QLD · Kowanyama Council

Kowanyama, 4892

Est. population · Jun 2025

1,153

Growth (1 yr)

+0.8%

Growth (5 yr)

+3.3%

Median age

29

Median income

$1,132/wk

Employment rate

23%

University qualified

3.8%

Work from home

0%

Languages at home

4.2%non-English

Most common: Australian Indigenous languages

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

20.7/100
Below average

1509th in QLD

Verified 85% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Remote
What Kowanyama is known for: Remote

Using this data? Cite or embed. Publishers

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Kowanyama, QLD suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Kowanyama, QLD Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/qld/kowanyama

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Suburb profile

Kowanyama is a remote locality in Queensland, in Kowanyama Council. It is close to the Mitchell River and the River Mission.

The clearer weaknesses are lower school ICSEA scores and lower socio-economic advantage.

Few other published measures stand out from similar places, so this profile stays brief rather than filling gaps with unsupported detail about the locality.

School ICSEA scores are the most material weakness.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Remote locality · compared with remote localities in Queensland (544)

Strengths

No relative strengths against comparable places.

Weaknesses

  • School ICSEA scores are a relative weakness
  • Socio-economic advantage is well below comparable places

What stands out

  • Mitchell River
  • River Mission

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Kowanyama compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$115/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

1,153

+0.8% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

5.6%

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

#239

among Country & regional · Established

Crime rate

99th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

36th

percentile in QLD

Rented dwellings

94%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

1/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

1st

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
20.7/100 — Below average
National rank
6870th in Australia
State rank
1509th in QLD
Peer rank
#239 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#975 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
85%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

1,153(June 2025)

+0.8% annual · +3.3% over 5 years · 36th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.8%
5-year growth
+3.3%
Change in 1 year
+9
Change in 5 years
+37
Growth rank in QLD
36th 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 (~1,150), extrapolated at -0.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
1,079
Median age
29
Median household income / week
$1,132
Dwelling vacancy
5.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
15 of 267
Median monthly mortgage
$0
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$115
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
5.8% / 0% / 94.2%
Employment rate
23%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
0% / 0% / 40.6%
Walked or cycled to work
44.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
190 / 51 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted 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

Qualifications

3.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Queensland. 10.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified3.8% · 21.9% QLD
  • Diploma qualified1.4% · 9.4% QLD
  • Trade / vocational10.4% · 18.9% QLD
  • Year 12 or below84.4% · 49.8% QLD

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Education20.5%
  • Society and culture17.9%
  • Engineering and related technologies14.1%
  • Architecture and building12.2%
  • Health10.9%
  • Management and commerce9.6%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$40,514

7th percentile in QLD · -31% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$37,887

0th percentile in QLD · -42% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
4.0%

2nd percentile in QLD · -71% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$12,334

1st percentile in QLD · -80% vs Australia

Residents with business income
3.0%

1st percentile in QLD · -71% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 4892 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
1,710
Taxpayers reporting net rent
68
Median net rent
-$549
Taxpayers reporting business income
43
Taxable income vs state median
-27%
Salary / wages vs state median
-38%
Rental investment vs state median
-64%
Super vs state median
-82%
Business income vs state median
-70%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in QLD, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

4.2% speak a language other than English at home; 1.3% born overseas

Language at home
926 English only · 41 other
Non-English at home
4.2%
Born overseas
13 (1.3%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
937 (86.8%)
Australian citizens
977
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
1

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Australian Indigenous languages17 · 100%

Religion

75.9%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 75.9%, while 10.6% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion10.6%40.7%
Christianity75.9%45.7%
Other / not stated13.5%13.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican71.8%11.3%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

Crime & safety

Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 4892, which is shared with other suburbs.

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

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Sep 2026)
442
Against the person
259
Against property
104
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
512.5
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 4 residents
State crime-rate percentile
99.4th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-3.8%

Most common offence types

  • Assault181
  • Good Order Offences59
  • Liquor (Excl. Drunkenness)29
  • Other Property Damage52
  • Unlawful Entry27

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Sep 2026; Jan 2026 to Sep 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
687
Median ICSEA percentile
1th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
2
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
  • Kowanyama State SchoolCombined · Government · ICSEA 687 · 1th percentile · LBOTE 33% · 163 students · Top SEA quarter 1%View on My School →
School catchments
  • Kowanyama SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Pormpuraaw SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
0
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
33°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Normanton Hospital (273.4 km)
Nearest hospital type
Public hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0
Aged-care services
1

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Aged-care services
  • Kowanyama Aged Care CentreKOWANYAMAHome Care

Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
41
Participants per 1,000 residents
35.6

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
33° / 24°
Rainfall
848 mm · ~90 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
32° / 22°
Rainfall
304 mm · ~38 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
31° / 17°
Rainfall
5 mm · ~1 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
36° / 21°
Rainfall
97 mm · ~12 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping. Flood cover uses floodplain overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Leichhardt
Member of Parliament
Matt SMITH (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
122,757
Turnout (2025)
83.0%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+9.5 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 43.9%Labor 56.1%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 382.3 km away).

Coalition 25.3%Labor 74.7%

18.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +43.0 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • KowanyamaLabor 77.9% · Coalition 22.1% TPP (2025)23.4 km away
  • PormpuraawLabor 63.9% · Coalition 36.1% TPP (2025)46.8 km away
  • CoenLabor 60.8% · Coalition 39.2% TPP (2025)209.9 km away
  • WeipaLabor 56.4% · Coalition 43.6% TPP (2025)294.9 km away
  • Lockhart RiverLabor 60.2% · Coalition 39.8% TPP (2025)322.0 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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

This suburb ranks highly for

Comparable suburbs

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