QLD · Toowoomba Council
Darling Heights, 4350
Current weather
11.9°CClear sky
93% humidity · 8.6 km/h wind · 18.1° / 8.7° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- Cycling
- Dog friendly
- National parks
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Set among the hills of Toowoomba, Darling Heights is a mid-sized suburb with bushland views and a cooler, leafier feel. The community is self-contained in the best sense. Local life comes first, with the region opening up beyond. Ridge-top pockets and tree cover give the area a cooler, greener hillside feel.
A younger crowd gives the area energy, with family life visible on every street. Local shops, markets and community spots keep everyday life grounded in the town itself. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls.
Housing remains accessible compared with many parts of the state. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and safety lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in parks and green space and housing affordability. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 5,157
- Median age
- 30
- Median household income / week
- $1,469
- Dwelling vacancy
- 7.9%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 141 of 1,780
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,347
- Employment rate
- 60.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 124 / 133 / 198
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.
Housing
- All types (Mar 2026)
- $400
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
- RTA bond statistics — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland) · Period: Mar 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
- 299
- Against the person
- 59
- Against property
- 143
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 58
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 87 residents
- State safety percentile
- 74.3th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +9%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Drug Offences1084
- Good Order Offences793
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)1707
- Traffic And Related Offences559
- Unlawful Entry633
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
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 944
- Darling Heights State SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Amenities
37 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Toowoomba Regional CouncilBicycle Parking
- University of Southern QueenslandBicycle Parking
- Baker St at Baker Education Centre, Darling HeightsBus stop
- Baker St at Baker Student Village, Darling HeightsBus stop
- Baker St at Platz Street, Darling HeightsBus stop
- Baker Street at UniSQ Sports, Darling HeightsBus stop
- Gabrielle StreetBus stop
- UniSQ Central, Darling HeightsBus stop
- West Street at UniplazaBus stop
- Bounce Hub CafeCafe
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
14 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Birch Court ParkPark
- Collingwood ParkPark
- Gorman Street ParkPark
- Heidi Court ParkPark
- Jack Street ParkPark
- Magann Court ParkPark
- Platz Street ParkPark
- Salisbury Street ParkPark
- Thiess Park (central)Park
- Thiess Park (north)Park
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 3/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
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
Childcare
2 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Grow Early Education Darling HeightsPlatz Streetkindergarten
- Mirambeena Children's Centrechildcare
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site
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)
- 16
- Parks (OSM)
- 14
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
- 45.8/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 38% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 2489th in Australia
- State rank
- 575th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #156 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #229 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 73%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Australia Post - Darling Heights LPOamenitiespost_office
- Baker St at Baker Education Centre, Darling Heightsamenitiesbus_stop
- Baker St at Baker Student Village, Darling Heightsamenitiesbus_stop
- Baker St at Platz Street, Darling Heightsamenitiesbus_stop
- Baker Street at UniSQ Sports, Darling Heightsamenitiesbus_stop
- Bounce Hub Cafeamenitiescafe
- Clive Berghofer Recreation Centeramenities20 Baker Street, Darling Heightssports_centre
- Gabrielle Streetamenitiesbus_stop
- Oval N0.1amenitiespitch
- Oval N0.2amenitiespitch
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Toowoomba Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.