Blackwater
Mining drives nearly half of Blackwater's economy, with 47.2% of workers (626 people) employed in the sector, and that single fact shapes almost everything else about this central Queensland town. Household income sits in the 89.5th percentile nationally despite a median house price of just $287,000, because mining wages flow into a town where 64.7% of residents rent rather than buy. The median age of 31 runs 9 years below the national figure, reflecting a young, transient workforce, and the 31.8% vacancy rate points to housing built for a workforce that comes and goes with the resource cycle. University qualifications reach only 12.3%, which is 17.8 points below the national average, consistent with a labour market built on machinery operators and drivers.
Population
4,702
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,358/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$287K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $287,000 median house price, Blackwater is among the most affordable detached-house markets in Queensland, and the affordability is structural rather than incidental. Separate houses make up 92.7% of the stock, so buyers are not competing with apartments, which sit at just 4.9%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 58.4% and 4-plus bedroom homes account for 33.7%, suiting the family profile where couples with children total 1,644 households. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of only 10.6%, far below the 30% stress threshold and well under what most Australian markets demand. With household income in the 89.5th percentile against such low prices, the buy case is unusually strong for owner-occupiers, though resale depends on the mining cycle holding up.
For Buyers
At a $287,000 median house price, Blackwater is among the most affordable detached-house markets in Queensland, and the affordability is structural rather than incidental. Separate houses make up 92.7% of the stock, so buyers are not competing with apartments, which sit at just 4.9%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 58.4% and 4-plus bedroom homes account for 33.7%, suiting the family profile where couples with children total 1,644 households. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of only 10.6%, far below the 30% stress threshold and well under what most Australian markets demand. With household income in the 89.5th percentile against such low prices, the buy case is unusually strong for owner-occupiers, though resale depends on the mining cycle holding up.
For Investors
Blackwater is a renter's town, with 64.7% of residents renting against weekly rent of $220, which gives landlords a deep tenant pool. The catch is the 31.8% vacancy rate, far above what most markets carry, because housing supply was built for peak-mining workforces that have since thinned. Against the $287,000 median, that $220 rent implies a gross yield near 4%, higher than capital-city averages, but the elevated vacancy means rent is not guaranteed. With mining employing 47.2% of the workforce, demand is tied directly to commodity cycles rather than diversified population growth. No development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, signalling little new supply, so the investment case rests on yield during boom periods rather than steady capital growth.
Schools in Blackwater iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Blackwater North State School
Prep-6 · 446 students
Blackwater State High School
7-12 · 307 students
Blackwater State School
Prep-6 · 127 students
Demographics
The median age of 31 is 9.0 years below the national figure, marking Blackwater as a young, working-age town rather than a settled family suburb. Overseas-born residents make up only 12.0%, which is 9.6 points below national, and ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,506), Irish (410) and Scottish (371). University qualifications reach just 12.3%, 17.8 points below the national average, because the local economy rewards trade and operator skills over degrees. Average household size is 2.6, marginally above national, fitting a town where couples with children (1,644 families) outnumber couples without children (733). Christianity is the dominant religion at 1,818 residents, with very small Buddhist (40) and Hindu (17) communities reflecting the low overseas-born share.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.7%
Houses
2.1%
Townhouse
4.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily weighted to renting: 64.7% rent, 24.0% carry a mortgage and only 11.3% own outright, the inverse of most Australian suburbs and a direct result of a mobile mining workforce. The stock is 92.7% separate houses, with apartments at 4.9% and semi-detached at 2.1%, so detached living is effectively the only option. Three-bedroom homes make up 58.4% and 4-plus bedroom homes 33.7%, leaving smaller dwellings scarce. The $287,000 median against household income in the 89.5th percentile produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 10.6% and rent-to-income of 9.3%, both far below stress levels. The 31.8% vacancy rate, well above national norms, reflects oversupply left behind when the workforce contracted.
Mortgage / mo
$1,083
Rent / wk
$220
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,268
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
31.8%
Unoccupied
697
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
9.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
10.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.0%
Couples, no children
3,191
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining dominates the local economy, employing 47.2% of workers (626 people), more than four times the next sector, Education at 10.1% (134). Hospitality (6.6%), Construction (5.7%) and Healthcare (5.4%) round out the top five, all serving the mining base. By occupation, Machinery Operators and Drivers lead at 678, followed by Labourers (282) and Professionals (202), confirming a blue-collar workforce. Unemployment sits at 5.4% with a high full-time employment rate of 77.4%, above the national pattern, because mining roles are predominantly full-time. The participation rate of 62.2% and 538 residents not in the labour force reflect the young families in town. The concentration in one industry is the central economic risk, leaving incomes exposed to commodity cycles.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
77.4%
Part-time
17.2%
Participation
62.2%
Employed
2,122
Occupations
Top Industries
University
12.3%
Postgraduate
1.7%
Born Overseas
12.0%
Dwellings
1,496
Transport to Work
Blackwater is built around the car, with 74.0% of residents driving to work, above the national reliance, while public transport carries only 8.7% and walking or cycling 6.0%, reflecting a remote town spread across 657 square kilometres at just 7.2 people per square kilometre. Affordability is the standout livability factor: rent-to-income sits at 9.3% and mortgage-to-income at 10.6%, both far below the levels that strain most Australian households. Volunteering runs at 17.3% and only 2.8% of residents (110 people) need daily assistance, consistent with a young, working-age population at a median age of 31. The young profile and high full-time employment of 77.4% point to a town centred on work rather than lifestyle amenity.
Drive
74.0%
Public Transport
8.7%
Walk / Cycle
6.0%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Blackwater compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blackwater a good suburb to live in?
Blackwater suits mining workers and young families chasing affordability. The median house price is just $287,000 and mortgage-to-income sits at 10.6%, far below the 30% stress level. Household income reaches the 89.5th percentile nationally, though the economy leans heavily on mining at 47.2% of jobs.
What is the median house price in Blackwater?
The median house price is $287,000, among the most affordable detached markets in Queensland. Weekly rent averages $220 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,083, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 10.6%, well below the national stress threshold of 30%.
What schools are in Blackwater?
No schools are recorded inside the Blackwater boundary in this dataset, so detailed school data is unavailable. The town has a young profile with a median age of 31, which is 9 years below the national figure, and university qualifications reach only 12.3%.
Is Blackwater safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Blackwater in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, only 2.8% of the 4,702 residents need daily assistance and volunteering runs at 17.3%, both consistent with a stable, young working-age community rather than a high-need area.
Is Blackwater good for property investment?
Rent of $220 a week against a $287,000 median gives a gross yield near 4%, above capital-city averages. The catch is a 31.8% vacancy rate, far higher than most markets, because mining drives 47.2% of jobs and demand follows the commodity cycle rather than steady growth.
How is Blackwater's population changing?
Blackwater has high resident mobility, with a turnover rate of 30.4% meaning nearly a third moved within five years, while 69.6% stayed. The population of 4,702 tracks the mining cycle, with 47.2% of workers in the sector, and the median age of 31 stays 9 years below national.
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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