Central Highlands crime rate and Crime Score · Queensland council area
Central Highlands is a council area in Queensland with about 29,481 residents. It has a Crime Score 60 out of 100 (moderate), 128th of 362 councils nationally.
The score blends national percentile ranks for each published offence category with fixed severity weights; here it is driven most by assault (74th percentile), sexual offences (70th percentile), break-ins (58th percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 43.
In 2025-26: violent 1,913 per 100,000 (+163% vs five years earlier); property 4,874 per 100,000 (+106% vs five years earlier); break-ins 885 per 100,000 (+134% vs five years earlier); theft 2,222 per 100,000 (+137% vs five years earlier). For violent crime that is 36th of 78 Queensland councils with data, highest first.
Unemployment in the Central Highlands council area is 3.3% (Queensland 5.4%), Census, 10 August 2021. Social housing makes up 3.6% of occupied homes (282 public and 48 community-housing dwellings at the 2021 Census; Queensland 3.3%). An estimated 192 people were homeless on Census night 2021, 67.4 per 10,000 residents (Queensland 43.5), apportioned from ABS Statistical Area Level 2 counts. 13.2% of residents were born overseas (Queensland 24.1%), most often in New Zealand, Philippines, England. Modelled estimates for 2026-27, not measurements: unemployment about 3.1% (confidence 81 of 100); social housing about 3.2% of homes; about 66.3 homeless people per 10,000 residents; about 13.5% born overseas. Confidence falls with distance from the last published figure, and the map's Estimates toggle shows every year back to 1994-95.
| Offences | Per 100,000 | Count | 5-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent | 1,913 | 564 | +163% |
| Property | 4,874 | 1,437 | +106% |
| Break-ins | 885 | 261 | +134% |
| Theft | 2,222 | 655 | +137% |
Street by street: the last 30 days
Queensland Police recorded 182 offences in 88 street blocks of Central Highlands from 2 October to 31 October 2026. The most common were drugs (39), public order (35) and theft (29). Each offence is placed in a street block of roughly 30 to 60 homes, not at an address; sexual and traffic offences are not included.
See every street block on the map (source: Queensland Police Service, CC BY).
Questions
Is Central Highlands safe?
Central Highlands recorded 1,910 violent offences per 100,000 residents in 2025-26, about 39% higher than the Queensland rate (1,380) and about 49% higher than the national rate (1,280). Its Crime Score is 59.5 out of 100 (moderate), 128th of 362 councils. These are offences recorded by police per resident: they describe the area as a whole, not the risk on any particular street, and places with a busy centre record more because offences are counted where they happen.
How many break-ins are there in Central Highlands?
261 break-ins were recorded in 2025-26: 885 per 100,000 residents, about 29% higher than the Queensland rate (686).
Explore every council on the interactive map.
Suburbs in the Central Highlands council area
Belcong · Blackwater · Buckland · Cairdbeign · Carbine Creek · Chirnside · Cona Creek · Crinum · Duaringa · Emerald · Hibernia · Khosh Bulduk · Lilyvale · Lowestoff · Mount MacArthur · Nandowrie · Orion · Retro · Ridgelands · Rossmoya · Shoalwater · Springsure · Tieri · Ulogie · Wallaroo · Wealwandangie · Westwood · Woolein · Wooroona · Wowan · Wycarbah
Postcodes in the Central Highlands council area
4702 · 4709 · 4712 · 4717 · 4720 · 4722 · 4723
australiancrimerate.com.au/council/qld-central-highlands/ · Australian Crime Map