Free market report · Data to July 2026

Gladstone property market

Gladstone is one of the 453 council areas we track on the Momentum Dial, our property clock. This page is the plain-numbers read: where it sits in the cycle, who lives there, what's being built, and the suburbs inside it.

Gladstone is home to 69,046 people. On the Buyers First Momentum Dial its house market currently reads Slowing, and units read the same. The number that matters most here: population is compounding at +1.6% a year. People arriving is the rawest form of housing demand. Here's the rest of the picture, in plain numbers.

Houses · cycle position

Slowing

The Gladstone house market is still growing, but the pace has come off its fastest point. Slowing markets often keep rising for years, just less quickly.

-5% to +17%

Modelled 12-month price range

+2.4%

Modelled 12-month rent change

Units · cycle position

Slowing

The unit market is still growing, but the pace has come off its fastest point. Slowing markets often keep rising for years, just less quickly.

-9% to +18%

Modelled 12-month price range

+2.6%

Modelled 12-month rent change

At a glance · houses

$784,367

Typical house, August 2026

+4.8% a year since 2010

+8.9%

Growth a year, last 10 years

+14.1% a year over the last 5

$512

Rent a week

3.4% gross yield

7 of 15

Years prices fell since 2010

Worst: 2017, -8%

The clock measures growth momentum, not price. Peak means growing fastest, not about to fall. Cycle data and projections sourced from HtAG Analytics. See Gladstone on the clock.

Free · One per person

Want all of this written up for Gladstone?

The full report is this data as a written document, plus the current price, rent, yield and growth on one suburb inside Gladstone, and the numbers that cut against the area. I write them by hand, so it comes from me rather than out of a system.

Leave your details and I'll get in touch about it myself, by email or phone, usually within one business day. It comes from dan@buyersfirstagency.com.au, and it lands in junk more often than it should, so check there if you don't see it. You'll also go on the Market Pulse mailing list, one email a month on where the market is actually heading. Unsubscribe whenever you like, and I never pass your details to anyone else.

The numbers, explained

Gladstone in charts.

The typical house in Gladstone went from $360,958 in 2010 to $784,367 in August 2026. That is +117% in total, +4.8% a year. It went backwards 7 years in a row at one point. Any market can have a bad year. The ones that stack them are the ones that hurt, and this is the number we weigh most.

Houses · price change each year · 2011 to 2026

Prices in Gladstone fell in 7 of the last 15 years

Watch this
'11 -3.9% '12 -3.7% '13 -1.0% '14 -6.7% 2015 -7.2% '16 -7.7% '17 -1.7% '18 '19 2020 22.3% '21 '22 '23 '24 2025 9.9% '26 ytd

+117%

Since 2010

+8.9%

Per year, last 10 years

7 of 15

Years going backwards

-7.7%

Worst year (2017)

What this shows. How much the typical house price in Gladstone went up or down each year. Teal bars are up years, red bars are down years, and the faded bar is this year so far.

Why it matters. The size of a good year matters less than how many bad years there were and whether they came in a row. Boring? Absolutely. But the length of the down stretch is what decides whether you get out the other side. Typical price at December each year, data from HtAG Analytics.

You don't need to know property to read this. Every chart below opens with the point in one line, then says what it shows and why we care. Teal is a good sign, amber is okay, red means watch it.

The scorecard · 7 things we check

Gladstone scores 23 out of 35. Solid.

Good sign
Cycle 3Down years 1Supply 5People 5Jobs 3Affordability 2Rentals 4 5 = best
Where it is in the cycle

prices are still rising but more slowly

Years prices fell since 2010

7 of 15 years

New homes being built

0.9 new homes approved per 100 that exist

People moving in

population growing 1.6% a year

Jobs

4.6% unemployed, Australia 4.2%

Can locals afford it

a house costs 7.7 years of a local household's income

Empty rentals

1.3% of rentals are empty, so about 1 in every 100

What this shows. Seven quick checks on Gladstone, each scored out of five. Five is the reading we most want to see.

Why it matters. No single number tells you whether an area is a good buy. Together they show whether the pieces line up. These are bands, not rules: a council outside a band can still be the right buy for the right person, and one inside every band can still be wrong for you.

House prices since 2010 · Gladstone vs the 5 most similar councils in QLD

Gladstone has grown in step with similar councils over ten years

Okay
$203k $405k $608k $811k Gladstone $713k 20102012201420162018202020222024
GladstoneSimilar councils (middle of 5)

+14.1% vs +16.5%

A year, last 5 years

+8.9% vs +9.1%

A year, last 10 years

+4.6% vs +6.0%

A year, last 15 years

What this shows. The typical house price in Gladstone every year, in teal, next to the middle of the five councils in QLD closest to it in size and starting price: Gympie, Rockhampton, Scenic Rim, Lockyer Valley, Bundaberg. The small "vs" number in each tile is those councils.

Why it matters. Growth here is the regional story rather than a local one. Nothing wrong with that, it just means you are buying the region.

Momentum · the last 36 months

Prices in Gladstone are picking up speed right now

Good sign
$477k $640k $803k 0 323 sold September '23March '24September '24March '25September '25March '26
Last 3 months' priceLast 12 months' priceHouses sold each month

$779,361

3-month price, August 2026

+5.6%

3-month price vs 12-month price

2,182 vs 3,111

Houses sold, last 12 months vs the 12 before

What this shows. Two versions of the same price. The dotted teal line averages the last three months, so it reacts fast. The grey line averages the last twelve, so it moves slowly. The bars are how many houses sold each month.

Why it matters. The last three months are running ahead of the last twelve. That is what speeding up looks like before it shows in the yearly number.

New homes · approvals as a share of all the homes here

Not many new homes are being built in Gladstone

Good sign
balanced · 1.5% to 3% a year above this, a lot of building 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 0.6% FY24 · 152 approved 1.2% FY25 · 324 approved 0.9% FY26 · 238 approved · now

What this shows. For every 100 homes already in Gladstone, how many new ones the council approved each year. The teal band is the range we call balanced.

Why it matters. Fewer new homes means the ones that exist stay in demand. It can also mean building here is hard or slow, which cuts the same way. The home count is the population divided by the average household size, so treat the rate as a guide rather than a census.

Affordability · house price in years of local household income

A house in Gladstone costs 7.7 years of a local family's income

Okay
expensive · over 8 years stretched · 6 to 8 years affordable · under 6 years 4.6 2016 4.1 2017 3.9 2018 4.0 2019 4.3 2020 5.0 2021 5.5 2022 5.6 2023 6.3 2024 7.3 2025 7.7 2026 so far

What this shows. Take the typical house price and divide it by what a typical household here earns in a year. A bar of 7 means seven years of the whole household's income buys one house.

Why it matters. Stretched, which is where most of the country sits now. Growth from here leans on rising incomes and buyers coming in from outside the area. Income is the 2021 Census figure carried forward at 3.5% a year, so it is an estimate, not a measurement.

Rents · typical weekly house rent, last 36 months · and how many rentals sit empty

Rent in Gladstone is $512 a week, up 2.4% in a year

Okay
$357 $450 $543 $512 a week now September '23March '24September '24March '25September '25March '26

$512

A week, August 2026

+2.4%

Change in the last year

1.3%

Rentals sitting empty (tight)

What this shows. What a typical house in Gladstone rents for each week, month by month. The empty-rentals number is the share of rental homes with nobody in them: under 1.5% is tight, over 3% means tenants have plenty of choice.

Why it matters. Rents are moving with inflation. Steady rather than tight.

Rental yield · a year of rent as a share of the price, Gladstone vs similar councils

Rent covers 3.4% of the price each year in Gladstone

3.0% 4.2% 5.4% 202120232025
GladstoneSimilar councils

What this shows. Yield is simple: a whole year of rent divided by the house price. A $500,000 house renting for $500 a week earns $26,000 a year, which is a 5.2% yield.

Why it matters. Lower than similar councils, which are around 4.0%. Prices have run ahead of rents, so you are paying more of the loan yourself while you wait for growth. We don't buy on yield alone and we never set a yield cut-off; it is one piece of the picture, next to growth.

The people

Who lives in Gladstone.

The population has grown +1.6% a year over the last five years, which is quick by national standards. The growth is mostly people moving in from elsewhere in Australia, 1,500 of them on net over the last three years. Internal migration is the strongest kind of housing demand, because those people chose here on purpose. The median age is 38 and the median household brings in $1,639 a week (Census 2021). 64% of households own or are paying off their home. Owner-occupier markets like this tend to hold their nerve through the cycle, because nobody is forced to sell an address they live at.

Population · ABS estimates 2015 to 2025

Gladstone is growing fast: 69,046 people, up +1.6% a year

Good sign
63,697 69,046 201520202025

69,046

People, 2025

+1.6% vs +1.2%

A year, last 5 years · typical QLD council

+0.8%

A year, last 10 years

Why it matters. People arriving is the rawest form of housing demand. Every new household needs somewhere to live before anything else happens.

Where the growth came from · last 3 years

Most new residents chose Gladstone on purpose: 1,500 moved in from elsewhere in Australia

Good sign
Births minus deaths
+1,058
Moved from elsewhere in Australia
+1,500
Moved from overseas
+1,260

Net change: +3,818 people over three years.

What this shows. Three ways a place gains or loses people: babies born minus people who died, people who moved here from another part of Australia, and people who arrived from overseas. Bars to the right add people, bars to the left take them away.

Why it matters. People who move here from another part of Australia are the strongest kind of demand. They compared it with somewhere else and picked here.

Age and households · Census 2021

Gladstone is about the same age as the typical QLD council: median age 38

Typical age
Median age 38 vs 40
People per household 2.5 vs 2.5

Gladstone Typical QLD council (middle of 52)

Why it matters. A mixed-age area has demand for most housing types, which makes it easier to sell to whoever the next buyer is.

Income and who owns the homes · Census 2021

Most homes in Gladstone are owner-occupied: 64% own or are paying off, 33% rent

Owner market
Household income a week $1,639 +12% vs typical
Who lives in the homes 64% own · 33% rent

Own or paying off Renting Other

Why it matters. Owner-occupier markets hold their nerve through the cycle, because nobody is forced to sell the address they live at.

New supply

What's being approved to build.

238 dwellings were approved in FY26, 222 of them houses. Approvals are clearly trending up, so more supply is coming. Whether that's a problem depends on whether the population keeps outrunning it. On the non-residential side, $48 million of building was approved in FY26, $33 million of it public money. Governments build where they expect people. Within that, $67 million of education and health buildings have been approved across the last three financial years. Schools and hospitals are the most honest signal governments give about where they expect families.

Homes approved · ABS, by financial year

Not much new is being built in Gladstone: 238 homes approved in FY26

Good sign
FY24
152
FY25
324
FY26
238

Houses Units, townhouses and other

238

Homes approved, FY26

93%

Of them houses

0.9%

New homes per 100 that exist

What this shows. How many new homes the council approved each financial year, split into houses and everything else. Approved is not built, but it is the earliest warning of supply on the way.

Why it matters. When little gets built, the homes already here do not have much competition. Good for prices, as long as people keep arriving.

Non-residential building approved · ABS

Government spending on buildings in Gladstone is rising: $33m approved in FY26

Good sign
FY24
$78m
FY25
$96m
FY26
$48m

Government projects All non-residential

$48m

All sectors, FY26

$33m

Government, FY26

$67m

Schools and health, last 3 years

What this shows. The dollar value of shops, offices, schools, hospitals and other non-home buildings approved each year. The darker bar is the government's share.

Why it matters. Governments build where they expect people. Schools and hospitals are the most honest signal they give about where families are heading. For the named projects behind these numbers, ask for the full report.

Jobs

Who's working in Gladstone.

Work here runs on manufacturing (14% of jobs), ahead of construction and health care and social assistance. 2,381 more residents are in work than five years ago (+7.3%). Unemployment tracks close to the national average at 4.6%. On the ABS advantage index it ranks in the bottom 30% nationally. That usually means better yields, and it means doing your homework street by street.

Jobs · SALM, March 2026

2,381 more people in Gladstone have a job than five years ago

Good sign

34,865

Residents in work

4.6% vs 4.2%

Unemployed · Australia

+7.3%

Jobs change, 5 years

Unemployment rate 4.6% vs 4.0% typical QLD council

Gladstone Australia

Why it matters. Strong jobs growth shows up in housing demand with a lag. People get the job first and buy the house a year or two later.

Who employs people here · Census 2021

Manufacturing is the biggest employer in Gladstone, 14% of jobs

Advantage 3 of 10
Manufacturing
14%
Construction
11%
Health care and social assistance
10%
Retail trade
9%
Education and training
8%

What this shows. The five industries that employ the most residents, as a share of all jobs. The pill is the ABS advantage score: Gladstone sits in decile 3 of 10 nationally, where 10 is the most advantaged.

Why it matters. A spread of employers means no single closure can empty the town. That is the kind of job base that holds house prices through a downturn.

The outlook

Is Gladstone worth buying into?

Put the drivers together and the case for Gladstone is: a population that keeps growing, net internal migration in its favour, a job base that has expanded. None of this guarantees anything. It tells you where to look harder, which is what a report like this is for.

Free · Written by hand · One per person

This page is the public data. The full report is that written up as a document, plus the current price, rent, yield and growth on one suburb inside Gladstone. One per person.

Name, email and phone. I write these by hand, one per person, and the conversation afterwards is the only thing the report costs.

Leave your details and I'll get in touch about it myself, by email or phone, usually within one business day. It comes from dan@buyersfirstagency.com.au, and it lands in junk more often than it should, so check there if you don't see it. You'll also go on the Market Pulse mailing list, one email a month on where the market is actually heading. Unsubscribe whenever you like, and I never pass your details to anyone else.

Inside the LGA

The suburbs of Gladstone.

We hold live snapshot data for 2 suburbs in Gladstone. Click through for the full numbers.

Suburb Typical price Rent/wk Gross yield 1yr growth Listings
Kin Kora $665,649 $545 4.3% +18% REA · Domain
West Gladstone $640,076 $532 4.3% +19% REA · Domain

Next step. See what's for sale in Kin Kora on realestate.com.au or Domain. Then send me the address before you make an offer. That is the part the data cannot do.

All 69 suburbs and localities in Gladstone

Agnes Water · Aldoga · Ambrose · Baffle Creek · Barney Point · Beecher · Benaraby · Berajondo · Bororen · Boyne Island · Boyne Valley · Boynedale · Bracewell · Burua · Byellee · Callemondah · Calliope · Captain Creek · Clinton · Colosseum · Curtis Island · Darts Creek · Deepwater · Diglum · East End · Euleilah · Eurimbula · Foreshores · Gindoran · Gladstone Central · Gladstone Harbour · Glen Eden · Iveragh · Kin Kora · Kirkwood · Lowmead · Machine Creek · Miriam Vale · Mount Alma · Mount Larcom · Mount Maria · Mount Tom · New Auckland · O'Connell · Oyster Creek · Raglan · River Ranch · Rodds Bay · Rosedale · Round Hill · Rules Beach · Seventeen Seventy · South Gladstone · South Trees · Sun Valley · Tablelands · Tannum Sands · Taragoola · Targinnie · Taunton · Telina · The Narrows · Toolooa · Turkey Beach · West Gladstone · West Stowe · Wooderson · Wurdong Heights · Yarwun

Free · Written by hand · One per person

Want the full workup on Gladstone?

This page is the public data. The full report is the written workup: current price, rent, gross yield and vacancy, growth over 1, 3, 5 and 10 years, days on market and demand, and the supply coming down the pipe, for Gladstone or any suburb in it. Same data we run for clients. I pull it and email it through, usually within a business day. One per person, no charge, and no 14-part email sequence afterwards. All I ask is that if it lands, you take the fifteen minute call at the end of it.

Name, email and phone. I write these by hand, one per person, and the conversation afterwards is the only thing the report costs.

Leave your details and I'll get in touch about it myself, by email or phone, usually within one business day. It comes from dan@buyersfirstagency.com.au, and it lands in junk more often than it should, so check there if you don't see it. You'll also go on the Market Pulse mailing list, one email a month on where the market is actually heading. Unsubscribe whenever you like, and I never pass your details to anyone else.

Keep comparing

Markets of a similar size in QLD.

A council only makes sense in context. These are the QLD markets closest to Gladstone in population, each with its own written report.

General information only, not financial or investment advice. Cycle positions and projections are modelled LGA-level figures to July 2026, sourced from HtAG Analytics. Population and approvals are ABS estimates; employment is SALM smoothed data; income, age and tenure are Census 2021. None of it can see street quality, flood maps, zoning or the contract, which is where deals are actually won and lost. Get advice on your own situation before acting.

Data finds the area. It doesn't buy the house.

We narrow 15,000 suburbs to the top 5 for each client, then find the street and the property. If Gladstone is on your list, that's a conversation worth having early.

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