McDowall QLD 4053
McDowall sits 14 km from Brisbane CBD in Queensland, around 24 minutes by car. Census data records 7,612 residents with a median age of 38 and a median household income of $129,272 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 5.2% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $470 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,167. The area shows no recorded bushfire exposure. 1 school sits within the suburb boundary, and walkability is moderate.
Is McDowall a good suburb?
McDowall scores a A+ (88/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, safety, and community.
Mixed results
1 school
Walkable and central
Walkability 69/100 · 13.9 km · 24 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $1.31M
Low all-round risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 30/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 38 · 7,612 residents
Liveability Rating
88 / 100 · Ranked #13 in QLDEach bar is McDowall's rank among QLD suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in McDowall?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
88 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataMcdowall's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.31 million, roughly 16% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,310,000
3% above its 8 neighbours (median $1,272,500)
Based on 119 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 23 days — median across 79 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 34 sales $1.2M
- 4 bed 56 sales $1.33M
- 5 bed 21 sales $1.68M
Units
$695,000
Based on only 9 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 28 days — median across 4 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 7 sales $640K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Mcdowall are currently listed at around $1.3 million on average. Based on 19 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.3M
19 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$810K
3 units listed in the last 6 months.
22 of the suburb's 2,636 dwellings (0.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Mcdowall rent for around $835 a week on average, based on 24 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$835/wk
In line with its 7 neighbours (median $825/wk)
24 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$700/wk
5 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
29 rentals advertised against an estimated 598 rented homes (4.8%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- All rentals
- $800/wk
- 40 bonds
- +43% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202596 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 31% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4053.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$835/week ($43,000 a year) on a $1.3 million median
$700/week ($36,000 a year) on a $810,000 median
Based on a small sample (3 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
8 active Airbnb listings: 3 whole homes and 5 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.1% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is McDowall safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Mcdowall sits in the low band, with 32 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 39% on the prior year.
32 offences
39.1% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–202438 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
One school serve Mcdowall, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 988 students in one school (avg 988)
Primary
Universities nearby
- 7.8 kmKelvin GroveQueensland University of Technology · 119 courses
- 8.9 kmAustralian Catholic University-Brisbane CampusAustralian Catholic University · 82 courses
- 9.4 km90 Bowen Terrace, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006Torrens University Australia · 125 courses
3.1% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Mcdowall is somewhat walkable on foot — at 69/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside McDowall.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 77.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 35.1 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 22.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 18.2 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in McDowall.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 22%
- Premises covered
- 3,119
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Brisbane: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 19 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the suburb closely.
Mcdowall is home to about 7,600 residents, with a median age of 38, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $129,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.8%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
7,612
Median Age
38
Median Household Income
$129,272/yr
Census Median Rent
$470/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,167/mo
Avg Household Size
2.9
Median Personal Income
$55,068/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.8%
Unoccupied Dwellings
3.8%
Total Dwellings
2,636
Owner-Occupier Rate
77.3%
Houses
87.7%
Rental Stress
18.9%
Mortgage Stress
20.1%
Work From Home
25.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
17 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 0 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 594 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 73.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 80.9%
- Employment Rate
- 68.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 56.7%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
246 residents (3.2%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 7,123 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
21% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (880 of 4,162).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,519 a year through Brisbane based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Brisbane
In the year to August 2026, 9,382 new dwellings were approved across Brisbane. That mix is 2,948 houses and 6,434 units. Approvals are up 9.0% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 148 to 420 homes
- Within 2 years 62 to 170 homes
- In 2 to 5 years 42 to 100 homes
- In 10 years or more 44 to 150 homes
Land the Queensland Government's residential land supply study identifies for future housing (18 parcels), by when it expects lots to be registered. Yields are published in ranges, so these are too.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Turrbal People.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. No native title claim is currently registered here, so the last registered claimant remains the Aboriginal party.
Air Quality
CLEANPM2.5 averaged 4.6 µg/m³ in 2025 — below the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 13.4 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.74 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Deagon (South East Queensland) monitoring station, 8.0 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Archerfield Airport, 21.2 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 63 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 10.6 km
- Annual rainfall
- 1,032 mm
- 84 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 30.5°C
- 6 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 8.9°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 4053, 628 of 35,629 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.6% (1,286 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.4%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4053, 8,842 rooftop-solar systems totalling 54.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 19,162 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 492 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$30,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
$30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, with no end date. IT DID NOT REVERT TO $15,000: the tier was due to end 30 June 2026 and the 2026-27 Queensland Budget (23 June 2026) continued it for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. This file carried a "due to revert" note until 2026-09-18 — it was never true, and a note predicting a change is not the same as a change. Cap is "less than $750,000" including land and contract variations — less than, not up to. New homes only: "There are no home owner grants for established homes."
Mortgage repayments
4 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 28 across postcode 4053.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Queensland Revenue Office
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $30,000 — see what qualifies with Queensland Revenue Office.
At $1,310,000 this is $560,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $30,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Queensland Revenue Office.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Anika Wells Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Anika Wells | 64.5% | 35.5% | +4.0 |
| 2022 | Anika Wells | 60.5% | 39.5% | -9.9 |
| 2019 | Anika Wells | 50.6% | 49.4% | +5.0 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Bart Mellish Australian Labor Party (State of Queensland)
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Bart Mellish ALP | 50.0% |
| 2020 | Bart Mellish ALP | 55.2% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in McDowall?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 7,612 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
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Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Brisbane There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Brisbane suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Albany Creek QLD 4035
Aspley QLD 4034
Bridgeman Downs QLD 4035
Everton Park QLD 4053
Stafford Heights QLD 4053
Chermside West QLD 4032
Compare McDowall to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about McDowall
Is McDowall a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in McDowall is low (30/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect McDowall?
McDowall has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is McDowall a good place to live?
McDowall has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A+ (88/100), ranked against other QLD suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of McDowall?
McDowall, QLD had a population of 7,612 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for McDowall, QLD?
The postcode for McDowall, QLD is 4053.
How far is McDowall from Brisbane?
McDowall is 14 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 24 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in McDowall?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in McDowall was $129,272 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in McDowall?
The median advertised rent in McDowall is $835 a week for houses (24 listings) and $700 a week for units (5 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in McDowall?
The median age of residents in McDowall was 38 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in McDowall?
There is 1 school inside the McDowall boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is McDowall walkable?
McDowall scores 69/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in McDowall?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to McDowall (Deagon (South East Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 4.6 µg/m³ and PM10 of 13.4 µg/m³. That puts McDowall below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in McDowall?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to McDowall, Archerfield Airport (21.2 km away), summer days average 30.5°C, winter nights 8.9°C, 1,032 mm of rain a year over 84 rainy days, and 6 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in McDowall?
First-home buyers in QLD may be eligible for $30,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by Queensland Revenue Office; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does McDowall belong to?
McDowall sits within the Brisbane local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in McDowall?
The average residential rates bill through Brisbane is $1,519 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near McDowall?
Across Brisbane, 9,382 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 9.0% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is McDowall in?
McDowall sits within the federal Division of Lilley, currently held by Anika Wells (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2025–26
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2020–2024
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2024
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.