QLD · Fraser Coast Council

Torquay, 4655

Est. population · Jun 2025

7,585

Growth (1 yr)

+2.1%

Growth (5 yr)

+4.7%

Median age

55

Median income

$917/wk

Employment rate

35.6%

University qualified

11.1%

Work from home

5.2%

Languages at home

4.8%non-English

Most common: Italian, French, German

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

45.4/100
Average

Top 38% of Queensland's suburbs

Verified 85% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Beach
  • Green suburb
  • Holiday parks
  • Regional centre
What Torquay is known for: Beach, Green suburb, Holiday parks, Regional centre

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Torquay, QLD suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Torquay, QLD Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/qld/torquay-qld

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Suburb profile

Torquay is a major regional centre in Queensland, in Fraser Coast Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development. The Hervey Bay is part of the surrounding geography.

Everyday destinations are relatively walkable, well above typical levels for major regional centres. School access is a very strong feature of the suburb, with school access 67% above the peer median. Trade-offs centre on weaker employment and thinner park access, with employment 31% below the peer median.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising walkability and school access over employment.

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

Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in Queensland (209)

Strengths

  • Everyday destinations are relatively walkable
  • School access is a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Employment is a relative weakness
  • Park access is thinner than in comparable places

What stands out

  • Torquay Beach
  • Shelly Beach
  • Hervey Bay

Who it suits

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

Housing, growth and risk

How Torquay compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$520/wk

Population (ERP)

7,585

+2.1% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

12.1%

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

#111

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

51st

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

80th

percentile in QLD

Rented dwellings

39%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

1/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

31st

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
45.4/100 — Average
State standing
Top 38% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
3037th in Australia
State rank
569th in QLD
Peer rank
#111 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#219 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
85%

Data sources & freshness

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

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$520

Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

7,585(June 2025)

+2.1% annual · +4.7% over 5 years · 80th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+2.1%
5-year growth
+4.7%
Change in 1 year
+157
Change in 5 years
+339
Growth rank in QLD
80th 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 (~7,900), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
6,533
Median age
55
Median household income / week
$917
Dwelling vacancy
12.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
387 of 3,208
Median monthly mortgage
$1,299
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$300
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
42.4% / 18.3% / 39.3%
Employment rate
35.6%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
5.2% / 0.6% / 75.1%
Walked or cycled to work
4.3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,923 / 489 / 229 (+ 122 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

11.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Queensland. 20.8% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified11.1% · 21.9% QLD
  • Diploma qualified7.7% · 9.4% QLD
  • Trade / vocational20.8% · 18.9% QLD
  • Year 12 or below60.4% · 49.8% QLD

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies17.7%
  • Society and culture17.1%
  • Management and commerce15.9%
  • Health15.4%
  • Education10.4%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services7.8%
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)
$49,563

32nd percentile in QLD · -16% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$56,163

28th percentile in QLD · -14% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
11.0%

56th percentile in QLD · -20% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$75,825

62nd percentile in QLD · +20% vs Australia

Residents with business income
9.0%

38th percentile in QLD · -13% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 4655 — 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
37,740
Taxpayers reporting net rent
4,072
Median net rent
$1,288
Taxpayers reporting business income
3,371
Taxable income vs state median
-11%
Salary / wages vs state median
-8%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
+9%
Business income vs state median
-10%

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

Community & culture

4.8% speak a language other than English at home; 19.4% born overseas

Language at home
5,721 English only · 289 other
Non-English at home
4.8%
Born overseas
1,154 (19.4%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
359 (5.5%)
Australian citizens
5,680
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
15

Top languages other than English

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

  • Italian9 · 12%
  • French8 · 10.7%
  • German8 · 10.7%
  • Hindi7 · 9.3%
  • Spanish7 · 9.3%
  • Australian Indigenous languages5 · 6.7%
  • Afrikaans4 · 5.3%
  • Cantonese4 · 5.3%

Religion

46.3%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 46.3%, while 40.4% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion40.4%40.7%
Christianity46.3%45.7%
Other / not stated13.2%13.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic15.5%18.6%
Anglican14%11.3%
Uniting Church5.2%3.6%
Presbyterian and Reformed3%2.1%
Christian (not further defined)2.2%3.1%
Baptist2%1.7%

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

Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 4655, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences are running higher than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Sep 2026)
397
Against the person
81
Against property
204
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
69.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 81 residents
State crime-rate percentile
50.9th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+1.5%

Most common offence types

  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)107
  • Traffic And Related Offences44
  • Unlawful Entry35
  • Drug Offences49
  • Good Order Offences40

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
5
Median school ICSEA (5 schools)
965
Median ICSEA percentile
31th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
4
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
  • Torquay State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 875 · 7th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 183 students · Top SEA quarter 2% · 0.8 km awayView on My School →
  • Urangan State High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 961 · 29th percentile · LBOTE 6% · 1,342 students · Top SEA quarter 5% · 0.8 km awayView on My School →
  • Sandy Strait State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 965 · 31th percentile · LBOTE 7% · 706 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
  • Star of the Sea Catholic SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1010 · 52th percentile · LBOTE 3% · 388 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
  • Hervey Bay Special SchoolSpecial · Government · ICSEA 970 · 33th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 105 students · Top SEA quarter 10% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Kawungan SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Sandy Strait SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Torquay SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Urangan Point SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Urangan SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_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

83 mapped amenities

9 restaurants · 5 cafes · 1 pubs · 1 supermarkets · 2 fast food · 1 playgrounds · 1 sports centres · 3 swimming pools

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Reasonably walkable — many shops and services reachable on foot or by bus
  • Decent local green space — 7 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
Walkability proxy
60/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.77
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
2.6
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.07
Food & drink(17)
  • BayaromaCafe
  • Black Bear CafeCafe
  • Coffee CornerCafe

    Esplanade

  • Coffee CornerCafe

    Torquay

  • Eat in the bay cafeCafe
  • Humpback PizzaFast food
  • Planet 72 Ice CreameryFast food
  • Torquay HotelPub
  • AquavueRestaurant
  • CoastRestaurant

    469 Esplanade, Torquay

  • Gringo'sRestaurant
  • Paolo‘s Pizza BarRestaurant
  • PeppersRestaurant
  • Restaurant

    469 Esplanade

  • Santini Pizza E CucinaRestaurant

    470 Esplanade, Torquay

  • Thai SmileRestaurant
  • Tres SalsasRestaurant
Shopping(3)
  • Asian GroceriesConvenience store
  • Go Natural FoodsConvenience store
  • SparSupermarket
Everyday services(5)
  • ANZBank
  • Commonwealth BankBank
  • UnitedPetrol station
  • Australia PostPost office
  • Post office
Community(1)
  • Torquay State SchoolSchool
Sport & outdoors(27)
  • BBQ
  • Beach
  • Shelly BeachBeach
  • Torquay BeachBeach
  • Boat ramp
  • Foreshore PathCycling route
  • Mary to Bay Rail TrailCycling route
  • Water fountainDrinking water
  • Fitness station
  • Duggan Conservation ParkNature reserve
  • Burton ParkPark

    23 Sunset Crescent

  • Colyton ParkPark
  • Con Souvlis ParkPark
  • McFie ParkPark
  • Nielsens ParkPark
  • Otto Merchel ParkPark
  • Ron Beaton ParkPark
  • Picnic area
  • Playground
  • Harvey Bay CouncilPublic toilets
  • Public toilets
  • ToiletPublic toilets
  • Sports centre

    79 Colyton Street, Torquay

  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool (3)
Camping & holiday parks(4)
  • The PalmsCampground
  • Beachfront Tourist ParkCaravan park
  • Discovery Parks Fraser CoastCaravan park

    20 Fraser Street

  • ingelia Holidays Hervey BayCaravan park

    105 Truro Street

Places to stay(5)
  • Flashpackers Hervey BayHostel
  • AllegeaHotel

    Cypress Street

  • Riviera ResortHotel
  • Shelly Bay ResortHotel

    466 Esplanade

  • The Beach MotelMotel
Transport(3)

3 bus stops

Other(14)
  • Bench (3)
  • Boat Storage
  • Clothes
  • Hair de ParisHairdresser
  • Ice Cream DeliteIce Cream
  • 4PParking
  • Hervey Bay Sailing ClubParking
  • Parking (2)
  • Parking Space
  • MaddigansSeafood
  • Shelly BeachShelter
  • Shelter (2)
  • Open showerShower
  • TelstraTelephone

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

Sporting clubs

2 named sporting clubs in this suburb

  • Hervey Bay Sailing Club

    Sailing · +61 467 453 819

  • Seagulls Club House

Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap sporting clubs — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Geofabrik australia-latest.osm.pbf

Parks & reserves

8 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Burton ParkPark
  • Colyton ParkPark
  • Con Souvlis ParkPark
  • Duggan Conservation ParkNature reserve
  • McFie ParkPark
  • Nielsens ParkPark
  • Otto Merchel ParkPark
  • Ron Beaton ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
6.7%
Woodland / forest cover
0.3%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
11
Parks (OSM)
7
Typical summer maximum
29°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
Hervey Bay Surgical Hospital (3.7 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0
Aged-care services
2
Residential aged-care places
134

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

Aged-care services
  • TorbayTORQUAYResidential
  • Torbay Home CareTORQUAYHome Care

Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
267
Participants per 1,000 residents
35.2

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
496 mm · ~62 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
26° / 18°
Rainfall
422 mm · ~53 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
21° / 12°
Rainfall
246 mm · ~31 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
26° / 17°
Rainfall
232 mm · ~29 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

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
Hinkler
Member of Parliament
David BATT (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
127,702
Turnout (2025)
89.8%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+3.8 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 56.3%Labor 43.7%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 15.4 km away).

Coalition 48.4%Labor 51.6%

7.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +7.1 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • TorquayLabor 53.1% · Coalition 46.9% TPP (2025)0.6 km away
  • Urangan WestLabor 46.2% · Coalition 53.8% TPP (2025)1.2 km away
  • KawunganLabor 51.8% · Coalition 48.2% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
  • UranganLabor 51.0% · Coalition 49.0% TPP (2025)3.4 km away
  • PialbaLabor 51.2% · Coalition 48.8% TPP (2025)3.7 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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Fraser Coast Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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