Rita Island is a rural locality in Queensland, 1,276 km from Brisbane CBD, around 14 hours 35 minutes by car. Population is 172; the median age is 50 and the median household income is $72,540 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The locality grew 13.2% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $250 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,083. Rita Island is characterised by high coastal erosion risk and high crime risk. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 172. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
How do you rate the liveability in Rita Island?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
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Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025167 Affordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 18% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4807.
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.
Is Rita Island safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Rita Island sits in the high band, with 5 incidents recorded in 2025.
5 offences
Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–2024No crash in Rita Island killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2020–2024.
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 1.9 km
- Rate
- -12.90 m/yr
- Net Movement
- —
- Certainty
- baseline outlier
Data Quality
Schools
Walkability
Rita Island is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, 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 Rita Island.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 85
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
Burdekin: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Rita Island is home to 172 residents, with a median age of 50 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $73,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
172
Median Age
50
Median Household Income
$72,540/yr
Census Median Rent
$250/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,083/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$39,936/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
11.8%
Total Dwellings
68
Owner-Occupier Rate
95.2%
Houses
95.6%
Rental Stress
17.9%
Mortgage Stress
17.9%
Work From Home
11.9%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 78.5%
- English Spoken at Home
- 82.6%
- Employment Rate
- 58.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 17.4%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,502 a year through Burdekin based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Burdekin
In the year to August 2026, 22 new dwellings were approved across Burdekin. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are down 9.1% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Juru People (Part A).
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. Native title over this area has been determined.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6.6 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 17.3 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1.
From the Ayr (North Queensland) monitoring station, 15.5 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Burdekin Shire Council, 15.7 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 8 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 2.0 km
- Annual rainfall
- 992 mm
- 44 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the locality 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 4807, 14 of 10,139 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.0% (198 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4807, 3,228 rooftop-solar systems totalling 26.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 4,775 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 175 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."
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Andrew Willcox Liberal National Party of Queensland
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Andrew Willcox | 38.2% | 61.8% | -1.4 |
| 2022 | Andrew Willcox | 39.6% | 60.4% | -4.2 |
| 2019 | George Christensen | 35.4% | 64.6% | +11.2 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Dale Last Liberal National Party of Queensland
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Dale Last LNP | 65.8% |
| 2020 | Dale Last LNP | 57.0% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Rita Island?
Every figure above is a locality 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 172 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
Compare Rita Island 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 Rita Island
Is Rita Island a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Rita Island is high (73/100, 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 Rita Island?
Rita Island has no recorded bushfire history. These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Rita Island?
Rita Island, QLD had a population of 172 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Rita Island, QLD?
The postcode for Rita Island, QLD is 4807.
How far is Rita Island from Brisbane?
Rita Island is 1,276 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 874 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Rita Island?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Rita Island was $72,540 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 Rita Island?
There are too few current rental listings in Rita Island for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $250, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Rita Island?
The median age of residents in Rita Island was 50 at the 2021 ABS Census.
What is the air quality in Rita Island?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Rita Island (Ayr (North Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.6 µg/m³ and PM10 of 17.3 µg/m³. That puts Rita Island 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 Rita Island?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Rita Island, Burdekin Shire Council (15.7 km away), 992 mm of rain a year over 44 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Rita Island?
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 Rita Island belong to?
Rita Island sits within the Burdekin local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Rita Island?
The average residential rates bill through Burdekin is $1,502 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Rita Island?
Across Burdekin, 22 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 9.1% 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 Rita Island in?
Rita Island sits within the federal Division of Dawson, currently held by Andrew Willcox (Liberal National Party of Queensland).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- 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
- 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.
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