Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Barcaldine Council
Alpha, 4724
Est. population · Jun 2025
575
Growth (1 yr)
+0.9%
Growth (5 yr)
+2.7%
Median age
44
Median income
$1,547/wk
Employment rate
69.8%
Languages at home
0.8%non-English
Most common: Mandarin
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Alpha is a quieter smaller community in Barcaldine Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with plenty of young families in the mix. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice.
Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many regional towns, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets. Housing sits in the middle of the local market: neither cheap nor premium.
Local crime has been trending higher of late. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
Against similar regional towns, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because schools and education lag behind, despite relative strength in growth momentum. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Alpha snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
575
+0.9% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
21.0%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#161
among Country & regional · Established
Safety
61st
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
39th
percentile in QLD
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
7th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 32.5/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 5157th in Australia
- State rank
- 1110th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #161 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #619 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 74%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
575(June 2025)
+0.9% annual · +2.7% over 5 years · 39th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.9%
- 5-year growth
- +2.7%
- Change in 1 year
- +5
- Change in 5 years
- +15
- Growth rank in QLD
- 39th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~550), extrapolated at -0.9% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 559
- Median age
- 44
- Median household income / week
- $1,547
- Dwelling vacancy
- 21%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 53 of 252
- Median monthly mortgage
- $650
- Employment rate
- 69.8%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 194 / 6 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences are running higher than the same point last year.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
- 28
- Against the person
- 7
- Against property
- 8
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 48.7
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 80 residents
- State safety percentile
- 61.2th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +68.2%
Most common offence types
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)7
- Drug Offences4
- Traffic And Related Offences7
- Good Order Offences6
- Liquor (Excl. Drunkenness)2
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Aug 2026; Jan 2026 to Aug 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 879
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 7th
School list
- Alpha State SchoolCombined · Government · ICSEA 879 · 7th percentile · LBOTE 3% · 54 students · Top SEA quarter 0%View on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Bimblebox Nature RefugeNature reserve
- Lioness ParkPark
- Settlers ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 16
- Parks (OSM)
- 4
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 3
- Nearest hospital
- Alpha Emergency Hub (7.4 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- On site
- Alpha Emergency HubHospital
- Alpha PharmacyShakespeare StreetPharmacy
- Alpha Private SurgeryBurns StreetDoctor
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 10
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 17.4
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 33° / 20°
- Rainfall
- 264 mm · ~33 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 28° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 133 mm · ~17 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 22° / 6°
- Rainfall
- 71 mm · ~9 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 30° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 111 mm · ~14 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from QLD coordinated projects (lodged 2020–2026).
2 planning-related records
Other· 2 proposals
- Kevin's Corner ProjectCombined open-cut and underground coal mine with an ultimate capacity of 30 million tonnes per annum.Completed EIS project
- South Galilee Coal MineA 15 - 20 million tonnes per annum open-cut and underground coal-mining operation.Completed EIS project
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- QLD coordinated projects — Queensland Department of State Development · 2020–2026 · Updated · State projects (not council DAs)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Maranoa
- Member of Parliament
- David LITTLEPROUD (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 115,520
- Turnout (2025)
- 89.4%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -1.8 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 74.0%Labor 26.0%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 311.3 km away).
Coalition 75.9%Labor 24.1%
1.9 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +0.4 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- AlphaLabor 24.1% · Coalition 75.9% TPP (2025)9.7 km away
- BarcaldineLabor 38.2% · Coalition 61.8% TPP (2025)145.3 km away
- TamboLabor 15.6% · Coalition 84.4% TPP (2025)150.5 km away
- BlackallLabor 23.8% · Coalition 76.2% TPP (2025)156.8 km away
- AramacLabor 19.4% · Coalition 80.6% TPP (2025)166.2 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 5/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 5/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Barcaldine Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.