Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Council TBC
Palm Island
Est. population · Jun 2025
2,724
Growth (1 yr)
+2.2%
Growth (5 yr)
+5.6%
Median age
27
Median income
$973/wk
Employment rate
24.4%
Languages at home
43.3%non-English
Most common: Australian Indigenous languages
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Education hub
- Heritage area
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Palm Island is a quieter smaller community in the local area, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. A younger crowd gives the area energy, with family life visible on every street. This is a strongly multicultural suburb: overseas-born and multilingual households make up much of the community.
The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Open space is thinner than in many regional towns, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets.
Housing is more affordable than in many parts of the state. The suburb still has an emerging character, as newer residents settle in and local identity forms.
Against similar regional towns, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus community and employment lag behind, despite relative strength in safety. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Palm Island snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
2,724
+2.2% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
4.8%
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
#87
among Country & regional · Emerging
Pop. growth
81st
percentile in QLD
Advantage (IRSAD)
1/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
1st
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
- 43.7/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 45% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 3132nd in Australia
- State rank
- 677th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #87 among Country & regional · Emerging suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #287 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 55%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
2,724(June 2025)
+2.2% annual · +5.6% over 5 years · 81th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +2.2%
- 5-year growth
- +5.6%
- Change in 1 year
- +58
- Change in 5 years
- +145
- Growth rank in QLD
- 81th 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 (~2,650), extrapolated at -0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 2,138
- Median age
- 27
- Median household income / week
- $973
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 25 of 519
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Employment rate
- 24.4%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 427 / 3 / 40 (+ 16 other)
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.
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 2
- Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
- 660.5
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 1th
School list
- Bwgcolman Community SchoolCombined · Government · ICSEA 675 · 1th percentile · LBOTE 47% · 315 students · Top SEA quarter 1%View on My School →
- St Michael's Catholic SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 646 · 0th percentile · LBOTE 100% · 127 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
- 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
- kindergartenkindergarten
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
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
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 2
- Nearest hospital
- Joyce Palmer Health Service (2.9 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Public hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- On site
- Joyce Palmer Health ServiceBeach RoadPublic hospital
- YesYes
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)
- 133
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 48.8
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
- 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
- 29° / 20°
- Rainfall
- 602 mm · ~75 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 25° / 17°
- Rainfall
- 284 mm · ~36 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 11°
- Rainfall
- 60 mm · ~8 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 26° / 16°
- Rainfall
- 134 mm · ~17 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
1 heritage place
- Fantome Island Lock Hospital and Lazaret Sites (former)State 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 60.0 km away).
Coalition 34.0%Labor 66.0%
29.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +9.4 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Palm IslandLabor 66.5% · Coalition 33.5% TPP (2025)2.9 km away
- BluewaterLabor 35.1% · Coalition 64.9% TPP (2025)50.2 km away
- Nelly BayLabor 54.0% · Coalition 46.0% TPP (2025)54.3 km away
- ArcadiaLabor 48.8% · Coalition 51.2% TPP (2025)54.5 km away
- BurdellLabor 34.9% · Coalition 65.1% TPP (2025)57.2 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
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.