Bracken Ridge
QLDBracken Ridge is a growing suburb in QLD with 17,488 residents.
- SAL code
- 30353
- SA2
- 302041041
- Population
- 17,488
Bracken Ridge, QLD had 17,488 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 5.5% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 37. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,800 a month. Around 73.3% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 44.2%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 88.3% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 24 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Bracken Ridge, QLD at a glance
Bracken Ridge sits ~18 km north of Brisbane CBD in the City of Brisbane (Bracken Ridge Ward). It's a 1960s-era detached-house suburb on a 7.9 km2 footprint, with steady infill and the Gateway/Bruce highway corridor on its doorstep. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council context they don't.
For homebuyers
Bracken Ridge feels like a settled, low-rise pocket of north Brisbane: mostly 3- and 4-bedroom houses on standard blocks, a handful of newer estates filling in around Norris Road, and shopping strips on Gawain Road and Barrett Street plus a larger centre at Telegraph and Norris Roads. There's no train station in the suburb itself — Bald Hills (~2 km), Carseldine (~3 km), and Deagon (~4 km) are the nearest, and CBD trips run ~30-40 min by train. Sandgate foreshore and Brighton's bay walk are ~10 min by car. School options include Bracken Ridge State School (Prep-6), Bracken Ridge State High, St John Fisher College (Catholic girls 7-12), and Jabiru Community College. In short: a practical, detached-house suburb with bayside on one side and the Gateway corridor on the other — convenient rather than picturesque.
For investors
Bracken Ridge runs as a high-turnover house market with thin unit stock. Median house sale $975,500 against $680/week rent gives a ~3.62% gross yield; units sit at $716,000 with stronger growth (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month house growth +9.12%; units +14.84%. 243 house sales and 35 unit sales in the past year. Days-on-market just 13 for houses, 8 for units. SQM puts 4017 vacancy under 1%.
Strengths
- Sustained capital growth (~+9% YoY houses, ~+15% units per Your Investment Property May 2026).
- Tight rental market — vacancy under 1% (SQM Research) supports rent resilience.
- Liquid market — 243 house sales in 12 months and 13 days on market means clean entry/exit.
- Major road spend on the doorstep: Gateway to Bruce Upgrade (G2BU) construction starts late 2026 (TMR).
Trade-offs
- Yield is sub-4% on houses (~3.62% at $680/wk on $975.5k median) — a growth play, not a cashflow one.
- Limited stratified stock (35 unit sales/yr) caps scale-up strategies through unit acquisition.
- No train station inside the suburb; commute proxies depend on Bald Hills/Carseldine + bus.
- Construction-phase noise + traffic disruption likely along the Gateway/Bruce corridor from late 2026.
What's coming
The Gateway to Bruce Upgrade (G2BU) — combining the Gateway Motorway Bracken Ridge to Pine River widening and the Bruce Highway Stage 1 upgrade to Dohles Rocks Road — has detailed design underway with construction from late 2026 (TMR). Brisbane City Council's 2025-26 Suburban Enhancement Fund continues to deliver ward-level pedestrian, park, and road-reserve upgrades through the Bracken Ridge Ward office.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a workable, well-serviced detached-house suburb with bayside access and known-quantity schools. For investors: a tight, growth-led house market with modest yield and a major road-upgrade catalyst landing late 2026.
Population
?17,488
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+5.5%
3yr: +5.4% · 10yr: +7.3%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,972/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
37
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?6/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?4.8%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
5
3 primary, 2 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?8
4 long day, 5 OSHC
Parks & green space
?24
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?57
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median Weekly Rent
Based on rental bond lodgements recorded by the state government.
Median House Sale Price
state Valuer-General sale price data not yet loaded for QLD
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from QLD police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Bracken Ridge (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Bracken Ridge suburb alone is ~17,488 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 14,374 to 18,847 over 24 years, averaging 1.1% per year.
Schools
5 in suburbSector
3 public · 2 private
Type
3 primary · 2 secondary
Total enrolment
1,623(3 of 5 reporting)
Avg per school
541
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for QLD.
Source when available: QLD Department of Education — QSpatial State School Catchment Areas.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 2.4%Almost entirely detached houses (88.3%), owner-occupied (73.3%), built for families (49% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
QLD 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: QLD QRA Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
Source: QLD Local Government Flood Planning Areas
As of May 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
11 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| LDR | Low Density Residential ZoneResidential | 45.6% | 3.69 km² |
| EC | Environmental Conservation ZoneEnvironmental | 7.4% | 0.60 km² |
| CF | Community Facilities ZoneSpecial use | 6.9% | 0.56 km² |
| OS | Open Space Zoneparks | 5.4% | 0.44 km² |
| CN | CNOther | 4.6% | 0.37 km² |
| RU | Rural ZoneRural | 3.9% | 0.32 km² |
| SR | Sport and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 1.3% | 0.10 km² |
| PDA | PDAOther | 1.1% | 0.09 km² |
| DC | District Centre ZoneBusiness | 0.7% | 0.06 km² |
| SP | Special Purpose ZoneSpecial use | 0.6% | 0.05 km² |
| LMR | LMROther | 0.5% | 0.04 km² |
Source: QLD DSDILGP Local Government Planning Scheme Zones (ZONE_QLD/2026-05-12/be11464ce5af1cd4) · As of May 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.