QLD · Western Downs Council

Bell, 4408

Est. population · Jun 2025

441

Growth (1 yr)

+0.5%

Growth (5 yr)

+2.8%

Median age

49

Median income

$953/wk

Employment rate

53%

Languages at home

2.3%non-English

Most common: Filipino

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

23.2/100
Below average

1440th in QLD

Verified 61% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Education hub
  • High desirability
What Bell is known for: Education hub, High desirability

Suburb profile

Bell offers a slower smaller community life in Western Downs Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting.

Open space is thinner than in many regional towns, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets. Purchase and rent costs sit on the more affordable side of the local range.

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

The desirability picture is below average, weighed down by softer local dining and lifestyle amenities relative to similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Bell snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

441

+0.5% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

16.4%

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

#422

among Country & regional · Mature

Safety

37th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

27th

percentile in QLD

Advantage (IRSAD)

1/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

23rd

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
23.2/100 — Below average
National rank
6480th in Australia
State rank
1440th in QLD
Peer rank
#422 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#917 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
61%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

441(June 2025)

+0.5% annual · +2.8% over 5 years · 27th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.5%
5-year growth
+2.8%
Change in 1 year
+2
Change in 5 years
+12
Growth rank in QLD
27th 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 (~450), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
421
Median age
49
Median household income / week
$953
Dwelling vacancy
16.4%
Unoccupied private dwellings
34 of 207
Median monthly mortgage
$882
Employment rate
53%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
159 / 15 / 0 (+ 4 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 unchanged compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
16
Against the person
5
Against property
5
Rate per 1,000 residents
36.3
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 84 residents
State safety percentile
36.6th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+62.2%

Most common offence types

  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)3
  • Assault2
  • Good Order Offences4
  • Traffic And Related Offences3
  • Weapons Act Offences2

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

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
946
Median ICSEA percentile
23th
School list
  • Bell State SchoolCombined · Government · ICSEA 946 · 23th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 73 students · Top SEA quarter 5%View on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

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
Other(1)
  • Bells N Whistle Accommodation ParkCamp Site

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

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
1
Nearest hospital
Dalby Hospital Accident and Emergency (31.3 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
  • Bell Care PharmacyEnsor StreetPharmacy

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
13
Participants per 1,000 residents
29.5

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° / 17°
Rainfall
345 mm · ~43 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
24° / 13°
Rainfall
199 mm · ~25 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
19° / 6°
Rainfall
118 mm · ~15 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 12°
Rainfall
197 mm · ~25 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
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 35.2 km away).

Coalition 81.7%Labor 18.3%

7.7 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +2.6 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • BellLabor 18.2% · Coalition 81.8% TPP (2025)2.3 km away
  • KaimkillenbunLabor 14.6% · Coalition 85.4% TPP (2025)15.4 km away
  • KumbiaLabor 20.4% · Coalition 79.6% TPP (2025)32.5 km away
  • Dalby NorthLabor 28.7% · Coalition 71.3% TPP (2025)33.1 km away
  • DalbyLabor 30.4% · Coalition 69.6% TPP (2025)34.6 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)
1/10
IRSD decile (2021)
1/10

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 Western Downs Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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