Suburb Profile
Are you looking to purchase a home or investment property in Manly? As an experienced buyers agent in Manly, Your Property Hound helps home buyers and investors identify quality properties, assess value and negotiate with confidence. We’ve compiled the following Manly suburb profile to assist with your property search. Best wishes with your Manly property purchase!
Manly is a bayside suburb in Brisbane’s east, positioned on Moreton Bay and located approximately 19.9km by road from the Brisbane CBD. The suburb is bordered by Wynnum to the north, Lota to the south, Manly West to the west and Moreton Bay to the east.
Manly is well known for its waterfront lifestyle, village atmosphere, marina precinct and access to boating, walking paths and foreshore recreation. The area includes Manly Boat Harbour, the Esplanade, Cambridge Parade and a number of local parks and heritage features.
The population of Manly increased from 4,064 in 2016 to 4,273 in 2021, representing a 5.1% increase over that period.
The predominant age group in Manly is 50–59 years. Households are primarily couples with children, although childless couples also represent a large share of local households. In 2021, 68.0% of homes were owner-occupied, up slightly from 67.2% in 2016.
Residents are generally employed in professional, managerial, clerical and trade occupations. Household incomes are above the Brisbane average in the highest income bracket, with 26.3% of households earning more than $182,000 per annum.
Manly’s main shopping, dining and cafe precinct is centred around Cambridge Parade and the waterfront. The suburb has a relaxed bayside atmosphere, with restaurants, cafes and local services supported by weekend visitors and local residents.
The Manly foreshore, marina precinct and nearby Wynnum waterfront provide additional dining, recreation and entertainment options.
Manly is serviced by the Cleveland railway line, with Manly railway station providing direct train access to the Brisbane CBD and other bayside suburbs.
Road access is available via local connections to Wynnum Road and surrounding bayside suburbs. Many residents also use the foreshore paths for walking and cycling.
Manly State School is located within the suburb. Nearby schools include St John Vianney’s Primary School, Lota State School, Guardian Angels’ Primary School, Moreton Bay Boys’ College and Moreton Bay College.
School catchments and enrolment availability should always be checked before purchase, particularly for families prioritising local schooling.
Manly has eight parks covering approximately 9.7% of the suburb. The foreshore, marina precinct and waterfront parks are major lifestyle drawcards for residents.
Manly Boat Harbour is a significant local feature, providing sheltered marina facilities and easy access to Moreton Bay. The suburb also includes popular walking and cycling areas along the waterfront.
Many residents commute to the Brisbane CBD, surrounding bayside commercial precincts or employment hubs across Brisbane.
Local hospitality, marine, retail, and service businesses provide some employment, particularly around Cambridge Parade, the foreshore, and the marina precinct.
Manly offers a mix of micro-locations that vary in desirability and price.
Most desirable areas: Properties within walking distance of the waterfront, Manly Harbour, Cambridge Parade and the foreshore are generally among the most desirable. Homes with bay views or elevated positions often attract strong buyer competition and premium pricing.
Less desirable areas: Properties close to busier roads or lower-lying waterfront pockets may require closer due diligence for noise, flood, storm-tide, and overland-flow risks. Buyers should review Brisbane City Council flood overlays and storm tide mapping before purchasing in low-lying or waterfront-adjacent pockets.
If you’re looking to buy in Manly, working with a local buyers agent Manly specialist can help you understand the suburb’s different pockets, assess flood and storm-tide risk, compare waterfront and non-waterfront locations and avoid overpaying in a competitive bayside market.
Manly is predominantly a detached housing market, with RP Data recording approximately 1,399 houses and 396 units. The suburb includes a mix of Queenslander, post-war and contemporary homes, often on blocks of around 400m² to 600m², depending on elevation, proximity to the waterfront, subdivision history and property age.
Units and townhouses form an important part of the lower-maintenance and downsizer market. Long average tenure periods of 13.3 years for houses and 10.4 years for units reflect Manly’s established owner-occupier appeal and tightly held bayside lifestyle.
The median house price in Manly is $1,780,000 (April 2026), which is above Brisbane’s median.
The median unit price inManlyis: $1,050,000. (April 2026)
This amount would typically buy a 3-bedroom townhouse. For example 1/181 Mountjoy Terrace, Manly, Qld 4179 which sold for $995,000 in Arpil 2026.
Manly has experienced strong long-term capital growth, supported by limited bayside housing supply, lifestyle demand and the suburb’s waterfront position.
House values increased from approximately $717,291 in April 2017 to $1,784,212 in April 2026. Unit values increased from approximately $475,849 to $1,050,398 over the same period.
Over the past 12 months:
Rolling annual sales volumes remain relatively limited, with 75 houses and 24 units sold over the 12 months to February 2026. This reflects Manly’s smaller housing market and the tightly held nature of many properties.
Current market indicators suggest Manly remains a tightly supplied bayside market, particularly for houses. Houses are classified as a seller’s market, with stock on market at 1.18%, an average 36 days on market and a gross rental yield of 2.65%. The average vendor discount for houses is -5%.
The unit and townhouse market is more balanced overall, although advertised supply remains limited at 0.32% of stock. Units show a stronger gross rental yield of 3.60% and a very low vacancy rate of 0.50%, compared with 2.27% for houses.
Rental profiles differ substantially between property types. Around 24% of houses are rented, compared with 64% of units, indicating that the detached housing market is more owner-occupier driven, while units and townhouses are more investor-oriented.
Auction clearance data is currently insufficient for both houses and units, and there is insufficient days-on-market and vendor-discount data for units. This means unit market conditions should be interpreted cautiously, particularly given the relatively small number of unit and townhouse transactions.
**Statistics are accurate for May 2026
If you are looking for a buyers agent Manly buyers can trust, Your Property Hound provides independent advice, detailed due diligence and negotiation support.
We regularly assist clients purchasing homes, townhouses and investment properties throughout Manly and Brisbane’s bayside. A local Manly buyers agent can help assess value, compare micro-locations and identify risks such as flooding, storm tide exposure, traffic noise and body corporate issues.
Find a better property at an even better price. Leave your property buying journey with our buyer’s agents – we’re Your Property Hounds.
