Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Central Highlands Council
Emerald, 4720
Est. population · Jun 2025
20,453
Growth (1 yr)
+0.5%
Growth (5 yr)
+4.3%
Median age
32
Median income
$2,202/wk
Employment rate
71.4%
Languages at home
9.1%non-English
Most common: Afrikaans, Tagalog, Filipino
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- Education hub
- National parks
- Heritage area
- High desirability
Suburb profile
In Central Highlands Council, Emerald keeps a rural calm, a established suburb with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. The community skews younger, with plenty of young families in the mix. There is a dense cluster of schools and early-learning options nearby.
The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. 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 is expensive relative to much of the state. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
Against similar regional towns, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because safety lag behind, despite relative strength in community and employment. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Emerald snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$550/wk
Population (ERP)
20,453
+0.5% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
16.3%
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
#97
among Country & regional · Established
Safety
71st
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
28th
percentile in QLD
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
27th
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
- 42.7/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 47% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 3305th in Australia
- State rank
- 711th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #97 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #309 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 77%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- All types (Mar 2026)
- $550
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
20,453(June 2025)
+0.5% annual · +4.3% over 5 years · 28th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.5%
- 5-year growth
- +4.3%
- Change in 1 year
- +98
- Change in 5 years
- +843
- Growth rank in QLD
- 28th 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 (~20,700), extrapolated at +0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 14,904
- Median age
- 32
- Median household income / week
- $2,202
- Dwelling vacancy
- 16.3%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 965 of 5,915
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,647
- Employment rate
- 71.4%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 3,984 / 499 / 396 (+ 30 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)
- 1,189
- Against the person
- 255
- Against property
- 423
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 58.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 58 residents
- State safety percentile
- 70.7th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +11.9%
Most common offence types
- Assault100
- Drug Offences223
- Good Order Offences136
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)200
- Traffic And Related Offences198
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
- 10
- Median school ICSEA (10 schools)
- 954
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 27th
School list
- Capricornia School of Distance EducationCombined · Government · ICSEA 960 · 29th percentile · LBOTE 4% · 5,463 students · Top SEA quarter 6%View on My School →
- Denison State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 948 · 24th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 364 students · Top SEA quarter 4%View on My School →
- Emerald Christian CollegeCombined · Independent · ICSEA 996 · 45th percentile · LBOTE 16% · 107 students · Top SEA quarter 13%View on My School →
- Emerald North State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 878 · 7th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 314 students · Top SEA quarter 2%View on My School →
- Emerald State High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 945 · 23th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 847 students · Top SEA quarter 4%View on My School →
- Emerald State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 948 · 24th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 295 students · Top SEA quarter 4%View on My School →
- Marist CollegeSecondary · Catholic · ICSEA 999 · 46th percentile · LBOTE 11% · 697 students · Top SEA quarter 11%View on My School →
- Ontrack College EmeraldSpecial · Independent · ICSEA 904 · 12th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 23 students · Top SEA quarter 0%View on My School →
- St Brigid's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 990 · 42th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 323 students · Top SEA quarter 11%View on My School →
- St Patrick's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1021 · 56th percentile · LBOTE 17% · 482 students · Top SEA quarter 14%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
3 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Emerald Community KindergartenRetro Streetkindergarten
- kindergartenkindergarten
- 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
27 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Aid Street ParklandPark
- Barry Slack ParkPark
- Campbell Street ParklandPark
- Centenary ParkPark
- Emerald Botanic GardensPark
- Emerald Botanical GardensPark
- Gairi ParkPark
- Hospital Road ParklandPark
- Jacqueline Drive ParklandPark
- Kipling ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 37
- Parks (OSM)
- 30
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
- 24
- Nearest hospital
- Emerald Hospital (3.7 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- On site
- 4Cyte PathologyDoctor
- Alive ChiropracticAlternative
- CP Dental EmeraldDentist
- Central Highlands DentalDentist
- ClinicClinic
- Construct Health PhysioPhysiotherapist
- Crawford PodiatryHospital RoadPodiatrist
- Direct Chemist OutletYamala StreetPharmacy
- DoctorDoctor
- Emerald HospitalHospital Road
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)
- 553
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 27.0
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
- 298 mm · ~37 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 28° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 141 mm · ~18 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 22° / 7°
- Rainfall
- 69 mm · ~9 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 30° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 141 mm · ~18 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Heritage
1 heritage place
- Emerald Railway Station ComplexState heritage place
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
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 98.3 km away).
Coalition 64.5%Labor 35.5%
4.2 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -4.1 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- EmeraldLabor 32.3% · Coalition 67.7% TPP (2025)6.6 km away
- Emerald NorthLabor 40.6% · Coalition 59.4% TPP (2025)8.3 km away
- RubyvaleLabor 39.0% · Coalition 61.0% TPP (2025)44.4 km away
- CapellaLabor 28.7% · Coalition 71.3% TPP (2025)53.6 km away
- SpringsureLabor 17.7% · Coalition 82.3% TPP (2025)61.3 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)
- 6/10
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
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
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.