There are few neighbourhoods like Bukit Merah and Queenstown in the minds of most Singaporeans when they want to find an area that combines living in a central area that still feels neighbourly.
Moreover, these two planning areas are only unique estates in terms of their residential maturity and convenience. From the pre-war houses in Tiong Bahru, to Queenstown’s status as Singapore’s first satellite town, the roots of Singapore’s residential character sprung from the development of these two towns.
Bukit Merah and Queenstown also standout among other estates because they border the core central region (CCR), which is characterised by prime or luxury residential enclaves. But despite the proximity, Bukit Merah and Queenstown retain most of their ‘grassroot’ profiles that it is a popular location for families.
This is a best-of-both-worlds scenario, since it means that more families can live close to the city centre if they want to, but don’t lose convenient access to schools and daily amenities like community facilities and public spaces.
But Bukit Merah and Queenstown are not homogenous residential towns, and each features a mix of different housing options. Buyers in Tiong Bahru have a greater appreciation of the heritage properties that can be found there, while a buyer in Pasir Panjang or one-north probably has a different set of housing criteria. Other adjacent estates like Redhill and Alexandra also take on different residential profiles.
In this Stacked Pro article, we’ll uncover the performance of these planning areas to date, and the essential qualities of the areas that buyers should keep in mind while they go about house hunting.
The challenge for many buyers today isn't access to information.
It's interpreting that information in a way that makes sense for their finances, goals, and stage of life.
Over time, that's also why we decided to work with agents who shared the same data-driven and advisory-led approach behind our editorial, consultants who could help readers think through decisions more objectively, rather than simply push transactions.
Today, the team has worked with more than 2,000 clients across over $5B in property transactions.
First, a quick note on the key differences between Bukit Merah and Queenstown
Within the Central Region, Bukit Merah and Queenstown are often grouped collectively, but each town has its differences.
For example, Bukit Merah is closer to the Central Business District, as well as the waterfront precincts like Marina South and Keppel Bay. The area also has a broader mix of older condominiums that sit next to newer, and more relatively boutique, city-fringe projects. This diversity offers buyers with more choice in terms of unit sizes and housing options.
On the other hand, Queenstown is linked to several business and employment nodes such as one-north, Buona Vista, and Science Park. Most of the condos in that area are relatively new and are usually found close to Queenstown MRT station and Stirling Road.
How does the Central Region, where our two planning areas are located, compare to the rest of Singapore?
The following is based on resale and sub-sale transactions between 2015 to 2025:
| Year | Central Region | East Region | North East Region | North Region | West Region |
| 2015 | $1,448 | $969 | $976 | $839 | $927 |
| 2016 | $1,518 | $946 | $961 | $831 | $904 |
| 2017 | $1,561 | $957 | $998 | $832 | $949 |
| 2018 | $1,646 | $1,028 | $1,069 | $843 | $1,017 |
| 2019 | $1,688 | $1,032 | $1,087 | $858 | $1,021 |
| 2020 | $1,617 | $1,023 | $1,085 | $850 | $1,029 |
| 2021 | $1,681 | $1,108 | $1,149 | $968 | $1,147 |
| 2022 | $1,807 | $1,227 | $1,294 | $1,083 | $1,267 |
| 2023 | $1,899 | $1,367 | $1,444 | $1,209 | $1,400 |
| 2024 | $1,982 | $1,437 | $1,527 | $1,241 | $1,510 |
| 2025 | $2,051 | $1,478 | $1,597 | $1,310 | $1,580 |
| Annualised | 3.54% | 4.31% | 5.05% | 4.56% | 5.47% |
Based on the data compiled by Stacked, property prices in the Central Region have recorded the slowest percentage growth over the past decade. This is not unusual and is attributed to the fact that property prices in this region tend to start from a higher base price compared to suburban locations.
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