QLD · Noosa Council

Ridgewood, 4563

Est. population · Jun 2025

325

Growth (1 yr)

+1.3%

Growth (5 yr)

+8.7%

Median age

49

Median income

$1,399/wk

Employment rate

51.4%

Languages at home

2.5%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

36.8/100
Below average

928th in QLD

Verified 48% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • National parks
  • High desirability
What Ridgewood is known for: National parks, High desirability

Suburb profile

Set among the hills of Noosa Council, Ridgewood is a smaller community with bushland views and a cooler, leafier feel. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.

Everyday basics may be close by, but bigger shopping and services typically require a trip to a nearby centre. Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. A car helps for most daily errands, with fewer amenities clustered within an easy walk.

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.

Desirability sits below average overall, with community and employment the main drag compared with similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Ridgewood snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

325

+1.3% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

9.0%

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

#178

among Country & regional · Mature

Safety

16th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

54th

percentile in QLD

Advantage (IRSAD)

6/10

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
36.8/100 — Below average
National rank
4339th in Australia
State rank
928th in QLD
Peer rank
#178 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#475 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
48%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

325(June 2025)

+1.3% annual · +8.7% over 5 years · 54th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.3%
5-year growth
+8.7%
Change in 1 year
+4
Change in 5 years
+26
Growth rank in QLD
54th 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 +1.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
317
Median age
49
Median household income / week
$1,399
Dwelling vacancy
9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
11 of 122
Median monthly mortgage
$1,680
Employment rate
51.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
110 / 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)
8
Against the person
1
Against property
3
Rate per 1,000 residents
24.6
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 317 residents
State safety percentile
15.6th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+8.1%

Most common offence types

  • Drug Offences34
  • Good Order Offences23
  • Other Property Damage21
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)42
  • Traffic And Related Offences64

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

1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Other(1)
  • Steep trackAttraction

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 insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Tuchekoi Conservation ParkNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Nearest hospital
Eden Private Hospital (9.3 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
24.6

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

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° / 21°
Rainfall
508 mm · ~64 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
25° / 17°
Rainfall
453 mm · ~57 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
21° / 11°
Rainfall
235 mm · ~29 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 16°
Rainfall
250 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
Wide Bay
Member of Parliament
Llew O'BRIEN (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
123,153
Turnout (2025)
89.3%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+3.7 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 57.6%Labor 42.4%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 17.4 km away).

Coalition 51.8%Labor 48.2%

5.8 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +3.2 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • FederalLabor 43.3% · Coalition 56.7% TPP (2025)8.9 km away
  • Cooroy SouthLabor 49.3% · Coalition 50.7% TPP (2025)9.2 km away
  • CooroyLabor 48.6% · Coalition 51.4% TPP (2025)9.6 km away
  • PomonaLabor 51.7% · Coalition 48.3% TPP (2025)11.5 km away
  • CooranLabor 60.8% · Coalition 39.2% TPP (2025)13.9 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

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
6/10
IRSD decile (2021)
6/10

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 Noosa Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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