Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Cook Council
Palmer, 4892
Est. population · Jun 2025
51
Growth (1 yr)
0.0%
Growth (5 yr)
+6.3%
Median age
50
Median income
$1,062/wk
Employment rate
41.2%
Languages at home
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
- Green suburb
- Heritage area
Suburb profile
Palmer offers a slower smaller community life in Cook Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. Genuine distance from the metro area around Brisbane is part of the character: quiet streets, big skies and a town that looks after itself. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood.
Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub. Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. 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. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
At a glance
Palmer snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
51
0.0% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
0.0%
Census unoccupied dwellings
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Safety
99th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
17th
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
Population
Estimated resident population
51(June 2025)
0.0% annual · +6.3% over 5 years · 17th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- 0.0%
- 5-year growth
- +6.3%
- Change in 1 year
- 0
- Change in 5 years
- +3
- Growth rank in QLD
- 17th 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 (~50), extrapolated at +0.9% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 46
- Median age
- 50
- Median household income / week
- $1,062
- Dwelling vacancy
- 0%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 0 of 12
- Median monthly mortgage
- $0
- Employment rate
- 41.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 6 / 0 / 0 (+ 3 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.
Crime & safety
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
- 15
- Against the person
- 8
- Against property
- 4
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 294.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 6 residents
- State safety percentile
- 99.3th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -9.9%
Most common offence types
- Assault760
- Good Order Offences261
- Liquor (Excl. Drunkenness)134
- Other Property Damage243
- Unlawful Entry140
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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 4
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
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
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Hospital (165.1 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)
- 1
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 19.6
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
- 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
- 33° / 22°
- Rainfall
- 651 mm · ~81 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 31° / 20°
- Rainfall
- 229 mm · ~29 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 29° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 16 mm · ~2 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 34° / 19°
- Rainfall
- 93 mm · ~12 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
6 heritage places
- Alexandra Mine and BatteryState heritage place
- MaytownState heritage place
- Palmer Goldfield Mining LandscapeState heritage place
- Palmer River Gold Company DredgeState heritage place
- Stonyville Township, Water Race and CemeteryState heritage place
- Wild Irish Girl Mine and Emily BatteryState 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
- 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 204.4 km away).
Coalition 40.1%Labor 59.9%
3.8 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +19.3 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Hope ValeLabor 72.2% · Coalition 27.8% TPP (2025)186.3 km away
- BloomfieldLabor 72.6% · Coalition 27.4% TPP (2025)191.9 km away
- CooktownLabor 56.6% · Coalition 43.4% TPP (2025)193.1 km away
- DaintreeLabor 40.0% · Coalition 60.0% TPP (2025)194.0 km away
- KowanyamaLabor 77.9% · Coalition 22.1% TPP (2025)198.9 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)
- 4/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 3/10
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 Cook Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.