QLD · Fraser Coast Council
Scarness, 4655
Current weather
18.9°CClear sky
86% humidity · 8.9 km/h wind · 23.4° / 15.5° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Scarness anchors everyday life in Fraser Coast, a regional mid-sized suburb with its own identity and rhythm. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. Tree-lined streets and leafy pockets give the suburb a noticeably green, settled character.
An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Local eateries and coffee spots give the area a friendly, everyday social rhythm. Parks, reserves and open space make it genuinely outdoor-friendly for walks, sport and weekend downtime.
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.
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 parks and green space and safety holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 3,646
- Median age
- 51
- Median household income / week
- $933
- Dwelling vacancy
- 13.4%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 254 of 1,890
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,244
- Employment rate
- 38.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 155 / 433 / 67
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)
- $490
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)
- 135
- Against the person
- 29
- Against property
- 69
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 37
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 126 residents
- State safety percentile
- 44.9th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -4.5%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Drug Offences300
- Good Order Offences272
- Other Property Damage231
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)655
- Traffic And Related Offences273
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
23 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- The Bottle OAlcohol
- Bus stop
- Seasons CafeCafe
- Drinking water
- Smithy'sFast food
- Hervey Bay Seventh Day Adventist ChurchPlace of worship
- Playground
- Hervey Bay Police StationPolice
- Public toilets
- ToiletPublic toilets
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
4 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Arthur Proctor Memorial ParkPark
- Denmans Camp Road ParkPark
- Frances Mayne ParkPark
- Scarness ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · 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
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)
- 8
- Parks (OSM)
- 8
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
- 41.0/100 — Average
- National rank
- 3307th in Australia
- State rank
- 766th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #124 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #361 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 58%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- 50s Dineramenitiesrestaurant
- Bus stopamenitiesbus_stop
- Drinking wateramenitiesdrinking_water
- Hervey Bay Bowls Clubamenitiessports_centre
- Hervey Bay Police Stationamenitiespolice
- Hervey Bay Seventh Day Adventist Churchamenitiesplace_of_worship
- India Gateamenitiesrestaurant
- Open showeramenitiesshower
- Oriental Palaceamenitiesrestaurant
- Playgroundamenitiesplayground
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Fraser Coast Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.