Stuart covers a large area of about 55 square kilometres on Townsville's southern side, running from the foot of Mount Stuart towards Cleveland Bay along the Bruce Highway. It is a mixed suburb. Alongside its residential streets and rural-residential blocks are some of the city's major industrial sites, including a large metals refinery and the Townsville Correctional Centre. Only around 1,600 people live here, and the RTA reports Stuart's rents as part of postcode 4811. For renters, Stuart's appeal is practical. Blocks tend to be larger, there is room for trailers, boats, work vehicles and animals, and the port, the southern industrial areas and the Bruce Highway are close by. Tradespeople and industrial workers are the typical tenants. For landlords, it is a small, specialised market where the property itself decides who it suits.
Rental snapshot
Median weekly rent for new leases in postcode 4811 (there were too few new bonds in Stuart itself for the RTA to publish a suburb figure).
- 3-bedroom house June 2026 · up $50 on a year earlier
- $550 per week
- 4-bedroom house June 2026 · down $10 on a year earlier
- $650 per week
- 1-bedroom unit June 2026 · down $90 on a year earlier
- $360 per week
- 2-bedroom unit June 2026 · same as a year earlier
- $500 per week
Source: Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA), median weekly rent for new bonds lodged. Medians move around from quarter to quarter, and a specific home can rent well above or below them.
Get an appraisal for your propertyWho rents in Stuart
Stuart’s tenants are generally practical people who need space. Tradespeople who keep work vehicles and equipment at home, workers at the refinery, port and southern industrial estates, and families with trailers, boats or animals are the typical renters. Proximity to work and a big yard matter more to them than being close to cafes or the beach.
Because Stuart has relatively few rentals, each property tends to attract a particular kind of tenant. An acreage home suits someone different from a house on a suburban street, so the marketing needs to reach the right people directly.
Schools, shops and getting around
There are no schools inside Stuart. Families use Wulguru State School and Oonoonba State School nearby, and the secondary schools in Annandale, Railway Estate and the CBD fringe.
Fairfield Central in Idalia is the nearest major shopping centre, and the CBD is roughly 15 minutes’ drive. The Bruce Highway runs through the suburb, giving quick access south towards Nome and Alligator Creek and north to the city. Most tenants rely on their own vehicles.
Local considerations for landlords
Larger blocks and acreage bring extra management considerations. The lease should be clear about who maintains the grounds, fences, sheds, pumps, tanks or septic systems. Routine inspections should cover outbuildings and yards as well as the house. If animals are kept, the condition of fences and enclosures should be documented at the start of the tenancy.
Parts of Stuart are low-lying and close to creeks and the coast. Check the council’s flood and storm tide maps for the specific address, and make sure landlord insurance covers storm, cyclone, flood and loss of rent. Rural blocks may also have bushfire considerations in the dry season.
Managing a rental in Stuart
With no suburb median, we appraise Stuart homes against recent leases of comparable properties across postcode 4811 and nearby rural-residential areas, taking in block size, sheds and access. We market to the tradespeople, industrial workers and families most likely to want what each property offers.
Our entry condition reports and routine inspections cover the whole property, including sheds, fences and water systems, so you have a clear record over time. We’ll give you practical advice on maintenance that protects both the home and the land.
Stuart FAQs
Who rents in Stuart?
Mainly tradespeople and workers in the Stuart and port industrial areas, and families who want a bigger block with room for vehicles, boats or animals. Rentals are relatively few.
Why does the rent data show postcode 4811?
Stuart has too few new leases each quarter for the RTA to publish a suburb median, so we show the postcode 4811 median, which also covers Idalia, Oonoonba, Wulguru and nearby areas. We appraise each Stuart home individually.
Sources: population from the ABS 2021 Census. Distances are straight-line, calculated from OpenStreetMap boundary data (© OpenStreetMap contributors). School list from the Queensland Government schools directory. Page reviewed September 2026.