Question 1

Is Emerald a nice place to live?

Accepted Answer

Emerald sits on the Nogoa River near Lake Maraboon and Fairbairn Dam and functions as a regional service town for the Central Highlands. Its character is shaped by agriculture and nearby mining. The town centre provides shops, health services, schools and a local airport, and housing ranges from older weatherboard and brick homes near the centre to larger rural-residential blocks and newer suburban estates. Outdoor life is a regular part of living here, with boating and fishing on the lake, active sporting clubs and community events, while the Capricorn Highway and the airport keep Emerald connected to neighbouring centres.

About 14,904 people live in Emerald and the median age is 32. The community is weighted towards couple families, with around half of families having children, and home ownership is more common than renting though a large renting share remains. Recent local investment has included upgrades to the hospital emergency department, a new allied health facility, airport works and a botanic master plan, and there is a nearby industrial precinct. Whether Emerald suits you will depend on whether that mix of services, outdoor recreation and town-and-rural housing matches what you want.

Question 2

Is it expensive to live in Emerald?

Accepted Answer

In Emerald, buying and renting tell slightly different stories when measured against local incomes at the last Census. A median house price of $595,000 is about 5.2 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census, while the median unit price of $322,500 is roughly 2.8 times that annual income. On the rental side, an average house rent of $580 a week would use about 26.3% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, and an average unit rent of $450 a week would use about 20.4%. That means buying a house sits somewhat above local incomes, buying a unit looks relatively affordable against local incomes, and renting would take a moderate share of income.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Question 3

Is Emerald a good place to invest?

Accepted Answer

The most striking moves in Emerald over the past 12 months are in property values, particularly for units. Unit values jumped 35.6%, a strong rise, while house values climbed 20.5%, also a strong rise, so capital growth was larger on the unit side. On the rental front, unit rents rose 12.5%, a strong rise, and house rents rose 5.5%, a solid rise, meaning rental income growth was stronger for units than for houses.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	$595K	$323K
Change in value Past 12 months	20.5%	35.6%
Sold Past 3 months	77	18
Median days on market Past 12 months	15	28
Average rent Past 12 months	$580	$450
Change in rent Past 12 months	5.5%	12.5%

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