Median House Prices By Suburb in East Brisbane, QLD, The 2026 Guide

House prices across East Brisbane have moved sharply over the past twelve months, and the gap between the most affordable and most expensive suburbs in the area now spans more than a million dollars. 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 target changes your deposit, your lender options and whether any government scheme is even available to you.

CoreLogic data shows every pulled house median in the East Brisbane area now sits above $1,000,000, which is the price cap on the First Home Guarantee and Help to Buy. That one fact reshapes the first-home conversation entirely: cap-eligible stock is overwhelmingly units, not houses, and the suburbs where that unit stock is deepest are not always the ones buyers look at first. Understanding where the medians actually sit, and what they mean for a lender's assessment of your deposit and servicing, is the starting point for any buying decision here.

AE Finance Solutions works with buyers across East Brisbane, QLD, comparing options across 60+ lenders. The home loan structure and the suburb you target interact more than most buyers realise, and that interaction is where the preparation matters.

What are the current median house prices across East Brisbane suburbs?

CoreLogic data shows East Brisbane house medians running from $1,317,500 in Salisbury to $2,340,000 in Hawthorne, with most of the inner-east and riverside suburbs sitting well above $1,700,000. The area is not one market: Salisbury and Greenslopes sit at the more accessible end, while Hawthorne, Bulimba and Balmoral occupy the prestige tier, and the distance between those groups is a different deposit, a different lender shortlist and, in several cases, a different assessment approach entirely.

The twelve-month growth picture is equally varied. Cannon Hill recorded 26.45% house price growth over the year to June 2026, and Coorparoo came in at 23.81%. West End's 49.02% house growth figure reflects a mix shift toward higher-value sales rather than a uniform lift, so the unit median at $920,000 is the more reliable signal there. Greenslopes grew at 3.88% over the same period, which is real but modest against its neighbours.

Source: CoreLogic (via YIP, mid-2026).

What are the best-value suburbs for buyers in East Brisbane, QLD in 2026?

The best-value end of the East Brisbane market sits roughly between $1,317,500 and $1,544,750 for houses. These suburbs still require a substantial deposit, but they give buyers access to the area at a price point where a 20% deposit is closer to achievable and where lender choice remains broad.

Salisbury

Salisbury holds the lowest house median in the pulled data at $1,317,500, with 13.58% growth over the year to June 2026. It suits buyers who want inner-south access at a relatively accessible price point, and investors looking for a suburb with rail connectivity and room for further growth.

• Median house price: $1,317,500
• 12-month house growth: +13.58% (80 sales)
• Median unit price: $831,500
• 12-month unit growth: +15.49% (10 sales, thin)
• Best suited for: investors, upsizers with moderate equity, buyers prioritising rail access

Greenslopes

Greenslopes recorded a house median of $1,460,000 with 3.88% growth, the most restrained growth figure in the set. Its unit median of $821,000 and 8.74% unit growth make it one of the more balanced markets for buyers weighing house versus unit entry points.

• Median house price: $1,460,000
• 12-month house growth: +3.88% (81 sales)
• Median unit price: $821,000
• 12-month unit growth: +8.74% (91 sales)
• Best suited for: first home buyers targeting units, upsizers, buyers seeking a quieter growth profile

Carina

Carina sits at $1,420,000 for houses and $1,015,000 for units, with both recording strong growth of around 14.5% to 14.7% over twelve months. The unit median sits just above the $1,000,000 scheme cap, which narrows first-home-buyer eligibility on units here compared with cheaper unit markets nearby.

• Median house price: $1,420,000
• 12-month house growth: +14.52% (151 sales)
• Median unit price: $1,015,000
• 12-month unit growth: +14.69% (117 sales)
• Best suited for: investors, owner-occupiers upgrading, buyers who no longer need the scheme cap

Carina Heights

Carina Heights recorded a house median of $1,544,750 with 21.63% growth, one of the stronger performers in the mid-range tier. Its unit median of $961,250 sits under the cap, and 80 unit sales over the period gives that figure reasonable depth.

• Median house price: $1,544,750
• 12-month house growth: +21.63% (84 sales)
• Median unit price: $961,250
• 12-month unit growth: +24.84% (80 sales)
• Best suited for: upsizers, buyers seeking strong recent growth at a mid-range entry point

What are the established and premium suburb medians in East Brisbane?

The established and premium end of the East Brisbane market runs from around $1,710,000 through to $2,340,000 for houses. These suburbs sit firmly above any government scheme threshold, and lending in this range involves a different set of considerations: prestige valuations, larger deposits, and in some cases a manually assessed application rather than a standard credit score pathway.

Woolloongabba

Woolloongabba recorded a house median of $1,512,500 with 19.80% growth, driven by a relatively thin sample of 45 house sales. Its unit market is the more active story, with 169 sales at a $785,000 median, which is the lowest unit median in the pulled data and sits well under the $1,000,000 cap.

• Median house price: $1,512,500
• 12-month house growth: +19.80% (45 sales)
• Median unit price: $785,000
• 12-month unit growth: +12.95% (169 sales)
• Best suited for: apartment buyers, first home buyers targeting units, investors drawn by the Gabba and Cross River Rail precinct

Tarragindi

Tarragindi holds a house median of $1,710,000 with 14.00% growth over 186 sales, one of the deepest house-sale samples in the set. No unit median is available for this suburb; it is predominantly a house market.

• Median house price: $1,710,000
• 12-month house growth: +14.00% (186 sales)
• Best suited for: families, upsizers, buyers seeking a predominantly owner-occupier market with strong depth

Morningside

Morningside recorded 23.08% house price growth to a $1,600,000 median, with an active unit market of 154 sales at $948,500. Both figures carry good depth, and the unit median under the cap gives first-home buyers a genuine pathway here.

• Median house price: $1,600,000
• 12-month house growth: +23.08% (147 sales)
• Median unit price: $948,500
• 12-month unit growth: +17.83% (154 sales)
• Best suited for: upsizers, first home buyers targeting units, investors seeking a suburb with both house and unit depth

Cannon Hill

Cannon Hill led the mid-to-upper tier on growth at 26.45%, reaching a house median of $1,783,000 over 90 sales. Its unit median of $840,000 sits under the cap, and 73 unit sales gives that figure reasonable credibility.

• Median house price: $1,783,000
• 12-month house growth: +26.45% (90 sales)
• Median unit price: $840,000
• 12-month unit growth: +20.00% (73 sales)
• Best suited for: upsizers, investors, buyers seeking strong recent growth in the mid-to-upper range

Kangaroo Point

Kangaroo Point is the largest apartment market in the set by volume, with 292 unit sales at a $875,000 median and 16.67% growth. The house median of $1,717,500 rests on only 38 sales, so the unit figure is the more reliable signal here.

• Median house price: $1,717,500
• 12-month house growth: +36.36% (38 sales, thin)
• Median unit price: $875,000
• 12-month unit growth: +16.67% (292 sales)
• Best suited for: apartment buyers, investors, first home buyers targeting units, buyers who value CBD proximity and riverfront lifestyle

Hawthorne

Hawthorne holds the highest house median in the set at $2,340,000, with 7.34% growth over 82 sales. Its unit median of $1,010,000 sits just above the cap, so scheme-eligible stock is not available here for either dwelling type.

• Median house price: $2,340,000
• 12-month house growth: +7.34% (82 sales)
• Median unit price: $1,010,000
• 12-month unit growth: +22.28% (51 sales)
• Best suited for: prestige buyers, upsizers with substantial equity, investors in the high-value riverside tier

Bulimba

Bulimba reached a house median of $2,300,000 with 18.02% growth, and its unit median of $1,220,000 is the highest unit median in the set. Both sit well above the $1,000,000 cap, placing Bulimba entirely in the prestige and upsizer tier.

• Median house price: $2,300,000
• 12-month house growth: +18.02% (103 sales)
• Median unit price: $1,220,000
• 12-month unit growth: +28.34% (128 sales)
• Best suited for: prestige buyers, established owners upsizing with significant equity, investors in the premium riverside market

Source: CoreLogic (via YIP, mid-2026).

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What should buyers consider when choosing a suburb here?

The medians tell you the price; they don't tell you the depth. A suburb with 30 or 40 house sales in a year produces a median that can shift significantly on a handful of transactions, while a suburb with 150 to 180 sales gives you a figure you can plan around. Cannon Hill's 26.45% growth rests on 90 sales, which is solid. Kangaroo Point's 36.36% house growth rests on 38, which deserves more caution.

The house-versus-unit question matters differently depending on your goal. For an owner-occupier, the unit median is relevant mainly where the house median puts you above your borrowing limit. For an investor, the unit market in Kangaroo Point, West End and Woolloongabba gives you genuine depth: hundreds of transactions a year, a clear rental demand story, and unit medians that in most cases still sit under the scheme cap. That cap eligibility matters not just for you but for your future buyer, which affects resale liquidity.

Wellers Hill has no standalone CoreLogic profile. The best available proxy is its 4121 postcode neighbours: Holland Park at $1,579,175 and Tarragindi at $1,710,000. If you're considering Wellers Hill, use that range rather than a single figure.

What do these medians mean for your deposit and borrowing?

Every house median in this data sits above $1,000,000, which is the price cap for the First Home Guarantee, the Family Home Guarantee and Help to Buy. That cap is set at $1,000,000 for all East Brisbane suburbs, which sit inside the Brisbane capital-city area. The practical consequence is that first home buyers using any of those schemes are buying units, not houses, and in this market that is often the right move anyway.

Unit medians under the cap range from $785,000 in Woolloongabba to $961,250 in Carina Heights, with Kangaroo Point at $875,000 and West End at $920,000 offering the largest markets by sale volume. On a $875,000 unit with a 5% deposit under the First Home Guarantee, the LMI is waived and the deposit requirement is around $43,750 plus costs. At 10%, the deposit rises to $87,500 and no LMI is charged under a standard loan. The gap between those two positions is roughly $44,000 in savings, which is the core trade-off a broker works through with you.

For buyers above the cap, the assessment shifts to standard serviceability: your income, existing debts, and the lender's view of the suburb's security value. At $1,500,000 to $2,300,000, lenders assess the application more carefully and a 20% deposit ($300,000 to $460,000) is the target that keeps LMI off the table and the lender shortlist broad. Queensland's first-home transfer duty concession applies on established homes under $700,000, which is below every house median here; new homes attract no duty regardless of price under the concession for contracts from 1 May 2025, which is the more relevant pathway in this market.

Source: CoreLogic (via YIP, mid-2026) and Housing Australia.

How does a mortgage broker help buyers navigate these suburbs?

The lender choice in this market matters more than the suburb ranking. Three things differ between lenders in a way that changes your position in East Brisbane, QLD, and none of them are published side by side.

• › Suburb risk appetite: some lenders apply a high-density postcode restriction in apartment-heavy suburbs like Kangaroo Point and Woolloongabba, which caps the LVR at 70% to 80% regardless of your deposit. Others have no such restriction. The difference is whether you need a larger deposit than the median alone would suggest.
• › Minimum internal area: many lenders require 50 square metres of internal living space before they'll lend at standard terms on a unit. A small number go to 40 square metres, a narrower panel to around 35. In a market where compact apartments are common, that threshold determines which properties you can actually buy with your preferred lender.
• › Valuation approach on prestige stock: at the $2,000,000-plus end in Hawthorne, Bulimba and Balmoral, lenders assess security value on fewer comparable sales. A conservative valuation on a $2,300,000 purchase can mean the buyer covers a shortfall in cash, which changes the effective deposit requirement significantly.

Comparing across a panel finds which lender's policy fits the specific property you're buying, not just your income and deposit in the abstract.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the lowest house median in East Brisbane?

Salisbury holds the lowest pulled house median at $1,317,500, with 13.58% growth over the twelve months to June 2026. It's the most accessible entry point for a house in the area, though a 20% deposit still requires significant savings.

Which East Brisbane suburbs have unit medians under the $1,000,000 scheme cap?

Most do. Woolloongabba leads at $785,000, followed by Greenslopes, Stones Corner, Holland Park, Norman Park, Cannon Hill, Coorparoo, Kangaroo Point, West End, Camp Hill, Morningside, Carina Heights, Carindale and Balmoral. Carina, Hawthorne and Bulimba units sit above the cap.

Is the First Home Guarantee available for houses in East Brisbane?

No. Every pulled house median exceeds the $1,000,000 First Home Guarantee price cap that applies across all East Brisbane postcodes. The scheme is available for units in most suburbs, where medians range from $785,000 to $961,250.

Is a house or a unit the better first purchase in this market?

For most first home buyers, a unit is the practical entry point. Units in Kangaroo Point, Woolloongabba and West End sit under the scheme cap, trade in high volumes, and carry genuine rental demand. A house requires a larger deposit and puts the buyer outside all scheme eligibility.

What is the Wellers Hill median house price?

CoreLogic publishes no standalone profile for Wellers Hill. The best proxy is its 4121 postcode neighbours: Holland Park at $1,579,175 and Tarragindi at $1,710,000, giving a reasonable range for planning purposes.

Is a mortgage broker better than a bank for buying in East Brisbane?

A mortgage broker, every time. Lender policies on suburb risk, minimum dwelling sizes and high-density postcodes vary significantly and aren't published side by side. A broker who knows the panel finds the lender whose policy fits the property you're actually buying.

Your Next Steps

Suburb medians give you the starting point, but your actual position depends on which lenders will assess the specific property you're targeting, what your deposit achieves at that price, and whether any scheme is available to you. In East Brisbane, QLD, those three questions often have different answers from different lenders.

If buying in these suburbs is on your horizon, the next step is simple. Get in touch with the AE Finance Solutions team or call 0422 868 524. We'll work through where you stand across our 60+ lender panel.

About the author Abel Desta Director & Mortgage Broker, AE Finance Solutions Abel Desta is the Director and Mortgage Broker at AE Finance Solutions, an East Brisbane brokerage. Specialising in home finance, he helps first home buyers, upgraders and investors across the East Brisbane region. Abel is a credit representative (467836) of LMG Broker Services Pty Ltd (ACN 632 405 504), Australian Credit Licence 517192, and compares loans across a panel of 60+ lenders at no cost to the borrower. Meet Abel → LinkedIn

AE Finance Solutions, QLD, Australia. This is general information only - this article does not constitute financial advice. Please consider your own circumstances and seek professional advice before making any financial decisions.