Emerald is a settled mid-to-large suburb in Queensland within the Central Highlands (Qld) local government area (postcode 4720). The area has roughly 14,904 residents and a mix of young professionals and families, with a median age of 32. Households earn a median income of $115K per year, with an average household size of 2.7 people. QLD employment has moved +0.9% year-on-year in the official Jobs and Skills Australia NERO series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. QLD also had 32 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 12 underway, and 50 in planning as at 2 October 2024, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are technicians & trades, machinery operators & drivers, professionals. Employment in the area leans toward mining and retail trade. The top ancestries reported are Australian, English, Irish.
The median house price in Emerald is $375,000, having risen solidly by 7.1% over the past year. Units have a median price of $235,000 (+14.6% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $550. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 7.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,647.
Emerald is served by 10 schools, including 5 primary, 2 secondary, 2 combined, 1 special. The average ICSEA score is 959, which is around the national average of 1,000. Healthcare facilities include 1 public hospital. The crime rate in the Central Highlands (Qld) LGA is moderate at 6,543 incidents per 100,000 population.
On the investment side, The gross rental yield works out to roughly 7.6%, which reads as high yield. Property prices sit below the state median ($375K/$1.1M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 3.3x is considered affordable. House prices have moved +7.1% year-on-year.