Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Central Highlands Council
Blackwater, 4717
Est. population · Jun 2025
4,969
Growth (1 yr)
+1.0%
Growth (5 yr)
+3.0%
Median age
31
Median income
$2,358/wk
Employment rate
63.9%
Languages at home
5%non-English
Most common: Tagalog, Filipino, Afrikaans
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Blackwater is a quieter mid-sized suburb in Central Highlands Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Young professionals and new households shape much of the local mix, with a strong presence of young families throughout. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting.
Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub. Green space punches above what many regional towns offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets.
Homes are relatively cheap compared with the wider market, which keeps entry costs lower. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
Versus similar regional towns, the suburb reads below average on desirability, chiefly because local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus schools and education trail behind. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Blackwater snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$420/wk
Population (ERP)
4,969
+1.0% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
31.8%
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
#126
among Country & regional · Established
Safety
80th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
45th
percentile in QLD
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
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
- 36.9/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4312th in Australia
- State rank
- 919th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #126 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #468 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 77%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- All types (Mar 2026)
- $420
Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- RTA bond statistics — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland) · Mar 2026 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
4,969(June 2025)
+1.0% annual · +3.0% over 5 years · 45th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.0%
- 5-year growth
- +3.0%
- Change in 1 year
- +50
- Change in 5 years
- +145
- Growth rank in QLD
- 45th 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 (~4,950), extrapolated at -0.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 4,702
- Median age
- 31
- Median household income / week
- $2,358
- Dwelling vacancy
- 31.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 697 of 2,191
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,083
- Employment rate
- 63.9%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,387 / 31 / 73 (+ 5 other)
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 lower than the same point last year.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
- 332
- Against the person
- 72
- Against property
- 171
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 66.8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 65 residents
- State safety percentile
- 79.6th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -9%
Most common offence types
- Assault32
- Good Order Offences36
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)62
- Unlawful Entry54
- Traffic And Related Offences38
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
- 3
- Median school ICSEA (3 schools)
- 880
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 7th
School list
- Blackwater North State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 916 · 14th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 446 students · Top SEA quarter 4%View on My School →
- Blackwater State High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 880 · 7th percentile · LBOTE 18% · 307 students · Top SEA quarter 1%View on My School →
- Blackwater State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 785 · 2th percentile · LBOTE 31% · 127 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
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- kindergartenkindergarten
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
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
15 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Bedford Weir Camping ReservePark
- Blackwater Conservation ParkNature reserve
- Blackwater International Coal CentrePark
- Blackwater Rotary ParkPark
- Box Street ParkPark
- Dempsey ParkPark
- Dunne ParkPark
- Frank Tutungi Memorial / Lions / Blackwater Memorial ParkPark
- Graham ParkPark
- Horseshoe ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 44
- Parks (OSM)
- 44
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
- 8
- Nearest hospital
- Blackwater Hospital (13.1 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- On site
- Bidgerdii Community Health ServiceDoctor
- Blackwater ChiropracticArnold StreetAlternative
- Blackwater HospitalMackenzie StreetHospital
- Central Highlands DentalDentist
- Connections Chiropractic Helathcare CentreArnold StreetAlternative
- LiveLife Pharmacy BlackwaterBlain StreetPharmacy
- North Blackwater General PracticeDoctor
- The Base Health & WellbeingWey StreetYes
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)
- 121
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 24.4
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
- 31° / 20°
- Rainfall
- 286 mm · ~36 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 26° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 137 mm · ~17 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 20° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 70 mm · ~9 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 27° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 152 mm · ~19 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 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 overlays — State 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 100.6 km away).
Coalition 55.7%Labor 44.3%
4.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -6.1 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- BlackwaterLabor 46.6% · Coalition 53.4% TPP (2025)15.5 km away
- BluffLabor 39.5% · Coalition 60.5% TPP (2025)31.3 km away
- Emerald NorthLabor 40.6% · Coalition 59.4% TPP (2025)63.4 km away
- EmeraldLabor 32.3% · Coalition 67.7% TPP (2025)64.9 km away
- TieriLabor 46.9% · Coalition 53.1% TPP (2025)66.8 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
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 2/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 3/10
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 Central Highlands Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.