Emerald (Qld), QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Emerald is a town in the Central Highlands of Queensland, on the Nogoa River roughly 270 kilometres west of Rockhampton. The surrounding area is the Country of the Gayiri people. The town took its name from the Emerald Downs pastoral run, named around 1860; accounts differ as to whether the name refers to green gemstones or simply the district's lush pastures. Emerald was established in 1879 as the terminus of the Central Western railway from Rockhampton, and grew into a regional hub as further lines pushed inland. Today its economy rests on coal mining and a broad mix of agriculture, including cotton, grain and citrus, and the town is a well-known gateway to the Gemfields sapphire district, Carnarvon Gorge and Lake Maraboon.
Around the national middle
Emerald (Qld) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 45% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 979, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Emerald (Qld) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 14,904
- Median age
- 32
- Median weekly household income
- $2,202
- SEIFA score
- 979
- Coordinates
- -23.5615, 148.1051
Emerald (Qld) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Emerald (Qld) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 32%, 43% of homes are rented, and 16% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 3,761 | 25% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,983 | 13% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 4,706 | 32% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 3,403 | 23% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,048 | 7% |
Share of the 14,901 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 805 | 16% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,835 | 37% |
| Rented | 2,136 | 43% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 3,984 | 80% |
| Townhouses & semis | 499 | 10% |
| Flats & apartments | 396 | 8% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 4,956 occupied private dwellings in Emerald (Qld).
- Median weekly rent
- $300
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,647
- Average household size
- 2.7 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,519
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,035
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 2,183 (16%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,236 (9%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 744 (5%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 5,684 (54%)
- Labour-force participation
- 73.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.2%
- Employed full-time
- 5,282
- Employed part-time
- 2,184
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Emerald (Qld)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Emerald (Qld) is January (average daytime high around 33.9°C) and the coolest is July (around 22.1°C). The area receives roughly 534 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33.9°C | 22.7°C | 78 mm |
| Feb | 33.2°C | 22.4°C | 65 mm |
| Mar | 32.2°C | 21.6°C | 77 mm |
| Apr | 29.1°C | 18.1°C | 19 mm |
| May | 25.3°C | 14.3°C | 24 mm |
| Jun | 22.5°C | 11.5°C | 21 mm |
| Jul | 22.1°C | 10.2°C | 34 mm |
| Aug | 24.6°C | 11.4°C | 10 mm |
| Sep | 28.2°C | 14.5°C | 22 mm |
| Oct | 31.6°C | 18°C | 52 mm |
| Nov | 32.9°C | 20.1°C | 75 mm |
| Dec | 33.9°C | 21.8°C | 57 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Emerald (Qld)
Where is Emerald (Qld)?
Emerald (Qld) is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Emerald (Qld)?
At the 2021 Census, Emerald (Qld) had a population of about 14,904.
Is Emerald (Qld) an advantaged area?
Emerald (Qld) has an ABS SEIFA score of 979, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 45 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 45% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Emerald (Qld)?
Emerald (Qld) has average daytime highs of about 29.1°C and overnight lows of about 17.2°C, with roughly 534 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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