suburb.guide

QLD · Tablelands Council

Tolga, 4882

Est. population · Jun 2025

3,418

Growth (1 yr)

+1.4%

Growth (5 yr)

+6.9%

Median age

44

Median income

$1,479/wk

Employment rate

56.3%

University qualified

13.2%

Work from home

8%

Languages at home

7.3%non-English

Most common: Italian, Afrikaans, French

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

46.2/100
Average

Top 35% of Queensland's suburbs

Verified 87% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Agricultural
  • Holiday parks
  • Rural living
What Tolga is known for: Green suburb, Agricultural, Holiday parks, Rural living

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Tolga, QLD suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Tolga, QLD Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/qld/tolga

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Suburb profile

Tolga is a rural locality in Queensland, in Tablelands Council.

Local amenities is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for rural localities. School ICSEA scores are a relative strength. Reported crime is exceptionally low against comparable places. Reported offences have fallen 29% year on year, and green cover is another of the suburb's defining strengths, and heritage listings are more concentrated than in comparable places, with heritage listings 100% above the peer median, and university qualifications are a relative strength, with university qualifications 37% above the peer median.

Overall, Tolga suits people prioritising lower crime and local amenities.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in Queensland (1448)

Strengths

  • Reported crime is exceptionally low against comparable places
  • Green cover is a relative strength
  • Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places
  • Heritage listings are more concentrated than in comparable places
  • School ICSEA scores are a relative strength
  • University qualifications are a relative strength

Weaknesses

No relative weaknesses against comparable places.

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Tolga compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$300/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

3,418

+1.4% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

6.8%

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

#47

among Country & regional · Emerging

Crime rate

4th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

58th

percentile in QLD

Rented dwellings

14%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

4/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

38th

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
46.2/100 — Average
State standing
Top 35% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
2845th in Australia
State rank
528th in QLD
Peer rank
#47 among Country & regional · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#193 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
87%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

3,418(June 2025)

+1.4% annual · +6.9% over 5 years · 58th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.4%
5-year growth
+6.9%
Change in 1 year
+46
Change in 5 years
+220
Growth rank in QLD
58th 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 (~3,650), extrapolated at +1.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
3,177
Median age
44
Median household income / week
$1,479
Dwelling vacancy
6.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings
83 of 1,226
Median monthly mortgage
$1,600
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$300
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
49.6% / 36% / 14.4%
Employment rate
56.3%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
8% / 5.2% / 71.8%
Walked or cycled to work
3.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,110 / 0 / 0 (+ 23 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted 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

Qualifications

13.2% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Queensland. 23.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified13.2% · 21.9% QLD
  • Diploma qualified8.4% · 9.4% QLD
  • Trade / vocational23.4% · 18.9% QLD
  • Year 12 or below55.1% · 49.8% QLD

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Engineering and related technologies23.4%
  • Management and commerce17.1%
  • Health12.7%
  • Education12.4%
  • Society and culture9.8%
  • Architecture and building8.4%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$54,059

44th percentile in QLD · -8% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$59,030

42nd percentile in QLD · -9% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
13.0%

76th percentile in QLD · -6% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$89,644

82nd percentile in QLD · +42% vs Australia

Residents with business income
10.0%

51st percentile in QLD · -4% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 4882 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
2,178
Taxpayers reporting net rent
280
Median net rent
$2,208
Taxpayers reporting business income
217
Taxable income vs state median
-2%
Salary / wages vs state median
-3%
Rental investment vs state median
+18%
Super vs state median
+29%
Business income vs state median
0%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in QLD, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Seasonal & agricultural work

15.9% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 6.9× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.5% across Queensland.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
15.9%

63rd percentile in QLD · +591% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
234
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 4882

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Labourers116
  • Managers74
  • Clerical and administrative workers16
  • Machinery operators and drivers12

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 4882 (Northern and Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.

Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)

Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for Cairns (SA4 306), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212796
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412672
  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1213374
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211302
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419154
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415129
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 121472
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841172
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841336
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841626

Cairns is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.

Census employed residents counted in G54: 1,468 · AFF share +536% vs the state.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
  • Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0

Community & culture

7.3% speak a language other than English at home; 15.3% born overseas

Language at home
2,674 English only · 210 other
Non-English at home
7.3%
Born overseas
440 (15.3%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
130 (4.1%)
Australian citizens
2,724
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
10

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Italian8 · 16%
  • Afrikaans7 · 14%
  • French6 · 12%
  • German6 · 12%
  • Portuguese5 · 10%
  • Filipino4 · 8%
  • Korean4 · 8%
  • Mandarin4 · 8%

Religion

51.1%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 51.1%, while 36.3% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion36.3%40.7%
Christianity51.1%45.7%
Other / not stated12.7%13.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic21.5%18.6%
Anglican11.7%11.3%
Uniting Church4.9%3.6%
Presbyterian and Reformed2.9%2.1%
Christian (not further defined)2.4%3.1%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted 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 Sep 2026)
51
Against the person
19
Against property
14
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
19.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 167 residents
State crime-rate percentile
3.7th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-31.8%

Most common offence types

  • Traffic And Related Offences11
  • Good Order Offences10
  • Drug Offences7
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)4
  • Assault8

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Sep 2026; Jan 2026 to Sep 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
981
Median ICSEA percentile
38th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
6
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
4
School list
  • Tolga State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 981 · 38th percentile · LBOTE 4% · 269 students · Top SEA quarter 9%View on My School →
School catchments
  • Atherton SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Atherton SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Dimbulah SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Herberton SS - Primary CampusGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Herberton SS - Secondary CampusGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Kairi SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Mareeba SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Mutchilba SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Tolga SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Walkamin SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

5 mapped amenities

1 caravan parks · 1 campgrounds

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
Sport & outdoors(2)
  • Atherton Rail TrailCycling route
  • Atherton Tablelands Rail TrailCycling route
Camping & holiday parks(2)
  • Rocky Creek War Memorial ParkCampground
  • Tolga Caravan ParkCaravan park
Other(1)
  • Parking

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
21.3%
Woodland / forest cover
21.3%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
8
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
31°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Atherton Hospital (8.5 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
98
Participants per 1,000 residents
28.7

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

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
31° / 25°
Rainfall
1,038 mm · ~90 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
29° / 24°
Rainfall
925 mm · ~92 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
25° / 20°
Rainfall
164 mm · ~20 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
28° / 22°
Rainfall
188 mm · ~24 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Heritage

2 heritage places

  • Rocky Creek World War Two Hospital Complex (former)State heritage place
  • WWII RAAF 220 Radar StationState heritage place

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping. Flood cover uses floodplain overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood 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 22.0 km away).

Coalition 62.0%Labor 38.0%

2.7 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +3.0 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • TolgaLabor 36.2% · Coalition 63.8% TPP (2025)4.2 km away
  • KairiLabor 29.4% · Coalition 70.7% TPP (2025)8.0 km away
  • Atherton NorthLabor 49.0% · Coalition 51.0% TPP (2025)8.3 km away
  • WalkaminLabor 34.9% · Coalition 65.1% TPP (2025)8.3 km away
  • AthertonLabor 45.9% · Coalition 54.1% TPP (2025)9.1 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)
4/10
IRSD decile (2021)
5/10

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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in Tablelands Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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