Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Cranbrook

Cranbrook is a residential suburb of Townsville centred on family living. It is dominated by low-rise, detached houses on established blocks with mature trees and generous backyards, and the streets feel settled rather than new. The community is weighted towards couples, with and without children, who make up about three quarters of families, and most homes are owner-occupied. Small shopping strips, schools and several parks and sporting fields meet everyday needs, while public buses and arterial roads link residents with the Townsville CBD and nearby coastal areas.

Recent council and government work has consolidated the Wellington Street depot and freed the old site for community use by sporting clubs, added two social housing duplexes and improved the school drop-off area. Whether Cranbrook suits you will depend on whether you value an established, quieter residential routine with those local amenities close at hand.

Buying in Cranbrook sits well above local incomes: the median house price of $630,000 is about 8.7 times a typical local household's annual income at the last Census.

Renting also takes a sizeable share of local income. A house at $550 a week would be about 39.3% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, and a unit at $430 a week would be about 30.7%. On these figures, renting would take a sizeable share of what local households earned at the last Census, while buying sits at a high multiple of local income; whether that feels expensive depends on your own income and circumstances.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Unit values in Cranbrook jumped 53.0% over the past 12 months, a very large rise, while house values also rose strongly, up 17.1%. On the income side, unit rents increased 12.3% and house rents rose 10.0%, both strong increases with unit rents modestly ahead of house rents.

For someone weighing Cranbrook as an investment, the figures show the unit side was the stronger performer over the year on both capital growth and rental growth; if capital growth is your primary aim the unit numbers stand out, while both property types delivered solid rent growth. Whether that balance suits your goals and circumstances is for you to judge.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.