QLD · Sunshine Coast Council

Balmoral Ridge, 4552

Est. population · Jun 2025

310

Growth (1 yr)

+0.7%

Growth (5 yr)

+2.3%

Median age

57

Median income

$1,899/wk

Employment rate

47.3%

Languages at home

1.1%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

38.2/100
Below average

877th in QLD

Verified 58% confidence

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

Suburb profile

Balmoral Ridge sits up in the Sunshine Coast Council hills, a smaller community where elevation and tree cover define the mood. Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice.

There is enough green space nearby for walks, picnics and after-school play. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets. Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers.

Reported crime has been falling recently. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.

Versus similar regional towns, the suburb reads below average on desirability, chiefly because local dining and lifestyle amenities trail behind. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Balmoral Ridge snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

310

+0.7% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

19.1%

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

#156

among Country & regional · Mature

Safety

2nd

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

32nd

percentile in QLD

Advantage (IRSAD)

9/10

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
38.2/100 — Below average
National rank
4092nd in Australia
State rank
877th in QLD
Peer rank
#156 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#437 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
58%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

310(June 2025)

+0.7% annual · +2.3% over 5 years · 32th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.7%
5-year growth
+2.3%
Change in 1 year
+2
Change in 5 years
+7
Growth rank in QLD
32th 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 (~300), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
302
Median age
57
Median household income / week
$1,899
Dwelling vacancy
19.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
26 of 136
Median monthly mortgage
$2,275
Employment rate
47.3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
105 / 0 / 0

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)
3
Against the person
0
Against property
1
Rate per 1,000 residents
9.7
State safety percentile
2th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-30.5%

Most common offence types

  • Fraud11
  • Drug Offences9
  • Other Property Damage9
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)13
  • Traffic And Related Offences16

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

4 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 swimming pools

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Sport & outdoors(2)
  • Picnic area
  • Swimming pool
Entertainment(1)
  • Balmoral LookoutViewpoint
Other(1)
  • Dilkusha Nature RefugeNature Reserve

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.

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

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Dilkusha Nature RefugeNature reserve
  • Upper Mooloolah Nature RefugeNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
8
Parks (OSM)
0

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
Maleny Soldiers Memorial Hospital (4.8 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)
7
Participants per 1,000 residents
22.6

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
29° / 20°
Rainfall
498 mm · ~62 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
26° / 17°
Rainfall
406 mm · ~51 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
21° / 10°
Rainfall
196 mm · ~24 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
26° / 15°
Rainfall
256 mm · ~32 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
Fisher
Member of Parliament
Andrew WALLACE (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
139,064
Turnout (2025)
90.1%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+2.6 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 56.0%Labor 44.0%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 11.2 km away).

Coalition 50.8%Labor 49.2%

5.3 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -0.1 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • MalenyLabor 56.2% · Coalition 43.8% TPP (2025)4.0 km away
  • MontvilleLabor 42.4% · Coalition 57.6% TPP (2025)6.0 km away
  • EudloLabor 49.2% · Coalition 50.8% TPP (2025)7.0 km away
  • MooloolahLabor 49.0% · Coalition 51.0% TPP (2025)7.3 km away
  • WittaLabor 41.9% · Coalition 58.1% TPP (2025)7.7 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)
9/10
IRSD decile (2021)
9/10

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

This suburb ranks highly for

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Sunshine Coast Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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