Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Townsville Council
North Ward, 4810
Est. population · Jun 2025
5,344
Growth (1 yr)
+0.6%
Growth (5 yr)
+2.1%
Median age
40
Median income
$1,500/wk
Employment rate
61.9%
Languages at home
13.4%non-English
Most common: Italian, Hindi, Nepali
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Café precinct
- Green suburb
- High desirability
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Well away from Brisbane, North Ward is a coastal mid-sized suburb built around sand, sea and space. Neighbouring centres cover more of the weekly rhythm than the distant capital does. Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with plenty of young families in the mix.
A genuine café and dining culture runs through the area, denser than many peers of a similar size. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Daily life works well on foot, with buses also serving the suburb.
Housing sits above the suburban middle: not the top of the market, but clearly pricier than average. Older homes and historic streetscapes give the suburb a character that is hard to manufacture anew.
Schools and education, plus community and employment push the suburb to a good desirability read, even as safety look more ordinary among similar coastal suburbs.
At a glance
North Ward snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$500/wk
Population (ERP)
5,344
+0.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
18.0%
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
#16
among Coastal & beach · Established
Safety
96th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
30th
percentile in QLD
Advantage (IRSAD)
7/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
70th
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
- 57.1/100 — Good
- State standing
- Top 20% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 1334th in Australia
- State rank
- 299th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #16 among Coastal & beach · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #41 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 77%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- All types (Mar 2026)
- $500
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 (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- RTA bond statistics — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland) · Mar 2026 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
5,344(June 2025)
+0.6% annual · +2.1% over 5 years · 30th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.6%
- 5-year growth
- +2.1%
- Change in 1 year
- +30
- Change in 5 years
- +108
- Growth rank in QLD
- 30th 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 (~5,450), extrapolated at +0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 5,073
- Median age
- 40
- Median household income / week
- $1,500
- Dwelling vacancy
- 18%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 515 of 2,861
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,744
- Employment rate
- 61.9%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 551 / 442 / 1,341
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)
- 1,017
- Against the person
- 345
- Against property
- 340
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 190.3
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 15 residents
- State safety percentile
- 96.4th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +3.7%
Most common offence types
- Assault614
- Drug Offences854
- Good Order Offences789
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)559
- Unlawful Entry367
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
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 5
- Median school ICSEA (5 schools)
- 1,055
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 70th
School list
- Townsville Grammar SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1116 · 88th percentile · LBOTE 29% · 1,288 students · Top SEA quarter 50% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
- Townsville Central State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 930 · 18th percentile · LBOTE 33% · 144 students · Top SEA quarter 9% · 0.5 km awayView on My School →
- St Patrick's College TownsvilleSecondary · Catholic · ICSEA 1024 · 57th percentile · LBOTE 23% · 663 students · Top SEA quarter 26% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
- St Joseph's Catholic School, The StrandPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1100 · 84th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 355 students · Top SEA quarter 42% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
- Belgian Gardens State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1055 · 70th percentile · LBOTE 16% · 595 students · Top SEA quarter 28% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- Mike Reynolds Early Childhood Centrechildcare
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Amenities
729 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
14 restaurants · 10 cafes · 2 pubs · 1 bars · 1 supermarkets · 1 pharmacies · 10 fast food · 1 bakeries
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Highly walkable for everyday errands
- Strong café and dining scene — 38 food & drink venues nearby
- Great for outdoor family life — 13 parks mapped in suburb, 7 playgrounds nearby
- Reasonable bus and transport access — 12 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 40 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 88/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 1.97
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 7.49
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 2.56
Food & drink(38)
- MM&Bakery
26-28 Mitchell Street, North Ward
- Osk BarBar
- Bakehouse on EyreCafe
- BalabiteCafe
- Bubble ShackCafe
- Coffee WorksCafe
Gregory Street
- Freelance RoastingCafe
- Juliette'sCafe
- The Coffee ClubCafe
- TideCafe
- Tobruk KioskCafe
- Vitti CafeCafe
- A Fine SliceFast food
- CheckersFast food
- Domino'sFast food
- Fish N Chip DelightsFast food
- Getta BurgerFast food
- Harold's SeafoodFast food
- McDonald'sFast food
- Squeeze MeFast food
- SubwayFast food
- Tonys PizzaFast food
- Hotel AllenPub
- Seaview HotelPub
- Aussie Thai FusionRestaurant
- Bountiful ThaiRestaurant
- C BarRestaurant
- Delicious IndianRestaurant
- Grandma'sRestaurant
Eyre Street, North Ward
- GYORestaurant
- Longboard Bar & GrillRestaurant
- Lotus SaigonRestaurant
42 Gregory Street
- Rock Paper ScissorRestaurant
- Shop Six Pasta BarRestaurant
- ShorehouseRestaurant
- Strand Souvlaki BarRestaurant
- The Noodle BarRestaurant
- The WatermarkRestaurant
72-74 The Strand, North Ward
Shopping(4)
- North Ward Gourmet MeatsButcher
- Kwik ShopConvenience store
- ColesSupermarket
31 Eyre Street
Community(5)
- Mike Reynolds Early Childhood CentreChildcare
- Saint Josephs SchoolSchool
6 Fryer Street
- Saint Patricks CollegeSchool
- Townsville Central State SchoolSchool
- Townsville Grammar SchoolSchool
45 Paxton Street, North Ward
Health & services(2)
- Dentist on PaxtonDentist
28 Paxton Street, North Ward
- Star Discount ChemistPharmacy
Sport & outdoors(53)
- Ben Bloom ParkPark
- Brigaider North ParkPark
- Harmony ParkPark
- Norman ParkPark
- Parade GroundPark
- Park (3)
- Pat Molloy ParkPark
- Queens GardensPark
- Queens ParkPark
- Strand Park Rock PoolPark
- The Strand ParkPark
- Playground (6)
- Townsville City CouncilPlayground
- Townsville Picnic Bay Surf Life Saving ClubSports centre
- Townsville Sports ReserveSports centre
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (29)
- The Rock PoolSwimming pool
Entertainment(6)
- Army Museum of North QueenslandMuseum
1 Mitchell Street
- Crossed Boomerang AmphitheatreTheatre
- Viewpoint (4)
Transport(12)
12 bus stops
Other(98)
- LiquorlandAlcohol
- Seaview Hotel BottleshopAlcohol
- Artwork (3)
- Battle of the Coral SeaArtwork
- Bazza and ShazzaArtwork
- BelongingArtwork
- Big Wind ComingArtwork
- BrolgaArtwork
- Bush HoneyArtwork
- Canoe PeopleArtwork
- Carpet PythonArtwork
- Coming TogetherArtwork
- ConnectionsArtwork
- CrocodileArtwork
- CrowArtwork
- Dilly Bag and FruitsArtwork
- Dingo and CurlewArtwork
- Dooey DooeyArtwork
- Fire StarterArtwork
- First ContactArtwork
- Fish TrapArtwork
- Gabul CeremoniesArtwork
- Jezzine WayArtwork
- Luminous StormsArtwork
- Moments in TimeArtwork
- PandanusArtwork
- PresenceArtwork
- Return to CountryArtwork
- Rising SunArtwork
- SearchlightsArtwork
- Seasonal Burn OffArtwork
- Sentinel SoldiersArtwork
- Serve, Defend, HonourArtwork
- Seven SistersArtwork
- The CrocArtwork
- The GatheringArtwork
- WarsArtwork
- ATM
- Bbq (13)
- ArtsideBeauty salon
- Leena's Nail and BeautyBeauty salon
- Mara SocietyBeauty salon
- North Ward Nail & SpaBeauty salon
- Bench (69)
- Bicycle Parking (11)
- Axell RoseClothes
- Love Thy NeighbourClothes
- Red Hill CollectiveClothes
- Summer LandClothes
- Urban Loft LifestyleClothes
- Drinking water (15)
- EVUpEV charging
- Fishing
- Fitness Station (2)
- Fountain (3)
- Strand FountainFountain
- Garden (79)
- Just My BarberzHairdresser
- Podium Hair and BeautyHairdresser
- She Creative HairHairdresser
- Seaside lodgeHostel
- Aquarius on the BeachHotel
75 The Strand
- Hopscotch Ice creameryIce Cream
- Juliette's GelateriaIce Cream
- Information (12)
- Jezzine Barracks Kissing PointInformation
- North Ward Shopping VillageMall
- Eyre Place Thai MassageMassage
- Historic Yongala LodgeMotel
- Motel
- Quest Townsville on EyreMotel
19 Leichhardt Street
- RidgemontMotel
- Motorcycle Parking (5)
- The Strand NewsagencyNewsagent
- Virginia HenryOptometrist
- Outdoor Seating (12)
- Battalion Car ParkParking
- Parking (154)
- Parking Space (21)
- physioNORTHPhysiotherapist
- Picnic Table (40)
- St Joseph's ChurchPlace of worship
- Townsville Community Police BeatPolice
54 Stuart Street
- Australia PostPost Box
- Australia PostPost office
- Public Bookcase (5)
- Public toilets
- Bill Coolburra ShelterShelter
- Shelter (30)
- Shower (8)
- Sports Hall
- Taxi
- TelstraTelephone
- Track (8)
- Vending machine (4)
- Waste Basket (38)
- The Strand Water ParkWater Park
- North Ward Health CampusYes
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
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
Parks & reserves
10 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Ben Bloom ParkPark
- Brigaider North ParkPark
- Harmony ParkPark
- Norman ParkPark
- Parade GroundPark
- Pat Molloy ParkPark
- Queens GardensPark
- Queens ParkPark
- Strand Park Rock PoolPark
- The Strand ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 14
- Parks (OSM)
- 13
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
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Places of worship
1 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- St Joseph's Church
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 5
- Nearest hospital
- Townsville Private Clinic (1.2 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- Not in suburb
- Dentist on PaxtonPaxton StreetDentist
- North Ward Health CampusYes
- Star Discount ChemistPharmacy
- Virginia HenryOptometrist
- physioNORTHPhysiotherapist
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)
- 86
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 16.1
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
- 30° / 24°
- Rainfall
- 680 mm · ~85 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 28° / 21°
- Rainfall
- 277 mm · ~35 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 16°
- Rainfall
- 56 mm · ~7 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 27° / 20°
- Rainfall
- 125 mm · ~16 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Heritage
12 heritage places
- Former North Ward Defence Complex, TownsvilleState heritage place
- James Cook University Department of Public Health and Tropical Medicine BuildingState heritage place
- KardiniaState heritage place
- Kissing Point Fortification & Jezzine Barracks (part)State heritage place
- Queens GardensState heritage place
- School HouseState heritage place
- St Josephs ChurchState heritage place
- St Patrick's ConventState heritage place
- Townsville Astronomical Trigonometrical StationState heritage place
- Townsville Central State SchoolState heritage place
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
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
- Herbert
- Member of Parliament
- Phillip THOMPSON (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 121,280
- Turnout (2025)
- 85.5%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -1.6 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 63.4%Labor 36.6%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 4.3 km away).
Coalition 56.8%Labor 43.2%
6.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +1.2 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- North WardLabor 42.8% · Coalition 57.2% TPP (2025)0.4 km away
- Belgian GardensLabor 44.1% · Coalition 55.9% TPP (2025)1.6 km away
- CutheringaLabor 47.5% · Coalition 52.5% TPP (2025)2.3 km away
- Townsville SouthLabor 46.4% · Coalition 53.6% TPP (2025)2.5 km away
- Railway EstateLabor 44.7% · Coalition 55.3% TPP (2025)3.0 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)
- 7/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 5/10
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
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Townsville Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.