Waterford
A $491,000 median house price paired with a median age of 32, eight years below the national figure, defines Waterford, and the two facts reinforce each other. Affordable detached stock pulls in young families, with separate houses at 74.4% of dwellings and four-plus-bedroom homes making up 56.9%. Household income sits in the 53.2nd percentile nationally, close to the middle, while the suburb scores decile 2 on both the IRSAD and IRSD SEIFA indexes, placing it in the lower advantage tiers. Overseas-born residents reach 30.6%, which is 9.0 points above national, and the average household size of 2.8 runs 0.3 above the national figure, consistent with a family-heavy profile.
Population
5,796
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,623/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
140
Median House
$491K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $491,000 median house price keeps Waterford well below most metropolitan Brisbane markets, which is the main draw for first-home buyers priced out elsewhere. The stock suits families: 74.4% are separate houses against just 4.8% apartments, and four-plus-bedroom homes dominate at 56.9% with three-bedroom dwellings at 28.6%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,700, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite household income sitting only in the 53.2nd percentile nationally. Ownership leans toward recent buyers, with 37.2% holding a mortgage against 20.9% who own outright, a sign that much of the housing is being actively purchased rather than held debt-free by an established cohort.
For Buyers
The $491,000 median house price keeps Waterford well below most metropolitan Brisbane markets, which is the main draw for first-home buyers priced out elsewhere. The stock suits families: 74.4% are separate houses against just 4.8% apartments, and four-plus-bedroom homes dominate at 56.9% with three-bedroom dwellings at 28.6%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,700, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite household income sitting only in the 53.2nd percentile nationally. Ownership leans toward recent buyers, with 37.2% holding a mortgage against 20.9% who own outright, a sign that much of the housing is being actively purchased rather than held debt-free by an established cohort.
For Investors
A 41.9% renter share gives landlords a deep tenant pool, larger than the owner-occupier base, and weekly rent of $400 against the $491,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.2%, far stronger than premium inner-city suburbs. The vacancy rate of 5.6% is higher than a tight rental market, so tenant turnover and re-letting effort matter more here than in scarcity-driven areas. Demand support comes from the 30.6% overseas-born base, 9.0 points above national, and a 29.0% resident turnover rate that keeps the rental pipeline active. Development activity is steady at 125 applications in 12 months, mostly dwelling repairs, roof work and alterations rather than new supply, so the investment case rests on yield and family rental demand rather than scarcity or capital scarcity premiums.
Development Activity
Total DAs
197
Last 12 Months
140
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1172.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Waterford iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Canterbury College
Prep-12 · 1502 students
Waterford State School
Prep-6 · 532 students
Demographics
The median age of 32 is 8.0 years below the national figure, marking Waterford as a young suburb, and the family composition follows: 2,289 families are couples with children against just 933 couples with no children, a 19.9% share. University qualifications reach 23.0%, which is 7.1 points below national, reflecting a workforce weighted toward trades and service roles rather than knowledge sectors. Overseas-born residents at 30.6% run 9.0 points above national, and ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,086), Scottish (504) and Irish (418). The top non-English languages are Punjabi (56 speakers), Samoan (31) and Hindi (29). Average household size of 2.8 sits 0.3 above national, consistent with the children-present profile, and Islam (191) and Hinduism (125) follow Christianity (2,357) as notable second faiths.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
74.4%
Houses
20.8%
Townhouse
4.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward renters and recent buyers: 41.9% rent, 37.2% carry a mortgage and only 20.9% own outright. Mortgage holders outnumbering outright owners points to active purchasing rather than long-held, debt-free wealth, which fits the young median age of 32. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 74.4% separate houses, with semi-detached at 20.8% and apartments at just 4.8%, and four-plus-bedroom homes lead at 56.9%, well above the two-bedroom share of 14.5%. The $491,000 median house price stays affordable relative to most Brisbane markets, and both stress ratios sit below the 30% threshold: mortgage-to-income at 24.2% and rent-to-income at 24.6%. That dual affordability reflects how modest purchase prices are even against mid-tier household incomes in the 53.2nd percentile.
Mortgage / mo
$1,700
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$806
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.6%
Unoccupied
114
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.9%
Couples, no children
4,680
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in Healthcare at 18.1% (290 workers) and Construction at 14.9% (238), with Education at 10.4%, Manufacturing at 8.5% and Retail at 8.3%, a blend weighted toward services and trades rather than finance or professional sectors. By occupation, Clerical/Admin (368) and Professionals (346) lead, followed closely by Labourers (324), which aligns with the decile 2 IEO score for education and occupation. The unemployment rate of 7.7% runs above the national average, and participation reads 57.3%, held down by 1,348 residents not in the labour force. All four SEIFA indexes sit in the lower tiers: IRSAD and IRSD at decile 2, IEO at decile 2 and IER at decile 3, the relatively higher IER reflecting that economic-resource measures lift slightly above the education-weighted scores.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
69.4%
Part-time
22.9%
Participation
57.3%
Employed
2,309
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.0%
Postgraduate
4.9%
Born Overseas
30.6%
Dwellings
1,916
Transport to Work
Waterford runs heavily car-dependent: 91.1% drive to work while only 2.2% use public transport and 0.7% walk or cycle, well below the national reliance on active and public modes, a function of the suburban detached layout. No schools are recorded inside the 6.81 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off in an affordable outer-metro setting. On disadvantage, the suburb scores decile 2 on the IRSD index, in the lower tiers nationally, and 7.3% of residents (399 people) need daily assistance. Both housing stress ratios stay manageable, with rent-to-income at 24.6% and mortgage-to-income at 24.2%, both below the 30% threshold, so affordability remains the suburb's core livability strength despite the modest SEIFA scores.
Drive
91.1%
Public Transport
2.2%
Walk / Cycle
0.7%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Waterford compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Waterford a good suburb to live in?
Waterford suits young families seeking affordability, with a $491,000 median house price and a median age of 32, eight years below national. Housing stress is low, with mortgage-to-income at 24.2% and rent-to-income at 24.6%, both below the 30% threshold. The main trade-offs are decile 2 SEIFA scores and heavy car dependence at 91.1%.
What is the median house price in Waterford?
The median house price is $491,000, well below most Brisbane metropolitan markets. Weekly rent averages $400 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,700, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite mid-tier household incomes in the 53.2nd percentile nationally.
What schools are in Waterford?
No schools are recorded inside the 6.81 km2 Waterford boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The suburb skews young, with a median age of 32, eight years below national, and university qualifications at 23.0%, which is 7.1 points below the national figure.
Is Waterford safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Waterford in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 2 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, in the lower tiers nationally, and 7.3% of its residents (399 people) need daily assistance, both worth weighing alongside on-the-ground research.
Is Waterford good for property investment?
Rent of $400 a week against the $491,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.2%, stronger than premium inner-city suburbs. A 41.9% renter share offers a deep tenant pool, though the 5.6% vacancy rate is higher than a tight market, so returns lean on yield and family rental demand rather than scarcity-driven capital growth.
How is Waterford's population changing?
Waterford houses 5,796 residents with a median age of 32, eight years below national, marking a young, family-led profile. The 29.0% turnover rate is high, with roughly three in ten residents having moved recently, and overseas-born residents at 30.6%, 9.0 points above national, are the clearest source of inflow.
What languages are spoken in Waterford?
About 30.6% of residents were born overseas, 9.0 points above the national figure. English dominates, with Punjabi (56 speakers), Samoan (31), Hindi (29) and Mandarin (24) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a modest but growing migrant mix in an otherwise Anglo-Celtic suburb.
How much development is happening in Waterford?
There were 125 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Most are dwelling repairs, roof cladding replacements and alterations to existing homes rather than new supply, consistent with an affordable, detached suburb where separate houses make up 74.4% of the stock.
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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