Emerald
Mining income shapes Emerald more than its 14,904 population suggests. Household income sits at the 83.7th percentile, above many regional benchmarks, while the median age of 32 is 8.0 years below national. Compared with nearby Blackwater and Capella, Emerald reads as the Central Highlands service centre: 9 schools, an 833.49 sqkm footprint and a very low density of 17.9 people per sqkm. The trade-off is a housing market with 44.7% renters and a high 16.3% vacancy rate, so local conditions can shift with resources-sector cycles.
Population
14,904
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,202/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$411K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Emerald suits buyers wanting space and manageable repayments rather than a compact urban setting. Separate houses make up 81.2% of dwellings, far higher than apartments at 8.1%, and 50.9% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage payments are $1,647, with mortgage costs at 17.3% of household income, below common stress territory. The missing current median house price means buyers should compare recent sales closely, because mining-linked demand can move faster than a stable coastal or capital-city market.
For Buyers
Emerald suits buyers wanting space and manageable repayments rather than a compact urban setting. Separate houses make up 81.2% of dwellings, far higher than apartments at 8.1%, and 50.9% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage payments are $1,647, with mortgage costs at 17.3% of household income, below common stress territory. The missing current median house price means buyers should compare recent sales closely, because mining-linked demand can move faster than a stable coastal or capital-city market.
For Investors
Emerald is a high-yield-style rental market, but not a low-risk one. Renters make up 44.7% of households and median rent is $300 a week, supported by workforce mobility around mining, education and healthcare. The warning sign is vacancy at 16.3%, higher than a tight rental market, and development approvals are 0 over the past 12 months. Rents have also shifted by -13.0%, so investors need conservative vacancy assumptions because tenant demand is tied to employment cycles rather than only population growth.
Schools in Emerald iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School
Prep-6 · 482 students
Marist College
7-12 · 697 students
Emerald Christian College
Prep-12 · 107 students
St Brigid's Catholic Primary School
Prep-6 · 323 students
Capricornia School of Distance Education
Prep-12 · 5463 students
Demographics
Emerald is young, working-age and less overseas-born than the national profile. The median age is 32, which is 8.0 years below national, and overseas-born residents are 16.0%, or 5.6 percentage points below national. University attainment is 20.3%, 9.8 points below national, reflecting the stronger role of trades, machinery and mining work. Household size is 2.7, about 0.2 above national, while English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts of 5,534, 1,655 and 1,605 point to an Anglo-leaning base with smaller Afrikaans and Mandarin language groups.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.2%
Houses
10.2%
Townhouse
8.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Emerald's housing stock is detached and family-sized, with 81.2% separate houses compared with 10.2% semi-detached dwellings and 8.1% apartments. The tenure mix is more rental-heavy than outright-owned: 44.7% rent, 38.4% have a mortgage and only 16.9% own outright. Bedrooms reinforce the family tilt, with 50.9% of homes at 4-plus bedrooms and 34.9% at 3 bedrooms. Housing costs are not stretched on current incomes, with rent at 13.6% and mortgages at 17.3% of household income, because local wages sit relatively high.
Mortgage / mo
$1,647
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,035
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
16.3%
Unoccupied
965
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
13.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.2%
Couples, no children
11,319
Total families
Economy & Employment
Emerald's economy is concentrated but not one-dimensional. Mining is the largest industry at 21.7% and 1,046 workers, followed by education at 12.6%, healthcare at 10.2%, construction at 7.2% and public admin at 7.0%. Occupations mirror that mix: machinery and drivers number 1,173, professionals 1,094 and labourers 938. Labour force indicators are strong, with 70.7% full-time work, 69.3% participation and 3.4% unemployment. SEIFA is mixed: IEO decile 3 is lower than IER decile 6, while IRSD 6 and IRSAD 5 show income strength offset by education and occupation measures.
Unemployment
2.0%
Labour Force
9,758
Unemployed
194
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
70.7%
Part-time
25.9%
Participation
69.3%
Employed
7,466
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.3%
Postgraduate
3.5%
Born Overseas
16.0%
Dwellings
4,909
Transport to Work
Emerald is car-oriented because services, schools and housing are spread across an 833.49 sqkm area. Car drivers account for 81.7% of commutes, much higher than public transport at 5.8% and walking or cycling at 4.5%. Education choice is a strength for a regional centre, with 9 schools across Government, Catholic and Independent sectors. St Patrick's Catholic Primary has the highest ICSEA at 1021, followed by Marist College at 999 and Emerald Christian College at 996; the full ICSEA range is 878 to 1021, giving families options above and below the suburb's midpoint.
Drive
81.7%
Public Transport
5.8%
Walk / Cycle
4.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.08%/yr
(+164 people/yr)
EstablishedEmerald's growth outlook is steady rather than speculative. The trend path is 1.08% a year, or about 164 people annually, taking the medium scenario from 15,417 in 2026 to 16,235 by 2031. Migration is the key driver: overseas migration averages +102 a year compared with net internal migration of -40, so local growth depends partly on arrivals filling workforce needs. The shift profile is mixed, with affordability improving from 37.5 in 2011 to 29.0 in 2021, while the gentrification score is 4 and the stage is Not gentrifying.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+102
Net Internal / yr
-40
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +12% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Emerald compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Emerald a good suburb to live in?
Emerald can work well for households wanting regional space, schools and employment access. It has 14,904 residents, a young median age of 32 and 9 local schools, but daily life is car-based with 81.7% of commuters driving.
What is the median house price in Emerald?
Emerald's current median house price is not available. For context, typical monthly mortgage payments are $1,647, weekly rent is $300 and 81.2% of dwellings are separate houses, so recent comparable sales are important.
What schools are in Emerald?
Emerald has 9 schools across Government, Catholic and Independent sectors. Higher ICSEA options include St Patrick's Catholic Primary at 1021, Marist College at 999 and Emerald Christian College at 996.
Is Emerald safe?
No suburb-level crime rate is available for Emerald, so safety should be checked at street level. The 833.49 sqkm footprint and 14,904 residents mean conditions can vary between central streets and rural edges.
Is Emerald good for property investment?
Emerald has investment appeal through a 44.7% renter share and $300 weekly rent, but vacancy is high at 16.3%. That makes tenant risk higher than in a tight market, especially when mining-linked demand softens.
How is Emerald's population changing?
Emerald is forecast to grow at 1.08% a year, adding about 164 people annually. The medium path reaches 16,235 residents by 2031, with overseas migration averaging +102 a year and internal migration at -40.
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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