QLD · Sunshine Coast Council
Maleny, 4552
Current weather
13.5°CClear sky
93% humidity · 8.1 km/h wind · 19.7° / 11.7° today · 0.5 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- High desirability
- National parks
- Cycling
Suburb profile
As a regional hub in Sunshine Coast, Maleny combines local convenience with the appeal of a mid-sized suburb that feels genuinely its own. Life revolves around the local community, with the wider region offering trips and services when needed. Tree-lined streets and leafy pockets give the suburb a noticeably green, settled character.
Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here. There are enough cafés and casual dining options to keep weekends interesting. Green space is a real strength, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb.
Housing carries a premium, but residents tend to feel the lifestyle justifies the commitment. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
On the desirability index, the suburb rates good overall, led by parks and green space and safety, while community and employment and local dining and lifestyle amenities sit closer to the middle of the pack for similar regional towns.
Population
- Population
- 3,959
- Median age
- 59
- Median household income / week
- $1,144
- Dwelling vacancy
- 9.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 186 of 1,897
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,625
- Employment rate
- 41.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 113 / 111 / 23
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)
- 27
- Against the person
- 5
- Against property
- 12
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 6.8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 792 residents
- State safety percentile
- 0.9th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -38.1%
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
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 3
- Median school ICSEA (3 schools)
- 1,050
- Maleny State High SchoolSecondary
- Maleny State SchoolPrimary
- The River 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
74 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Purple PalateAlcohol
- Bank of QueenslandATM
- SuncorpATM
- Maleny BakeryBakery
- Finbar'sBar
- Bench (5)
- Bicycle Parking
- Coral Street at Maleny Branch LibraryBus stop
- Maleny High SchoolBus stop
- Maple Street at Cooke ParkBus stop
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
17 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Avocado Lane ParkPark
- Bicentennial ParkPark
- Bridge Creek Road ParkPark
- Cooke ParkPark
- Dr Tony Parer ParkPark
- Fig Tree Place ParkPark
- Greenhills Esplanade BufferPark
- Greenhills Esplanade ParkPark
- Lomandra Way Amenity ReservePark
- Macadamia Drive ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 3
- Emergency department
- On site
- Dental Care Malenydentist
- Maleny Soldiers Memorial Hospitalhospital
- Ochre Medical Centre MalenyCoral Streetyes
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 6/10
- 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
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- Riverschool Early Childhood Centre and creek/bush Kindychildcare
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)
- 59
- Parks (OSM)
- 17
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
- 65.2/100 — Good
- State standing
- Top 6% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 422nd in Australia
- State rank
- 86th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #4 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #9 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 77%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Australia Postamenitiespost_office
- Bank of Queenslandamenitiesatm
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Bicycle Parkingamenitiesbicycle_parking
- Brouhaha Brewery and RestaurantamenitiesUnit 6 39 Coral Streetpub
- Coffee shopamenitiescafe
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
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.