Wulguru
An established, car-oriented pocket of Townsville, Wulguru has 4,389 residents packed into 2.93 square kilometres, or 1,496.6 people per square kilometre. Its median age of 42 is 2.0 years above the national comparison, while 89.3% of dwellings are separate houses. The suburb leans older and more settled than growth-focused parts of the region: 78.8% of residents stayed at the same address and the forecast trend is only 0.09% a year. Compared with nearby Oonoonba and Stuart, its defining signal is the detached-home profile, alongside household income at the 43.8th percentile and a 30.1% renting share.
Population
4,389
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,446/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
10
Buyers seeking a conventional house setting will find 89.3% separate houses, with 54.9% containing three bedrooms and 30.0% containing four or more. A suburb-level median house price is not available, so the $1,300 monthly mortgage figure should be treated as a budgeting reference rather than a purchase valuation. Mortgage costs equal 20.8% of household income, while the household income percentile is 43.8, below the midpoint. Compared with apartment-oriented markets, Wulguru provides a stronger detached-home bias, but buyers should allow for car dependence because 86.2% travel as drivers.
For Buyers
Buyers seeking a conventional house setting will find 89.3% separate houses, with 54.9% containing three bedrooms and 30.0% containing four or more. A suburb-level median house price is not available, so the $1,300 monthly mortgage figure should be treated as a budgeting reference rather than a purchase valuation. Mortgage costs equal 20.8% of household income, while the household income percentile is 43.8, below the midpoint. Compared with apartment-oriented markets, Wulguru provides a stronger detached-home bias, but buyers should allow for car dependence because 86.2% travel as drivers.
For Investors
Rental demand is meaningful, with 30.1% of occupied dwellings rented and weekly rent at $290. The 8.1% vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market would usually suggest, so investors should test achievable rents, leasing periods and property management costs rather than assume automatic scarcity. Development activity recorded 10 applications in 12 months, mostly a modest pipeline rather than a clear supply surge. Forecast migration is Balanced and annual growth is 0.09%, which is slower than high-growth corridors. The detached-house share of 89.3% may suit family tenants, while the 30.0% four-bedroom-plus share broadens the larger-home segment.
Development Activity
Total DAs
10
Last 12 Months
10
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 Wulguru
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Wulguru State School
Demographics
Wulguru's median age is 42, sitting 2.0 years above the national comparison, and its average household size is 2.4, or 0.1 below the national figure. Overseas-born residents account for 9.8%, 11.8 percentage points below the national comparison, while university attainment is 18.6%, 11.5 points below. English, Irish and Scottish ancestries are prominent at 1,754, 561 and 502 people respectively. Christianity counts 2,155 residents and no religion 1,798, indicating a mixed belief profile. The 78.8% same-address rate is higher than the 21.2% turnover rate, reinforcing an established residential pattern.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.3%
Houses
3.7%
Townhouse
5.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Wulguru's housing profile is overwhelmingly detached: 89.3% separate houses versus 5.2% apartments and 3.7% semi-detached homes. Tenure is split between 33.4% owned outright, 35.7% with a mortgage and 30.1% renting, giving owner-occupiers a clear majority. Three-bedroom homes make up 54.9%, while 30.0% have four or more bedrooms. Rent takes 20.1% of household income and mortgage costs 20.8%, with neither measure flagged as stressed. With household income at the 43.8th percentile, below the midpoint, affordability still needs checking at individual purchase prices. Compared with apartment-led areas, Wulguru has a more uniform family-house stock.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $290.
$550
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $550 · units $500
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$747
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.1%
Unoccupied
152
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.1%
Couples with children
41.7%
Couples, no children
20.9%
Single parent
1,228
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads Wulguru's listed industries at 18.2% and 215 workers, followed by public administration and education at 12.3% each, construction at 9.4% and retail at 6.1%. The occupation mix includes 323 trades workers, 308 professionals, 286 community and personal service workers, 255 clerical and administrative workers and 243 labourers. Unemployment is 6.4%, participation is 58.9% and full-time employment is 61.5%. SEIFA places IEO at decile 2, IER at 3, IRSAD at 2 and IRSD at 3, all below the national midpoint, pointing to weaker education, occupation and overall advantage than higher-ranked suburbs. Household income sits at percentile 43.8.
Unemployment
6.4%
Labour Force
2,140
Unemployed
137
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.5%
Part-time
32.0%
Participation
58.9%
Employed
2,003
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.6%
Postgraduate
2.6%
Born Overseas
9.8%
Dwellings
1,721
Transport to Work
Daily life is strongly car dependent: 86.2% travel as a car driver, compared with 0.7% using public transport and 2.0% walking or cycling; 4.9% work from home. One local school is available, Wulguru State School, a government state school, so families should confirm enrolment zones and transport needs for the exact address. The IRSAD decile is 2, below the national midpoint, while 11.9% volunteer and 7.4% report a need for assistance. For a current safety check, review Queensland Police crime mapping and inspect streets at different times before deciding. Compared with transit-oriented suburbs, Wulguru is better suited to households with reliable vehicle access.
Drive
86.2%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.0%
Work from Home
4.9%
Population Forecast
+0.09%/yr
(+6 people/yr)
EstablishedWulguru is an established, slow-changing suburb: the forecast annual trend is 0.09%, while population change across the wider area is 1.1% over 10 years. Migration is labelled Balanced rather than driven by one dominant source. The shift trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 4.5 percentage points and the young share down 4.4 points. Gentrification is scored 0 and staged Not gentrifying, so change is more likely to come through gradual household turnover than rapid reinvestment. Compared with high-growth corridors, the outlook is lower and steadier, which may suit buyers prioritising established services over speculative uplift.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+11
Net Internal / yr
+34
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Wulguru compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wulguru a good suburb to live in?
Wulguru may suit households wanting detached homes and a quieter, established setting. It has 4,389 residents, a median age of 42 and 89.3% separate houses. The trade-off is car dependence, with 86.2% travelling as drivers and only 0.7% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Wulguru?
A current median house price cannot be stated for Wulguru. For budgeting, the monthly mortgage figure is $1,300 and weekly rent is $290. Buyers should compare recent sales for similar three-bedroom and four-bedroom homes because 54.9% of dwellings have three bedrooms and 30.0% have four or more.
What schools are in Wulguru?
Wulguru has 1 local school, Wulguru State School, which is a government state school. Families should confirm the exact enrolment zone, transport arrangements and available places before signing a lease or contract, as school access can vary across 2.93 square kilometres.
Is Wulguru safe?
A current suburb crime rate should be checked before making a decision. Review Queensland Police crime mapping, inspect the street during both daytime and evening, and ask local agents about conditions. Wulguru covers 2.93 square kilometres, so street-level experience may differ across the suburb.
Is Wulguru good for property investment?
Wulguru offers a detached-home rental base, with 30.1% of dwellings rented and weekly rent of $290. However, the 8.1% vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market, while annual growth is forecast at 0.09%. Investors should also consider the 10 development applications recorded over 12 months.
How is Wulguru's population changing?
Wulguru has 4,389 residents today, with a forecast annual trend of 0.09%. Population change across the wider area is 1.1% over 10 years, and the trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 4.5 percentage points and the young share down 4.4 points. Migration is classified as Balanced.
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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