QLD · Townsville Council

Wulguru, 4811

Est. population · Jun 2025

4,757

Growth (1 yr)

+1.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+3.5%

Median age

42

Median income

$1,446/wk

Employment rate

55.2%

Languages at home

4.1%non-English

Most common: Korean, Russian, German

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

41.3/100
Average

764th in QLD

Verified 71% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Education hub
  • Green suburb
  • Heritage area
  • National parks
  • High desirability
What Wulguru is known for: Education hub, Green suburb, Heritage area, National parks, High desirability

Suburb profile

Away from the major hubs, Wulguru is a mid-sized suburb in Townsville Council with its own quieter rhythm. Regional towns and local services do more of the everyday heavy lifting than the city. The area suits established families and long-term locals, with plenty of young families in the mix.

The town centre holds its own, with enough local flavour to make staying close to home appealing. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield. Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers.

Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.

The desirability picture is around average, weighed down by softer local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus schools and education relative to similar regional towns.

At a glance

Wulguru snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

$550/wk

Population (ERP)

4,757

+1.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

8.1%

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

#107

among Country & regional · Established

Safety

78th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

45th

percentile in QLD

Advantage (IRSAD)

2/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

4th

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
41.3/100 — Average
National rank
3525th in Australia
State rank
764th in QLD
Peer rank
#107 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#350 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
71%

Data sources & freshness

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

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$550

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 (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

4,757(June 2025)

+1.0% annual · +3.5% over 5 years · 45th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.0%
5-year growth
+3.5%
Change in 1 year
+48
Change in 5 years
+162
Growth rank in QLD
45th 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 (~4,800), extrapolated at +0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
4,389
Median age
42
Median household income / week
$1,446
Dwelling vacancy
8.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
152 of 1,867
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Employment rate
55.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,537 / 63 / 90 (+ 31 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)
322
Against the person
68
Against property
181
Rate per 1,000 residents
67.7
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 65 residents
State safety percentile
78th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-3.8%

Most common offence types

  • Assault142
  • Drug Offences122
  • Other Property Damage81
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)282
  • Unlawful Entry113

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

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
809
Median ICSEA percentile
4th
School list
  • Wulguru State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 827 · 4th percentile · LBOTE 23% · 212 students · Top SEA quarter 2% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
  • Yallorin Yimba Silver Lining SchoolSecondary · Independent · ICSEA 791 · 3th percentile · LBOTE 32% · 26 students · Top SEA quarter 12% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

32 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 pubs · 1 pharmacies · 1 fast food · 1 swimming pools · 3 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
27/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.46
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.68
Food & drink(2)
  • Edison Street SeafoodFast food
  • Stuart TavernPub
Shopping(3)
  • Coles ExpressConvenience store
  • Stuart Drive Food and NewsConvenience store
Community(1)
  • Wulguru State Primary SchoolSchool
Health & services(3)
  • Medicine on EdisonMedical clinic
  • Wulguru Health & WellbeingMedical clinic

    340 Stuart Drive, Wulguru

  • Wulguru PharmacyPharmacy
Sport & outdoors(5)
  • McCaul LnPark
  • Warrego Street ParkPark
  • Wulguru ParkPark
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool
Transport(5)

5 bus stops

Other(7)
  • Discovery Parks - TownsvilleCaravan Site

    6 University Road

  • BPPetrol station
  • Mobil Walkabout Palms Roadhouse (also office for Walkabout Palms Caravan Park)Petrol station

    6 University Road

  • Shell WulguruPetrol station
  • Wulguru Police StationPolice
  • Shelter (8)
  • 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.

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

3 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • McCaul LnPark
  • Warrego Street ParkPark
  • Wulguru ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
3
Parks (OSM)
3

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

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
1
Nearest hospital
Mater Misericordiae Hospital (5.4 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
  • Wulguru PharmacyPharmacy

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
146
Participants per 1,000 residents
30.7

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
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

Heritage

1 heritage place

  • Operations and Signals Bunker (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 67.9 km away).

Coalition 54.0%Labor 46.0%

7.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +1.9 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Wulguru (Dawson)Labor 46.5% · Coalition 53.5% TPP (2025)0.6 km away
  • Annandale East (Dawson)Labor 39.2% · Coalition 60.8% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
  • Oonoonba (Dawson)Labor 46.6% · Coalition 53.4% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
  • Annandale (Dawson)Labor 46.1% · Coalition 53.9% TPP (2025)4.4 km away
  • NomeLabor 34.0% · Coalition 66.0% TPP (2025)15.8 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)
2/10
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

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.