QLD · Cook Council

Laura, 4892

Est. population · Jun 2025

148

Growth (1 yr)

+1.4%

Growth (5 yr)

+6.5%

Median age

39

Median income

$1,666/wk

Employment rate

37.5%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • National parks
  • Education hub
What Laura is known for: National parks, Education hub

Suburb profile

Laura is a quieter smaller community in Cook Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. It sits a long way from Brisbane and other major hubs, so daily life runs on a self-contained, local timetable. Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with family life visible on every street.

With limited local amenities, residents regularly travel to a neighbouring town for shops, appointments and a wider choice. Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. 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.

At a glance

Laura snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

148

+1.4% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

25.6%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Safety

99th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

58th

percentile in QLD

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

0th

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

Population

Estimated resident population

148(June 2025)

+1.4% annual · +6.5% over 5 years · 58th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.4%
5-year growth
+6.5%
Change in 1 year
+2
Change in 5 years
+9
Growth rank in QLD
58th 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 (~150), extrapolated at +0.9% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
133
Median age
39
Median household income / week
$1,666
Dwelling vacancy
25.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
11 of 43
Median monthly mortgage
$1,200
Employment rate
37.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
36 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian 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 ProfileAustralian 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)
43
Against the person
24
Against property
11
Rate per 1,000 residents
290.5
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 6 residents
State safety percentile
98.9th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-11.7%

Most common offence types

  • Assault760
  • Good Order Offences261
  • Liquor (Excl. Drunkenness)134
  • Other Property Damage243
  • Unlawful Entry140

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime MapQueensland 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
1
Median school ICSEA
623
Median ICSEA percentile
0th
School list
  • Laura State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 623 · 0th percentile · LBOTE 14% · 19 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

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 insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Kyerrwanhdha Nature RefugeNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
1
Nearest hospital
Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service (116.3 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
  • Laura Primary Health Care CentreGladwell CourtClinic

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
3
Participants per 1,000 residents
20.3

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° / 22°
Rainfall
651 mm · ~81 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
31° / 20°
Rainfall
229 mm · ~29 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
29° / 15°
Rainfall
16 mm · ~2 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
34° / 19°
Rainfall
93 mm · ~12 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 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 overlaysState 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 178.9 km away).

Coalition 41.5%Labor 58.5%

2.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +15.8 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Hope ValeLabor 72.2% · Coalition 27.8% TPP (2025)112.2 km away
  • CooktownLabor 56.6% · Coalition 43.4% TPP (2025)126.0 km away
  • BloomfieldLabor 72.6% · Coalition 27.4% TPP (2025)144.2 km away
  • DaintreeLabor 40.0% · Coalition 60.0% TPP (2025)160.3 km away
  • DiwanLabor 57.1% · Coalition 42.9% TPP (2025)167.4 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)
3/10
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 (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

More in Cook Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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