QLD · Tablelands Council
Malanda, 4885
Current weather
15.8°COvercast
100% humidity · 12.4 km/h wind · 20.7° / 14.3° today · 1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- National parks
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Malanda is a quieter smaller community in Tablelands, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Out in the wider region, it rewards those who value open country and a pace set by the land, not the clock. Tree-lined streets and leafy pockets give the suburb a noticeably green, settled character.
Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. There is enough green space nearby for walks, picnics and after-school play.
The area offers approachable housing costs alongside a lifestyle that still feels complete. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and community and employment lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in safety and parks and green space. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 2,000
- Median age
- 51
- Median household income / week
- $1,120
- Dwelling vacancy
- 11.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 100 of 873
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Employment rate
- 47%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 55 / 7 / 54
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)
- $380
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)
- 36
- Against the person
- 4
- Against property
- 16
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 18
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 500 residents
- State safety percentile
- 10.1th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -31.6%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Drug Offences14
- Fraud4
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)17
- Traffic And Related Offences15
- Unlawful Entry6
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)
- 997.5
- Malanda State High SchoolSecondary
- Malanda 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
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
4 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Dungavell ParkPark
- Eacham Memorial ParkPark
- Johnstone River Nature RefugeNature reserve
- Winfield ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 2/10
- 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
Heritage
3 state heritage places
- Majestic Picture TheatreState heritage place
- Malanda Falls Swimming PoolState heritage place
- St James Catholic Church & AltarState heritage place
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- 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)
- 10
- 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
- 41.4/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 49% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 3236th in Australia
- State rank
- 746th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #115 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #348 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
- Drug Offencescrime14
- Fraudcrime4
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime17
- Traffic And Related Offencescrime15
- Unlawful Entrycrime6
- childcarechildcarechildcare
- Majestic Picture TheatreheritageState heritage place
- Malanda Falls Swimming PoolheritageState heritage place
- St James Catholic Church & AltarheritageState heritage place
- Dungavell Parkgovernmentpark
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Updated on site
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
More in Tablelands Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.