Located in Queensland, Shaw sits 1,363 km from Brisbane CBD, around 15 hours 30 minutes by car. The suburb has 760 residents, a median age of 28, and a median household income of $104,832 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The suburb grew 38.2% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $322 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. Shaw is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. 2 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Shaw a good suburb?
Shaw scores a C (40/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on community, weaker on transit and safety.
Mixed results
2 schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 22/100 · 1363.4 km · 930 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $708K
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 87/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 7/10 · median age 28 · 760 residents
Liveability Rating
40 / 100 · Ranked #766 in QLDEach bar is Shaw'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 Shaw?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
40 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
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Median Land Price
Public listings dataShaw's land market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $253,000, about 8% above where it sat a year earlier.
Land
$253,400
Based on 80 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Houses
$708,500
In line with its 6 neighbours (median $705,000)
Based on 74 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 26 days — median across 17 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 17 sales $645K
- 4 bed 54 sales $728K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Shaw are currently listed at around $762,000 on average. Based on 20 houses listed in the past six months.
$762K
20 houses listed in the last 6 months.
20 of the suburb's 294 dwellings (6.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Shaw rent for around $635 a week on average, based on 8 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$635/wk
8 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
8 rentals advertised against an estimated 151 rented homes (5.3%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025105 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4818.
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$635/week ($33,000 a year) on a $762,000 median
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 Shaw safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Shaw sits in the high band, with 28 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 33% on the prior year.
28 offences
33.3% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–202415 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
Two schools serve Shaw, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 740 students across 2 schools (avg 370)
- • ICSEA 990-1014, median 1002 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Benedict's Catholic School (613 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Shaw is very car-dependent on foot — at 22/100, nearly all errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Shaw.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 2.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 2.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 2.5 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 2 min
- Span of service
- 10.0 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 Shaw.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 65%
- Premises covered
- 214
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
Shaw is home to 760 residents, and skews young, with a median age of 28 against the national 38. Median household income runs at $105,000 a year, with unemployment at 2.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
760
Median Age
28
Median Household Income
$104,832/yr
Census Median Rent
$322/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$58,188/yr
Unemployment Rate
2.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
9.9%
Total Dwellings
294
Owner-Occupier Rate
48.8%
Houses
93.2%
Rental Stress
16.0%
Mortgage Stress
19.8%
Work From Home
6.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
15 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 0 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 146 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 78.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 83.2%
- Employment Rate
- 77%
- Completed Year 12
- 47.5%
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.
16 residents (2.1%) 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.
5.6% of residents (39) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Brisbane (16).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 700 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 (4 of 436).
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 161 people work here; 436 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.4 jobs per working resident. At least 39% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
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.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: at least 776 homes
- Within 2 years 21 to 50 homes
- In 2 to 5 years 51 to 100 homes
- In 5 to 10 years 51 to 100 homes
- In 10 years or more at least 653 homes
Land the Queensland Government's residential land supply study identifies for future housing (6 parcels), 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 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, 11.8 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Townsville Aero, 7.8 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 14 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 9.1 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 0.6% of addresses
- 5 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
6 facilities within 5 km- 2.0 kmGravel and Sand QuarryingTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 3.0 kmIndustrial and Agricultural Chemical Product WholesalingTop reported: Chlorine & compounds · Zinc and compounds · Boron & compounds
- 3.2 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 3.4 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 4.3 kmPrepared Animal and Bird Feed ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 4818, 177 of 28,154 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.1% (581 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4818, 9,962 rooftop-solar systems totalling 74.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 11,493 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 800 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
5 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 4818.
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 $253,400 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 Wayde Chiesa Liberal National Party of Queensland — elected at the Nov 2025 by-election, after the results below
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Nick Dametto KAP | 63.2% |
| 2020 | Nick Dametto KAP | 64.8% |
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 Shaw?
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 760 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.
Featured in
Nearby suburbs
Kirwan QLD 4817
Mount Louisa QLD 4814
Burdell QLD 4818
Deeragun QLD 4818
Bohle Plains QLD 4817
Cosgrove QLD 4818
Compare Shaw 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 Shaw
Is Shaw a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Shaw is high (87/100, 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 Shaw?
Shaw has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Shaw a good place to live?
Shaw has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (40/100), 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 Shaw?
Shaw, QLD had a population of 760 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Shaw, QLD?
The postcode for Shaw, QLD is 4818.
How far is Shaw from Brisbane?
Shaw is 1,363 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 Shaw?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Shaw was $104,832 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 Shaw?
The median advertised rent in Shaw is $635 a week for houses (8 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Shaw?
The median age of residents in Shaw was 28 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Shaw?
There are 2 schools inside the Shaw boundary: 1 at and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Shaw walkable?
Shaw scores 22/100 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 Shaw?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Shaw (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 Shaw 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 Shaw?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Shaw, Townsville Aero (7.8 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 Shaw?
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 Shaw belong to?
Shaw sits within the Townsville local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Shaw?
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 Shaw?
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 Shaw in?
Shaw 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.