North Arm sits 117 km from Brisbane CBD in Queensland, around 1 hour 35 minutes by car. Census data records 734 residents with a median age of 44 and a median household income of $94,432 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the lower-middle tier nationally. Population grew 11.7% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $350 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,975. The area shows no recorded bushfire exposure. All 1 school within the suburb boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is North Arm a good suburb?
North Arm scores a B (56/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on safety, weaker on transit.
Mixed results
1 school · 1 above peer schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 7/100 · 116.8 km · 93 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $1.28M
Low all-round risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 37/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 4/10 · median age 44 · 734 residents
Liveability Rating
56 / 100 · Ranked #398 in QLDEach bar is North Arm'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 North Arm?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
56 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataNorth Arm's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.28 million, roughly 40% above where it sat a year earlier.
$1,280,750
13% below its 5 neighbours (median $1,475,000)
Based on 10 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 51 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
Short-Stay Rentals
9 active Airbnb listings: 7 whole homes and 2 rooms. Whole homes are about 2.9% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is North Arm safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in North Arm sits in the low band, with 7 incidents recorded in 2025 — down roughly 22% on the prior year.
7 offences
22.2% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–202410 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
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.
Schools
One school serve North Arm, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. North Arm State School leads the pack.
- • 356 students in one school (avg 356)
Primary
Walkability
North Arm is very car-dependent on foot — at 7/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in North Arm.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 311
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
Sunshine Coast: 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
North Arm is home to 734 residents, with a median age of 44, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $94,000 a year, with unemployment at 7.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
734
Median Age
44
Median Household Income
$94,432/yr
Census Median Rent
$350/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,975/mo
Avg Household Size
2.9
Median Personal Income
$36,764/yr
Unemployment Rate
7.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
2.9%
Total Dwellings
238
Owner-Occupier Rate
80.5%
Houses
92.9%
Rental Stress
19.3%
Mortgage Stress
25.1%
Work From Home
13.1%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 81.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 93.5%
- Employment Rate
- 58.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 39.6%
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.
5 residents (0.7%) 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.
5.5% of residents (39) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Brisbane (19).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 710 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
2% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (7 of 360).
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.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,690 a year through Sunshine Coast based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Sunshine Coast
In the year to August 2026, 2,962 new dwellings were approved across Sunshine Coast. That mix is 1,757 houses and 1,205 units. Approvals are down 41.1% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 1 to 5 homes
- Within 2 years 1 to 5 homes
Land the Queensland Government's residential land supply study identifies for future housing (1 parcel), by when it expects lots to be registered. Yields are published in ranges, so these are too.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Kabi Kabi First Nation Traditional Owners Native Title Claim Group.
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
CLEANPM2.5 averaged 4.3 µg/m³ in 2025 — below the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 12.3 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0.
From the Nambour (South East Queensland) monitoring station, 14.8 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Gympie, 48.3 kmHigh rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 15 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 13.5 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 1.3% of addresses
- 5 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 1,045 mm
- 88 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 30.9°C
- 14 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.7°C
- 2 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.
EV adoption
In postcode 4561, 86 of 9,204 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.9% (173 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.8%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4561, 3,073 rooftop-solar systems totalling 23.2 MW have been installed since 2001, against 3,097 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 249 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
3 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 4561.
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 $1,280,750 this is $530,750 above 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 Ted O'Brien Liberal National Party of Queensland
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ted O'Brien | 46.8% | 53.2% | +5.7 |
| 2022 | Ted O'Brien | 41.0% | 59.0% | -4.5 |
| 2019 | Ted O'Brien | 36.6% | 63.4% | +2.6 |
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 Dan Purdie Liberal National Party of Queensland
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Dan Purdie LNP | 60.5% |
| 2020 | Dan Purdie LNP | 54.1% |
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 North Arm?
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 734 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.
Nearby suburbs
Eumundi QLD 4562
Ninderry QLD 4561
Yandina Creek QLD 4561
Verrierdale QLD 4562
Valdora QLD 4561
Eerwah Vale QLD 4562
Compare North Arm to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about North Arm
Is North Arm a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in North Arm is low (37/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect North Arm?
North Arm has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is North Arm a good place to live?
North Arm has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (56/100), 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 North Arm?
North Arm, QLD had a population of 734 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for North Arm, QLD?
The postcode for North Arm, QLD is 4561.
How far is North Arm from Brisbane?
North Arm is 117 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 93 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in North Arm?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in North Arm was $94,432 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 North Arm?
There are too few current rental listings in North Arm for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $350, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in North Arm?
The median age of residents in North Arm was 44 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in North Arm?
There is 1 school inside the North Arm boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is North Arm walkable?
North Arm scores 7/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very 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 North Arm?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to North Arm (Nambour (South East Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 4.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 12.3 µg/m³. That puts North Arm below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in North Arm?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to North Arm, Gympie (48.3 km away), summer days average 30.9°C, winter nights 7.7°C, 1,045 mm of rain a year over 88 rainy days, and 14 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in North Arm?
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 North Arm belong to?
North Arm sits within the Sunshine Coast local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in North Arm?
The average residential rates bill through Sunshine Coast is $1,690 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near North Arm?
Across Sunshine Coast, 2,962 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 41.1% 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 North Arm in?
North Arm sits within the federal Division of Fairfax, currently held by Ted O'Brien (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
- 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
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- 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.