suburb.guide

QLD · Townsville Council

Heatley, 4814

Current weather

21.3°CMainly clear

82% humidity · 9.2 km/h wind · 25.4° / 17.1° today · 0 mm rain

Updated

Desirability score

28/100
Below average

1288th in QLD

66% data confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Education hub
  • High desirability
  • Café precinct
  • Excellent transport
What Heatley is known for: Green suburb, Education hub, High desirability, Café precinct, Excellent transport

Suburb profile

Heatley is a quieter mid-sized suburb in Townsville, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Distance from the capital is noticeable, but the trade-off is space, calm and a community that knows its neighbours. Open skies and rolling countryside set a calm backdrop to everyday routines.

Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with plenty of young families in the mix. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. The area offers approachable housing costs alongside a lifestyle that still feels complete.

The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.

The desirability score is below average, pulled down chiefly by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and community and employment relative to similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

Population

Population
3,907
Median age
40
Median household income / week
$1,266
Dwelling vacancy
9.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
162 of 1,676
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Employment rate
50.3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
136 / 243 / 0

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 · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release

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

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$520

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

Crime & safety

Total offences (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
384
Against the person
83
Against property
204
Rate per 1,000 residents
98.3
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 47 residents
State safety percentile
91.3th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+11.5%

Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.

Reported offences by period

Most common offence types

  • Assault505
  • Drug Offences728
  • Good Order Offences400
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)1275
  • Unlawful Entry499

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Period: Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Jul 2026; Jan 2026 to Jul 2026 · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates

Schools & preschools

Schools & preschools
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
850
  • Heatley Secondary CollegeSecondary
  • Heatley State SchoolPrimary

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

6 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

  • Bench (2)
  • Bus stop (4)

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Parks & reserves

3 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Heatley ParkPark
  • Western Lions ParkPark
  • Wilkie Street ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic (SEIFA)

IRSAD decile (2021)
1/10
IRSD decile (2021)
1/10

SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

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 · Period: current · Updated on site

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

  • OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Desirability Index

Desirability score
28.0/100 — Below average
National rank
5559th in Australia
State rank
1288th in QLD
Peer rank
#439 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#783 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
66%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • Assaultcrime505
  • Drug Offencescrime728
  • Good Order Offencescrime400
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime1275
  • Unlawful Entrycrime499
  • Heatley Parkgovernmentpark
  • Western Lions Parkgovernmentpark
  • Wilkie Street Parkgovernmentpark
  • Heatley Secondary CollegeschoolsSecondary
  • Heatley State SchoolschoolsPrimary

Data sources & freshness

More in Townsville Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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