QLD · Townsville Council

Stuart, 4811

Est. population · Jun 2025

1,724

Growth (1 yr)

+1.7%

Growth (5 yr)

+6.1%

Median age

36

Median income

$1,239/wk

Employment rate

12.3%

Languages at home

2.4%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

27.9/100
Below average

1292nd in QLD

Verified 48% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • National parks
  • Heritage area
  • High desirability
What Stuart is known for: National parks, Heritage area, High desirability

Suburb profile

Stuart is a quieter smaller community in Townsville Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Residents are mostly families and working professionals. 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. 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.

Homes are relatively cheap compared with the wider market, which keeps entry costs lower. An emerging neighbourhood feel is building here, with new households gradually reshaping local life.

The desirability picture is below average, weighed down by softer community and employment relative to similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Stuart snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

1,724

+1.7% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

12.8%

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

#201

among Country & regional · Emerging

Safety

76th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

70th

percentile in QLD

Advantage (IRSAD)

1/10

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
27.9/100 — Below average
National rank
5887th in Australia
State rank
1292nd in QLD
Peer rank
#201 among Country & regional · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#782 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
48%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

1,724(June 2025)

+1.7% annual · +6.1% over 5 years · 70th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.7%
5-year growth
+6.1%
Change in 1 year
+29
Change in 5 years
+99
Growth rank in QLD
70th 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 (~1,750), extrapolated at +0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
1,576
Median age
36
Median household income / week
$1,239
Dwelling vacancy
12.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings
24 of 187
Median monthly mortgage
$1,213
Employment rate
12.3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
154 / 5 / 0 (+ 4 other)

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)
110
Against the person
23
Against property
63
Rate per 1,000 residents
63.8
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 69 residents
State safety percentile
76.1th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-6.1%

Most common offence types

  • Assault133
  • Drug Offences107
  • Other Property Damage75
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)274
  • Unlawful Entry109

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

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

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Stuart Creek Nature RefugeNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Nearest hospital
Mater Women's & Children's Hospital (8.1 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)
55
Participants per 1,000 residents
31.9

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
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 normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Roadworks & transport

1 active roadworks / incidents

  • Between Boundary Street and Racecourse RoadTownsville Port Road16 Aug 2026 – 25 Aug 2026

Data sources & freshness

  • Road incidents & closuresState road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated

Heritage

1 heritage place

  • Stewart's Creek Gaol (former)State heritage place

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage registerState 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 overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Dawson
Member of Parliament
Andrew WILLCOX (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
117,202
Turnout (2025)
88.2%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-1.4 pp toward Coalition

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 61.8%Labor 38.2%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 63.3 km away).

Coalition 56.2%Labor 43.8%

5.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +3.4 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Wulguru (Dawson)Labor 46.5% · Coalition 53.5% TPP (2025)5.5 km away
  • Oonoonba (Dawson)Labor 46.6% · Coalition 53.4% TPP (2025)6.1 km away
  • Annandale East (Dawson)Labor 39.2% · Coalition 60.8% TPP (2025)7.1 km away
  • Annandale (Dawson)Labor 46.1% · Coalition 53.9% TPP (2025)9.3 km away
  • NomeLabor 34.0% · Coalition 66.0% TPP (2025)11.4 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)
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

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.