Karana Downs
Karana Downs is well-off, but barely growing.
Karana Downs is among the more advantaged parts of Australia (SEIFA 2021, decile 8 of 10); still relatively affordable to rent, with a median of $400 a week at the 2021 Census. The trade-offs: the population is barely moving; the nearest train station is a fair way off (Indooroopilly, about 18.1 km).
Mostly free-standing houses, with a median age of 42 and households on a median $2,385 a week at the 2021 Census.
Compiled from ABS regional population (SA2), the 2021 Census, SEIFA 2021, Queensland Police Service reported offences, Brisbane City Council flood awareness data, OpenStreetMap, Brisbane City Council parks and trails and Queensland Open Data.
What's good
- among the more advantaged parts of Australia (SEIFA 2021, decile 8 of 10)
- still relatively affordable to rent, with a median of $400 a week at the 2021 Census
What to weigh up
- the population is barely moving
- the nearest train station is a fair way off (Indooroopilly, about 18.1 km)
Karana Downs on the map
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area 2 outline for Karana Downs, QLD.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Boundary: ABS SA2 (ASGS 2021), simplified — an SA2 can differ from the gazetted suburb, and detached parts such as islands may not all be shown.
How the population has changed
Karana Downs against the Queensland average, both set to 100 in the first year shown so the growth rates compare.
Karana Downs population grew from 6,307 in 2016 to 6,261 in 2025, a change of -0.7% over the period, against 17.0% for the Queensland average.
Show the data table
| Year | Karana Downs | Queensland average |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 6,307 | 4,845,152 |
| 2017 | 6,260 | 4,926,380 |
| 2018 | 6,206 | 5,006,623 |
| 2019 | 6,205 | 5,088,847 |
| 2020 | 6,133 | 5,165,613 |
| 2021 | 6,115 | 5,215,814 |
| 2022 | 6,151 | 5,310,905 |
| 2023 | 6,180 | 5,450,235 |
| 2024 | 6,238 | 5,571,890 |
| 2025 | 6,261 | 5,669,764 |
Where the growth is coming from
Karana Downs gained 444 residents from internal migration and 77 from overseas in the year to June 2025, while 541 people moved away — a net addition of -20 before natural increase.
- Internal migration in+444
- Internal migration out+510
- Overseas migration in+77
- Natural increase+43
Components of population change over the sample year. Natural increase is shown apart from migration so the two are not read as one figure.
How it has changed
Census · five-yearlyThe 2016 Census against 2021. Older figures are mapped onto today's boundaries via the ABS Time Series Profile, so comparisons are approximate where borders moved.
| Measure | 2016 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,092 | 6,032 | -1.0% |
| Median age | 39 | 42 | +3 yrs |
| Median household income | $2,094/wk | $2,385/wk | +14% |
| Median weekly rent | $378/wk | $400/wk | +5.8% |
| Born overseas | 21.8% | 22.4% | +0.6 pts |
Who lives here
Census · five-yearlyFrom the 2021 Census — the most recent available; 2026 Census data isn't expected until mid-2027. Each figure carries its definition, so you know what is being counted.
People
Income
Housing
Work
Household
Country of birth
Language at home
How homes are held
- Owned outright 31.3%
- Mortgaged 57.5%
- Rented 10.1%
- Other / not stated 1.1%
How well-off the area is
Census · five-yearlyThe ABS SEIFA indexes rank every area by relative advantage and disadvantage. Decile 1 is the lowest tenth of Australia; decile 10 is the highest.
- Relative disadvantage (IRSD)Lower decile means more relative disadvantageDecile 10score 1,088
- Advantage & disadvantage (IRSAD)Higher decile means more relative advantageDecile 8score 1,072
- Economic resources (IER)Income and housing capacityDecile 10score 1,105
- Education & occupation (IEO)Education and occupational skill levelsDecile 8score 1,066
Safety context
Queensland Police Service · July 2026How much crime is reported where Karana Downs sits — measured for its whole police division, because that is the finest area the Queensland Police Service publishes.
Karana Downs is policed by the Queensland Police Service Karana Downs Division, which also covers Brassall, Ipswich - North, Karalee - Barellan Point, Leichhardt - One Mile and North Ipswich - Tivoli. The reported-offence figures below are for the whole division, not Karana Downs specifically.
Most-reported offences · Karana Downs Division, last 12 months
- Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry)1,606 /100k−39% vs QLD↓ 11%
- Assault842 /100k−20% vs QLD↓ 8%
- Drug Offences650 /100k−61% vs QLD↑ 3%
- Unlawful Entry286 /100k−58% vs QLD↓ 26%
- Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle191 /100k−44% vs QLD↑ 3%
- Robbery18 /100k−60% vs QLD↓ 23%
Rate per 100,000 people across the whole Karana Downs Division — not Karana Downs on its own; the arrow compares the last 12 months with the 12 before.
Of these categories, other theft is reported most across the whole Karana Downs Division over the last 12 months, running 39% below the Queensland rate and down on the year before. None of this is specific to Karana Downs — a police division usually spans several suburbs, so treat it as area context, not a street-level read.
Show the data table
| Offence category | Division | Queensland | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry) | 1,606 per 100k | 2,632 per 100k | ↓ 11% vs prior year |
| Assault | 842 per 100k | 1,053 per 100k | ↓ 8% vs prior year |
| Drug Offences | 650 per 100k | 1,666 per 100k | ↑ 3% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Entry | 286 per 100k | 677 per 100k | ↓ 26% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle | 191 per 100k | 338 per 100k | ↑ 3% vs prior year |
| Robbery | 18 per 100k | 45 per 100k | ↓ 23% vs prior year |
Crime statistics © State of Queensland (Queensland Police Service), used under CC BY 4.0, updated July 2026. Reported offences are counted for the Karana Downs Division; suburb-level detail is not published as open data. Monthly counts are volatile — the 12-month figures above smooth that noise, per QPS’s own guidance.
Flood risk
Brisbane City Council · updated August 2026Has this suburb flooded before, and how much of it does Brisbane City Council map as flood-liable? The historic extents are the ground truth; the likelihood bands are the council's modelling of how often flooding is expected.
Historic flood exposure
- 20227.2%
- 201113%
- 19745.7%
Share of the suburb inside each event’s mapped flood surface. These maps cover only the river and creek extents of those specific events — being outside them does not mean a property is flood-free.
Council flood-likelihood modelling
13% of Karana Downs is mapped as flood-liable, split by how often flooding is expected. This layer dates from 2013 and reads conservatively for some riverside suburbs.
- High <1%
- Medium 5.6%
- Low 4.4%
- Very Low 3.5%
Karana Downs has been within a mapped flood extent before — in 2022, 2011 and 1974, with up to about 13% of the suburb inundated in the worst of those events. Council's flood-likelihood modelling maps about 13% of Karana Downs as flood-liable, roughly 5.6% of it in a high or medium likelihood band.
A suburb rollup can’t tell you about an individual property. Check a specific address on Brisbane City Council’s FloodWise Property Report →
Show the data table
| Measure | Share |
|---|---|
| Within the 2022 flood extent | 7.2% of the suburb |
| Within the 2011 flood extent | 13% of the suburb |
| Within the 1974 flood extent | 5.7% of the suburb |
| Council likelihood modelling, all bands | 13% of the suburb |
| — High likelihood | under 1% of the suburb |
| — Medium likelihood | 5.6% of the suburb |
| — Low likelihood | 4.4% of the suburb |
| — Very Low likelihood | 3.5% of the suburb |
Flood data © Brisbane City Council, used under CC BY 4.0, updated August 2026. The Flood Awareness Maps are an awareness tool, not a substitute for a FloodWise Property Report or professional advice.
Getting around, and what's nearby
OpenStreetMap · quarterlyWhat OpenStreetMap records inside the suburb boundary. Counts reflect what is tagged in OSM and can undercount a real but less-mapped area. The park count here is OpenStreetMap green space of any kind, including privately held land — it is a different measure from the council parks below.
Within the Karana Downs SA2, OpenStreetMap records 2 childcare and kindergarten centres, 1 supermarket and 18 green spaces. For families: 4 playgrounds. Eating out and socialising: 1 restaurant. Staying active: 4 sports fields. The nearest train station, Indooroopilly, is about 18,100 m from the suburb centre.
List every mapped place
Schools
- Mount Crosby State School
Childcare & kindergartens
- Mount Crosby Kindergarten
- Edge Early Learning Karana Downs
Supermarkets
- Friendly Grocer
Green spaces
- Malcolm McDougall Park
- Stumers Road Reserve (Mt Crosby Playground)
- Emungerie Grove Reserve
- Scriven Street North Reserve
- Lloyd Bird Environmental Park
- Kupi Park
- Dumburru Park
- Burrun Park
Parks and trails
Brisbane City Council · biannuallyCouncil-managed parks inside the suburb boundary, with the recreation trails and facilities Brisbane City Council records in each.
Karana Downs has 26 council parks covering 1581 ha, with 0.9 km of walking track and 42 km of bikeway and shared path. Of those, 3 have a barbecue and 1 has a dog off-leash area.
- Changing Mountain Bushland384 Lake Manchester Road, Kholo568 ha0.3 km walking track25 km bikeway & shared path
- Kholo Bushland Reserve271A Lake Manchester Road, Kholo452 ha11 km bikeway & shared path
- Shelley Road Park140 Shelley Road, Kholo277 ha4.2 km bikeway & shared path
- Marstaeller Road Reserve48 Marstaeller Road, Mount Crosby141 ha
- Stumers Road Reserve770 Mt Crosby Road, Mount Crosby21 ha1 barbecue
- Kookaburra Park - West54 Caringal Drive, Karana Downs15 ha0.2 km bikeway & shared path3 barbecuesDog off-leash
- Dumburru Park114 College Road, Karana Downs15 ha0.9 km bikeway & shared path
- Illawong Reserve73 College Road, Karana Downs14 ha0.2 km bikeway & shared path1 barbecue
Show all 26 parks in Karana Downs
- Emungerie Grove Reserve27A Emungerie Grove, Karana Downs14 ha
- Bullock Dray Road Park73 Bullock Dray Drive, Mount Crosby13 ha
- Burrun Park99 College Road, Karana Downs11 ha
- Banksia Drive Reserve48 Banksia Drive, Mount Crosby8.9 ha
- Skyline Drive Park80 Skyline Drive, Kholo6.9 ha0.1 km walking track
- Kupi Park58 Tanderra Way, Karana Downs5.4 ha0.5 km walking track
- Malcolm Mcdougall Park58 Scriven Street, Mount Crosby3.1 ha
- Scriven Street Reserve16 Scriven Street, Mount Crosby2.6 ha
- College Road Park66 College Road, Karana Downs2.3 ha
- Murri Park9 Illawong Way, Karana Downs2.0 ha
- Jack Kerr Court Park59 Jack Kerr Court, Mount Crosby1.6 ha
- Atkinson Drive Reserve513 Mt Crosby Road, Karana Downs1.6 ha
- Scriven Street North Reserve19 Scriven Street, Mount Crosby1.6 ha
- Platypus Park18 Banksia Drive, Mount Crosby1.5 ha
- Lions Nature Trail Park120 Candowie Crescent, Karana Downs1.2 ha
- Swensons Road Nature Reserve135 Swensons Road, Mount Crosby0.7 ha0.3 km bikeway & shared path
- Stumers Road West Reserve20 Stumers Road, Mount Crosby0.7 ha
- Heritage Park207 College Road, Karana Downs0.5 ha
Parks across Brisbane — biggest, off-leash areas and trails →
Park locations © Brisbane City Council 2026; tracks and trails © Brisbane City Council 2025. Used under CC BY 4.0, updated September 2026.
Schools
Every open Queensland school whose campus sits inside the SA2 boundary, with the average ICSEA across them. Open a school for its own ICSEA, student background and a link to My School.
The Karana Downs SA2 contains 1 school, and it is a government school. NAPLAN results for each school are on its My School profile (ACARA). For area context, Karana Downs sits in decile 8 of the ABS SEIFA index of education and occupation nationally and 73% of adults here completed Year 12 (Census 2021).
The centre of this SA2 is zoned for Mount Crosby State School (primary), Ipswich State High School (junior secondary), Ipswich State High School (senior secondary).
Parts of the SA2 also fall in the catchment of Karalee State School (primary), Upper Brookfield State School (primary), Moggill State School (primary), Pullenvale State School (primary), Brassall State School (primary), Kenmore State High School (junior secondary), Kenmore State High School (senior secondary).
Catchments can divide a suburb — confirm your address on EdMap.
Show school list
- Mount Crosby State School · State · Prep–6
School list & catchments: Queensland Government Open Data (Department of Education), licensed CC BY 4.0. ICSEA: ACARA School Profile. NAPLAN: myschool.edu.au (ACARA).
Nearby, in Ipswich Inner
Others in the same ABS district, by population growth. If this one doesn't fit, one of these might.
- HereKarana Downs+0.4%
- 01Ripley+15.4%
- 02Bundamba+2.2%
- 03Brassall+1.9%
- 04Karalee - Barellan Point+1.8%
- 05Leichhardt - One Mile+1.7%
- 06North Ipswich - Tivoli+1.2%
- 07Raceview+1.1%
- 08Ipswich - East+0.9%
- 09Churchill - Yamanto+0.8%
- 10Ipswich - Central+0.4%
- 11Riverview-0.0%
Dots place each suburb's growth on the same scale, slowest at left.
Karana Downs: common questions
Is Karana Downs a good place to live?
Has Karana Downs ever flooded?
Is Karana Downs a safe suburb?
What schools are in Karana Downs?
What amenities and public transport does Karana Downs have?
Are people moving to Karana Downs?
Is Karana Downs an advantaged area?
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