Townsville Median Prices Hold $405,000 as Clearance Rates Hit 72%Updated

Townsville auctions recorded a 72 percent clearance rate in the first week of July, with 18 of 25 listed properties finding buyers at or above reserve.

These results stand out because national median house prices have slipped for three straight quarters while local demand tied to defence postings remains firm.

Suburbs driving the numbers

Four of the cleared lots sat in Idalia, including a three-bedroom home on Charles Street that fetched $482,000 after six bidders. Two further sales in Bohle Plains, both four-bedroom houses within 800 metres of the Lavarack Barracks gate, went for $465,000 and $471,000 respectively. Townsville City Council planning records show 312 new dwellings approved in these two suburbs since January 2025, a pipeline that has kept stock moving despite higher interest rates.

CoreLogic data released on 7 July placed Townsville’s median at $405,000, up $15,000 from the same date last year. Investor yields averaged 6.1 percent across 124 rental listings tracked by the Real Estate Institute of Queensland in June, with Idalia units returning the highest at 6.4 percent.

What the figures mean for buyers and sellers

Properties that passed in at auction last month were relisted privately within ten days and settled at an average 3.2 percent below the passed-in price, according to local agency settlement sheets. First-home buyers using the state’s $30,000 grant have accounted for 41 percent of contracts signed in Bohle Plains since April. Agents report that defence families posted to the city continue to favour established three- and four-bedroom stock near Lavarack Barracks over new builds further out.

Sellers preparing for the spring campaign are advised to set reserves no more than 5 percent above recent comparable sales and to schedule inspections mid-week to capture military relocation traffic. Buyers should monitor the next scheduled auction round on 23 July for any softening that may appear once winter posting cycles end.