QLD · Rockhampton Council

Alton Downs, 4702

Est. population · Jun 2025

1,426

Growth (1 yr)

+0.8%

Growth (5 yr)

+8.6%

Median age

41

Median income

$2,077/wk

Employment rate

65.3%

Languages at home

0.5%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

34.9/100
Below average

1014th in QLD

Verified 58% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • National parks
  • High desirability
What Alton Downs is known for: Green suburb, National parks, High desirability

Suburb profile

Alton Downs offers a slower smaller community life in Rockhampton Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with plenty of young families in the mix. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.

With limited local amenities, residents regularly travel to a neighbouring town for shops, appointments and a wider choice. Pocket parks and green corners give residents room to get outside without leaving the neighbourhood. A car helps for most daily errands, with fewer amenities clustered within an easy walk.

Property prices are middling for the area: fair relative to what is nearby. An emerging neighbourhood feel is building here, with new households gradually reshaping local life.

Against similar regional towns, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities lag behind, despite relative strength in community and employment. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Alton Downs snapshot

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

1,426

+0.8% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

10.2%

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

#150

among Country & regional · Emerging

Safety

53rd

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

36th

percentile in QLD

Advantage (IRSAD)

5/10

national SEIFA decile

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
34.9/100 — Below average
National rank
4719th in Australia
State rank
1014th in QLD
Peer rank
#150 among Country & regional · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#543 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
58%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

1,426(June 2025)

+0.8% annual · +8.6% over 5 years · 36th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.8%
5-year growth
+8.6%
Change in 1 year
+11
Change in 5 years
+113
Growth rank in QLD
36th 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 (~1,500), extrapolated at +1.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
1,324
Median age
41
Median household income / week
$2,077
Dwelling vacancy
10.2%
Unoccupied private dwellings
49 of 482
Median monthly mortgage
$1,863
Employment rate
65.3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
428 / 0 / 0 (+ 9 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian 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 ProfileAustralian 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 lower than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
63
Against the person
12
Against property
31
Rate per 1,000 residents
44.2
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 110 residents
State safety percentile
52.7th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-0.8%

Most common offence types

  • Assault148
  • Drug Offences144
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)306
  • Traffic And Related Offences226
  • Unlawful Entry133

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime MapQueensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Aug 2026; Jan 2026 to Aug 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

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 insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Alton Downs MemorialPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
3
Parks (OSM)
3

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

Health access

Nearest hospital
Hillcrest Private Hospital (14.6 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
36
Participants per 1,000 residents
25.2

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

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
32° / 22°
Rainfall
403 mm · ~50 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
28° / 18°
Rainfall
198 mm · ~25 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
24° / 11°
Rainfall
89 mm · ~11 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
29° / 17°
Rainfall
147 mm · ~18 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

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 overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Flynn
Member of Parliament
Colin BOYCE (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
117,901
Turnout (2025)
88.6%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-6.4 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 60.2%Labor 39.8%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 46.9 km away).

Coalition 74.0%Labor 26.0%

13.8 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -1.9 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • Alton DownsLabor 24.7% · Coalition 75.3% TPP (2025)2.1 km away
  • Rockhampton City (Flynn)Labor 38.3% · Coalition 61.7% TPP (2025)14.1 km away
  • GracemereLabor 46.2% · Coalition 53.8% TPP (2025)16.0 km away
  • Gracemere South (Flynn)Labor 52.9% · Coalition 47.1% TPP (2025)17.1 km away
  • StanwellLabor 31.3% · Coalition 68.7% TPP (2025)19.8 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

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
5/10
IRSD decile (2021)
7/10

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

More in Rockhampton Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.