Willowbank
With only 1,351 residents across 20.59 square kilometres, Willowbank averages just 65.6 people per km2, well below typical suburban densities. The median house price of $367,000 sits well below national medians, and household income falls at the 40.9th percentile nationally. Yet 41.3% of households carry a mortgage, consistent with the suburb's mortgage-belt character. What stands out is stability: 75.6% of residents stayed in the same address over the five-year period, above average for outer Queensland.
Population
1,351
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,411/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$367K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $367,000 makes Willowbank one of the more affordable options in the Ipswich corridor. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,625, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.6%, below the 30% stress threshold. Stock is dominated by separate houses at 81.7% of dwellings, and 41.1% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, well above national proportions, pointing to a family-oriented market. Outright owners represent 34.1% of tenure alongside the 41.3% still on mortgages, signalling a mix of long-term residents and newer buyers.
For Buyers
The median house price of $367,000 makes Willowbank one of the more affordable options in the Ipswich corridor. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,625, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.6%, below the 30% stress threshold. Stock is dominated by separate houses at 81.7% of dwellings, and 41.1% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, well above national proportions, pointing to a family-oriented market. Outright owners represent 34.1% of tenure alongside the 41.3% still on mortgages, signalling a mix of long-term residents and newer buyers.
For Investors
The rental market shows a 24.6% renter share and weekly rent of $245, below the Queensland state median and reflecting the suburb's affordable positioning. Against a $367,000 median price, that rent implies a gross yield near 3.5%. However, the vacancy rate of 5.6% is elevated compared to a healthy 2-3% threshold, indicating some softness. Development activity recorded 0 applications in the past 12 months, so no new supply pressure is imminent. The 75.6% resident retention rate signals stable tenancy rather than high churn.
Demographics
Willowbank's median age of 41 runs 1.0 year above the national figure. The suburb is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English ancestry accounts for 519 residents, Scottish 173 and Irish 124. Overseas-born residents make up only 9.4%, which is 12.2 percentage points below the national figure. University qualifications reach just 10.4%, running 19.7 percentage points below national, reflecting a trades-and-services workforce. Average household size is 2.6, marginally above national. Couples with children account for 480 of 1,102 total families, confirming Willowbank as a family suburb rather than a retirement enclave.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.7%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses account for 81.7% of dwellings, making this one of the more detached-dominant suburbs compared to mixed urban areas. Tenure splits into 34.1% owning outright, 41.3% on a mortgage and 24.6% renting. The 4-plus bedroom category leads at 41.1%, consistent with larger family homes on generous blocks. Mortgage-to-income at 26.6% stays below stress levels, while rent-to-income at 17.4% is comfortably affordable for tenants, both below the stress thresholds seen in higher-cost southeast Queensland markets.
Mortgage / mo
$1,625
Rent / wk
$245
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$715
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.6%
Unoccupied
29
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.8%
Couples, no children
1,102
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads the local workforce at 18.5% (72 workers), followed by Construction at 13.3% (52) and both Public Administration and Education at 10.8% each (42 workers). Manufacturing employs 7.7%. The unemployment rate of 6.3% is higher than state and national averages, and the participation rate of 52.6% is below average, partly because 399 residents are not in the labour force. Weekly personal income of $715 is lower than the national median, consistent with household income sitting at the 40.9th percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.6%
Part-time
26.1%
Participation
52.6%
Employed
534
Occupations
Top Industries
University
10.4%
Postgraduate
0.9%
Born Overseas
9.4%
Dwellings
487
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total: 90.9% of residents drive to work, well above national averages, and only 2.1% use public transport, reflecting the suburb's low-density rural-fringe geography. No schools are recorded within Willowbank in this dataset, so families commute to facilities in nearby Ipswich. Crime data is not available for this suburb. Volunteering runs at 11.0% and 6.1% of residents need daily assistance. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.6% and rent-to-income of 17.4% are both below stress thresholds, making housing costs proportionally manageable compared to higher-cost southeast Queensland suburbs.
Drive
90.9%
Public Transport
2.1%
Walk / Cycle
N/A
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Willowbank compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Willowbank a good suburb to live in?
Willowbank suits buyers who prioritise space and affordability. The median house price of $367,000 is well below southeast Queensland medians, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.6% stays below the 30% stress threshold. The main trade-off is high car dependency, with 90.9% of residents driving to work, and limited local services.
What is the median house price in Willowbank?
The median house price in Willowbank is $367,000, estimated from 2025 rental data. Weekly rent averages $245 and monthly mortgage repayments run approximately $1,625. Household income sits at the 40.9th percentile nationally, making this one of the more affordable ownership markets in the Ipswich corridor.
What schools are in Willowbank?
No schools are recorded inside the Willowbank boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in nearby Ipswich and surrounding suburbs. University qualifications among residents reach only 10.4%, which is 19.7 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a trades-oriented workforce rather than a professional one.
Is Willowbank safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Willowbank in this dataset. As a contextual indicator, the suburb has a population of 1,351 and a high resident stability rate of 75.6% over five years, suggesting a settled community. Broader Ipswich LGA data from QPS would provide a more accurate picture of local safety.
Is Willowbank good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $245 against a $367,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.5%, above typical inner-city Queensland yields. However, the vacancy rate of 5.6% is elevated compared to a healthy 2-3% threshold, signalling some rental softness. Zero development applications over the past 12 months means no immediate new supply pressure.
How is Willowbank's population changing?
Willowbank's current population is 1,351 across 20.59 km2. No forward forecast data is available in this dataset. The resident retention rate of 75.6% over five years is above average. The suburb sits within the Ipswich growth corridor, which has seen strong regional population increases, though local DA activity remains at 0 applications in the past 12 months.
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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