Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Sunshine Coast Council
Highworth, 4560
Est. population · Jun 2025
387
Growth (1 yr)
+1.3%
Growth (5 yr)
+11.2%
Median age
40
Median income
$1,674/wk
Employment rate
55.6%
Languages at home
5.4%non-English
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- National parks
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Highworth is a quieter smaller community in Sunshine Coast Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Distance from the metro area around Brisbane is part of the appeal, with regional hubs closer to hand than the city. Families and commuters make up much of the community, with family life visible on every street.
Dining is thinner on the ground than in busier metro pockets, so many residents head to neighbouring suburbs for a night out. Green space punches above what many metro suburbs offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here, with buses covering longer trips across the wider area.
Housing is more affordable than in many parts of the state. An emerging neighbourhood feel is building here, with new households gradually reshaping local life.
Desirability lands below average here: softer community and employment weighing on the result versus similar metro suburbs, even with safety holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Highworth snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
387
+1.3% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
0.0%
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
#79
among Metro Brisbane · Emerging
Safety
26th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
56th
percentile in QLD
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
40th
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
- 19.7/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6716th in Australia
- State rank
- 1490th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #79 among Metro Brisbane · Emerging suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #411 among Metro Brisbane suburbs
- Data confidence
- 66%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
387(June 2025)
+1.3% annual · +11.2% over 5 years · 56th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.3%
- 5-year growth
- +11.2%
- Change in 1 year
- +5
- Change in 5 years
- +39
- Growth rank in QLD
- 56th 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 +2.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 348
- Median age
- 40
- Median household income / week
- $1,674
- Dwelling vacancy
- 0%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 0 of 132
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Employment rate
- 55.6%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 129 / 0 / 3
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)
- 12
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 6
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 31
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 174 residents
- State safety percentile
- 25.9th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +2.5%
Most common offence types
- Drug Offences142
- Good Order Offences107
- Other Property Damage115
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)319
- Traffic And Related Offences171
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
- 2
- Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
- 986
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 40th
School list
- Burnside State High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 988 · 41th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 809 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
- Burnside State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 984 · 39th percentile · LBOTE 12% · 368 students · Top SEA quarter 9% · 2.0 km awayView 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
Amenities
5 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Limited walkable amenities nearby
- Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb
- Walkability proxy
- 2/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 2.87
Sport & outdoors(1)
- Fig Tree ParkPark
Transport(1)
1 bus stops
Other(2)
- Bench (2)
- Tuckers Creek Bushland ReserveNature 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 insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Fig Tree ParkPark
- Tuckers Creek Bushland ReserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 2
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
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
- Nearest hospital
- Nambour General Hospital (1.7 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Public hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
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)
- 18
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 46.5
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
- 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
- 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 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
- Fairfax
- Member of Parliament
- Ted O'BRIEN (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 130,658
- Turnout (2025)
- 89.7%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +5.7 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 53.2%Labor 46.8%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 8.9 km away).
Coalition 48.3%Labor 51.7%
4.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +7.9 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Nambour WestLabor 51.8% · Coalition 48.2% TPP (2025)1.0 km away
- BurnsideLabor 55.0% · Coalition 45.0% TPP (2025)2.2 km away
- KureelpaLabor 41.6% · Coalition 58.4% TPP (2025)3.2 km away
- NambourLabor 55.4% · Coalition 44.6% TPP (2025)3.2 km away
- YandinaLabor 50.8% · Coalition 49.2% TPP (2025)6.7 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
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 2/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
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 Sunshine Coast Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.