Median house price
—
No data available
QLD · Charters Towers Council
Paluma, 4816
Est. population · Jun 2025
88
Growth (1 yr)
+1.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+4.8%
Median age
58
Median income
$1,350/wk
Employment rate
53.8%
Languages at home
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
- Green suburb
- National parks
Suburb profile
In Charters Towers Council, Paluma keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Far from Brisbane, it rewards people who want real remove from the city rather than a long-commute suburb. Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here.
With limited local amenities, residents regularly travel to a neighbouring town for shops, appointments and a wider choice. Green space punches above what many comparable suburbs offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets.
Property prices are middling for the area: fair relative to what is nearby. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
At a glance
Paluma snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
88
+1.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
58.3%
Census unoccupied dwellings
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Safety
86th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
50th
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
88(June 2025)
+1.1% annual · +4.8% over 5 years · 50th percentile in QLD
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.1%
- 5-year growth
- +4.8%
- Change in 1 year
- +1
- Change in 5 years
- +4
- Growth rank in QLD
- 50th 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 (~100), extrapolated at -0.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 87
- Median age
- 58
- Median household income / week
- $1,350
- Dwelling vacancy
- 58.3%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 49 of 84
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,517
- Employment rate
- 53.8%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 32 / 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)
- 7
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 2
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 79.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 44 residents
- State safety percentile
- 86th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -9.4%
Most common offence types
- Assault181
- Drug Offences89
- Good Order Offences62
- Other Property Damage66
- Traffic And Related Offences95
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
Parks & reserves
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Mount Zero - Taravale Private Nature ReserveNature reserve
- Paluma Village GreenPark
- Ted Furber Memorial ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 12
- 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
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Ingham Hospital (54.3 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)
- 2
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 22.7
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
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
- Kennedy
- Member of Parliament
- Bob KATTER (Katter's Australian Party (KAP))
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 123,696
- Turnout (2025)
- 83.8%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +0.8 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 59.3%Labor 40.7%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 70.2 km away).
Coalition 64.8%Labor 35.2%
5.4 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +1.0 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- RollingstoneLabor 39.2% · Coalition 60.8% TPP (2025)46.3 km away
- Ingham SouthLabor 35.0% · Coalition 65.0% TPP (2025)57.6 km away
- InghamLabor 38.6% · Coalition 61.4% TPP (2025)57.7 km away
- TrebonneLabor 20.2% · Coalition 79.8% TPP (2025)58.1 km away
- Forrest BeachLabor 43.0% · Coalition 57.0% TPP (2025)58.9 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 Charters Towers Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.