Worongary
Almost nothing here is an apartment: 98.4% of dwellings are separate houses and just 1.6% are units, an unusually detached profile for a Gold Coast hinterland pocket. Household income sits in the 82.2nd percentile nationally, yet the $580,000 median house price keeps the mortgage-to-income ratio at a comfortable 23.0%, below the 30% stress line. The suburb scores decile 10 on the IER economic resources index but only decile 6 on IEO for education and occupation, a gap that traces to 24.8% university qualifications, which is 5.3 points below the national figure. At 430 residents per square kilometre across 14 square kilometres, it stays low-density and family-oriented, with an average household size of 3.1, around 0.6 above national.
Population
6,021
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,160/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Median House
$580K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $580,000 median house price makes Worongary affordable relative to its 82.2nd-percentile household income, and that affordability is structural rather than accidental. Detached houses make up 98.4% of stock, so buyers are competing for land and space rather than units, and the bedroom mix reflects that: 59.1% of homes have four or more bedrooms and another 36.1% have three, leaving small dwellings rare. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,153, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.0%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Mortgage holders dominate tenure at 55.8% against 30.8% who own outright, which signals an active owner-occupier market of families still paying down loans rather than a settled, debt-free base. For an owner-occupier wanting a large house on a generous block within reach of the Gold Coast, the price-to-income maths is favourable.
For Buyers
The $580,000 median house price makes Worongary affordable relative to its 82.2nd-percentile household income, and that affordability is structural rather than accidental. Detached houses make up 98.4% of stock, so buyers are competing for land and space rather than units, and the bedroom mix reflects that: 59.1% of homes have four or more bedrooms and another 36.1% have three, leaving small dwellings rare. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,153, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.0%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Mortgage holders dominate tenure at 55.8% against 30.8% who own outright, which signals an active owner-occupier market of families still paying down loans rather than a settled, debt-free base. For an owner-occupier wanting a large house on a generous block within reach of the Gold Coast, the price-to-income maths is favourable.
For Investors
Renters are a thin 13.4% of households here, so the suburb skews owner-occupier rather than investor-led, and that shapes the case. Weekly rent of $450 against the $580,000 median implies a gross yield around 4.0%, stronger than inner-city markets where prices outrun rents. The vacancy rate of 2.6% is tight, pointing to steady tenant demand against limited rental supply. Rent has grown 30.0% over the period, and population is forecast to rise 0.99% a year, about 91 residents annually, with balanced migration adding 91 net internal and 63 net overseas movers per year. Development is minimal at one application in the past 12 months, so new rental supply is unlikely to dilute existing stock. The investment logic rests on scarcity of detached rentals and yield rather than high turnover, since only 18.8% of residents moved in the period.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1
Last 12 Months
1
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 Worongary iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Worongary State School
Prep-6 · 508 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly, but the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 3.8 points while the working-age share fell 2.6 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents are 22.6%, only 1.0 point above national, so the population is more Australian-born than most metro areas. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,698), Irish (656) and Scottish (638), and the largest non-English languages are Mandarin (20 speakers), Japanese (15) and Hindi (12), small numbers that confirm a predominantly English-speaking community. University qualifications reach 24.8%, which is 5.3 points below national, consistent with a trades and services workforce rather than a professional-knowledge one. Average household size is 3.1, around 0.6 above national, and 22.5% of families are couples without children, fitting the family-house orientation of the area.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.4%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
1.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is dominated by mortgages: 55.8% of households carry a home loan, 30.8% own outright and just 13.4% rent. Mortgage holders outnumbering outright owners by a wide margin marks Worongary as a working mortgage belt rather than a settled-wealth enclave. The stock is 98.4% separate houses and only 1.6% apartments, the most detached profile you will find, and that scarcity of small dwellings pushes the bedroom mix toward larger homes, with 59.1% having four or more bedrooms. The $580,000 median house price keeps mortgage-to-income at 23.0% and rent-to-income at 20.8%, both comfortably below the 30% stress line despite household income only in the 82.2nd percentile. Affordability improved from 72.2% in 2011 to 65.4% in 2021, an unusual gain in a period when most markets worsened, driven by income growth keeping pace with prices.
Mortgage / mo
$2,153
Rent / wk
$450
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$799
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.6%
Unoccupied
49
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.5%
Couples, no children
5,171
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce leans toward hands-on and care sectors rather than high-finance: Construction leads at 16.5% (337 workers), Healthcare follows at 15.9% (324) and Education at 12.4% (252), with Professional/Tech at 7.9% and Retail at 7.3%. By occupation, Professionals (532) and Managers (425) head the list, but Clerical/Admin (413), Community/Personal (371) and Sales (332) sit close behind, a flatter spread than knowledge-economy suburbs. Unemployment is low at 4.9% and the full-time employment rate is 59.7%, while participation reads 60.9%, held down by 1,325 residents not in the labour force in an aging population. The SEIFA pattern is telling: decile 10 on IER for economic resources but only decile 6 on IEO, because solid household incomes coexist with university qualifications 5.3 points below national. Real incomes grew 16.7% over the decade.
Unemployment
3.0%
Labour Force
5,130
Unemployed
155
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.7%
Part-time
35.4%
Participation
60.9%
Employed
2,811
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.8%
Postgraduate
4.6%
Born Overseas
22.6%
Dwellings
1,844
Transport to Work
This is a car-dependent suburb by design: 92.3% of residents drive to work, while public transport carries just 0.9% and 1.5% walk or cycle, far below metro averages, a function of low 430-per-square-kilometre density across 14 square kilometres. The suburb scores decile 8 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and decile 10 on IER for economic resources, both high tiers indicating few residents face deprivation, with only 4.8% (276 people) needing daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 14.0%, consistent with a settled family community where 81.2% of residents stayed put over the period. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs, a common trade-off for a low-density, house-dominant area where 98.4% of dwellings are detached and blocks are generous.
Drive
92.3%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.99%/yr
(+91 people/yr)
EstablishedWorongary is growing steadily rather than explosively: the forecast trend is 0.99% a year, about 91 additional residents annually, classifying it as an established suburb with momentum. The 10-year population change of 15.2% outpaces the flat trajectories of mature inner-city markets, and the medium forecast lifts the population from 9,121 in 2026 to 9,576 by 2031. Migration is balanced, with 91 net internal and 63 net overseas movers a year, so growth is organic rather than driven by one channel. The gentrification stage reads early signs at a score of 33, supported by a population up 19% since 2011 and an accelerating change rate from 4% to 14%. Rent has climbed 30.0% over the period, an early indicator of rising demand pressing against a detached-house supply that adds little, with only one development application lodged in 12 months.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+63
Net Internal / yr
+91
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +19% since 2011, Net internal migration +91/yr, Accelerating: 4% → 14%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Worongary compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Worongary a good suburb to live in?
Worongary scores decile 10 on the IER economic resources index and decile 8 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, both high tiers. Household income sits in the 82.2nd percentile while the $580,000 median house price keeps mortgage-to-income at a comfortable 23.0%. It suits families wanting a large detached home, since 98.4% of dwellings are separate houses.
What is the median house price in Worongary?
The median house price is $580,000, affordable relative to the 82.2nd-percentile household income. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,153, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.0%, below the 30% stress line. Weekly rent averages $450, implying a gross yield near 4.0%.
What schools are in Worongary?
No schools are recorded inside the Worongary boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The area is family-oriented, with an average household size of 3.1, around 0.6 above the national figure, and 59.1% of homes having four or more bedrooms.
Is Worongary safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Worongary in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 8 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a high tier, and only 4.8% of its 6,021 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Worongary good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $450 against the $580,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.0%, stronger than inner-city markets, and the 2.6% vacancy rate is tight. Renters are only 13.4% of households, so demand for detached rentals outpaces supply. Population is forecast to grow 0.99% a year, supporting steady demand.
How is Worongary's population changing?
Population is forecast to grow 0.99% annually, about 91 residents a year, after a 15.2% rise over the past decade. The medium forecast lifts the count from 9,121 in 2026 to 9,576 by 2031. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 3.8 points and the working-age share down 2.6 points over the decade.
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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