QLD · Sunshine Coast Council
Balmoral Ridge, 4552
Current weather
13.2°CClear sky
93% humidity · 7.7 km/h wind · 20.2° / 12.2° today · 0.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Balmoral Ridge sits up in the Sunshine Coast hills, a smaller community where elevation and tree cover define the mood. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. Ridge-top pockets and tree cover give the area a cooler, greener hillside feel.
Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice, and that is part of the charm. There is enough green space nearby for walks, picnics and after-school play.
Housing carries a premium, but residents tend to feel the lifestyle justifies the commitment. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and housing affordability lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in safety. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 302
- Median age
- 57
- Median household income / week
- $1,899
- Dwelling vacancy
- 19.1%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 26 of 136
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,275
- Employment rate
- 47.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 14 / 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)
- 2
- Against the person
- 0
- Against property
- 1
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 6.6
- State safety percentile
- 0.7th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -43%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Drug Offences7
- Fraud9
- Other Property Damage8
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)10
- Traffic And Related Offences14
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
1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Swimming pool
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
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
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Dilkusha Nature RefugeNature reserve
- Upper Mooloolah Nature RefugeNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 9/10
- 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)
- 8
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
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
- 37.5/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 3923rd in Australia
- State rank
- 908th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #175 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #470 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
- Swimming poolamenitiesswimming_pool
- Drug Offencescrime7
- Fraudcrime9
- Other Property Damagecrime8
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime10
- Traffic And Related Offencescrime14
- Dilkusha Nature Refugegovernmentnature_reserve
- Upper Mooloolah Nature Refugegovernmentnature_reserve
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
- 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 Sunshine Coast Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.