Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Torres Strait Island Council
Moa Island, 4875
Est. population · Jun 2025
472
Growth (1 yr)
+0.4%
Growth (5 yr)
-1.3%
Median age
31
Median income
$937/wk
Employment rate
39%
Languages at home
87.3%non-English
Most common: Australian Indigenous languages
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- High desirability
Suburb profile
In Torres Strait Island Council, Moa Island keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. A younger crowd gives the area energy, with family life visible on every street. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.
Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. A car helps for most daily errands, with fewer amenities clustered within an easy walk. Homes are relatively cheap compared with the wider market, which keeps entry costs lower.
Local crime has been trending higher of late. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
The desirability picture is below average, weighed down by softer local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus community and employment relative to similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Moa Island snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
472
+0.4% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
22.0%
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
#251
among Country & regional · Established
Safety
72nd
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
27th
percentile in QLD
Advantage (IRSAD)
1/10
national SEIFA decile
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
- 16.2/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6866th in Australia
- State rank
- 1518th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #251 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #985 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 48%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
472(June 2025)
+0.4% annual · -1.3% over 5 years · 27th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.4%
- 5-year growth
- -1.3%
- Change in 1 year
- +2
- Change in 5 years
- -6
- Growth rank in QLD
- 27th 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 -0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 432
- Median age
- 31
- Median household income / week
- $937
- Dwelling vacancy
- 22%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 35 of 159
- Median monthly mortgage
- $0
- Employment rate
- 39%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 121 / 0 / 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 · 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)
- 28
- Against the person
- 12
- Against property
- 7
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 59.3
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 36 residents
- State safety percentile
- 71.7th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +56.6%
Most common offence types
- Drug Offences76
- Good Order Offences52
- Other Property Damage49
- Assault114
- Traffic And Related Offences41
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
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 insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Bamaga Hospital (80.2 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- 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)
- 8
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 16.9
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
- 31° / 25°
- Rainfall
- 945 mm · ~90 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 30° / 24°
- Rainfall
- 680 mm · ~85 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 28° / 23°
- Rainfall
- 70 mm · ~9 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 31° / 24°
- Rainfall
- 91 mm · ~11 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
- 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 528.5 km away).
Coalition 18.4%Labor 81.6%
25.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +20.5 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- TamwoyLabor 85.1% · Coalition 14.9% TPP (2025)43.9 km away
- Thursday IslandLabor 82.8% · Coalition 17.2% TPP (2025)44.3 km away
- Horn IslandLabor 78.4% · Coalition 21.6% TPP (2025)45.1 km away
- BamagaLabor 81.0% · Coalition 19.1% TPP (2025)79.0 km away
- WeipaLabor 56.4% · Coalition 43.6% TPP (2025)274.0 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
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
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 (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Torres Strait Island Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.