Arriga
With 93% of residents identifying as male, Arriga stands out as one of Australia's most gender-skewed localities, a direct consequence of its agricultural economy where 49% of employed residents work in farming. The suburb covers 155.72 km2 in Far North Queensland, population 1,323, at a sparse density of 8.5 people per km2. Despite the rural character, household income sits in the 82.4th percentile nationally, above the typical country town, because station managers and agricultural proprietors dominate the workforce. The median age is 33, which is 7 years below the national figure, and 100% of dwellings are separate houses because no apartment or semi-detached stock exists.
Population
1,323
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,166/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Median House
$367K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $367,000 sits well below state and national medians, making entry affordable for buyers who are comfortable with remote living. Monthly mortgage repayments of approximately $1,482 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 15.8%, compared to the national average well above 25%, meaning housing stress is minimal. All dwellings are separate houses, with 53.7% having 3 bedrooms and 31.5% having 4 or more bedrooms, so buyers get substantial space for modest outlay. Nearly half of residents, 48%, own their home outright with no mortgage, indicating a stable long-term owner base rather than a speculative market. The price estimate is derived from rental data for 2025, so buyers should verify with current sales evidence.
For Buyers
The median house price of $367,000 sits well below state and national medians, making entry affordable for buyers who are comfortable with remote living. Monthly mortgage repayments of approximately $1,482 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 15.8%, compared to the national average well above 25%, meaning housing stress is minimal. All dwellings are separate houses, with 53.7% having 3 bedrooms and 31.5% having 4 or more bedrooms, so buyers get substantial space for modest outlay. Nearly half of residents, 48%, own their home outright with no mortgage, indicating a stable long-term owner base rather than a speculative market. The price estimate is derived from rental data for 2025, so buyers should verify with current sales evidence.
For Investors
A rental vacancy rate of 18.5% is significantly higher than the national average of around 2%, flagging excess supply relative to tenant demand in this remote location. Weekly rent of $266 against a $367,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.8%, modest but higher than coastal markets. The renter share is 28%, lower than national averages, because 48% own outright and only 24% carry a mortgage, constraining the tenant pool. Development activity is minimal, with just 1 application in the past 12 months, a boundary realignment rather than new dwellings, so supply growth from construction is not a near-term risk. The high vacancy rate is the primary caution; investors should verify whether the rate reflects seasonal agricultural worker fluctuation or structural oversupply.
Development Activity
Total DAs
9
Last 12 Months
1
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The resident population skews sharply male at 93%, well above the national 50/50 split, because the agricultural industry that employs 49% of workers is male-dominated. The median age of 33 sits 7 years below the national figure, pointing to a working-age population rather than a retiree base. Overseas-born residents account for only 6.8% of the population, which is 14.8 percentage points below the national average, consistent with the Anglo-Celtic ancestry profile where English (43), Italian (41), and Irish (15) are the recorded ancestry groups. Average household size of 2.9 persons is 0.4 above the national figure, reflecting the prevalence of couples with children: 51 of 136 families are couple-with-children households. Volunteering runs at 25.2%, above average for a rural area.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Every dwelling in Arriga is a separate house, making it a fully detached market with no apartment or semi-detached product. The bedroom profile skews larger than national norms: 53.7% are 3-bedroom and 31.5% are 4-plus bedroom homes, with only 14.8% at 2 bedrooms, reflecting the larger household sizes on rural properties. Tenure is dominated by outright owners at 48%, more than double the national rate, because long-established farming families hold their properties debt-free. Renters account for 28% and mortgage holders 24%. Rent-to-income at 12.3% is well below the stress threshold of 30%, suggesting housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes, which sit in the 82.4th income percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,482
Rent / wk
$266
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$924
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
18.5%
Unoccupied
12
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
12.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.3%
Couples, no children
136
Total families
Economy & Employment
Agriculture accounts for 49% of local employment, making Arriga one of Queensland's most agriculture-dependent suburbs, compared to a national agricultural employment share typically below 3%. Construction (11.8%), Manufacturing (9.8%) and Education (9.8%) fill out the remaining industry mix. By occupation, Managers lead at 37 workers, consistent with the station-owner and property-manager structure of agricultural enterprises, followed by Clerical/Admin (19) and Labourers (15). The unemployment rate is 2.9%, low by national standards, and the full-time employment rate of 75.8% is high, because seasonal farm work tends toward full-time seasonal contracts. Personal weekly income averages $924 and family weekly income averages $2,374, placing households firmly above median nationally at the 82.4th percentile.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
75.8%
Part-time
21.3%
Participation
7.8%
Employed
99
Occupations
Top Industries
University
27.2%
Postgraduate
N/A
Born Overseas
6.8%
Dwellings
55
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high, with 81.7% of residents driving to work, above the national car-commute share, because public transport infrastructure is absent in this remote rural area. An estimated 8.5% walk or cycle, likely reflecting short on-property travel rather than active commute infrastructure. No schools are recorded within the Arriga boundary, so families with children commute to educational facilities in Mareeba or other nearby towns. Crime statistics are not available for Arriga, and SEIFA index data is not recorded, limiting direct disadvantage comparisons. Housing cost indicators are supportive of livability: mortgage-to-income at 15.8% and rent-to-income at 12.3% are both well below national stress benchmarks. Only 1.9% of residents, approximately 3 people, require daily assistance.
Drive
81.7%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
8.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Arriga compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Arriga a good suburb to live in?
Arriga suits those seeking rural Far North Queensland living with low housing costs. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 15.8% and rent-to-income of 12.3% are well below stress thresholds, and household income sits in the 82.4th percentile nationally. The trade-offs are remoteness, no schools within the suburb, and an 18.5% rental vacancy rate that signals limited local services.
What is the median house price in Arriga?
The median house price is approximately $367,000, estimated from rental data for 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average around $1,482, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 15.8%, far below the national average. All homes are separate houses, with 53.7% having 3 bedrooms and 31.5% having 4 or more bedrooms.
What schools are in Arriga?
No schools are recorded within the Arriga suburb boundary. Families with school-age children typically access schools in Mareeba, the nearest service centre. Despite the lack of local schools, 27.2% of residents hold university qualifications, which is slightly below the national average of approximately 30%.
Is Arriga safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Arriga in this dataset. As indirect indicators, the suburb has a low unemployment rate of 2.9% and housing stress is minimal, with mortgage-to-income at 15.8% and rent-to-income at 12.3%, both well below national stress thresholds. Only 1.9% of residents, around 3 people, need daily assistance.
Is Arriga good for property investment?
The investment case is mixed. Weekly rent of $266 against a $367,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.8%, which is higher than many coastal markets. However, a vacancy rate of 18.5% is significantly above the national average of around 2%, indicating excess rental stock. Just 1 development application was lodged in the past 12 months, so new supply competition is minimal.
How is Arriga's population changing?
Arriga's population is 1,323 across 155.72 km2. Forward forecasts are not available for this suburb. The resident stability is moderate, with 76.3% of people staying at the same address over the reference period. The median age of 33 is 7 years below the national figure, and 51 of 136 families are couples with children, suggesting an active family-formation stage rather than population decline.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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