QLD · Townsville Council
Yabulu, 4818
Current weather
21.6°CMainly clear
88% humidity · 4.7 km/h wind · 26.2° / 15.9° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
In Townsville, Yabulu keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. Out in the wider region, it rewards those who value open country and a pace set by the land, not the clock. Wide horizons and a country quiet give the area a restorative, unhurried atmosphere.
The area suits established families and long-term locals, with plenty of young families in the mix. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. Housing remains accessible compared with many parts of the state.
This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and community and employment lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in housing affordability. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 719
- Median age
- 43
- Median household income / week
- $1,354
- Dwelling vacancy
- 5.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 16 of 274
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Employment rate
- 52.6%
- 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)
- 28
- Against the person
- 5
- Against property
- 14
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 38.9
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 144 residents
- State safety percentile
- 49.3th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +7.4%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Drug Offences173
- Other Property Damage123
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)217
- Traffic And Related Offences159
- Unlawful Entry168
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
Roadworks & transport
1 active roadworks / incidents
- At the Saunders Beach Road intersectionBruce Highway, n/a21 Jun 2026 – 10 Jul 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
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
- 1
- Emergency department
- Not in suburb
- Bluewater Pharmacypharmacy
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)
- 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
- 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
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 38.9/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 3677th in Australia
- State rank
- 852nd in QLD
- Peer rank
- #273 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #424 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 52%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Drug Offencescrime173
- Other Property Damagecrime123
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)crime217
- Traffic And Related Offencescrime159
- Unlawful Entrycrime168
- Bluewater Pharmacyhealthpharmacy
- At the Saunders Beach Road intersectionroadworksBruce Highway, n/a21 Jun 2026 – 10 Jul 2026
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Updated on site
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
More in Townsville Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.