 52 and an Active stage, but the separate gentrification score is 37 with Early signs. That contrast suggests gradual reinvestment rather than a completed market reset.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+18
Net Internal / yr
+98
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +28% since 2011, Net internal migration +98/yr, Accelerating: 7% → 20%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Wandal compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wandal a good suburb to live in?
Wandal suits residents seeking detached housing, established services and car-based access. It has 88.3% separate houses, 3 local schools and a median age of 40. Public transport use is only 1.1%, so households without a car should assess daily routes carefully.
What is the median house price in Wandal?
A current median house price for Wandal is not available. Buyers can still assess the market through the 88.3% separate-house share, a $270 weekly rent and the 44.0% proportion of 3-bedroom dwellings, then compare recent sales for the exact street and property type.
What schools are in Wandal?
Wandal has 3 identified local schools: a Catholic primary school, a government primary school and a government high school. Families should confirm catchment boundaries for each address, because enrolment zones can differ between primary and secondary options.
Is Wandal safe?
A suburb crime rate per 1,000 is not available, so Wandal cannot be rated reliably from a single safety number. Check recent police and council updates for the exact area, particularly if comparing streets or considering a rental. The suburb's IRSAD ranking is decile 3.
Is Wandal good for property investment?
Wandal has 33.1% renters, $270 weekly rent and an 11.6% vacancy rate, creating an income opportunity but also more leasing risk than a tightly supplied market. Growth is forecast at 1.47% annually and is driven by internal migration, while only 9 development applications were recorded over 12 months.
How is Wandal's population changing?
Wandal has 3,949 residents today and sits on an aging trajectory. Across the wider area, population change is 20.2% over 10 years, with annual growth forecast at 1.47%. The young share has fallen 3.1 points while the senior share has increased 3.3 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 education open registers (school locations), 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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