QLD · Bundaberg Council
Kalkie, 4670
Current weather
18°CClear sky
87% humidity · 5.8 km/h wind · 22.5° / 14.1° today · 0.3 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
In Bundaberg, Kalkie keeps a rural calm, a mid-sized suburb with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. Open skies and rolling countryside set a calm backdrop to everyday routines.
Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with family life visible on every street. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. Green space is a real strength, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb.
Property is in demand, reflecting the appeal of living in a place people actively choose. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
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 safety holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 2,968
- Median age
- 40
- Median household income / week
- $1,599
- Dwelling vacancy
- 6.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 70 of 1,132
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,502
- Employment rate
- 56.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 73 / 36 / 43
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)
- $620
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)
- 108
- Against the person
- 20
- Against property
- 52
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 36.4
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 148 residents
- State safety percentile
- 42.4th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -11.7%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Assault264
- Drug Offences461
- Other Property Damage263
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)837
- Traffic And Related Offences402
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)
- 1,030.5
- Kalkie State SchoolPrimary
- St Luke's Anglican SchoolCombined
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
Roadworks & transport
1 active roadworks / incidents
- Telegraph Road, between Bundaberg Ring Road and Santina Drive, is closed to all trafficTelegraph Road, n/a06 Apr 2026 – 19 Jul 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
Amenities
15 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Bench
- Bus stop (4)
- DreamcentrePlace of worship
- Playground (3)
- St Luke's Anglican SchoolSchool
- Sports centre (2)
- CricketSports field
- Multi CourtSports field
- Sports field
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
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- GL Miles ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 4/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 5/10
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
Heritage
1 state heritage place
- Kalkie State SchoolState heritage place
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Childcare
3 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- St Luke's Anglican School Early Learning Centrekindergarten
- childcarechildcare
- childcarechildcare
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)
- 9
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
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
- 50.6/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 28% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 1857th in Australia
- State rank
- 416th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #98 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #135 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
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Bus stopamenitiesbus_stop
- Bus stopamenitiesbus_stop
- Bus stopamenitiesbus_stop
- Bus stopamenitiesbus_stop
- Cricketamenitiespitch
- Dreamcentreamenitiesplace_of_worship
- Multi Courtamenitiespitch
- Playgroundamenitiesplayground
- Playgroundamenitiesplayground
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Bundaberg Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.