suburb.guide

QLD · Brisbane Council

McDowall, 4053

Current weather

15.9°CClear sky

93% humidity · 8.5 km/h wind · 21.8° / 13.5° today · 0.2 mm rain

Updated

Desirability score

62.6/100
Good

Top 9% of Queensland's suburbs

85% data confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • High desirability
  • National parks
What McDowall is known for: Green suburb, High desirability, National parks

Suburb profile

McDowall is a well-connected mid-sized suburb in Brisbane with everyday amenities close at hand. Connections to the wider metro area are straightforward, with neighbouring communities close at hand. Tree-lined streets and leafy pockets give the suburb a noticeably green, settled character.

Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with a strong presence of young families throughout. Daily life is practical and well connected, with the city and nearby suburbs easy to tap into. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls.

Getting around the metro area is straightforward, with transport tying neighbouring communities together. Property is in demand, reflecting the appeal of living in a place people actively choose.

On the desirability index, the suburb rates good overall, led by parks and green space and community and employment, while local dining and lifestyle amenities sit closer to the middle of the pack for similar metro suburbs.

Population

Population
7,612
Median age
38
Median household income / week
$2,486
Dwelling vacancy
3.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
101 of 2,735
Median monthly mortgage
$2,167
Employment rate
68.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
136 / 263 / 60

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$800

Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

Crime & safety

Total offences (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
245
Against the person
32
Against property
131
Rate per 1,000 residents
32.2
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 238 residents
State safety percentile
33.6th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-2.7%

Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.

Reported offences by period

Most common offence types

  • Drug Offences308
  • Good Order Offences97
  • Other Property Damage91
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)508
  • Traffic And Related Offences136

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Period: Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Jul 2026; Jan 2026 to Jul 2026 · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates

Schools & preschools

Schools & preschools
1
Median school ICSEA
1,120
  • McDowall State SchoolPrimary

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

21 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Hamilton Rd at Paramount Circuit, stop 47
  • Hamilton Rd at Trouts Rd, stop 46
  • Old Northern Rd at Chinook
  • Rode Rd at Trouts Road
  • Rode Rd at Trouts Road

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

91 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

  • BWSAlcohol
  • Bbq (2)
  • Bench (6)
  • Beckett Rd at McDowall NorthBus stop
  • Beckett Rd at McDowall North near Savalas StBus stop
  • Beckett Rd at McDowall VillageBus stop
  • Beckett Rd at Paramount ChaseBus stop
  • Brynner St at Macnee Street, stop 48Bus stop
  • Hamilton Rd at Paramount Circuit, stop 47Bus stop
  • Hamilton Rd at Trouts Rd, stop 46Bus stop

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Parks & reserves

14 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Bisset Place ParkPark
  • Chermside Hills ReserveNature reserve
  • Dr Valentine McDowall ParkPark
  • Gum Nut NookPark
  • Laurina CrescentPark
  • Lyell Crescent ParkPark
  • Malaga Street ParkPark
  • Margaret Street ParkPark
  • McDowall ReservePark
  • McLeod Court ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics
2
Emergency department
Not in suburb
  • McDowall Dentistsdentist
  • Sprenger Prodiatrydoctor

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
10/10
IRSD decile (2021)
10/10

SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

Childcare

3 childcare services from OpenStreetMap

  • Avenues Early Learning CentreLandis Streetkindergarten
  • McDowall Village Childcare CentreBeckett Roadkindergarten
  • Only About Children McDowallRode Roadkindergarten

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

Childcare centre count

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
25
Parks (OSM)
14

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Desirability Index

Desirability score
62.6/100 — Good
State standing
Top 9% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
631st in Australia
State rank
125th in QLD
Peer rank
#88 among Metro Brisbane · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#90 among Metro Brisbane suburbs
Data confidence
85%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • BWSamenitiesalcohol
  • Bbqamenitiesbbq
  • Bbqamenitiesbbq
  • Beckett Rd at McDowall Northamenitiesbus_stop
  • Beckett Rd at McDowall North near Savalas Stamenitiesbus_stop
  • Beckett Rd at McDowall Villageamenitiesbus_stop
  • Beckett Rd at Paramount Chaseamenitiesbus_stop
  • Benchamenitiesbench
  • Benchamenitiesbench
  • Benchamenitiesbench

Data sources & freshness

More in Brisbane Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.