Here are 6 idyllic Queensland towns you can buy property for under $600K

Queensland is renowned for great weather and even better beaches. If you’ve got your sights on buying property in Queensland, make use of what the Sunshine State has to offer by investing in property in one of these idyllic towns all boasting affordable property for under $600,000.

• Related: 8 Idyllic Victorian towns to buy property under $600K
• Related: 9 Idyllic NSW towns to buy property under $600K

Marcoola (Sunshine Coast, Qld)

5 things you need to know about Marcoola

1. Population: 3,162 (2016)
2. Predominant age group: 50-59 years
3. Median house price: $597,500
4. Median rental price: $470 p/w
5. Distance from nearest big city (Brisbane): 1h 33 min, 113.5km

Why Marcoola?

If water fun is what fills your summers, then you’d love to be living in Marcoola during the hot season. Well-known by locals and tourists, is Marcoola Beach, providing ideal waves for confident surfers, and perfect walking paths for the land dweller.

With many beaches, parks and grass areas to offer, Marcoola is a family-friendly place, providing many things to do on your Sunday outing. Take your family to one of the 20 parks, covering 27.5% of the township, for a picnic or barbecue, toss the footy or walk the dog. Or if an escape from the family is what you seek, then enjoy a day on the ‘green’ at Twin Waters Golf Club, a short distance from the town.

Forget Sunday and start your weekend early with the Marcoola Markets on a Friday night - or Friday ‘twilight’. Between 4pm and 8pm, head down to the Markets to feast on street food, indulge in fine wine and relax to good music.

Creeping close to the $600k, the real estate market is hot here and median house prices sit at $597,000. Whilst more expensive than these other idyllic towns, this beautiful beach town may prove to be worth it.

Stanthorpe (South-East, Qld)

5 things you need to know about Stanthorpe

1. Population: 5,393
2. Predominant age group: 60-69 years
3. Median house price: $272,500
4. Median rental price: $273 p/w
5. Distance from Brisbane: 2h 43 min, 216.7km

Why Stanthorpe?

Located at the centre of the Granite Belt, is Queensland’s renowned wine region, Stanthorpe. Owing to its granitic soil and cooler climates, Stanthorpe has developed a fine wine reputation.

If you enjoy a glass of red, or white (or both), then you’ll be sipping some of the finest in Stanthorpe. If you’re adventurous with your wine and want to push past the Semillon or Shiraz envelope, then the Strange Wine trail is highly recommended, offering a range of alternative wines that will tickle your taste buds.

If you want to really immerse yourself in the winemaking experience, then get your hands (or feet) dirty at the Apple and Grape Harvest Festival, held during March every two years. Here, you can stomp grapes, participate in a wine masterclass, get involved in apple peeling competitions and, better yet, enter an apple pie competition.

Give your olfactory senses a treat at the Aloomba Lavender Farm. Besides Stanthorpe's reputation for apples, grapes, persimmons, strawberries and olives (to name a few), is its well-known lavender farms. With 12,000 plants covering the 6 acre field, the Farm is an incredible sight. The Gift Shop draws tourists in with the vast variety of goods it offers. Take home that lavender scent with soaps, dried lavender, candles and much more.

Longreach (Central-West, Qld)

5 things you need to know about Longreach

1. Population: 2,966 (2016)
2. Predominant age group: 50-59 years
3. Median house price: $160,000
4. Median rental price: $260 p/w
5. Distance from Brisbane: 13h 5 min, 1,178.4km

Why Longreach?

Home to both droughts and flooding, the rural town of Longreach offers the entire Australian outback experience. With cattle, sheep and tourism industries leading business within Longreach, it is a town worth considering investing in.

With many things to do and see, this place is an ideal holiday location. The highly popular Stockman’s Hall of Fame is an architectural beauty that pays tribute to Australian stockmen, explorers and Aborigines.

There’s nothing more culturally Australian than the red kangaroo on the end of QANTAS planes. Longreach proudly displays the airline’s origins at the QANTAS Founders Museum.

With many campsites, caravan parks and tourist parks, there are plentiful holidaying opportunities. If pitching a tent isn’t quite your cup of tea, then you’ll have no problem finding an accommodating hotel. Tourism and Events Queensland reported that in the 5 years spanning from 2008 to 2012, there were 161,000 visitors to Longreach, with over $41 million spent. With 40,000 being adult couples, and 19,000 comprising family groups, it may be of interest to consider renting your home out to these holidayers as an alternative form of accommodation. With an impressive 8.45% rental yield based on median house and rental prices, investing in the housing market here has the potential of producing $13,520 of rental income per annum.

Cooktown (North, Qld)

5 things you need to know about Cooktown

1. Population: 2,635 (2016)
2. Predominant age group: 60-69 years
3. Median house price: $320,000
4. Median rental price: $390 p/w
5. Distance from Brisbane: 22h 48 min, 1,984.6km

Why Cooktown?

When you think ‘Cooktown’ you may travel back to history class where you learned about the first fleet and the Endeavour. Being the place of white Australian settlement in 1770, when Captain Cook sailed on Australian shores, Cooktown is a historic place that is proud of its past.

The best place to explore the town’s history is at the James Cook Museum. The site was originally an 1800s convent that now commemorates the seven weeks that James Cook and his crew spent in the area in the 1700s. Whilst this is the main focus, there are many other varying exhibits to enjoy.

A place of interest to many is Nature’s Powerhouse, located within the Botanic Gardens, featuring the Vera Scarth-Johnson Gallery. The Botanic Gardens displays beautiful flora and is home to an abundance of fauna. Looking to celebrate the wonders of the Endeavour River, artist Vera Scarth-Johnson developed her works based on the beauty of the surrounding environment.

Escape the tourism and relax by the river. Cooktown is a renowned fishing destination. Many cafes and restaurants display Cooktown’s array of seafood on their menus. Restaurants to visit include Balcony Restaurant at Sovereign Resort, or somewhere more casual like Gilld n Guttd Seafood Place.

Mackay (East Coast, Qld)

5 things you need to know about Mackay

1. Population: 3,642 (2016)
2. Predominant age group: 20-29 years
3. Median house price: $285,000
4. Median rental price: $270 p/w
5. Distance from Brisbane: 10h 55 min, 952.5km

Why Mackay?

This delightfully modern town is as sweet as the sugar it’s famous for. Boasting 1920s style Art Deco architecture, the city is a sight in itself. Mackay’s modern style is due to the fact that most of the city was rebuilt in 1918 due to the havoc caused by the Great Cyclone.

Artworks in themselves, the buildings aren’t the only masterpieces throughout the town. The Mackay City Council has undergone a City Centre Revitalisation Project. There are over 580 pieces of artwork scattered all over the city, including bronze animal sculptures and mosaic tiles. For more art indulgence, visit Artspace Mackay for exceptional exhibitions

Mackay’s success is found within the sugar industry. With Mackay Sugar being Australia’s second largest sugar mill. To learn more about the science behind sugar, visit the Sugar Research Institute, located in West Mackay.

Mackay was originally a place that catered for the overflow of tourists travelling in the direction of either Rockhampton or Townsville. Now, Mackay's prolific growth has established itself as its own destination spot and resulted in property price growth.

This is good news for not only the Mackay community, but for those who are thinking about investing in the area. The National Visitor Survey (2018) saw a 30.5% rise of interstate visitors from the previous year, and the length of visitors’ stay was 27.4% longer than the year previous. Investors could consider leasing out their home during the holiday periods to receive rental income.

Roma (South-West, Qld)

5 things you need to know about Roma

1. Population: 6,905 (2016)
2. Predominant age group: 0-9 years
3. Median house price: $235,000
4. Median rental price: $250 p/w
5. Distance from Brisbane: 5h 53 min, 479 km

Why Roma?

Located in south-central Queensland, is Roma, a historically rich town, undeniably proud of its achievements. Most commonly known as the discovery place of gas and oil, Roma is also well known for its profound cattle sale yards, Carnarvon Gorge and bottle trees.

If there’s one thing that locals recommend to do in Roma, it is to visit the Big Rig. Perhaps swayed by pride, locals regard the Big Rig as an educational day and night out, that teaches visitors about the birth of gas and oil in Australia. Situated on landscaped grounds that accentuate the beauty of the Australian landscape, drawing in native birds and other wildlife, it is not just an educational outing, but an enjoyable day for the whole family.

Roma’s sense of pride is also exhibited along Heroes’ Avenue. This heritage-listed strip is home to 100 bottle trees, each commemorating the life of a local soldier lost during World War I.

Bottle trees, a significant feature of Roma’s atmosphere, is epitomised by the Big Bottle Tree. Standing 6m high on Edwards Street, this bottle tree has a 9.51m circumference, making it Roma’s largest bottle tree.

If it’s the natural elements that draw you to a town, then don’t go past the Roma Bush Gardens. With 14ha boasting a variety of indigenous flora and fauna, this recreational reserve is a fine place for a long walk. Meander through the paths, wander past two dams, one of which is the idyllic Railway Dam, and pass through eleven vegetation communities. Take a pair of binoculars with you, as this spot is highly regarded for bird watching.

Queensland’s looking a little sunnier

Whether you’re looking to relocate or invest, Queensland offers towns bursting with nature, beaches and beauty. You don’t have to pay a fortune to be a part of the Sunshine State culture, with these idyllic towns offering property for less than $600,000.

• All data collated from CoreLogic RP Data

Could you use equity to buy your next property?

Got a question?

Get free expert home loan advice. Schedule a callback from one of our Home Loan Specialists.