Emerald
QLD 4720 · Central Highlands
14,904 (2021) → 14,910 est. (2025)
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Emerald is a suburb in Central Highlands, QLD 4720, about 657km from Brisbane CBD. Recent property sales in Emerald are too limited to report a reliable median price. The suburb has 10 schools, a transport score of 0/100, and is about 196km inland. Emerald has an overall score of 38/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 70/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
ATO 2023-24, postcode 4720 area — postcode-level, not suburb-specific.
Top countries of birth: New Zealand (3.98%), Philippines (1.69%), South Africa (1.45%), England (1.12%), India (0.74%)
Top languages: Afrikaans (0.91%), Tagalog (0.71%), Mandarin (0.7%), Filipino (0.53%), Punjabi (0.4%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Property
Suburb-level sale prices aren't published for QLD. Median weekly rents:
Source: RTA Queensland · Updated Q1 2026
Residential Safety
QLDdoesn't publish crime data at the suburb level. The rates shown are the Central Highlands local-government-area average applied to this suburb, so other suburbs in the same LGA share the same figures.
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Includes street and public-place assaults — supplementary context, not part of the safety score.
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.
Source: Queensland Police Service (LGA-level) · Updated 2025
Schools
Limited school choices
Below average for school access — fewer schools nearby, and families may need to travel for preferred options.
Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 961 (below the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- St Patrick's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · CatholicICSEA 1021
- Marist CollegeSecondary · CatholicICSEA 999
- Emerald Christian CollegeCombined · IndependentICSEA 996
- St Brigid's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · CatholicICSEA 990
- Capricornia (Emerald Campus) School of Distance EducationCombined · GovernmentICSEA 960
- Emerald State SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 948
- Denison State SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 948
- Emerald State High SchoolSecondary · GovernmentICSEA 945
- Ontrack College EmeraldSecondary · IndependentICSEA 904
- Emerald North State SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 878
Source: ACARA MySchool · Updated 2025
Transport
Source: TfNSW GTFS
Employment & Economy
Top local industries
Source: DEWR SALM / ABS Census 2021 · Updated SALM Mar 2026 / 2021 Census
Liveability
Amenities within 2–3km
Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.
In this suburb
Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap · Healthdirect NHSD (via Geoscience Australia)
Fitness
Few fitness options
Very few fitness facilities in and around this suburb.
Facilities within 3km of the suburb centre. The Fitness Score is a national percentile of these counts per resident.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Outdoors
Mostly urban
Very little parkland or outdoor recreation in and around this suburb.
Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Outdoor Score is a national percentile led by parks and green space.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Culture
Few cultural venues
Very few cultural venues in and around this suburb.
Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Culture Score is a national percentile weighting theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and arts centres most heavily.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Entertainment Scene
Quiet area
Pretty light on licensed venues. Good for peace and quiet; less so for spontaneous nights out.
Government liquor register data is not yet available for QLD. Venue counts are estimated from OpenStreetMap within 2km of the suburb centre.
View nearby venues on the Entertainment Map →
Source: OpenStreetMap
Childcare
Limited options
Below average for childcare access — fewer services nearby, and families may need to travel further for preferred options.
View childcare centres on the map →
Source: ACECQA National Quality Framework Register · Updated July 2026
Aged Care
Government-subsidised aged care services located in this suburb. Star Ratings are the official ratings for residential aged care homes.
Source: Dept of Health, Disability and Ageing · Updated May 2026 Star Ratings
Places of Worship
Mapped places of worship within 3km of the suburb centre, grouped by religion where recorded. Community mapping may not capture every congregation.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Nearby suburbs in Central Highlands
Compare Emerald with another suburb
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Frequently asked questions about Emerald
Is Emerald safe?
Emerald has a residential safety score of 70/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 9,362 per 100,000 across all categories.
How far is Emerald from Brisbane CBD?
Emerald is about 657.1 km from Brisbane CBD.
What schools are in Emerald?
Emerald has 10 schools, with an average ICSEA of 959 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Emerald?
Emerald has a transport score of 0/100.