Soldiers Hill
Mining shapes almost every metric in Soldiers Hill. With 35% of employed residents working in the sector, this 1,796-person suburb in outback Queensland sits in the 92.1st income percentile nationally, yet the median house price is estimated at $452,000, far below what that income rank would imply in coastal cities. The median age of 31 is 9 years below the national figure, reflecting a transient workforce skewing young. Vacancy at 15.1% is elevated, consistent with fly-in fly-out patterns that leave dwellings periodically empty.
Population
1,796
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,483/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$452K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The estimated median house price of $452,000 is moderate relative to household income in the 92.1st percentile, and both mortgage stress and rent stress metrics confirm it: mortgage-to-income sits at 14.0% and rent-to-income at 15.2%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 95.1%, with 67.5% of dwellings having 3 bedrooms and 23.6% having 4 or more, so buyers get substantial footprints. The 44.9% mortgage rate is higher than the 19.4% who own outright, suggesting many residents are still building equity. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500, which is achievable for a household earning at the 92.1st percentile nationally.
For Buyers
The estimated median house price of $452,000 is moderate relative to household income in the 92.1st percentile, and both mortgage stress and rent stress metrics confirm it: mortgage-to-income sits at 14.0% and rent-to-income at 15.2%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 95.1%, with 67.5% of dwellings having 3 bedrooms and 23.6% having 4 or more, so buyers get substantial footprints. The 44.9% mortgage rate is higher than the 19.4% who own outright, suggesting many residents are still building equity. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500, which is achievable for a household earning at the 92.1st percentile nationally.
For Investors
A 35.7% renter share provides a meaningful tenant base, and weekly rent of $378 against a $452,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.4%, above typical capital city levels. However, the 15.1% vacancy rate is a significant risk factor, driven by the mining industry's fly-in fly-out workforce, which can leave properties untenanted during roster gaps. Zero development applications in the past 12 months signals low supply pressure, but also limited growth in the investor pipeline. The high unemployment rate of just 1.9% and full-time employment rate of 79.4% indicate that employed residents are stable earners, supporting rental payment reliability when tenanted.
Schools in Soldiers Hill iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Barkly Highway State School
Prep-6 · 266 students
Demographics
The median age of 31 is 9 years below the national average, driven by a workforce that skews toward prime working-age adults rather than families staying long-term. University qualifications at 21.2% are 8.9 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting the trade and operational nature of mining employment. Overseas-born residents account for 13.5% of the population, 8.1 points below national, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (604), Irish (206) and Scottish (173). Average household size of 2.6 is slightly above the national figure at plus 0.1. Couples with children make up the largest family group at 726, compared to 317 couples without children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.1%
Houses
1.7%
Townhouse
2.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Soldiers Hill's housing market is defined by its detached house dominance: 95.1% of dwellings are separate houses, with apartments at just 2.1% and semi-detached at 1.7%. This is substantially higher than the national average for detached housing. Tenure splits show 44.9% with a mortgage, 19.4% owning outright and 35.7% renting, which is consistent with a mobile workforce where ownership is not the dominant mode. Three-bedroom homes account for 67.5% of all dwellings and 4-plus bedroom homes for 23.6%, so the stock caters to family-sized households. The 15.1% vacancy rate is well above average and reflects the cyclical nature of resource industry employment, where workers may maintain a dwelling but be absent for extended roster periods.
Mortgage / mo
$1,500
Rent / wk
$378
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,353
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.1%
Unoccupied
113
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
14.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.1%
Couples, no children
1,432
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining employs 35.0% of Soldiers Hill's workforce (221 residents), dominating the local economy at a rate far above any state or national comparison. Healthcare is second at 14.4% (91 workers) and Education third at 12.8% (81 workers), together providing an essential-services foundation independent of commodity cycles. Public Administration contributes 9.7% (61 workers), reflecting the regional centre function of the broader area. By occupation, Professionals (166) and Machinery/Drivers (157) lead, an unusual pairing that reflects the dual nature of a resource town where technical site operators work alongside administrative and health professionals. The unemployment rate of 1.9% is well below national levels, and the full-time employment rate of 79.4% is high, confirming that the local labour market is tight.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
79.4%
Part-time
18.7%
Participation
69.7%
Employed
907
Occupations
Top Industries
University
21.2%
Postgraduate
4.6%
Born Overseas
13.5%
Dwellings
634
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total: 87.9% of workers commute by car and only 0.5% use public transport, which is typical for a remote Queensland resource town where distances between home, work and services are large. Volunteering at 14.2% indicates community engagement, and only 3.2% of residents (53 people) need daily assistance, reflecting the young and working-age demographic. Rent-to-income at 15.2% and mortgage-to-income at 14.0% mean housing costs consume a below-average share of income compared to most Australian suburbs, a practical advantage for residents managing remote living expenses. No schools are recorded in the suburb boundary, so families rely on institutions in nearby areas. Crime data is not available for this suburb.
Drive
87.9%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
3.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Soldiers Hill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Soldiers Hill a good suburb to live in?
Soldiers Hill suits residents employed in the mining sector: household income sits in the 92.1st percentile nationally, housing costs are low relative to income with mortgage-to-income at 14.0%, and the unemployment rate is just 1.9%. The trade-off is heavy car dependence, a 15.1% vacancy rate from a transient workforce, and limited public services within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Soldiers Hill?
The median house price is estimated at $452,000 based on 2025 rental data. Weekly rent averages $378 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,500, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 14.0%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The suburb has 95.1% separate houses, so detached properties dominate the market.
What schools are in Soldiers Hill?
No schools are recorded within the Soldiers Hill suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on educational facilities in the broader regional area. The local university qualification rate is 21.2%, which is 8.9 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the trade and technical focus of the mining workforce.
Is Soldiers Hill safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Soldiers Hill in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the unemployment rate is just 1.9%, well below national levels, and housing stress metrics are low, with rent-to-income at 15.2% and mortgage-to-income at 14.0%, both factors associated with lower financial stress and related crime risk.
Is Soldiers Hill good for property investment?
The 35.7% renter share and $378 weekly rent against a $452,000 median imply a gross yield near 4.4%, higher than most capital city markets. The main risk is the 15.1% vacancy rate, driven by the mining industry's fly-in fly-out workforce. Zero development applications in 12 months means no new supply pressure, but demand is cyclically tied to commodity activity.
How is Soldiers Hill's population changing?
No formal population forecast is available for Soldiers Hill in this dataset. The suburb has a 25% annual address-change turnover rate, indicating high residential mobility consistent with a resource-sector workforce. The median age of 31 is 9 years below the national figure, and 75% of residents remained in the same address over the prior year, suggesting a stable core amid broader workforce movement.
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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