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Palm Island
Queensland · Townsville · 2,138 people · 1 suburbs · 1 postcodes
Palm Island at a glance
Map shows the Palm Island LGA boundary in blue with a marker per suburb. Hover for suburb name, click for details.
Marker colour reflects SEIFA IRSAD decile: ● 1-2 (most disadvantaged), ● 3-4, ● 5-6, ● 7-8, ● 9-10 (most advantaged).
Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021. Map tiles: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Federal electorate boundaries can be toggled on the map. Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021 CED boundaries.
Palm Island is a Local Government Area in Queensland, in the Brisbane region. It covers 1 suburbs across 1 postcodes and an area of 89 km². Palm Island has a population of 2,138 , ranking #51 most populous in QLD. The most populous suburb is Palm Island (2,138 residents).About 2.1% of residents were born overseas and 40.4% speak a language other than English at home.
Who lives here
Age structure
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 656 (30.8%) |
| 15–24 years | 343 (16.1%) |
| 25–44 years | 566 (26.6%) |
| 45–64 years | 450 (21.1%) |
| 65+ years | 116 (5.4%) |
How they live
Housing tenure
Dwelling type mix
Work and learning
Schools in Palm Island
2 schools across Palm Island: 50.0% Government, 50.0% Catholic, 0% Independent. The QLD average is 69.8% / 17.1% / 13.1%. Schools here have a median ICSEA of 660 (range 646 to 675). QLD median is 985; national mean is 1000.
Sector mix
Type breakdown
ICSEA range
ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) summarises the socio-economic background of each school's families. Higher values indicate more advantage. Source: ACARA 2025.
All 2 schools in Palm Island, sorted by enrolment:
| School | Sector | Type | Suburb | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bwgcolman Community School | Government | Combined | Palm Island | 315 | 675 |
| St Michael's Catholic School | Catholic | Primary | Palm Island | 127 | 646 |
Source: ACARA School Profiles 2025. ICSEA shown where reported; some schools (notably small primaries) do not publish ICSEA.
SEIFA socio-economic indexes
SEIFA 2021 ranks Australian areas across four dimensions. Scores are population-weighted averages of suburb-level SEIFA scores within Palm Island. Higher scores indicate more advantage; the national mean is 1000.
IRSAD
Relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage
IRSD
Relative disadvantage only (lower = more disadvantaged)
IER
Economic resources: income, wealth, housing
IEO
Education and occupation: qualifications, skill levels
Suburbs in Palm Island
Palm Island contains 1 suburbs and 1 postcodes. Sorted by population.
| Suburb | Postcode | Population | Median income | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Island | 4816 | 2,138 | $973/wk | 27 |
Postcodes covered
Compare Palm Island with neighbouring LGAs
Side-by-side demographic and socio-economic snapshot of Palm Island and its closest neighbouring LGAs.
| LGA | Population | Median age | SEIFA IRSAD | % renting | % overseas-born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Island (QLD) | 2,138 | 27.0 | 707 | 98.3% | 2.1% |
| Hinchinbrook | 10,878 | 51.1 | 911 | 24.9% | 9.0% |
Services and amenities
Frequently asked questions about Palm Island
What is the population of Palm Island?
The 2021 Census recorded 2,138 people living in Palm Island, across 1 suburbs.
What suburbs are in Palm Island?
Palm Island contains 1 suburbs. The most populous are Palm Island.See the full list in the Suburbs section above.
What postcodes are in Palm Island?
Palm Island covers 1 postcodes: 4816.
How many schools are in Palm Island?
Palm Island has 2 schools, including 1 government, 1 Catholic, and 0 independent schools (ACARA 2025).
What is the SEIFA score for Palm Island?
Palm Island has a population-weighted SEIFA IRSAD score of 707, where the national average is 1000. Higher scores indicate more relative advantage.
Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 (IRSD, IRSAD, IER, IEO), ACARA School Profiles 2025, ABS ASGS 2021 LGA boundaries. How this data is sourced.