Moura
With nearly a third of its workforce in mining, Moura runs a fundamentally different economic engine than most Queensland towns. The median age of 34 is 6 years below the national figure, pointing to a younger, working-age population drawn by resource sector employment. A vacancy rate of 21.3% is unusually high and signals that supply significantly exceeds current demand.
Local council: Banana
Population
1,993
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,787/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,062, representing just 13.7% of household income, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is overwhelmingly freestanding: 93.9% of dwellings are separate houses, with apartments at just 3.1%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 60.3%, and 4-plus bedroom homes account for 28.2%, so families have ample choice. Outright owners make up 28.0% and those with a mortgage 26.2%, with a high 45.7% renting. The affordable entry price relative to income is the key draw, though the 21.3% vacancy rate suggests prices may remain subdued.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,062, representing just 13.7% of household income, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is overwhelmingly freestanding: 93.9% of dwellings are separate houses, with apartments at just 3.1%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 60.3%, and 4-plus bedroom homes account for 28.2%, so families have ample choice. Outright owners make up 28.0% and those with a mortgage 26.2%, with a high 45.7% renting. The affordable entry price relative to income is the key draw, though the 21.3% vacancy rate suggests prices may remain subdued.
For Investors
A 45.7% renting population provides a large tenant base, but the 21.3% vacancy rate is a significant caution signal, indicating supply is well above current demand. The rent-to-income ratio of 12.6% leaves tenants with comfortable headroom, reducing default risk. The local economy depends on mining at 32.3% of industry employment, which creates cyclical demand: rental demand rises with commodity booms and falls sharply with layoffs. With zero development applications lodged in the past 12 months, the market is static rather than growing, so investor returns rely on yield rather than capital appreciation.
Schools in Moura
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Moura State High School
Moura State School
Demographics
The median age of 34 is 6 years below the national average, reflecting the younger workforce drawn by the mining sector. The male majority of 54.4% is consistent with a resource-industry town where machinery and driving roles, which employ 192 workers, skew the gender balance. Only 7.8% of residents were born overseas, which is 13.8 percentage points below the national figure, making Moura one of the more Anglo-dominant communities in the data. Ancestry is led by English (700), Ancestry NS (426), Scottish (153), Irish (145) and German (109). University qualifications at 13.4% run 16.7 points below national, reflecting the trade and vocational nature of mining employment. Volunteering stands at 19.9%, indicating a community-oriented population despite the occupational focus.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
93.9%
Houses
2.2%
Townhouse
3.1%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is almost entirely freestanding, with 93.9% separate houses and only 3.1% apartments, compared to more urbanised areas where apartments often exceed 20-30%. Tenure splits sharply: 45.7% rent, 28.0% own outright and 26.2% hold a mortgage. The high renter share is typical of resource towns where many workers are on short to medium contracts. Three-bedroom homes account for 60.3% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 28.2%, making the area well-suited to families. The 21.3% vacancy rate is the main structural concern and acts as a ceiling on price growth because available stock exceeds current occupancy.
Mortgage / mo
$1,062
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$225
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$882
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
21.3%
Unoccupied
175
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
12.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
13.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.7%
Couples with children
39.9%
Couples, no children
15.9%
Single parent
429
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining accounts for 32.3% of local industry employment, involving 141 workers, and drives the town's above-average incomes. Education is the second-largest sector at 15.3% (67 workers), followed by Construction at 7.6%, Agriculture at 5.7% and Hospitality at 5.5%. By occupation, Machinery and Drivers lead with 192 workers, a direct reflection of the open-cut coal operations in the region. Full-time employment runs at 71.3%, above the national average, and the unemployment rate is 4.2%. Weekly household income of $1,787 places the suburb at the 63rd percentile nationally, notable for a community with only 13.4% university-educated residents, because the mining wage premium compensates for lower formal qualifications. Participation rate of 50.7% reflects that a portion of residents, including mining dependants, are outside the labour force.
Unemployment
3.9%
Labour Force
828
Unemployed
32
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.1%
Part-time
26.6%
Participation
54.5%
Employed
796
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.4%
Postgraduate
1.7%
Born Overseas
7.8%
Dwellings
637
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total: 85.1% of residents drive to work and only 0.8% use public transport, compared to the national average where public transport usage is considerably higher in urban centres. Walking and cycling account for 6.8% of commutes, likely reflecting short distances within the compact town area. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset. The rent-to-income ratio of 12.6% is well below stress levels, meaning tenants are not financially stretched, and mortgage holders face only a 13.7% income commitment. About 5.2% of residents (83 people) need daily assistance. Housing stress indicators are low across the board, which is an advantage compared to higher-cost regional centres, though the limited public transport and service infrastructure reflects the reality of a remote inland Queensland town.
Drive
79.8%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
6.4%
Work from Home
6.2%
Growth Outlook
No forecast data is available for Moura from the current dataset. The population of 1,993 spans 408 sq km, and the demographic profile reflects the cyclical nature of resource extraction rather than organic residential expansion. A residential mobility turnover rate of 31.7% indicates that nearly a third of residents moved in the five years before the census, consistent with a transient workforce rather than settled long-term growth. The 68.3% who stayed reflects a stable core population despite the overall churn. Development activity is flat at zero applications in the past 12 months, suggesting no near-term housing expansion is planned. Future population trends will closely follow coal market conditions rather than broader regional growth patterns seen elsewhere in Queensland.
Population trend: Banana council area
Moura sits in the Banana council area. These are the council area's residents, not Moura's.
Residents 2025
15,144
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.8%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Moura compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Moura a good suburb to live in?
Moura suits those employed in or connected to the mining sector. Household income sits in the 63rd percentile nationally despite lower formal qualifications. The trade-offs are remoteness, near-total car dependence with just 0.8% using public transport, and a 21.3% vacancy rate signalling population instability.
What is the median house price in Moura?
Weekly rent averages $225, giving a gross yield near 4.0% for investors. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,062, representing just 13.7% of household income, well below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Moura?
No schools are recorded inside the Moura suburb boundary in this dataset. Families should check with the Banana Shire Council and Queensland Department of Education for current school locations and enrolments. The suburb's university qualification rate of 13.4% is 16.7 points below the national average, reflecting the vocational focus of local employment.
Is Moura safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Moura in this dataset. As indirect indicators, housing stress is low, with mortgage-to-income at 13.7% and rent-to-income at 12.6%, both well below national stress thresholds. Only 5.2% of residents (83 people) need daily assistance, and volunteering stands at 19.9%, suggesting community cohesion.
Is Moura good for property investment?
However, the 21.3% vacancy rate signals oversupply and limits capital growth prospects. The economy is 32.3% reliant on mining, so rental demand cycles with commodity prices. Zero development applications in the past 12 months means no new supply pressure, but also no growth signal.
How is Moura's population changing?
No forward forecast data is available for Moura. The current population is 1,993 across 408 sq km. A residential turnover rate of 31.7% indicates high mobility, consistent with a transient mining workforce, while 68.3% of residents stayed over the five-year census period. Future trends will closely mirror coal market cycles rather than broader regional population growth.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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