QLD · Moreton Bay Council
Scarborough, 4020
Current weather
19.5°COvercast
85% humidity · 7.2 km/h wind · 24.4° / 13.1° today · 0.2 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Green suburb
- High desirability
- Excellent transport
- Cycling
Suburb profile
Scarborough is a coastal established suburb where beach life and relaxed outdoor living shape the local character. The beach sets the tone, while nearby towns and coastal pockets add variety without a long journey. There is a lightness to the air here, with the coast never far from mind.
An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Neighbourhood food and coffee spots add warmth to the local routine. Parks, reserves and open space make it genuinely outdoor-friendly for walks, sport and weekend downtime.
Buses and nearby services make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward. Housing carries a premium, but residents tend to feel the lifestyle justifies the commitment.
On the desirability index, the suburb rates good overall, led by transport and access and parks and green space, while safety and local dining and lifestyle amenities sit closer to the middle of the pack for similar coastal suburbs.
Population
- Population
- 9,178
- Median age
- 53
- Median household income / week
- $1,336
- Dwelling vacancy
- 9.6%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 429 of 4,456
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,907
- Employment rate
- 49.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 325 / 350 / 1,168
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)
- $685
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)
- 384
- Against the person
- 74
- Against property
- 202
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 41.8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 124 residents
- State safety percentile
- 54.9th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +15.5%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Drug Offences179
- Good Order Offences118
- Other Property Damage89
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)331
- Unlawful Entry79
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)
- 1,026
- Australian Trade College North BrisbaneSecondary
- Scarborough State SchoolPrimary
- Southern Cross Catholic CollegeCombined
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
Public transport
42 public transport stops in this suburb
- Scarborough Rd at Anderson Street
- Scarborough Rd at Anderson Street
- Scarborough Rd at Eversleigh Road
- Scarborough Rd at Eversleigh Road
- Scarborough Rd at Fifth Avenue
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Amenities
152 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- BWSAlcohol
- Cash ZoneATM
- Bbq (2)
- Bench (12)
- Bicycle Parking (2)
- City of Moreton BayBicycle Parking
- Sea Salt and VineBicycle Parking
- Bicycle Repair Station
- Bus stop (7)
- Fifth Ave at Moffat StreetBus 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
6 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Flinders Parade LookoutPark
- Jamieson ParkPark
- Scarborough Beach ParkPark
- Scarborough Pier & BBQ ShelterPark
- Thurecht ParkPark
- Tingira ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 3
- Emergency department
- Not in suburb
- QMLlaboratory
- Scarborough Beach Pharmacypharmacy
- Sullivan Nicolaides Pathologylaboratory
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
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)
- 10
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
- 58.0/100 — Good
- State standing
- Top 15% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 1052nd in Australia
- State rank
- 223rd in QLD
- Peer rank
- #16 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #35 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 78%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- 3EightNineamenitiescafe
- Australia Postamenitiespost_box
- BWSamenitiesalcohol
- Bay Boats & Take Awayamenities439 Scarborough Roadfast_food
- Bbqamenitiesbbq
- Bbqamenitiesbbq
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Moreton Bay Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.