Is Scarborough a nice place to live?

Scarborough on the Redcliffe Peninsula sits beside Moreton Bay, with a foreshore reserve and parkland plus a compact cluster of shops and cafes close to the water. Scarborough is an older community where couples without children at home are common, making up 52.3% of families. Many households own their homes outright. Everyday life centres on the bay with walking paths, fishing spots and boating facilities, and the suburb is served by regular bus links and road connections. The design and reconstruction of a seawall adjacent to Landsborough Avenue is funded.

Is it expensive to live in Scarborough?

Housing costs in Scarborough are large compared with local incomes. A typical local household earned about $1,336 a week at the last Census. House rent of $690 a week would take about 52% of that weekly income, and unit rent of $620 a week would take about 46%, so renting represents a large share of a typical local household's income. Buying is more stretched: the median house price of $1,305,000 is about 18.8 times a typical local annual household income and the median unit price of $1,240,000 is about 17.8 times. Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Is Scarborough a good place to invest?

The standout is a strong 20.6% jump in unit values over the past 12 months, against a solid 7.6% rise in house values. Over the same period house rents increased a solid 6.2%, while unit rents fell a modest 4.6%. In Scarborough that means the house market has seen capital growth slightly ahead of rental growth, whereas the unit market shows a sharp lift in values while rental income for units has moved lower. 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.

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Scarborough suburb profile

Scarborough sits on the Redcliffe Peninsula, near Moreton Bay, and retains a relaxed seaside village character. A foreshore reserve and parkland provide picnic and walking space, and a compact cluster of shops and cafes close to the water forms the local centre.

Housing ranges from timber and mid-century homes to pockets of low-rise apartment buildings set among mature trees. The peninsula is served by regular bus links and road connections, and recreational life centres on the bay with walking paths, fishing spots and boating facilities nearby.

Scarborough property market performance

Current median dwelling price$1,272,500Past 3 months

Property growth+14.1%Past 12 months

Scarborough's median house price is $1.305 million, a notable 7.6% rise over the last 12 months. The median unit price is $1.24 million and rose strongly, up 20.6% over the last 12 months, though that large rise is based on only 15 sales over the last 3 months. Houses also sold more quickly, with a median time on market of 27 days compared with 46 for units over the last 12 months.

In Scarborough, unit rents fell moderately, down 4.6% over the last 12 months, while unit values rose sharply.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	$1.30M	$1.24M
Change in value Past 12 months	7.6%	20.6%
Sold Past 3 months	20	15
Median days on market Past 12 months	27	46
Average rent Past 12 months	$690	$620
Change in rent Past 12 months	6.2%	-4.6%

5 year median price trend for houses and units

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Scarborough demographics

Scarborough is an older community with couples without children at home and many households owning their homes outright.

Couples without children make up 52.3% of families and 40.3% of homes are owned outright. At the 2021 Census 9,178 people lived in Scarborough.

Scarborough and Queensland

	Suburb	QLD
Median age years	53	38
Median household income weekly	$1,336	$1,675
Couples with children share of families	30.1%	41.2%
Couples without children share of families	52.3%	40.3%
One-parent families share of families	16.3%	16.8%
Homes owned outright share of homes	40.3%	30.1%
Homes with a mortgage share of homes	28.4%	35.6%
Homes rented share of homes	31.3%	34.3%

Source: ABS 2021 Census. Shares of homes exclude other and not-stated tenure.

Scarborough infrastructure, key developments and investment opportunities

Scarborough has had the design and reconstruction of a seawall at the foreshore adjacent to Landsborough Avenue funded in the City of Moreton Bay 2026–27 budget (2026).

The 2026–27 budget also allocates $1 million for a Landsborough Avenue streetscape renewal in Scarborough (2026), funds new active-travel connections including a pathway along Scarborough Road (2026), and provides $150,000 for shelter renewal work at Scarborough Beach Park (2026).

Suburbs near Scarborough

Some popular suburbs near Scarborough include:

How does Scarborough compare to nearby suburbs?

Median house prices: Scarborough’s median house price is 30.5% higher than Redcliffe’s.
Median unit prices: Scarborough’s median unit price is 29.2% higher than Redcliffe’s.
House price growth: Property prices in nearby Newport have risen 8.8% more than in Scarborough over the past year.
Unit price growth: Over the past 12 months, unit prices in Scarborough have grown 30.5% higher than in Newport.
Selling speed for houses: Properties in Scarborough are selling 41.3% faster than in Newport.
Selling speed for units: Properties in Scarborough are selling 20.7% faster than in Newport.
Investment considerations: In Scarborough, the rental yield for house is 3.6% lower than the Brisbane average, while the rental yield for units is 5.8% lower.
House price growth: Over the past 12 months, house prices in Scarborough have grown 0.9% lower than the average rate of growth across Brisbane.
Unit price growth:Over the past 12 months, unit prices in Scarborough have grown 42.6% higher than the average rate of growth for units across Brisbane.

Common questions about Scarborough

Is Scarborough a nice place to live?
Scarborough on the Redcliffe Peninsula sits beside Moreton Bay, with a foreshore reserve and parkland plus a compact cluster of shops and cafes close to the water.

Scarborough is an older community where couples without children at home are common, making up 52.3% of families. Many households own their homes outright. Everyday life centres on the bay with walking paths, fishing spots and boating facilities, and the suburb is served by regular bus links and road connections. The design and reconstruction of a seawall adjacent to Landsborough Avenue is funded.
Is it expensive to live in Scarborough?
Housing costs in Scarborough are large compared with local incomes. A typical local household earned about $1,336 a week at the last Census. House rent of $690 a week would take about 52% of that weekly income, and unit rent of $620 a week would take about 46%, so renting represents a large share of a typical local household's income. Buying is more stretched: the median house price of $1,305,000 is about 18.8 times a typical local annual household income and the median unit price of $1,240,000 is about 17.8 times.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.
Is Scarborough a good place to invest?
The standout is a strong 20.6% jump in unit values over the past 12 months, against a solid 7.6% rise in house values. Over the same period house rents increased a solid 6.2%, while unit rents fell a modest 4.6%. In Scarborough that means the house market has seen capital growth slightly ahead of rental growth, whereas the unit market shows a sharp lift in values while rental income for units has moved lower.

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.

Choose the right real estate agents in Scarborough

There are 86 real estate agents in Scarborough, but they don’t all deliver the same results.

Some agents have a much stronger presence in the suburb, with just 5 agents handling around 28.2% of all sales in the past year.

Commission rates in Scarborough typically range from 1.88% to 3.25%. Comparing agents—including what they charge, what’s included, and how they structure their fees—is not only important when choosing an agent, the right structure can help ensure your chosen agent is motivated to achieve the best possible result.