Whitsundays Property Market Update 1st Half 2026
Whitsundays is located off the Queensland East Coast in the Coral Sea. In the 2021 ABS Census, it had a population of 2,281 people. Snorkel or scuba dive among the friendly marine life at the Heart of the Great Barrier Reef or sail around the 74 majestic islands.
Property Trends
In Q4 2025, Whitsundays recorded a median house price of $900,000 and a median unit price of $560,000. This is an annual (Q4 2024 – Q4 2025) price growth of 14.8% for houses and 22.3% for units. Thus, now is an ideal time for owners to capitalize on their investments. Comparing Q4 2024 and Q4 2025, sales declined by -31.6% for houses (to 54 in Q4 2025) and -2.2% for units (to 91 in Q4 2025). There is currently an undersupply of both houses and units, and with the previous lower interest rates (in 2025) have stimulated price growth. Moreover, without any new ready-to-sell houses planned in 2026, this will further exacerbate the current Whitsundays housing shortage. As a result, home buyers need to act fast before property prices goes up further.
Project Development
Whitsundays will see approximately $626.0M of new projects commencing construction in 2026 and 2027. A key mixed-use project is St Bees Boulevard Retirement Village & Residential Subdivision, a 46.01‑hectare land to be reconfigured into 199 residential lots. Another key project is the Edenvale Cannon Valley Master Planned Community, to build a masterplan on a 102.2‑hectare site, creating 500+ residential lots and 900 homes.
Rental Market & Growth
House rental yields in Whitsundays were 4.9% as of December 2025, on par with the Queensland North Coast (4.8%). This is paired with a 9.7% growth in the median house rental price in the past 12 months to Q4 2025, at $850 per week; and a -17.6% decrease in the number of houses rented (to 56 houses in Q4 2025). There is an undersupplied and competitive house rental market in Whitsundays, which benefits investors.
Vacancy Rates & Property Investment
Whitsundays recorded a vacancy rate of 2.0% in December 2025, which is slightly above the Queensland North Coast average of 1.7%. Vacancy rates have increased in the past 12 months, due to investors re-entering the market. However, a 2.0% vacancy rate is still well below the Real Estate Institution of Australia’s healthy benchmark of 3.0%, indicating quicker occupancy of rental homes in Whitsundays. This creates a conducive environment for investors, even with a higher median house and unit sales price (thus, entry price) in the past 12 months to Q4 2025.
