QLD · Ipswich Council

Mount Forbes, 4340

Est. population · Jun 2025

299

Growth (1 yr)

+3.8%

Growth (5 yr)

+14.6%

Median age

43

Median income

$1,771/wk

Employment rate

60.6%

Languages at home

1.6%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

30.2/100
Below average

1207th in QLD

Verified 58% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • National parks
  • High desirability
  • Green suburb
What Mount Forbes is known for: National parks, High desirability, Green suburb

Suburb profile

Mount Forbes is a hillside smaller community in Ipswich Council, with elevated streets and a greener, quieter pace. The area suits established families and long-term locals, with a strong presence of young families throughout. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.

Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets. Housing sits in the middle of the local market: neither cheap nor premium.

Local crime has been trending higher of late. An emerging neighbourhood feel is building here, with new households gradually reshaping local life.

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

Mount Forbes snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

299

+3.8% 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

#184

among Country & regional · Emerging

Safety

43rd

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

93rd

percentile in QLD

Advantage (IRSAD)

4/10

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
30.2/100 — Below average
National rank
5551st in Australia
State rank
1207th in QLD
Peer rank
#184 among Country & regional · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#704 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
58%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

299(June 2025)

+3.8% annual · +14.6% over 5 years · 93th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+3.8%
5-year growth
+14.6%
Change in 1 year
+11
Change in 5 years
+38
Growth rank in QLD
93th 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 (~350), extrapolated at +2.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
262
Median age
43
Median household income / week
$1,771
Dwelling vacancy
0%
Unoccupied private dwellings
0 of 91
Median monthly mortgage
$1,717
Employment rate
60.6%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
88 / 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)
12
Against the person
3
Against property
5
Rate per 1,000 residents
40.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 87 residents
State safety percentile
42.7th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+29.8%

Most common offence types

  • Drug Offences41
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)41
  • Unlawful Entry26
  • Good Order Offences30
  • Traffic And Related Offences37

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

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

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
2
Parks (OSM)
2

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

Health access

Nearest hospital
Hospital (19.4 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
8
Participants per 1,000 residents
26.8

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
28° / 18°
Rainfall
493 mm · ~62 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
25° / 14°
Rainfall
343 mm · ~43 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
20° / 7°
Rainfall
144 mm · ~18 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 12°
Rainfall
249 mm · ~31 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
Blair
Member of Parliament
Shayne NEUMANN (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
142,006
Turnout (2025)
88.2%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+0.5 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 44.3%Labor 55.7%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 17.1 km away).

Coalition 48.7%Labor 51.3%

4.5 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +0.7 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • WillowbankLabor 45.6% · Coalition 54.4% TPP (2025)10.4 km away
  • RosewoodLabor 49.0% · Coalition 51.0% TPP (2025)11.2 km away
  • WalloonLabor 51.6% · Coalition 48.4% TPP (2025)15.0 km away
  • Deebing HeightsLabor 57.2% · Coalition 42.8% TPP (2025)15.1 km away
  • YamantoLabor 54.8% · Coalition 45.2% TPP (2025)16.0 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)
4/10
IRSD decile (2021)
4/10

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 Ipswich Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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