QLD · Council TBC
Whitsundays
Current weather
21.6°CClear sky
82% humidity · 16 km/h wind · 24.2° / 20.9° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Whitsundays wears its coastal identity openly, a smaller community built around sand, sea and an easy outdoor rhythm. The coast is the anchor, with regional towns nearby for markets, dining and weekend exploring. Sea breezes and coastal air are part of everyday life, especially on warmer evenings.
A younger crowd gives the area energy, with plenty of residents in steady employment. Local parks and tree cover add a welcome outdoor dimension to suburban life. Property is in demand, reflecting the appeal of living in a place people actively choose.
The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and growth momentum lag similar coastal suburbs, despite relative strength in community and employment and safety. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 2,281
- Median age
- 29
- Median household income / week
- $1,902
- Dwelling vacancy
- 14.6%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 23 of 157
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,790
- Employment rate
- 69.9%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 41 / 6 / 10
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
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,081
- Hamilton Island State 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
Planning & development
Development applications from QLD coordinated projects (lodged 2020–2026).
1 planning-related records
Other· 1 proposal
- Dent Island Golf Course ResortIntegrated golf course and residential resort.Completed EIS project
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- QLD coordinated projects — Queensland Department of State Development · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · State coordinated projects register (not council DAs)
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
- 3
- Emergency department
- On site
- Allied Health Servicesclinic
- Clinicclinic
- Medical Centrehospital
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)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 6/10
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
3 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Hamilton Island Kindykindergarten
- childcarechildcare
- 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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 9
- Parks (OSM)
- 2
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
- 47.0/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 36% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 2321st in Australia
- State rank
- 535th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #38 among Coastal & beach · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #66 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 69%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Hamilton Island Kindychildcarekindergarten
- childcarechildcarechildcare
- kindergartenchildcarekindergarten
- Allied Health Serviceshealthclinic
- Clinichealthclinic
- Medical Centrehealthhospital
- Dent Island Golf Course ResortplanningIntegrated golf course and residential resort.Completed EIS project
- Hamilton Island State 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
- QLD coordinated projects — Queensland Department of State Development · Updated on site · State coordinated projects register (not council DAs)
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.