McDowall
McDowall is growing fast, but expensive to rent.
McDowall is growing fast, up 3.57% in the latest year against 1.76% for Queensland; a place people are actively moving to. The trade-offs: renting is expensive, a median of $870 a week (RTA, 2026-Q2); the nearest train station is a fair way off (Oxford Park, about 3.3 km).
Mostly free-standing houses, with a median age of 38 and households on a median $2,461 a week at the 2021 Census.
Compiled from ABS regional population (SA2), the 2021 Census, SEIFA 2021, RTA median rents, Queensland Police Service reported offences, Brisbane City Council flood awareness data, OpenStreetMap, Brisbane City Council parks and trails, TransLink timetables and Queensland Open Data.
What's good
- growing fast, up 3.57% in the latest year against 1.76% for Queensland
- a place people are actively moving to
What to weigh up
- renting is expensive, a median of $870 a week (RTA, 2026-Q2)
- the nearest train station is a fair way off (Oxford Park, about 3.3 km)
McDowall on the map
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area 2 outline for McDowall, 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
McDowall against the Queensland average, both set to 100 in the first year shown so the growth rates compare.
McDowall population grew from 7,890 in 2016 to 8,886 in 2025, a change of 12.6% over the period, against 17.0% for the Queensland average.
Show the data table
| Year | McDowall | Queensland average |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 7,890 | 4,845,152 |
| 2017 | 7,886 | 4,926,380 |
| 2018 | 7,930 | 5,006,623 |
| 2019 | 7,955 | 5,088,847 |
| 2020 | 7,993 | 5,165,613 |
| 2021 | 8,017 | 5,215,814 |
| 2022 | 8,192 | 5,310,905 |
| 2023 | 8,386 | 5,450,235 |
| 2024 | 8,580 | 5,571,890 |
| 2025 | 8,886 | 5,669,764 |
Where the growth is coming from
McDowall gained 1,026 residents from internal migration and 113 from overseas in the year to June 2025, while 884 people moved away — a net addition of 255 before natural increase.
- Internal migration in+1,026
- Internal migration out+837
- Overseas migration in+113
- Natural increase+51
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 | 7,539 | 7,918 | +5.0% |
| Median age | 38 | 38 | 0 yrs |
| Median household income | $2,126/wk | $2,461/wk | +16% |
| Median weekly rent | $400/wk | $460/wk | +15% |
| Born overseas | 21.5% | 25.0% | +3.5 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 36.1%
- Mortgaged 39.8%
- Rented 23.3%
- Other / not stated 0.8%
What it costs to rent
Residential Tenancies Authority · 2026-Q2Median weekly rent for new tenancies, from the Residential Tenancies Authority's bond lodgements. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
Rent over time
All dwellings in McDowall against the Greater Brisbane median.
Median weekly rent in McDowall went from $725 in 2024-Q1 to $870 in 2026-Q2, up 20%, against $656 for Greater Brisbane now.
Show the data table
| Year | McDowall | Greater Brisbane |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q1 | $725 | $562 |
| 2024-Q2 | $750 | $590 |
| 2024-Q3 | $760 | $574 |
| 2024-Q4 | $770 | $594 |
| 2025-Q1 | $780 | $585 |
| 2025-Q2 | $790 | $624 |
| 2025-Q3 | $790 | $612 |
| 2025-Q4 | $800 | $633 |
| 2026-Q1 | $800 | $625 |
| 2026-Q2 | $870 | $656 |
By dwelling type — 2026-Q2 quarter
| Type | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | — | — | — | $900n=16 |
| Townhouse | — | — | $760n=11 | — |
n is the number of new bonds behind each median — treat a figure with a small n as indicative only.
The median weekly rent across all dwellings in McDowall was $870 for the 2026-Q2 quarter, up 10% on a year earlier. That is $214 a week above the Greater Brisbane median.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median rent | Year on year | Greater Brisbane |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-Q2 | $870 | +10.1% | $656 |
| 2026-Q1 | $800 | +2.6% | $625 |
| 2025-Q4 | $800 | +3.9% | $633 |
| 2025-Q3 | $790 | +3.9% | $612 |
| 2025-Q2 | $790 | +5.3% | $624 |
| 2025-Q1 | $780 | +7.6% | $585 |
| 2024-Q4 | $770 | +8.5% | $594 |
| 2024-Q3 | $760 | +2.7% | $574 |
| 2024-Q2 | $750 | +7.1% | $590 |
| 2024-Q1 | $725 | +8.2% | $562 |
| 2023-Q4 | $710 | +9.2% | $575 |
| 2023-Q3 | $740 | +13.8% | $536 |
| 2023-Q2 | $700 | +7.7% | $526 |
| 2023-Q1 | $670 | +13.6% | $496 |
| 2022-Q4 | $650 | +6.6% | $495 |
| 2022-Q3 | $650 | +15.0% | $455 |
| 2022-Q2 | $650 | +18.2% | $454 |
| 2022-Q1 | $590 | +9.3% | $428 |
| 2021-Q4 | $610 | +13.0% | $436 |
| 2021-Q3 | $565 | +2.7% | $416 |
| 2021-Q2 | $550 | −3.5% | $408 |
| 2021-Q1 | $540 | +4.9% | $405 |
| 2020-Q4 | $540 | +8.0% | $401 |
| 2020-Q3 | $550 | +18.3% | $392 |
| 2020-Q2 | $570 | +14.0% | $383 |
| 2020-Q1 | $515 | +1.0% | $394 |
| 2019-Q4 | $500 | +2.0% | $391 |
| 2019-Q3 | $465 | −7.0% | $384 |
| 2019-Q2 | $500 | +0.0% | $383 |
| 2019-Q1 | $510 | +3.0% | $387 |
| 2018-Q4 | $490 | −3.0% | $383 |
| 2018-Q3 | $500 | +16.3% | $381 |
| 2018-Q2 | $500 | — | $383 |
| 2018-Q1 | $495 | — | $386 |
| 2017-Q4 | $505 | — | $384 |
| 2017-Q3 | $430 | — | $381 |
Rent data © the State of Queensland (Residential Tenancies Authority), used under CC BY 4.0, June 2026 release. Figures are the median for new bonds lodged in the quarter, not all tenancies. The RTA suppresses a median where too few bonds were lodged.
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 1,094
- Advantage & disadvantage (IRSAD)Higher decile means more relative advantageDecile 9score 1,092
- Economic resources (IER)Income and housing capacityDecile 9score 1,081
- Education & occupation (IEO)Education and occupational skill levelsDecile 8score 1,084
Safety context
Queensland Police Service · July 2026How much crime is reported where McDowall sits — measured for its whole police division, because that is the finest area the Queensland Police Service publishes.
McDowall is policed by the Queensland Police Service Albany Creek Division, which also covers Bridgeman Downs, Albany Creek, Eatons Hill and The Hills District. The reported-offence figures below are for the whole division, not McDowall specifically.
Most-reported offences · Albany Creek Division, last 12 months
- Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry)725 /100k−72% vs QLD↑ 5%
- Assault284 /100k−73% vs QLD↑ 3%
- Unlawful Entry195 /100k−71% vs QLD↓ 16%
- Drug Offences193 /100k−88% vs QLD↓ 8%
- Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle87 /100k−74% vs QLD↓ 32%
- Robbery11 /100k−76% vs QLD
Rate per 100,000 people across the whole Albany Creek Division — not McDowall 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 Albany Creek Division over the last 12 months, running 72% below the Queensland rate and up on the year before. None of this is specific to McDowall — 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) | 725 per 100k | 2,632 per 100k | ↑ 5% vs prior year |
| Assault | 284 per 100k | 1,053 per 100k | ↑ 3% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Entry | 195 per 100k | 677 per 100k | ↓ 16% vs prior year |
| Drug Offences | 193 per 100k | 1,666 per 100k | ↓ 8% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle | 87 per 100k | 338 per 100k | ↓ 32% vs prior year |
| Robbery | 11 per 100k | 45 per 100k | — |
Crime statistics © State of Queensland (Queensland Police Service), used under CC BY 4.0, updated July 2026. Reported offences are counted for the Albany Creek 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
- 20225.8%
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
2.8% of McDowall 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 2.0%
- Medium <1%
- Low <1%
- Very Low <1%
McDowall has been within a mapped flood extent before — in 2022, with up to about 5.8% of the suburb inundated in the worst of those events. Council's flood-likelihood modelling maps about 2.8% of McDowall as flood-liable, roughly 2.3% 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 | 5.8% of the suburb |
| Council likelihood modelling, all bands | 2.8% of the suburb |
| — High likelihood | 2.0% of the suburb |
| — Medium likelihood | under 1% of the suburb |
| — Low likelihood | under 1% of the suburb |
| — Very Low likelihood | under 1% 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 McDowall SA2, OpenStreetMap records 4 childcare and kindergarten centres, 1 hospital, 2 GP or clinic locations, 2 supermarkets and 16 green spaces. For families: 14 playgrounds. Eating out and socialising: 1 restaurant and 1 pub or bar. Staying active: 13 sports fields. The nearest train station, Oxford Park, is about 3,300 m from the suburb centre. OpenStreetMap also maps 24 bus stops here.
List every mapped place
Schools
- McDowall State School
- Northside Christian College
Childcare & kindergartens
- McDowall Village Childcare Centre
- Avenues Early Learning Centre
- Only About Children McDowall
Hospitals
- North West Private Hospital
GPs & clinics
- Sprenger Prodiatry
- North West Medical Centre
Supermarkets
- Drakes
- Woolworths
Green spaces
- Bisset Place Park
- Hoffman Street Park
- Ustinov Crescent Park
- Ponti Street Park
- Tuckeroo Street Park
- Gum Nut Nook
- Sunset Place Park
- McDowall Reserve
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.
McDowall has 18 council parks covering 110 ha, with 2.3 km of walking track and 5.7 km of bikeway and shared path. Of those, 6 have a barbecue.
- Chermside Hills Reserve31 Walker Street, Mcdowall78 ha2.1 km walking track4.6 km bikeway & shared path
- Mcdowall Reserve22 Speilberg Street, Mcdowall12 ha0.3 km bikeway & shared path1 barbecue
- Beckett Road Park60 Paramount Circuit, Mcdowall6.4 ha0.2 km walking track0.7 km bikeway & shared path
- Savalas Street Park301 Old Northern Road, Mcdowall3.8 ha
- Hoffman Street Park2 De Mille Street, Mcdowall2.4 ha
- Dr Valentine Mcdowall Park99 Streisand Drive, Mcdowall1.4 ha1 barbecue
- Tuckeroo Street Park51 Tuckeroo Street, Mcdowall1.0 ha
- Ustinov Crescent Park62 Landis Street, Mcdowall0.8 ha
Show all 18 parks in McDowall
- Bisset Place Park26 Bisset Place, Mcdowall0.6 ha1 barbecue
- Sunset Place Park19 Sunset Place, Mcdowall0.6 ha1 barbecue
- Lyell Crescent Park40 Lyell Crescent, Mcdowall0.5 ha
- Ponti Street Park27 Ponti Street, Mcdowall0.4 ha
- Margaret Street Park29 Margaret Street, Mcdowall0.3 ha
- Mcleod Court Park36 Margaret Street, Mcdowall0.3 ha1 barbecue
- Laurina Crescent6 Laurina Crescent, Mcdowall0.2 ha
- Malaga Street Park71 Malaga Street, Mcdowall0.2 ha
- Tranquil Place Park23 Pidgeonberry Street, Mcdowall0.2 ha
- Gum Nut Nook27 Boulting Street, Mcdowall0.2 ha1 barbecue
Parks just over the boundary
These sit mostly in a neighbouring suburb but their boundary reaches into McDowall. They are not counted in the figures above.
- Solar Park · Bridgeman Downs · 2.6 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.
Getting to the CBD
TransLink timetablesHow to reach the city centre from McDowall on public transport — the routes you'd catch here, how long they take and how often they run.
From McDowall, route 350 runs to the Brisbane CBD in about 26 minutes, roughly every 24 minutes in the morning peak. Times are scheduled and in-vehicle only — they exclude walking, waiting and any transfer.
Routes to the city from McDowall
- 350Aspley - City Express via Bridgeman Downs~26 min · every ~24 min in the peak
- 359Eatonvale - City Express via Albany Village~32 min · every ~15 min in the peak · via the busway at Normanby
- 353Chermside - City via McDowall~53 min · every ~40 min in the peak · via the busway at RBWH
- 352McDowall - City Express~42 min · peak only
- 357Brendale - City Express~46 min · peak only · via the busway at Normanby
- 351Aspley - City Rocket via Bridgeman Downs~47 min · peak only · via the busway at Normanby
These are timetabled figures for a typical weekday. Plan a door-to-door trip on the TransLink journey planner →
Show the data table
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Fastest scheduled trip to the Brisbane CBD | about 26 min |
| Typical trip (all services) | about 37 min |
| Best route, morning peak (7–9am) | about every 15 min |
| Best route, off-peak (10am–3pm) | about every 30 min |
| 350 — Aspley - City Express via Bridgeman Downs | about 26 min |
| 359 — Eatonvale - City Express via Albany Village | about 32 min, joins the busway at Normanby |
| 353 — Chermside - City via McDowall | about 53 min, joins the busway at RBWH |
| 352 — McDowall - City Express | about 42 min |
| 357 — Brendale - City Express | about 46 min, joins the busway at Normanby |
| 351 — Aspley - City Rocket via Bridgeman Downs | about 47 min, joins the busway at Normanby |
Timetable data © State of Queensland (Department of Transport and Main Roads, TransLink Division), used under CC BY 4.0. Scheduled in-vehicle times for a representative weekday, city-bound — they exclude walking, waiting and transfer time, and real running times vary with traffic.
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 McDowall SA2 contains 2 schools — 1 primary school and 1 combined school, of which 1 is government and 1 non-government. NAPLAN results for each school are on its My School profile (ACARA). For area context, McDowall sits in decile 8 of the ABS SEIFA index of education and occupation nationally and 77% of adults here completed Year 12 (Census 2021).
The centre of this SA2 is zoned for McDowall State School (primary), Craigslea State High School (junior secondary), Craigslea State High School (senior secondary).
Parts of the SA2 also fall in the catchment of Stafford Heights State School (primary), Aspley State School (primary), Craigslea State School (primary), Everton Park State School (primary), Albany Creek State High School (junior secondary), Everton Park State High School (junior secondary), Aspley State High School (junior secondary), Albany Creek State High School (senior secondary), Aspley State High School (senior secondary), Everton Park State High School (senior secondary).
Catchments can divide a suburb — confirm your address on EdMap.
Show school list
- McDowall State School · State · Prep–6
- Northside Christian College (Everton Park) · Independent · Prep–12
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 Bald Hills - Everton Park
Others in the same ABS district, by population growth. If this one doesn't fit, one of these might.
- HereMcDowall+3.6%
- 01Everton Park+3.0%
- 02Bridgeman Downs+2.0%
- 03Carseldine+1.6%
- 04Bald Hills+0.6%
Dots place each suburb's growth on the same scale, slowest at left.
McDowall: common questions
Is McDowall a good place to live?
How much does it cost to rent in McDowall?
Has McDowall ever flooded?
Is McDowall a safe suburb?
How long is the commute from McDowall to the Brisbane CBD?
What schools are in McDowall?
What amenities and public transport does McDowall have?
Weighing up another suburb?
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