The gender pay gap is giving men the upper hand in the Queensland property market, making it easier for them to lock down a home while earning up to $1000 more a week than women.
New analysis of ABS data by Stop Renting Australia revealed the regions with the highest gender pay gaps, and looked at the impact the disparities had on the property market.
The study found across almost every Australian jurisdiction, male incomes outstripped female incomes in ways that directly affected home buying power.
Stop Renting Australia founder, Shawn Waugh said men were earning up to $800 to $1000 more per week in some regions.
“That has real consequences for who can afford to buy in these suburbs,” he said.
“Gender wage gaps tell us who’s able to get on the property ladder, where and why.
“This is crucial for understanding – and fixing – Australia’s housing affordability challenges.”
Queensland ranked second nationally for male – female wage gaps, led by resource-driven regional centres in the Bowen Basin and Central Highlands.
This Moranbah property at 96 Clements St is for sale for $639,000. Picture: realestate.com.au
RELATED: Qld hit with nation’s biggest home loan repayment hike
Australian Open reveals stunning real estate trend
Horror list: 53 banks raise rates before RBA
The biggest Queensland wage gap was in Moranbah, where men were earning $2206 a week on average while women were earning $1139, creating a gap of 94 per cent or $1067.
This was followed by Broadsound-Nebo, with a wage gap of $793 a week in favour of men, then Emerald ($723), Central Highland – East ($707) and Weipa ($706).
The only Southeast Queensland region to make the top 10 was Fig Tree Pocket where men earned an average of 54 per cent, or $672 a week, more than women.
Mr Waugh said Queensland was a tale of two markets.
“In the resource towns, it’s mining salaries driving the gap,” he said.
“In Brisbane’s wealthier pockets, it’s professional male incomes.
“In both cases, these gaps flow through directly into who can actually afford to buy property in these suburbs.”
The home at 4 Little St, Emerald, is on the market for offers over $639,000. Picture: realestate.com.au
ABS data found the gender pay gap in Queensland was 9 per cent in favour of men as of November 2024.
This was the third worst in the country, behind Victoria (11.1%) and New South Wales (12.1%).
Meanwhile PropTrack figures showed Brisbane home prices increased 14.6 per cent in 2025 to a median of $1.013m.
The Stop Renting Australia study found across the board, gender wage gaps shaped where people could afford to live with high male incomes setting the borrowing benchmark and pushing up prices, increasing barriers for lower-earning individuals.
The report stated even if property prices were relatively low, single female buyers were at a structural disadvantage in mortgage capacity.
“Property affordability isn’t just about house prices – it’s about incomes,” Mr Waugh said.
“When one gender consistently earns more, it creates systemic differences in access to home ownership.
“This is a national issue, not a niche one.”
Lauren Jones of Laurens Jones Buyers Agent.
Brisbane buyers agent, Lauren Jones said while the gender pay gap likely had an impact on women entering the property market, she was seeing an increase in women with strong incomes buying on their own.
“I’ve started seeing a lot more women investing (in property),” she said.
“I’ve seen a lot of single female buyers using self-managed super funds and rent-vesting as well.
“And lot of couples we work with now, a good chunk of the time women are the breadwinners.”
Ms Jones said while rising property prices and the restrictions of income meant many buyers had to compromise on both location and property type, there were ways for women to still break into the market.
“If they can’t afford a home they’re happy to live in, they should consider rest-venting,” she said.
“Rent somewhere with the lifestyle they want, the security they need and without the high maintenance, and buy a straight investment.
“At least they’re deploying that money into a good asset and helping to grow their wealth.”
The home at 8 Thiesfield St, Fig Tree Pocket, is going to auction on February 14. Picture: realestate.com.au
The Stop Renting Australia analysis found Australia’s largest gender pay gaps at a SA2 level were concentrated in resource-heavy regions of Western Australia and Queensland.
Ashburton, WA, was home to the largest gap in the country with men earning $1,117 per week more than women, followed by Moranbah, QLD ($1067), Port Hedland, WA ($1010), Roxby Downs, SA ($1007) and Roebourne, WA ($1002).
Tasmania and the Northern Territory had the smallest overall gaps, reflecting more balanced industry mixes, higher public sector employment and smaller resource footprints.
The study found there were just 12 SA2 regions where women’s average weekly incomes exceeded men’s.
These were mostly remote Indigenous communities, specialised institutional areas and small, unique localities, including Yarrabah and Aurukun in Queensland, Tiwi Islands and East Arnhem in NT, Lord Howe Island in NSW and Duntroon in ACT, home to Australia’s Royal Military College.
The biggest wage gap skewed towards women was on Palm Island with women earning 39 per cent more than men, equating to $181 per week.
English (US) · 