suburb.guide

QLD · Tablelands Council

Malanda, 4885

Est. population · Jun 2025

2,125

Growth (1 yr)

+1.4%

Growth (5 yr)

+7.3%

Median age

51

Median income

$1,120/wk

Employment rate

47%

University qualified

14.1%

Work from home

9.7%

Languages at home

4.6%non-English

Most common: Japanese, Australian Indigenous languages, German

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

42.7/100
Average

Top 45% of Queensland's suburbs

Verified 86% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Agricultural
  • Rural living
What Malanda is known for: Green suburb, Agricultural, Rural living

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Malanda, QLD suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Malanda, QLD Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/qld/malanda

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Suburb profile

Malanda is a rural locality in Queensland, in Tablelands Council. Notable landmarks include Majestic Picture Theatre and St James Catholic Church & Altar.

Local amenities is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for rural localities. Local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median. Rents are relatively affordable, with median rents 30% below the peer median. The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings, and reported crime is lower than in most comparable places. Reported offences have fallen 16% year on year. Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median.

Malanda is a better fit for people who value heritage character and lower crime more than socio-economic advantage.

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

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in Queensland (1448)

Strengths

  • The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings
  • Reported crime is lower than in most comparable places
  • Rents are relatively affordable
  • Local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median
  • Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median

What stands out

  • Majestic Picture Theatre
  • St James Catholic Church & Altar

Who it suits

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

Housing, growth and risk

How Malanda compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$380/wk

Population (ERP)

2,125

+1.4% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

11.5%

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

#151

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

20th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

59th

percentile in QLD

Rented dwellings

29%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

2/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

44th

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 45% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
3706th in Australia
State rank
685th in QLD
Peer rank
#151 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#294 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
86%

Data sources & freshness

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

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$380

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 (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

2,125(June 2025)

+1.4% annual · +7.3% over 5 years · 59th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.4%
5-year growth
+7.3%
Change in 1 year
+29
Change in 5 years
+144
Growth rank in QLD
59th 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 (~2,250), extrapolated at +1.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
2,000
Median age
51
Median household income / week
$1,120
Dwelling vacancy
11.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
100 of 873
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$250
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
42.5% / 28.5% / 29%
Employment rate
47%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
9.7% / 0.4% / 66.7%
Walked or cycled to work
6.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
707 / 7 / 54

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

14.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Queensland. 22.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified14.1% · 21.9% QLD
  • Diploma qualified9.6% · 9.4% QLD
  • Trade / vocational22.4% · 18.9% QLD
  • Year 12 or below53.9% · 49.8% QLD

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies20.9%
  • Management and commerce15.8%
  • Health14.4%
  • Education13.2%
  • Society and culture12%
  • Architecture and building6.9%
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)
$47,283

25th percentile in QLD · -19% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$56,410

30th percentile in QLD · -13% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
14.0%

80th percentile in QLD · +1% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$103,275

91st percentile in QLD · +63% vs Australia

Residents with business income
14.0%

82nd percentile in QLD · +35% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 4885 — 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
2,571
Taxpayers reporting net rent
358
Median net rent
$2,056
Taxpayers reporting business income
353
Taxable income vs state median
-15%
Salary / wages vs state median
-8%
Rental investment vs state median
+27%
Super vs state median
+49%
Business income vs state median
+40%

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

Seasonal & agricultural work

9.6% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 4.2× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.5% across Queensland.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
9.6%

53rd percentile in QLD · +317% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
74
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 4885

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Managers33
  • Labourers28

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 4885 (Northern and Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.

Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)

Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for Cairns (SA4 306), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212796
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412672
  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1213374
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211302
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419154
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415129
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 121472
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841172
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841336
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841626

Cairns is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.

Census employed residents counted in G54: 772 · AFF share +284% vs the state.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb

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

  • WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
  • Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0

Community & culture

4.6% speak a language other than English at home; 13.5% born overseas

Language at home
1,744 English only · 84 other
Non-English at home
4.6%
Born overseas
247 (13.5%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
127 (6.3%)
Australian citizens
1,770
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
3

Top languages other than English

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

  • Japanese11 · 42.3%
  • Australian Indigenous languages9 · 34.6%
  • German6 · 23.1%

Religion

45.2%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 45.2%, while 42% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion42%40.7%
Christianity45.2%45.7%
Other / not stated12.8%13.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic16.1%18.6%
Anglican11.2%11.3%
Uniting Church5%3.6%
Christian (not further defined)3.5%3.1%
Baptist2.4%1.7%
Presbyterian and Reformed2.1%2.1%

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 4885, 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)
70
Against the person
7
Against property
25
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
44
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 286 residents
State crime-rate percentile
19.9th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-10.9%

Most common offence types

  • Good Order Offences4
  • Drug Offences20
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)11
  • Traffic And Related Offences16
  • Unlawful Entry5

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
994
Median ICSEA percentile
44th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
2
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
  • Malanda State High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 994 · 44th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 538 students · Top SEA quarter 12% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Butchers Creek SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Malanda SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Malanda 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

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • childcarechildcare

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Childcare centres per 1,000 residents

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated

Amenities

3 mapped amenities

1 caravan parks

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.5
Sport & outdoors(2)
  • Johnstone River Nature RefugeNature reserve
  • Malanda Falls Conservation ParkNature reserve
Camping & holiday parks(1)
  • Malanda Falls Caravan ParkCaravan park

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

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

Sporting clubs

1 named sporting club in this suburb

  • Malanda Bowls Club

    Lawn Bowls

Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap sporting clubs — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Geofabrik australia-latest.osm.pbf

Parks & reserves

4 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Dungavell ParkPark
  • Eacham Memorial ParkPark
  • Johnstone River Nature RefugeNature reserve
  • Winfield ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
4.6%
Woodland / forest cover
4.5%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
11
Parks (OSM)
3
Typical summer maximum
31°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
Atherton Hospital (16.4 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

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

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
48
Participants per 1,000 residents
22.6

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
31° / 25°
Rainfall
1,038 mm · ~90 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
29° / 24°
Rainfall
925 mm · ~92 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
25° / 20°
Rainfall
164 mm · ~20 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
28° / 22°
Rainfall
188 mm · ~24 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Roadworks & transport

1 active roadworks / incidents

  • South of Belson StMillaa Millaa Malanda Road06 Aug 2026 – 07 Oct 2026

Data sources & freshness

  • Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated

Heritage

3 heritage places

  • Majestic Picture TheatreState heritage place
  • Malanda Falls Swimming PoolState heritage place
  • St James Catholic Church & AltarState heritage place

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated

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
Kennedy
Member of Parliament
Bob KATTER (Katter's Australian Party (KAP))
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
123,696
Turnout (2025)
83.8%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+0.8 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 59.3%Labor 40.7%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 22.5 km away).

Coalition 56.9%Labor 43.1%

2.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +4.3 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • MalandaLabor 43.4% · Coalition 56.6% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
  • YungaburraLabor 44.1% · Coalition 55.9% TPP (2025)11.2 km away
  • Millaa MillaaLabor 37.1% · Coalition 62.9% TPP (2025)15.6 km away
  • AthertonLabor 45.9% · Coalition 54.1% TPP (2025)16.8 km away
  • Atherton NorthLabor 49.0% · Coalition 51.0% TPP (2025)16.8 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)
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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in Tablelands Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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