QLD · Townsville Council
Heatley, 4814
Current weather
21.3°CMainly clear
82% humidity · 9.2 km/h wind · 25.4° / 17.1° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Heatley is a quieter mid-sized suburb in Townsville, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Distance from the capital is noticeable, but the trade-off is space, calm and a community that knows its neighbours. Open skies and rolling countryside set a calm backdrop to everyday routines.
Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with plenty of young families in the mix. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. The area offers approachable housing costs alongside a lifestyle that still feels complete.
The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
The desirability score is below average, pulled down chiefly by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and community and employment relative to similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 3,907
- Median age
- 40
- Median household income / week
- $1,266
- Dwelling vacancy
- 9.7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 162 of 1,676
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Employment rate
- 50.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 136 / 243 / 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.
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 (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)
- 384
- Against the person
- 83
- Against property
- 204
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 98.3
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 47 residents
- State safety percentile
- 91.3th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +11.5%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Assault505
- Drug Offences728
- Good Order Offences400
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)1275
- Unlawful Entry499
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
- 2
- Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
- 850
- Heatley Secondary CollegeSecondary
- Heatley 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
14 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Bench (2)
- Bus stop (4)
- Playground (2)
- Log Tan Memorial PoolSports centre
- Western Lions Junior Rugby League ClubSports centre
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (3)
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
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Heatley ParkPark
- Western Lions ParkPark
- Wilkie Street ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 1/10
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)
- 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
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 30.8/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 5188th in Australia
- State rank
- 1202nd in QLD
- Peer rank
- #404 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #707 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 66%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Bus stopamenitiesbus_stop
- Bus stopamenitiesbus_stop
- Bus stopamenitiesbus_stop
- Bus stopamenitiesbus_stop
- Log Tan Memorial Poolamenitiessports_centre
- Playgroundamenitiesplayground
- Playgroundamenitiesplayground
- Sports fieldamenitiespitch
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
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.