Families looking to buy a home near one of Brisbane’s most popular public schools may still be able to get into a sought-after catchment for as little as $600,000.
Exclusive research from PRD reveals the cheapest way to get into the city’s top ranked catchments, with more than $600,000 needed to buy a unit and $1m to $2m required for a house in the 10 top-ranked public school areas.
The data shows the most affordable suburb to buy a house in one of Brisbane’s top public high school catchments is Stafford: with about $1.1m needed to secure a typical three-bedroom house in the Kedron State High School catchment.
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This three-bedroom house at 24 Pateena St, Stafford, is for sale for $1.2m.
Meanwhile Mansfield, in the Mansfield State High School catchment, was the most affordable suburb for units, with a typical two-bedroom unit having a median price of $493,000.
For primary schools, PRD data showed Coopers Plains had the cheapest houses, with a median price of $965,000.
Robertson comes out on top for the cheapest units, with a median of $592,000. Both of these suburbs are located in the Robertson State School catchment.
This four-bedroom house at 109 Stafford Rd, Kedron, is in the Kedron State High School catchment and is for sale for offers over $1.149m.
Sunnybank Hills State School is the top primary school catchment in Queensland based on 2024 NAPLAN results, and is also reasonably affordable to buy into, with Sunnybank Hills — the only suburb within the catchment — having a median house price of $1.22m and a median unit price of $690,000.
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The top secondary school catchment in the state is the Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology, where the cheapest suburb for a house is Graceville ($1.4m median) and the most affordable suburb to buy a unit is Chelmer ($550,000 median).
PRD’s research involved an analysis of properties for sale in each school catchment during 2024 to determine a median price, and used 2024 NAPLAN results to rank the catchments.
This three-bedroom house at 41 Taminga St, Sunnybank Hills, is for sale for between $960,000 and $1.06m.
This research found the middle point for median house prices in a top 10 primary school catchment was $1.65m, and $1.55m for secondary schools.
With a 20 per cent deposit and at current interest rates, a home of $1.65m would require a monthly repayment of $8,760.
By comparison, using Brisbane’s median house price of $977,381, the monthly mortgage repayment is $5,239.
This four-bedroom house at 11 Atkinson Close, Coopers Plains, is on the market for offers over $1.2m.
PRD chief economist Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo said with the exception of Coopers Plains, all suburbs but one in Brisbane’s top 10 primary and secondary school catchments had a median house price above $1m.
“So, wanting to have your children in the top 10 schools is definitely going to come at a premium, especially if you are looking for a house,” Dr Mardiasmo said. “There is more chance (of affordably buying into a good school catchment) with units”.
Nearly 40 per cent — 11 out of 29 — of primary school suburbs were found to be under or on par with Brisbane’s median unit price of $690,000. 51 per cent — 46 out of 90 — secondary school suburbs also met this threshold.
PRD chief economist Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo.
But Dr Mardiasmo said those relatively affordable options may not last long, given the lack of housing supply and the resilience of home prices.
“I guess, at the end of the day, it’s a choice that one must make: between having your children in a top 10 school versus affordability,” she said.
“Another consideration is whether to wait until secondary school, as you have a wider range of suburbs for school catchment — so more chances to score a property.”
The top school catchment of Sunnybank Hills only has one suburb where kids could get into the school, and Ray White Sunnybank agent Simon Au said not every resident of the suburb could get in.
“Just because you’re buying in that area doesn’t mean you’re in the catchment,” he said. “Sunnybank Hills is a very big suburb — it’s got more than 5000 households there.”
Mr Au said Sunnybank Hills’ limited market would only make the suburb more exclusive as the years went by.
“The school capacity is maxing out, so people see the necessity to be in the catchment, even though their kids are still very young,” he said.
Mr Au added while not every school is in the top 10 across Brisbane, many have good government programs regardless.
“Consider renting in that area [to] see how you feel as well,” he said. “Definitely make plans, even though your children may be very young.”
Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty selling agent Tyson Clarke has sold homes in the Eagle Junction bracket, and said the supply and demand made for a very tight market.
“The supply of properties is greatly diminished in these areas,” he said. “There’s only a fixed number of properties available in the suburb … people hold onto properties in these areas for much longer.”
Mr Clarke said high tenure periods — the time people spend living in school catchment suburbs — prevented more people from easily getting into these areas, especially with Brisbane’s growing population.
“Consider moving into a rental … living closer to the school for a year or two,” he said.
Plum Property Brisbane West agent Brett Andreassen said he saw many people renting units in St Lucia to get their kids into the suburb’s exclusive school catchments.
“They specifically want their kids to attend Ironside, or Indooroopilly State High School,” he said. “They will make adjustments to their lifestyle to get their kid into that particular area.
BRISBANE’S TOP RANKED PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL CATCHMENTS
1. SUNNYBANK HILLS STATE SCHOOL CATCHMENT
The suburb of Sunnybank Hills is the only area within this catchment, with a median house price of $1.22m and a median unit price of $690k.
2. RAINWORTH STATE SCHOOL CATCHMENT
Cheapest suburb for houses: Toowong ($1.71m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Toowong ($684k median)
3. INDOOROOPILLY STATE SCHOOL CATCHMENT
Cheapest suburb for houses: Chapel Hill ($1.48m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Toowong ($684k median)
4. ASHGROVE STATE SCHOOL CATCHMENT
Cheapest suburb for houses: Ashgrove ($1.74m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Ashgrove ($800k median)
5. NEWMARKET STATE SCHOOL CATCHMENT
Cheapest suburb for houses: Alderly ($1.41m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Alderly ($625k median)
6. EAGLE JUNCTION STATE SCHOOL CATCHMENT
Cheapest suburb for houses: Wooloowin ($1.56m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Clayfield ($630k median)
7. IRONSIDE STATE SCHOOL CATCHMENT
Cheapest suburb for houses: Taringa ($1.64m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Taringa ($705k median)
8. KENMORE STATE SCHOOL CATCHMENT
Cheapest suburb for houses: Kenmore ($1.27m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Kenmore ($1m median)
9. FIG TREE POCKET STATE SCHOOL CATCHMENT
Cheapest suburb for houses: Chapel Hill ($1.48m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Indooroopilly ($730k median)
10. ROBERTSON STATE SCHOOL CATCHMENT
Cheapest suburb for houses: Coopers Plains ($965k median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Nathan ($592k median)
Source: PRD
BRISBANE’S TOP RANKED PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL CATCHMENTS
1. QUEENSLAND ACADEMY FOR SCIENCE MATHEMATICS AND TECHNOLOGY
Cheapest suburb for houses: Graceville ($1.4m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Chelmer ($550k median)
2. BRISBANE STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Cheapest suburb for houses: Woolloongabba ($1.325m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Dutton Park ($628k median)
3. BRISBANE SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION
Cheapest suburb for houses: Wolloongabba ($1.325m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Woolloongabba ($631k median)
4. MANSFIELD STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Cheapest suburb for houses: Mount Gravatt ($1.136m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Mansfield ($493k median)
5. BRISBANE SOUTH STATE SECONDARY COLLEGE
Cheapest suburb for houses: Fairfield ($1.142m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Dutton Park ($628k median)
6. INDOOROOPILLY STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Cheapest suburb for houses: Graceville ($1.4m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Chelmer ($550k median)
7. KELVIN GROVE STATE COLLEGE
Cheapest suburb for houses: Kelvin Grove ($1.33m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Spring Hill ($495k median)
8. KEDRON STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Cheapest suburb for houses: Stafford ($1.1m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Stafford ($585k median)
9. MOUNT GRAVATT STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Cheapest suburb for houses: Mount Gravatt ($1.136m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Upper Mount Gravatt ($620k median)
10. CAVENDISH ROAD STATE HIGH SCHOOL
Cheapest suburb for houses: Mount Gravatt East ($1.226m median)
Cheapest suburb for units: Holland Park West ($650k median)
Source: PRD