QLD · Council TBC
Palm Island
Current weather
22.2°CPartly cloudy
81% humidity · 19.8 km/h wind · 22.8° / 21.3° today · 1.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Palm Island is a quieter smaller community in the local area, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
A younger crowd gives the area energy, with family life visible on every street. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Housing remains accessible compared with many parts of the state.
Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
The desirability score is around average, weighed down by weaker community and employment and local dining and lifestyle amenities 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
- 2,138
- Median age
- 27
- Median household income / week
- $973
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 25 of 519
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Employment rate
- 24.4%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 32 / 3 / 40
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.
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 2
- Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
- 660.5
- Bwgcolman Community SchoolCombined
- St Michael's Catholic 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
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 2
- Emergency department
- On site
- Joyce Palmer Health ServiceBeach Roadhospital
- Yesyes
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)
- 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
Heritage
1 state heritage place
- Fantome Island Lock Hospital and Lazaret Sites (former)State heritage place
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- kindergartenkindergarten
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
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 44.6/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 42% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 2691st in Australia
- State rank
- 628th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #181 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #266 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 55%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- kindergartenchildcarekindergarten
- Fantome Island Lock Hospital and Lazaret Sites (former)heritageState heritage place
- Joyce Palmer Health ServicehealthBeach Roadhospital
- Yeshealthyes
- Bwgcolman Community SchoolschoolsCombined
- St Michael's Catholic SchoolschoolsPrimary
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Updated on site
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.