Milly Baker | AAPI CPV
Regional Director - Northern QLD
Welcome to the Townsville residential property market insights for the first half of 2026.
Townsville continued to demonstrate the greatest transaction depth of the North Queensland markets reviewed, with broad-based activity across detached houses, units and vacant land. The market remained supported by established family housing demand, northern growth corridors, inner-city and coastal lifestyle locations and the relative affordability of units compared with detached housing.
The Townsville City LGA recorded 1,469 house sales during the first half of 2026, with a median price of $700,000. This represented an increase of approximately 9.4% against the 2025 annual median. Demand remained strongest for established family homes offering practical accommodation, good presentation and access to employment, schools and lifestyle amenity. Kirwan, Burdell, Kelso, Douglas and Mount Louisa continued to provide significant transaction volume, while inner and lifestyle locations demonstrated the upper extent of buyer capacity.
The unit market also performed strongly, recording 424 sales at a median of $471,000, approximately 12.1% above the 2025 annual median. Units continued to attract investors, first-home buyers and purchasers seeking comparatively affordable accommodation in central, coastal and amenity-rich locations.
Vacant land recorded the strongest headline increase, reaching a median of $345,000. However, the segment remained materially thinner than the established housing market and should be interpreted having regard to variations in lot size, estate stage, title timing and location.
Townsville's detached housing market remains the main driver of residential market depth. The 2026 YTD median house price of $700,000 reflects a further uplift from the 2025 annual median of $640,000 and is materially above the $528,000 median recorded in 2024.
At a practical market level, demand is strongest for established family homes with good functionality, limited immediate capital expenditure and access to employment, schools and lifestyle amenity. Family housing corridors such as Kirwan, Burdell, Kelso, Douglas and Mount Louisa are providing the majority of volume, while inner and lifestyle locations such as Castle Hill, North Ward, Belgian Gardens, Mysterton and Alice River are demonstrating the upper end of buyer capacity.
The Townsville City LGA recorded 1,469 house sales in 2026 YTD / first half, with a median of $700,000.
The house median is approximately 9.4% above the 2025 annual median and approximately 32.6% above 2024.
The monthly median was relatively stable around the $700,000 level from January to May 2026, peaking at $714,000 in March.
The highest-volume detached housing suburbs include Kirwan, Burdell, Kelso, Douglas, Mount Louisa, Bohle Plains, Bushland Beach and Annandale.
The stronger growth results include Mysterton, Richmond Hill, Currajong, Mundingburra, Alice River, Rosslea and Shaw, noting some of these remain lower-volume markets.
|
Suburb |
2026 median |
2026 sales |
Growth vs 2025 |
|
Kirwan |
$681,000 |
110 |
11.6% |
|
Burdell |
$750,000 |
72 |
12.1% |
|
Kelso |
$625,000 |
71 |
13.6% |
|
Douglas |
$710,000 |
61 |
6.0% |
|
Mount Louisa |
$720,000 |
54 |
8.6% |
The unit and strata segment continues to benefit from relative affordability. The Townsville City LGA median unit price reached $471,000 in 2026 YTD / first half, up from the 2025 annual median of $420,000 and significantly above the $339,500 median recorded in 2024.
The key point for this segment is that unit values are still trading at a discount to detached housing, while replacement-cost pressures and rental demand provide support for established stock. Demand remains most evident in central, coastal and amenity-rich locations where rental prospects, lifestyle appeal and walkability are strongest.
The Townsville City LGA recorded 424 unit sales in 2026 YTD / first half, with a median of $471,000.
The unit median is approximately 12.1% above the 2025 annual median and approximately 38.7% above 2024.
North Ward and Townsville CBD are the highest-volume unit markets followed by West End, Douglas and South Townsville.
Selected unit suburbs showing strong growth include Railway Estate, Cranbrook, Condon, Hermit Park, Rosslea, Pimlico, Thuringowa Central and North Ward, although some samples are modest.
Affordability relative to detached houses is expected to remain a core demand driver through the second half of 2026.
|
Suburb |
2026 median |
2026 sales |
Growth vs 2025 |
|
North Ward |
$560,000 |
63 |
18.6% |
|
Townsville CBD |
$530,000 |
43 |
7.1% |
|
West End |
$442,000 |
25 |
12.8% |
|
Douglas |
$465,000 |
17 |
13.4% |
|
South Townsville |
$450,000 |
17 |
-2.2% |
|
Rosslea |
$452,000 |
17 |
23.5% |
Vacant land remains the most supply-sensitive and sample-size-sensitive segment in the Townsville market. The LGA recorded 100 vacant land sales in 2026 YTD / first half with a median of $345,000. This is a sharp uplift from the 2025 annual median of $250,900 and the 2024 median of $217,900.
The land dataset is materially thinner than the house and unit segments, which means suburb-level medians should be read carefully. A small number of transactions can shift the median where lot size, title timing, development stage and location vary. Nevertheless, the broader direction is clear: buyers are paying materially more for titled or readily developable residential land than they were two years ago.
Townsville City vacant land recorded 100 sales in 2026 YTD / first half at a median of $345,000.
The 2026 YTD median is approximately 37.5% above the 2025 annual median and approximately 58.3% above 2024.
Active land sales include Burdell, Shaw, Bohle Plains, Bushland Beach and Julago.
Construction costs and feasibility remain key constraints, but limited land availability continues to support pricing where buyer demand is established.
The strongest land demand is expected to remain in growth-corridor and lifestyle/fringe locations where buyers can secure new-build or larger-lot outcomes.
Townsville entered the second half of 2026 from a position of considerable market strength, supported by broad transaction depth and value growth across each major residential segment.
Detached houses are expected to remain the dominant and most liquid component of the market. Demand should continue to favour well-presented family homes in established suburbs and northern growth corridors, particularly where properties offer practical accommodation and limited immediate expenditure. While affordability pressures may moderate the rate of growth, the depth of the owner-occupier market should continue to provide underlying support.
Units are likely to remain attractive as the price gap between strata accommodation and detached housing widens. Central, coastal and amenity-rich locations should continue to perform most strongly, although purchasers are expected to scrutinise body corporate costs, insurance, maintenance liabilities and rental returns more closely.
Vacant land should remain supported by constrained supply and demand for new-build and larger-lot outcomes. Nevertheless, the sharp increase in the reported median should be considered in the context of a comparatively small and variable transaction sample. Construction costs, build timeframes and overall project feasibility will remain important limitations on purchaser capacity.
The outlook for the remainder of 2026 is positive but likely to be more selective than the preceding period. Growth is expected to become increasingly quality-led, with the strongest competition focused on established properties offering location, functionality and certainty. Townsville’s transaction depth and diverse residential buyer base should place it in a comparatively resilient position, although affordability and housing-delivery constraints remain key risks.
The 2026–27 Federal Budget introduced the most substantial changes to residential property taxation in approximately three decades, including changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax treatment. The immediate effect has been increased investor caution, softer enquiry and longer decision-making periods, with early signs of a slowdown already evident across parts of the market. For North Queensland, the impact may be less pronounced than in highly leveraged capital-city markets due to comparatively stronger rental yields and persistent supply constraints; however, reduced investor participation is likely to moderate sales volumes and price growth, particularly for established investment-grade houses and units. While the policy may progressively redirect capital toward new housing, elevated construction costs, development feasibility constraints and limited delivery capacity mean any meaningful supply response is likely to take time.
For further property insights regarding Townsville or a discussion about how Opteon can support you with our wide range of valuation and advisory services, please feel free to reach out.
Source: PriceFinder, accessed July 2026; RP Data (Cotality/CoreLogic), accessed July 2026.
Regional Director - Northern QLD
milly.baker@opteonsolutions.com
0400 924 158
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