Bargains in a booming market: The 40 suburbs with a median house price under $200,000

February 3, 2022
Property prices in Australia's capital cities, like Sydney, have become unaffordable for many. Photo: Supplied

For those not yet in the property market, the news just keeps getting worse as prices keep going up.

Last week, it was revealed the median price for a house in Australia had soared past $1 million. Prices in capital cities have rocketed to record levels.

Sydney’s median price is now a staggering $1,601,467, Melbourne’s median is $1,101,612, Hobart rose to $752,110 and Canberra – now the second-most expensive city in the nation in which to buy a house – hit $1,178,364, the latest Domain House Price Report showed.

Brisbane’s median house price jumped by 10.7 per cent in the December quarter alone to a record median price of  $792,065, while Adelaide rose by 8.6 per cent to $731,547.

Only Darwin, where the median flatlined at $640,068 and Perth, up 1.8 per cent to $612,348, failed to break records.

But there is life outside the capital cities and there are properties for sale that won’t leave buyers drowning in debt.

The latest data shows there are no less than 40 towns and suburbs where the median price comes in at less than $200,000.

The most affordable places in Australia – Coober Pedy and Peterborough – are both in South Australia and have median house prices of less than $100,000.

Peterborough is about a three-hour drive north of Adelaide and is renowned for its heritage rail trail. The median price for a house there is $98,500.

SOLD - $85,000
148 Moscow St, Peterborough SA 5422
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The outback town of Coober Pedy – often referred to as the opal capital of the world – is far more remote. Not only is it a 16-hour drive from Adelaide, it is renowned for its below-ground dwellings, also called “dugouts”, that were built to escape the heat.

But not every affordable suburb is so far out from a capital city. Manunda, in Queensland’s tropical Cairns, has a median unit price of just $145,000 and is within walking distance of local restaurants, bars, supermarkets and a 10-minute drive from  Cairns Esplanade.

Local Remax agent Mat Foley said Manunda was undergoing a gentrification process, with many properties being purchased by owner-occupiers and renovated.

“Manunda is very affordable at the moment but it has increased in value and is going to increase in value further,” Mr Foley said. “It’s on a delayed trajectory to other markets out there.”

He cited the recent sale of a unit for $260,000, which had sold only 18 months earlier for $175,000.

Houses in Manunda were also affordable, he said. “I’ve just listed a house at 15 McDonald Street for $300,000. That’s for a three-bedroom house. Investing in this area is probably one of the best investments someone could make.”

$198,000
4/21 Douglas Street, Manunda QLD 4870
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Woodridge, part of Greater Brisbane, has a median unit price of just $170,000. Located about 19 kilometres south of the CBD in the local government area of Logan, it features affordable units within walking distance of the local train station.

In NSW, the cheapest place to buy a house is Coonamble (median price $122,500), about 6.5 hours drive north-west of Sydney, followed by Gilgandra (median price $175,000), a four-and-a-half hour drive inland from Newcastle.

Local LJ Hooker agent Patrick Huynh, who sells in Gilgandra and some of its surrounding regions, said the town’s affordability made it appealing for buyers.

“Gilgandra has a population of about 3000 people, two hardware stores, an IGA, specialty shops … and it’s about an hour’s drive from Dubbo, which is a massive town,” he said.

“Prices have gone up; not by as much as the capital cities of course, but they are going up. There’s that ripple effect.

“We’ve had more interest in the past three months in particular. I had a property on the market for a good three months, listed for $99,000, and just recently sold it for $95,000 to a cash buyer.”

SOLD - $90,000
57 Myrtle Street, Gilgandra NSW 2827
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One of the cheapest towns in Victoria is Casterton (median price $192,000), which is located about a two-hour drive north-west of Warrnambool, the popular seaside town located along the Great Ocean Road. House prices in Warrnambool, for comparison, rose by 22 per cent last year to a median of $500,000.

SOLD - $375,000
16 Robertson Street, Casterton VIC 3311
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Managing director of buyers agency Propertyology Simon Pressley has long been an advocate of investing in Australia’s regional towns.

“As expected, the absolute best-performing property markets in 2021 were [once again] among the 200 individual regional towns or cities,” he said. “More than 30 regional towns produced greater than 30 per cent capital growth in 2021.

“Whereas the population of Australia’s combined capital cities declined by 17,000 during the first year of COVID-19, the combined regional population increase by 51,000.”

He said he expected regional towns would produce “significantly stronger property market performance than capital cities” in 2022.

“Strong performance among regional locations is not unique to this crazy COVID era,” he said.

“For as far back as official real estate data goes, the highest rates of growth in pretty much every year are among the 200-plus regional towns, not capital cities.

“Regions offer a plethora of options.”

[dm_table embed_text="Embed this table" title="40 suburbs with a median of less than $200,000" footer="Source: Domain House Price Report, December quarter, 2021"]

State Suburb Region Property Median
SA Coober Pedy Country West House $70,000
SA Peterborough Country West House $98,500
SA Port Pirie West Country West House $110,000
QLD Tara Qld Rural House $111,000
NSW Coonamble NSW Country House $122,500
QLD Mount Morgan Qld Rural House $125,000
QLD Blackall Qld Rural House $139,000
QLD Monto Qld Rural House $140,000
WA Kambalda West WA Country House $143,750
QLD Manunda Cairns Unit $145,000
QLD Moura Qld Rural House $147,500
QLD Dysart Qld Rural House $149,000
QLD Home Hill Qld Rural House $149,500
QLD Blackwater Qld Rural House $150,000
QLD Charleville Qld Rural House $150,000
NSW Broken Hill NSW Country House $150,000
WA Merredin WA Country House $152,500
QLD Woree Cairns Unit $154,000
TAS Queenstown Mersey Lyell House $154,500
SA Port Augusta Country West House $160,000
QLD Bungalow Cairns Unit $165,000
SA Whyalla Norrie Country West House $165,000
SA Whyalla Stuart Country West House $165,000
QLD Murgon Qld Rural House $169,000
QLD Woodridge Brisbane West Unit $170,000
NSW Gilgandra NSW Country House $175,000
QLD Emerald Qld Rural Unit $175,000
QLD Gayndah Qld Rural House $180,000
QLD Ingham Qld Rural House $180,000
SA Risdon Park Country West House $180,000
VIC Warracknabeal Country House $180,000
QLD Manoora Cairns Unit $183,000
SA Crystal Brook Country West House $183,500
SA Bordertown Country South House $185,000
VIC Nhill Country House $186,000
QLD CHARTERS TOWERS CITY Qld Rural House $187,500
SA Port Pirie South Country West House $190,000
VIC Casterton Country House $192,000
WA Narrogin WA Country House $194,500
SA Risdon Park South Country West House $196,000

Source: Domain House Price Report, December quarter 2021
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