QLD · Townsville Council
Alice River, 4817
Current weather
19.5°CClear sky
87% humidity · 0.6 km/h wind · 25.3° / 16° today · 0.5 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- River access
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Alice River offers a slower mid-sized suburb life in Townsville, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. Out in the wider region, it rewards those who value open country and a pace set by the land, not the clock. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with a strong presence of young families throughout. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. Local parks and tree cover add a welcome outdoor dimension to suburban life.
Housing is well-priced for what you get: space, location and everyday convenience. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
The desirability score is around average, weighed down by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and transport and access against similar regional towns, even with housing affordability and community and employment holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 2,685
- Median age
- 38
- Median household income / week
- $2,468
- Dwelling vacancy
- 3.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 34 of 888
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,000
- Employment rate
- 71.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 63 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
- 156
- Against the person
- 38
- Against property
- 80
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 58.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 71 residents
- State safety percentile
- 74.6th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -3.1%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Assault206
- Drug Offences209
- Good Order Offences194
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)434
- Unlawful Entry223
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Period: Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Jul 2026; Jan 2026 to Jul 2026 · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Rupertswood ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 8/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 9/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
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 overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 4
- Parks (OSM)
- 4
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
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 44.2/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 42% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 2742nd in Australia
- State rank
- 636th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #186 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #273 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 58%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Assaultcrime206
- Drug Offencescrime209
- Good Order Offencescrime194
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime434
- Unlawful Entrycrime223
- Rupertswood Parkgovernmentpark
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Updated on site
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.