Garbutt QLD 4814
Garbutt sits 1,356 km from Brisbane CBD in Queensland, around 15 hours 30 minutes by car. Census data records 2,309 residents with a median age of 42 and a median household income of $56,264 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The suburb fell 3.6% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $220 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,300. Garbutt is characterised by high aircraft noise risk and high crime risk. 1 school sits within the suburb boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Garbutt a good suburb?
Garbutt scores a D (15/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on safety and community.
Mixed results
1 school
Some car dependence
Walkability 32/100 · 1355.6 km · 930 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $565K
High crime risk
Fire 52/100 · Crime 98/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 1/10 · median age 42 · 2,309 residents
Liveability Rating
15 / 100 · Ranked #1057 in QLDEach bar is Garbutt's rank among QLD suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
Flood data for Queensland covers only the areas mapped there — a blank here is not an all-clear.
How do you rate the liveability in Garbutt?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
15 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataGarbutt's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $565,000, roughly 15% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$565,000
17% below its 6 neighbours (median $680,000)
Based on 77 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 27 days — median across 23 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 11 sales $465K
- 3 bed 52 sales $562K
- 4 bed 9 sales $650K
Units
$395,000
10% below its 3 neighbours (median $438,500)
Based on 29 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 23 days — median across 6 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 18 sales $388K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Garbutt are currently listed at around $599,000 on average. Based on 12 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$599K
12 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$449K
5 units listed in the last 6 months.
17 of the suburb's 998 dwellings (1.7%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Garbutt rent for around $550 a week on average, based on 15 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$550/wk
12% below its 4 neighbours (median $625/wk)
15 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$530/wk
5 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
20 rentals advertised against an estimated 570 rented homes (3.5%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $600/wk
- 17 bonds
- +44% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025117 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 26% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4814.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$550/week ($29,000 a year) on a $599,000 median
$530/week ($28,000 a year) on a $449,000 median
Based on a small sample (5 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Garbutt safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Garbutt sits in the high band, with 454 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 24% on the prior year. The longer-run trend has eased steadily across the available years.
454 offences
24.0% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–202498 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 5 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Aircraft Noise
ANEF Contour Details
Unacceptable for residential
Unacceptable for residential
Unacceptable for residential
Unacceptable for residential
Unacceptable for residential
Significant impact — conditional building
Significant impact — conditional building
Moderate impact — noise insulation required
Noticeable aircraft noise
Schools
One school serve Garbutt, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 78 students in one school (avg 78)
Primary
Universities nearby
1.1% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Garbutt is car-dependent on foot — at 32/100, most errands require a car. Within the suburb there are 2 supermarkets, 4 parks and 9 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Garbutt.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 63.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 58.6 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 20.9 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 18.1 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Garbutt.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 91%
- Premises covered
- 3,077
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Townsville: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 6 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the suburb closely.
Garbutt is home to about 2,300 residents, with a median age of 42, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $56,000 a year, with unemployment at 9.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
2,309
Median Age
42
Median Household Income
$56,264/yr
Census Median Rent
$220/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,300/mo
Avg Household Size
2.0
Median Personal Income
$33,436/yr
Unemployment Rate
9.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
15.5%
Total Dwellings
998
Owner-Occupier Rate
42.9%
Houses
65.3%
Rental Stress
20.3%
Mortgage Stress
27.7%
Work From Home
3.6%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
248 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 11 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 548 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 72.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 78.0%
- Employment Rate
- 46.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 35.5%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
59 residents (2.6%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
3.1% of residents (67) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Brisbane (21).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 2,191 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (7 of 923).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 10,346 people work here; 923 employed residents live here.
A jobs hub: 11.2 jobs for every working resident. At least 91% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,810 a year through Townsville based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Townsville
In the year to August 2026, 1,096 new dwellings were approved across Townsville. That mix is 991 houses and 105 units. Approvals are down 22.3% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Gurambilbarra Wulgurukaba People.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. A native title claim over this area is registered with the Federal Court.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 15.6 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.25 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1 · NO₂ 0.
From the North Ward (Townsville, North Queensland) monitoring station, 4.5 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Townsville Aero, 1.2 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 14 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 3.3 km
- 4.6 km to a named beach
- Near high-voltage lines
- 0.4% of addresses
- 12 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 1,304 mm
- 65 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 31.8°C
- 5 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 15.0°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
7 facilities within 5 km- 0.7 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Ethylbenzene
- 0.8 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Toluene (methylbenzene)
- 2.3 km
- 2.5 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Total Phosphorus · Ammonia (total)
- 2.6 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 4814, 255 of 37,206 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.5% (1,301 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.2%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4814, 10,939 rooftop-solar systems totalling 76.8 MW have been installed since 2001, against 17,273 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 667 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$30,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
$30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, with no end date. IT DID NOT REVERT TO $15,000: the tier was due to end 30 June 2026 and the 2026-27 Queensland Budget (23 June 2026) continued it for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. This file carried a "due to revert" note until 2026-09-18 — it was never true, and a note predicting a change is not the same as a change. Cap is "less than $750,000" including land and contract variations — less than, not up to. New homes only: "There are no home owner grants for established homes."
Mortgage repayments
9 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 20 across postcode 4814.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Queensland Revenue Office
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $30,000 — see what qualifies with Queensland Revenue Office.
At $565,000 this is under the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $30,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Queensland Revenue Office.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Phillip Thompson Liberal National Party of Queensland
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Phillip Thompson | 36.6% | 63.4% | -1.6 |
| 2022 | Phillip Thompson | 38.2% | 61.8% | +3.4 |
| 2019 | Phillip Thompson | 41.6% | 58.4% | +8.4 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Adam Baillie Liberal National Party of Queensland
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Adam Baillie LNP | 55.6% |
| 2020 | Scott Stewart ALP | 53.1% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Garbutt?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 2,309 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
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Compare Garbutt to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Garbutt
Is Garbutt a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Garbutt is high (98/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Garbutt?
Garbutt has a moderate recorded bushfire history (52/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Part of it sits inside an aircraft noise contour. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Garbutt a good place to live?
Garbutt has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (15/100), ranked against other QLD suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Garbutt?
Garbutt, QLD had a population of 2,309 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Garbutt, QLD?
The postcode for Garbutt, QLD is 4814.
How far is Garbutt from Brisbane?
Garbutt is 1,356 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 930 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Garbutt?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Garbutt was $56,264 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Garbutt?
The median advertised rent in Garbutt is $550 a week for houses (15 listings) and $530 a week for units (5 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Garbutt?
The median age of residents in Garbutt was 42 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Garbutt at risk of bushfire?
Garbutt has a moderate recorded bushfire history (52/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Garbutt?
There is 1 school inside the Garbutt boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Garbutt walkable?
Garbutt scores 32/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Garbutt?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Garbutt (North Ward (Townsville, North Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.0 µg/m³ and PM10 of 15.6 µg/m³. That puts Garbutt below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Garbutt?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Garbutt, Townsville Aero (1.2 km away), summer days average 31.8°C, winter nights 15°C, 1,304 mm of rain a year over 65 rainy days, and 5 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Garbutt?
First-home buyers in QLD may be eligible for $30,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by Queensland Revenue Office; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Garbutt belong to?
Garbutt sits within the Townsville local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Garbutt?
The average residential rates bill through Townsville is $1,810 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Garbutt?
Across Townsville, 1,096 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 22.3% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Garbutt in?
Garbutt sits within the federal Division of Herbert, currently held by Phillip Thompson (Liberal National Party of Queensland).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2025–26
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2020–2024
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2024
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.