Median House Prices By Suburb in North Brisbane, QLD, The 2026 Guide
North Brisbane's property market has moved sharply over the past two years, and where you buy now shapes every number in your loan - your deposit target, your LVR, whether a government scheme is even in play, and how much a lender will let you borrow. House medians across the area range from $753,000 in Bowen Hills to over $2,150,000 in Paddington, and that spread matters far more than a single headline figure.
Whether you're stretching to your first purchase, upgrading with equity behind you, or buying an investment you'll never live in, the suburb you choose will determine which schemes you can access, what deposit you'll need, and how much of the market sits within reach. Understanding where the medians actually land - and what they mean for the $1,000,000 First Home Guarantee price cap - is the starting point for every serious buyer conversation we have.
Our team helps buyers across North Brisbane, QLD navigate suburb choice and loan structure together, comparing across 60+ lenders. The home loan structure you choose matters as much as the suburb does, and knowing which suburbs sit inside the cap changes the whole conversation.
Key takeaways
- Only Bowen Hills has a house median under the $1,000,000 cap.
- Unit medians across most suburbs remain under $1,000,000.
- North Brisbane house growth ranges from flat to over 28% in twelve months.
What are the current median house prices across North Brisbane, QLD?
Across the 26 suburbs in our service area, house medians in 2026 range from $753,000 at the entry end to above $2,150,000 at the premium end, with most of the market sitting between $1,300,000 and $1,950,000. CoreLogic data shows the inner-north corridor - Paddington, Wilston, Bardon and Ashgrove - holding the highest house medians, while the best-value house stock sits in Bowen Hills, Mitchelton, Stafford and Lutwyche.
The single most important number for buyers using a government scheme is the $1,000,000 First Home Guarantee price cap. On current house medians, only Bowen Hills at $753,000 sits under that threshold. Every other approved suburb's house median exceeds it, which means cap-eligible first-home house purchases are genuinely rare across this part of Brisbane. For most first home buyers, the realistic pathway into these suburbs is the unit market, where medians are much more broadly under the cap.
Source: CoreLogic (via YIP, mid-2026).
Which North Brisbane suburbs have the strongest twelve-month price growth?
Growth has been uneven across the area, and the suburbs that have moved most are not always the ones with the highest medians. CoreLogic data shows Auchenflower leading house growth at 28.76% over the twelve months to mid-2026, followed by Kelvin Grove at 25.32%, Kedron at 22.48% and Enoggera at 22.00%. On the unit side, Spring Hill recorded 32.42% growth and Grange 33.06%, though both figures rest on relatively thin sales samples.
A few suburbs with smaller transaction volumes have produced headline growth numbers that reflect individual sales rather than a broad market shift. Milton's house growth of 48.41% and Herston's 32.95% both carry small-sample flags and should be read carefully before being used to set a buying strategy.
Suburbs with the strongest verified house growth:
- › Auchenflower: 28.76% house growth, median $1,925,000
- › Kelvin Grove: 25.32% house growth, median $1,460,000
- › Kedron: 22.48% house growth, median $1,580,000
- › Enoggera: 22.00% house growth, median $1,525,050
- › Alderley: 20.43% house growth, median $1,683,000
We often see buyers anchor to growth numbers without checking the sales volume behind them. A suburb with twelve house sales in a year can produce a spectacular growth figure that wouldn't survive a larger sample - and a buyer who bought there expecting the trend to continue can be disappointed. Consistent, broad-based growth is what we're looking for when we work through suburb choice with someone.
Tom Kelly · Director - Home & Car Loans, Kelly Brothers Finance · Chat to Tom →
Where do North Brisbane's best-value suburbs sit in 2026?
For buyers who need to stay under the $1,000,000 First Home Guarantee cap on a house, Bowen Hills is the only approved suburb where a house median sits below the threshold at $753,000. It's also the area's most unit-dominated suburb, with unit medians at $685,000 and strong 28.04% unit growth - so it suits both owner-occupiers buying a unit and investors looking for yield-oriented stock.
Mitchelton ($1,348,000), Stafford ($1,350,000) and Lutwyche ($1,400,000) sit at the more accessible end of the house market, though all three exceed the cap. These suburbs offer genuine character housing, good bus connections to the CBD, and access to the Ferny Grove line at Mitchelton's Oxford Park station. They're realistic entry points for upsizers moving from a unit, or investors buying a house in a suburb that hasn't repriced as aggressively as the inner ring.
Best-value house suburbs by median:
- › Bowen Hills: house $753,000 (+23.44%), unit $685,000 (+28.04%) - only house median under the cap
- › Mitchelton: house $1,348,000 (+9.59%), unit $840,000 (+25.37%)
- › Stafford: house $1,350,000 (+16.40%), unit $760,000 (+22.58%)
- › Lutwyche: house $1,400,000 (-0.71%), unit $830,000 (+19.42%)
- › The Gap: house $1,411,000 (+3.75%), unit $1,060,000 (+15.63%)
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What do these medians mean for your deposit and borrowing?
The deposit target shifts significantly depending on the suburb and whether you're buying a house or a unit. At a 20% deposit - the threshold that avoids Lenders Mortgage Insurance - a house in Stafford or Mitchelton requires roughly $270,000 saved. A unit in the same suburbs sits closer to $150,000 to $170,000, which is a meaningfully different savings task.
For buyers using the First Home Guarantee, the 5% deposit floor applies, but only where the purchase price sits under $1,000,000. That means Bowen Hills houses and most of the suburb's unit stock sit inside the cap, as do units across Stafford, Windsor, Newmarket, Alderley and most of the approved suburb set. Houses almost everywhere else sit above it.
How the deposit picture compares by pathway:
- › Standard loan, 20% deposit: no LMI · full suburb range accessible · requires $150,000 to $430,000+ depending on suburb and dwelling type
- › First Home Guarantee, 5% deposit: no LMI · $1,000,000 cap · units across most suburbs, Bowen Hills houses only
- › Standard loan with LMI, 10% deposit: premium added to the loan · no price cap · broader suburb access, house or unit
The assessment rate lenders apply when stress-testing your application is approximately 9%, which is the actual rate plus the APRA serviceability buffer. That figure moves your assessed repayment well above what you'd actually pay, and it's why the suburb median and your borrowing capacity aren't always the simple match they look like on paper.
Source: CoreLogic (via YIP, mid-2026) and Housing Australia.
Which North Brisbane suburbs suit established and premium buyers?
The premium end of the North Brisbane market is anchored by Paddington at $2,150,000, Bardon at $2,050,000 and Wilston at $2,030,000. These suburbs attract buyers moving up from inner-Brisbane units, professionals whose borrowing capacity has grown with their income, and long-term upsizers who have substantial equity behind them. Ashgrove at $1,934,695 and Grange at $1,950,000 sit just below them and offer large character blocks that are increasingly hard to find this close to the CBD.
Above roughly $2,000,000, lenders typically want a larger deposit - often 20% to 30% or more - and applications are assessed more manually, with income composition and asset position carrying greater weight than on a standard residential loan. LMI is generally unavailable at the top end of this range, so buyers need the deposit rather than a workaround.
Premium suburb medians:
- › Paddington: house $2,150,000 (+10.26%), unit $985,000 (+19.76%)
- › Bardon: house $2,050,000 (+7.89%), unit $1,172,500 (+14.39%)
- › Wilston: house $2,030,000 (+10.03%), unit $890,000 (+4.15%)
- › Grange: house $1,950,000 (+13.54%), unit $1,260,500 (+33.06%)
- › Ashgrove: house $1,934,695 (+4.58%), unit $938,500 (+15.69%)
In the Paddington to Ashgrove range, the conversation shifts from which scheme applies to how the lender reads your income mix. We'd always push a buyer in this price range to understand their assessed serviceability number before they're in a negotiation, not after - because the gap between what a buyer thinks they can borrow and what a lender will write can be significant at this end of the market.
Tom Kelly · Director - Home & Car Loans, Kelly Brothers Finance · Chat to Tom →
What do the medians mean for government schemes in North Brisbane?
The $1,000,000 First Home Guarantee and Family Home Guarantee price cap applies across North Brisbane because the area sits inside Greater Brisbane, which is classified as a capital-city area by Housing Australia. The same cap applies to Help to Buy, the federal shared equity scheme, which launched in December 2025 and is currently the live shared-equity pathway for buyers here.
Boost to Buy, the Queensland state shared equity scheme, requires a note: the South East Queensland allocation is currently exhausted. North Brisbane sits within SEQ, so this scheme is not available to buyers in this area right now, even though regional Queensland allocations remain open. A future round could reopen SEQ places, but that has not occurred as at September 2026.
Scheme eligibility by property type in this area:
- › First Home Guarantee (5% deposit, no LMI): properties under $1,000,000 - units across most suburbs, Bowen Hills houses only; no income test
- › Family Home Guarantee (2% deposit, single parents): same $1,000,000 cap; first home buyer status not required
- › Help to Buy (shared equity, up to 40% government share):$1,000,000 cap; income caps $103,000 single, $165,000 joint; new and established homes
- › Queensland First Home Owner Grant ($30,000): new homes under $750,000 only; not means-tested; established homes do not qualify
Source: Housing Australia and Queensland Revenue Office.
How does a mortgage broker help buyers use these medians in North Brisbane, QLD?
A median is a reference point, not a borrowing approval. What lenders actually assess is your income, your expenses, your deposit source, and how those stack up against the specific property and suburb. Two buyers looking at the same $1,350,000 Stafford house can get very different outcomes depending on how their income is structured, which lender they go to first, and whether any scheme applies.
Three things we work through before a buyer makes an offer on any property here:
- › Cap eligibility: whether the purchase price sits under $1,000,000, which decides which schemes are available and whether the deposit requirement drops to 2% or 5%
- › Lender policy on the suburb: some lenders apply restrictions in higher-density postcodes or on certain unit types; which lenders will write the loan at the LVR you need is a panel question, not a general rule
- › Serviceability at the assessed rate: knowing how much you can borrow at approximately 9% changes which suburbs are realistic before you spend time inspecting properties you can't finance
Buyers in Windsor- Stafford or Kedron are asking us the same questions as buyers at the premium end - the numbers are different but the process is the same, and knowing which lender will treat your situation most favourably is what we're there to find out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which North Brisbane suburb has the lowest house median in 2026?
Bowen Hills has the lowest house median among the approved suburbs at $753,000, and it's the only suburb where the house median sits under the $1,000,000 First Home Guarantee cap. It's also a unit-dominated suburb, with far more unit transactions than house sales each year.
Can first home buyers use the First Home Guarantee to buy a house in North Brisbane?
In most suburbs, no - the $1,000,000 price cap excludes almost every house median across the area. Bowen Hills is the exception at $753,000, and units across most suburbs sit within the cap and are a realistic pathway for eligible first home buyers.
Is Help to Buy available to North Brisbane buyers in 2026?
Yes - Help to Buy launched in December 2025 and applies to buyers in Greater Brisbane with a $1,000,000 price cap. Income caps are $103,000 for singles and $165,000 for joint applicants, indexed as of 1 July 2026. Boost to Buy is a separate Queensland scheme with its SEQ allocation currently exhausted.
How much deposit do I need for a unit in North Brisbane?
Most unit medians across the suburb set sit between $685,000 and $985,000, which puts a 10% deposit target between roughly $70,000 and $100,000. Buyers using the First Home Guarantee can access units in most suburbs with a 5% deposit and no LMI, subject to the $1,000,000 cap.
Do any North Brisbane suburbs have unit medians above the $1,000,000 cap?
Three approved suburbs have unit medians above $1,000,000: The Gap at $1,060,000, Bardon at $1,172,500 and Grange at $1,260,500. Both Bardon and Grange figures rest on thin sales samples, so they should be read with some caution rather than used as a reliable benchmark.
Is a mortgage broker worth using when choosing between suburbs?
A mortgage broker, every time. The suburb median tells you the price - the broker tells you which lenders will finance it at your LVR, whether any scheme applies, and what your serviceability looks like before you make an offer. Knowing that before you bid changes how you negotiate.
Your Next Steps
Median prices across North Brisbane tell you what the market is doing - what they don't tell you is whether a particular suburb and property type fits your borrowing position, your deposit, and the schemes you're eligible for. Those three things, mapped together, are where the decision actually gets made.
If suburb selection or price-cap eligibility is on your radar, the next step is simple. Get in touch with the Kelly Brothers Finance team or call 07 3847 9450. We'll work through where you stand across our 60+ lender panel and help you understand which suburbs are realistic for your situation right now.
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External Resources
Kelly Brothers Finance · North Brisbane, QLD · Kelly Brothers Brokerage Pty Ltd (ACN 662 331 320), authorised under Australian Credit Licence 517192 · General information only - this article does not constitute financial advice. Please consider your own circumstances and seek professional advice before making any financial decisions.
