Toowoomba keeps climbing while the rest of Queensland catches its breath
The Real Estate Institute of Queensland's latest median sales data, released 31 August 2026, shows the state's property market slowing down. Toowoomba didn't get the memo.
Across Queensland, the statewide median house price eased 0.91% over the June 2026 quarter to $983,000. Units dropped 1.22% to $810,000. REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella described it as a market "taking a breath" after several years of exceptional growth. Nine of the state's 16 major house markets recorded soft quarterly growth, two held stable, and five dipped.
Toowoomba was one of the exceptions. It was also one of the strongest performers in the entire state.
Houses: still climbing, no sign of slowing
The Toowoomba house median sale price rose 3.03% over the June quarter to $850,000, on the back of 559 sales. That's not just a quarter of stability, it's real growth while most of the state is going backwards. Over the past 12 months, Toowoomba's house median is up 20.12%, well ahead of the statewide annual figure of 16.56%.
Mercorella pointed to Toowoomba specifically in her comments on the release, noting the region "continues to forge on quite strongly" while Brisbane held flat and other markets softened. The release also suggested the result may reflect buyers looking for value outside the southeast corner, a trend that puts Toowoomba in a strong position as affordability pressure builds in Brisbane and the coastal markets.
Units: a quieter quarter, but the annual trend still stands out
The unit market told a slightly different story this quarter. Toowoomba's unit median eased 4.41% to $650,000 on 133 sales. That's a bigger quarterly move than most other regions. But zoom out to the 12-month view and Toowoomba units are still up 25.61% annually, one of the strongest annual unit results of any region in the release. One quarter of softness doesn't undo a year of that kind of growth, and the sample size at 133 sales means a handful of transactions can move the median more than they would in a deeper market.
A local perspective
Jacob Carlile, Director of Hot Property and REIQ Zone Chair for the Toowoomba and Darling Downs region, says the strength in Toowoomba's house market isn't a one-off.
"There's a $21.8 billion infrastructure pipeline in progress across the Toowoomba region, according to Toowoomba Regional Council. That kind of investment underpins confidence in a market well beyond any single quarter," Carlile said.
He also points to migration data as a leading indicator. "The CBA Regional Movers Index recently identified Toowoomba as a favourite destination for metro movers this quarter, with a 236% increase on the same time last year. That's the kind of demand signal that shows up in median prices a few months down the track."
On the softer unit result, Carlile puts it down to a specific segment of the market pulling back rather than broader weakness. "That dip is coming from entry level investors, who are stepping back due to the recent tax changes. It's a narrower group exiting a smaller market, and it's showing up in the median because unit sales volumes are low enough that a handful of transactions can move the number."
Carlile also pushed back on the idea that Toowoomba is running hot in the way the southeast did over recent years. "On the ground, it feels like a balanced market. That's a real shift after years of a sustained sellers' market, and it's a healthier position for both buyers and sellers to be operating from."
Looking ahead to spring, he's expecting the region's usual seasonal lift. "Spring is always a strong selling season here. It's the season Toowoomba goes on show, with the Carnival of Flowers and the weather that comes with it. Combined with the infrastructure and migration trends, there's no reason to expect that pattern to break this year."
What this means if you're buying or selling in Toowoomba
The broader Queensland narrative right now is caution. Higher borrowing costs, recent taxation changes, and a 5.9% quarterly fall in Queensland housing loan commitments are all doing their part to cool buyer activity, particularly among investors, who pulled back 10.1% over the quarter.
Toowoomba's numbers suggest that caution hasn't reached this market in the same way, at least not yet in the house segment. If you're a seller, this is still a market where results are being achieved. If you're a buyer, it means Toowoomba isn't offering the same breathing room that some southeast markets now are, so there's still value in moving with intent rather than waiting for a pause that the data isn't showing here.
Mercorella's broader point applies well to Toowoomba: real estate is a long-term asset, and a quarter or two of data isn't a trend on its own. The next two quarters, through spring selling, will be the ones that show whether Toowoomba's run continues at this pace or starts to align with the rest of the state.
Source: REIQ Median Sales Data, June 2026 quarter, based on Cotality data. Figures reflect regions with at least 10 recorded sales for the quarter.