Rowes Bay QLD 4810
Rowes Bay sits 1,358 km from Brisbane CBD in Queensland, around 15 hours 45 minutes by car. Census data records 541 residents with a median age of 69 and a median household income of $44,356 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 40% nationally. Population fell 5.6% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $265 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,875. The area shows high aircraft noise risk and high crime risk. All 1 school within the suburb boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Rowes Bay a good suburb?
Rowes Bay scores a C (36/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on community, weaker on transit and safety.
Mixed results
1 school · 1 above peer schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 25/100 · 1358 km · 945 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $965K
High crime risk
Fire 43/100 · Crime 98/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 8/10 · median age 69 · 541 residents
Liveability Rating
36 / 100 · Ranked #826 in QLDEach bar is Rowes Bay'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 Rowes Bay?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
36 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataThe median house sale price in Rowes Bay sits at $965,000, broadly flat year-on-year. That said, only three sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.
$965,000
Based on only 3 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 94 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025127 Acceptable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 24% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4810.
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 Rowes Bay safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Rowes Bay sits in the high band, with 174 incidents recorded in 2025 — down roughly 16% on the prior year.
174 offences
15.5% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–20242 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
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
Significant impact — conditional building
Significant impact — conditional building
Moderate impact — noise insulation required
Noticeable aircraft noise
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 833 m
- Rate
- -0.23 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -13.3 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Rowes Bay, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Cleveland Education and Training Centre leads the pack.
- • 98 students in one school (avg 98)
Combined
Universities nearby
0.7% 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
Rowes Bay is car-dependent on foot — at 25/100, most errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Rowes Bay.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 2.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 2.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 1.0 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 29.5 min
- Span of service
- 11.3 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 Rowes Bay.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 57%
- Premises covered
- 444
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
Rowes Bay is home to 541 residents, with a median age of 69 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $44,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
541
Median Age
69
Median Household Income
$44,356/yr
Census Median Rent
$265/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,875/mo
Avg Household Size
1.7
Median Personal Income
$31,044/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
16.1%
Total Dwellings
230
Owner-Occupier Rate
65.2%
Houses
36.1%
Rental Stress
31.1%
Mortgage Stress
50.7%
Work From Home
10.1%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
0 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 15 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 56 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 69.3%
- English Spoken at Home
- 82.4%
- Employment Rate
- 29.3%
- Completed Year 12
- 34.8%
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.
0 residents (0.0%) 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.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, 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 $1,810 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, 2.7 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Townsville Aero, 1.8 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 6 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 832 m
- 2.6 km to a named beach
- 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
5 facilities within 5 km- 1.6 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Toluene (methylbenzene)
- 1.8 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Ethylbenzene
- 4.3 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Total Phosphorus · Ammonia (total)
- 4.5 km
- 4.8 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 4810, 219 of 18,594 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.9% (732 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4810, 3,805 rooftop-solar systems totalling 31.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 11,242 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 332 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
10 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 4810.
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 $965,000 this is $215,000 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 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 Rowes Bay?
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 541 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 Rowes Bay 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 Rowes Bay
Is Rowes Bay a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Rowes Bay 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 Rowes Bay?
Rowes Bay has a moderate recorded bushfire history (43/100, 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 Rowes Bay a good place to live?
Rowes Bay has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (36/100), 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 Rowes Bay?
Rowes Bay, QLD had a population of 541 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Rowes Bay, QLD?
The postcode for Rowes Bay, QLD is 4810.
How far is Rowes Bay from Brisbane?
Rowes Bay is 1,358 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 945 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Rowes Bay?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Rowes Bay was $44,356 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 Rowes Bay?
There are too few current rental listings in Rowes Bay for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $265, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Rowes Bay?
The median age of residents in Rowes Bay was 69 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Rowes Bay at risk of bushfire?
Rowes Bay has a moderate recorded bushfire history (43/100). 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 Rowes Bay?
There is 1 school inside the Rowes Bay boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Rowes Bay walkable?
Rowes Bay scores 25/100 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 Rowes Bay?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Rowes Bay (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 Rowes Bay 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 Rowes Bay?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Rowes Bay, Townsville Aero (1.8 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 Rowes Bay?
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 Rowes Bay belong to?
Rowes Bay sits within the Townsville local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Rowes Bay?
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 Rowes Bay?
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 Rowes Bay in?
Rowes Bay 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
- 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.