Ocenside Kawana | Queensland Investment Property | properT network https://investmentproperty-queensland.com.au Independent Property Investment Advice & Strategy Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:57:47 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://investmentproperty-queensland.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/cropped-ProperT-logo-Square-1-75x75.jpg Ocenside Kawana | Queensland Investment Property | properT network https://investmentproperty-queensland.com.au 32 32 Where to Invest in Queensland Property 2026: Sunshine Coast, Townsville & Mackay https://investmentproperty-queensland.com.au/where-to-invest-in-queensland-property-2026-sunshine-coast-townsville-mackay/ https://investmentproperty-queensland.com.au/where-to-invest-in-queensland-property-2026-sunshine-coast-townsville-mackay/#respond Fri, 24 Oct 2025 03:58:19 +0000 https://investmentproperty-queensland.com.au/?p=2537 Regional Queensland · Updated October 2026 Where to Invest in Queensland Property 2026: Sunshine Coast, Townsville & Mackay Three regional markets with diverse jobs, population growth and limited new supply, updated with 2026 prices, rents and projects. Book a Strategy CallCompare Queensland Locations Regional Queensland in 2026 Regional Queensland Property Investment in 2026 Investing for […]

The post Where to Invest in Queensland Property 2026: Sunshine Coast, Townsville & Mackay first appeared on Queensland Investment Property | properT network.]]>
Regional Queensland property investment 2026

Regional Queensland · Updated October 2026

Where to Invest in Queensland Property 2026: Sunshine Coast, Townsville & Mackay

Three regional markets with diverse jobs, population growth and limited new supply, updated with 2026 prices, rents and projects.

Book a Strategy CallCompare Queensland Locations

Regional Queensland in 2026

Regional Queensland Property Investment in 2026

Investing for long-term wealth is less about finding the next hotspot and more about choosing markets with diverse jobs, steady population growth and limited new supply. In 2026 three regional markets still stand out on those measures: the Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Mackay.

Conditions have changed since our 2025 article. Cotality’s Regional Queensland median reached $844,803 in August 2026, up 9.1% over the year, but capital-city values have started to fall and the Reserve Bank lifted the cash rate to 4.60% in September. Regional markets have so far held up better, though growth is slowing.

$844,803

Regional QLD median, Aug 2026

+9.1%

Annual change

4.60%

RBA cash rate, Sept 2026

3

Regional markets that stand out

Sources: Cotality HVI (data to 31 August 2026); RBA via CommBank.

Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast

Measure2026 figure
Median house price$1.29m (REIQ, March quarter 2026), +13.6% over the year
Median unit price$880,000, +12.1%
Asking rent, houses$809 a week (SQM, late September 2026)
PopulationAbout 382,000 (2025), projected 517,000 by 2046
Key projectThe Wave rail line, $5.5bn, Beerwah to Caloundra first

Halls Creek was declared a Priority Development Area in July 2026 for up to 12,000 homes, adding to Aura’s planned 20,000. Hotspotting’s May 2026 Top 10 Best Buys named Beerwah, Landsborough, Nambour and Palmwoods.

Sunshine Coast property market
Sunshine Coast Suburbs & Stock

North Queensland

Townsville

Measure2026 figure
Median house price$700,000 (Opteon, first half 2026), +9.4% on 2025
REIQ annual change+18.2% to the March quarter 2026
PopulationAbout 205,000
Key projectsCopperString ($3.2b, $420m in the 2026–27 Budget); Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct (2,200 ha); completed $251m port channel upgrade

Townsville’s economy rests on defence, health, education, the port and resources. Prices held firm through the June quarter 2026. Hotspotting’s 2026 Top 10 Best Buys did not include Townsville, a sign that the strongest phase of its recent run may have passed.

Townsville property market
Townsville Suburbs & Stock

Central Queensland

Mackay and the Whitsundays

Measure2026 figure
Median house price$725,000 (Opteon, first half 2026), +9.8% on 2025
REIQ$720,000, +17.3% to the March quarter 2026
PopulationAbout 129,000 (2025)
WatchPioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro was cancelled; a new Mackay hospital masterplan was due mid-2026

Mackay remains tied to Bowen Basin mining, with agriculture, health and services alongside it. The cancellation of the Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project removed one of the larger planned investments, so investors should weigh mining-cycle exposure carefully. Mackay was also left out of Hotspotting’s 2026 Top 10.

Mackay and Whitsundays property market
Mackay Suburbs & Stock

Our framework

Due Diligence Still Matters

Not every regional market or project will perform. Our framework is unchanged. Avoid markets that depend on one industry or one project.

Diverse jobs

A multi-industry job market, not a single employer or industry.

Resale depth

Enough annual sales to sell when you choose to.

Low vacancy

Tight rental markets that support rents and cash flow.

Land-to-asset ratio

A sound share of the price in land, which drives growth.

Builder record

A builder with a clean track record and sound finances.

From our stock lists

What’s Available Now

Indicative new listings from the builder and developer stock lists sent to properT network.

21

New Townsville listings

$752k

Townsville median price

4.8%

Townsville gross yield

11

New Sunshine Coast listings

710

Listings across Queensland

Townsville median about $752k at about 4.8% gross; Sunshine Coast median $1.08m. Rents are supplier or agent estimates, not guarantees.

See All Queensland Locations

Sources: Cotality HVI report (data to 31 Aug 2026); REIQ March quarter 2026; SQM Research; QGSO projections; TMR: The Wave; Sunshine Coast News; MPA on Hotspotting’s May 2026 Top 10 Best Buys; Opteon Townsville H1 2026; PropertyBuzz; Queensland Government: CopperString; Townsville City Council: Lansdown; Port of Townsville; Opteon Mackay H1 2026; Queensland Government: Mackay hospital; ESD News; MPA on Hotspotting’s 2026 Top 10 Best Buys; CommBank on the RBA September 2026 decision.

Keep researching

Related Reading

Queensland locations

Compare every council on our LGA matrix.

Locations matrix

7 locations to watch

Queensland locations worth a closer look in 2026.

Read the article

Where to invest in Queensland

Our broader guide to investing in Queensland.

Read the guide

Strategy before property

Start with your goals, then choose the property.

properT network

Strategy Before Property

Want to Know Which Suburbs Fit You?

Share your budget, whether you want cash flow or growth, and your time frame, and Stephen Lazar will build a shortlist of locations and projects that fit.

Contact StephenGet Our Free Investor Guide

One Network. Nationwide Reach.

Part Of The properT network Family

Investment Property Queensland is one specialist site within the properT network group — the same independent advisory approach, applied across states and property types.

properT network Investment Property Melbourne SMSF Investment Property Co-Living Property Downsizing For Retirement Property Investment Australia Insights High Yield Investment Property

Independent, research-led investment property advice for Brisbane, South East Queensland and Queensland-wide. Part of the properT network group of investment property advisory sites.

© Investment Property Queensland — properT network. All rights reserved. Disclaimer  |  Privacy Policy

General information only. Investment Property Queensland and properT network do not provide personal financial, legal, tax or lending advice. Property investment carries risk, including the risk of loss. We recommend you undertake your own due diligence and seek independent professional advice specific to your circumstances before making any investment decision.

The post Where to Invest in Queensland Property 2026: Sunshine Coast, Townsville & Mackay first appeared on Queensland Investment Property | properT network.]]> https://investmentproperty-queensland.com.au/where-to-invest-in-queensland-property-2026-sunshine-coast-townsville-mackay/feed/ 0