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.
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
| Measure | 2026 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) |
| Population | About 382,000 (2025), projected 517,000 by 2046 |
| Key project | The 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.
North Queensland
Townsville
| Measure | 2026 figure |
|---|---|
| Median house price | $700,000 (Opteon, first half 2026), +9.4% on 2025 |
| REIQ annual change | +18.2% to the March quarter 2026 |
| Population | About 205,000 |
| Key projects | CopperString ($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.
Central Queensland
Mackay and the Whitsundays
| Measure | 2026 figure |
|---|---|
| Median house price | $725,000 (Opteon, first half 2026), +9.8% on 2025 |
| REIQ | $720,000, +17.3% to the March quarter 2026 |
| Population | About 129,000 (2025) |
| Watch | Pioneer-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.
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.
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.
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Related Reading
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