suburb.guide

QLD · Scenic Rim Council

Palen Creek, 4287

Current weather

13.8°CMainly clear

92% humidity · 6.7 km/h wind · 19.7° / 12.2° today · 0.6 mm rain

Updated

Desirability score

17.9/100
Below average

1516th in QLD

48% data confidence

How this score is calculated
  • High desirability
  • Green suburb
What Palen Creek is known for: High desirability, Green suburb

Suburb profile

Palen Creek is a quieter smaller community in Scenic Rim, 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. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.

Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with a strong presence of young families throughout. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Housing remains accessible compared with many parts of the state.

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
368
Median age
41
Median household income / week
$1,174
Dwelling vacancy
22.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
18 of 80
Median monthly mortgage
$2,167
Employment rate
20%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
27 / 0 / 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.

Crime & safety

Total offences (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
18
Against the person
2
Against property
8
Rate per 1,000 residents
48.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 184 residents
State safety percentile
65th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+111.2%

Reported offences are running higher than the same point last year.

Reported offences by period

Most common offence types

  • Assault4
  • Drug Offences14
  • Miscellaneous Offences5
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)4
  • Unlawful Entry4

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

Amenities

1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

  • Saint James Catholic ChurchPlace of worship

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

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

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

Desirability Index

Desirability score
17.9/100 — Below average
National rank
6698th in Australia
State rank
1516th in QLD
Peer rank
#522 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#983 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
48%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • Saint James Catholic Churchamenitiesplace_of_worship
  • Assaultcrime4
  • Drug Offencescrime14
  • Miscellaneous Offencescrime5
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime4
  • Unlawful Entrycrime4

Data sources & freshness

More in Scenic Rim Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.