Southeast Queensland has emerged as Australia’s long-term property powerhouse, with eight of the nation’s 10 strongest-performing suburbs over the past 30 years located across the region, new PropTrack data shows.
The realestate.com.au analysis compared current suburb medians with their 1995 values, revealing that some areas have seen prices rise more than 18 times over three decades.
The results come as shifting lifestyle trends, population growth, and changing borrowing capacity continue to reshape buying patterns across Australia.
REA Group executive manager of economics Angus Moore (pictured) said the scale of long-term price appreciation reflects how dramatically markets can evolve.
“Brisbane and the wider southeast Queensland region have been strong performers,” Moore said.
“Prices have doubled in Brisbane in the past five-and-a-half years, and more than doubled in many popular parts of southeast Queensland."
He said long-term growth has been supported by structural changes in borrowing power.
“Home prices have increased faster than incomes,” Moore said. “Mortgage rates are just structurally lower today than they were three decades ago, which means people can borrow more against their income than used to be the case.”
He added a reminder for buyers assessing long-term potential.
“A lot can change in a suburb over three decades, and so it is important to understand how it might change and whether that fits what you are looking for,” the REA Group economist said.
New Beith, a semi-rural suburb in Logan located 40 km southwest of Brisbane, recorded the strongest capital growth in the country, with values up 18.1 times since 1995. The median home price now sits at $1.27 million.
Kylie Reid from Re/Max Property Professionals said buyers are seeking space, lifestyle, and improving connectivity.
“You've got acreage living and rural lifestyle, with Springfield city and all of its amenities nearby,” Reid told realestate.com.au.
Springfield’s rapid expansion has driven new demand into surrounding suburbs, she said.
Buyer demographics have also shifted in line with lifestyle preferences.
“We have younger families with primary school-age kids wanting them to be outside a little bit more,” Reid said. “They might want to purchase something with a little bit more acreage so they could get either a motorbike or a horse.”
Trades and construction workers are increasingly prominent buyers.
“They need that storage for trucks, trailers, and equipment. They are using their home as their office or workspace as well,” Reid said.
She expects demand to continue.
“With the amount of development in infrastructure going in, I do not see it stopping anytime soon,” Reid said. “People are sick of travelling up and down the M1. They would rather go inland, use rural roads, enjoy the scenic drive and spend the same amount of time on the road without sitting in traffic.”
Canberra also posted standout results, with Amaroo ranking strongest outside Queensland. Its median price of $901,000 is now 16.8 times higher than in 1995. Nearby Nicholls followed with a 15.6-times increase.
Jess Doolan, partner at Stone Gungahlin, said Amaroo’s drawcard is location, schools and strong community appeal.
“It is very centrally located to the Gungahlin Town Centre, the main epicentre of the district,” Doolan told realestate.com.au. “There are two schools there that generate or attract families to that area. People want to get into that school catchment zone.”
“The homes are well built, full of character and great block sizes. Whether they are renovated or not, people are still attracted to them because of their appeal.”
She said the suburb is attracting a broader buyer pool.
“We are starting to see an influx of executive couples who are about to start their family journey,” Doolan said. “Downsizers who have lived in Amaroo since it was established are also staying in the suburb and moving into single-level townhouses.”
Two island communities off Brisbane — Russell Island and Macleay Island — rounded out the top performers.
Russell Island ranked third nationwide, with values up 17.1 times to $436,000. Macleay Island followed closely, rising 15.6 times to $537,000.
Simon Gordon, principal of Island Life Property, said the transformation has been dramatic.
“When we arrived, the island had low rents and poorly maintained homes,” Gordon said. “Our focus was on lifting rental standards, better tenants, higher yields and ultimately higher property values.”
The pandemic triggered a surge in interest.
“Then COVID changed everything," Gordon said. "People saw the island’s affordable prices and lifestyle, and suddenly land that once sold for $10,000 or $20,000 was in huge demand.”
The market has since entered a strong construction phase.
“People stopped land banking and started building,” Gordon said. “Now we have six or seven spec builders on the island and record numbers of new homes going up.”
Connectivity has been a key driver of demand.
“Russell Island offers an affordable and simpler lifestyle with good connectivity," Gordon said. "Fast ferries, NBN and new businesses are drawing younger couples, remote workers, and trades in big numbers.”
The long-term growth data reinforces increasing demand for outer-metro, lifestyle, and affordable markets — segments where buyers often seek larger blocks, better value, or hybrid-work flexibility.
For mortgage brokers, key takeaways include:
These 30-year trends highlight how infrastructure investment, supply shortages, and demographic change shape long-term performance — critical considerations for brokers supporting both owner-occupiers and investors.
For the complete list of top-performing Australian suburbs, read the realestate.com.au article.
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