Living in Emerald

In Emerald, the median rent tenants pay is €825 a month (2021) and unemployment is 3.3% (2021).

The city covered 39 km² in 2021. Population density was 390.9 people per km² in 2025.

Last checked 2026-10-078 sources

Population14,089people10 Aug 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Median gross salary (region)2,777EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Median rent825.4EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02

Unemployment rate3.3%country median 4.5% — 27% belowOfficial source · 2021 Census GCP Significant Urban Areas for Australia (DataPack)

Recorded crime14,161incidents per 100,00031 Aug 2026Official source · LGA Reported Offences Rates

PM2.5, annual mean6.02µg/m³country median 6.0 — about the sameOfficial source · Air Quality Monitoring — 2024

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Emerald?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Emerald.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€70

Mobile plan, 10 GB€46

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	69.92 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Telstra nbn100⁶Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	45.79 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Telstra Upfront Basic⁷Official · national market
Dwellings	5,674 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Main residence dwellings	4,736 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Median weekly rent (AUD)	300 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Median monthly rent	825.4 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02³Official
Median monthly rent (whole dwelling)	825.4 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02³Official

Is Emerald a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker58%strong on work, weak on safety · range 50–66%

Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 56–72%

Student36%strong on education, weak on safety · range 29–43%

Family49%strong on family, weak on cost · range 41–57%

Retirement55%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 45–65%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Emerald?

The unemployment rate is 3.3 % (August 2021). Source: 2021 Census GCP Significant Urban Areas for Australia (DataPack)³

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Emerald is 3.3%. Of 100 cities with data, 32 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Emerald 3.3%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People in full-time employment	4,968 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Employment rate	71.3 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Median household income (AUD/week)	2,190 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Median personal income (AUD/week)	1,033 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,777 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁸Official
Unemployment rate	3.3 %country median 4.5%	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census GCP Significant Urban Areas for Australia (DataPack)³Official

What does a salary buy in Emerald?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,429of €2,370 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€2,370
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · 2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02 · 2021-12-31	− €825
Internet€70 · official · Telstra nbn100 · 2026-07-31	− €70
Mobile plan€46 · official · Telstra Upfront Basic · 2026-07-31	− €46
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	€1,429

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Emerald Salary needed to live in Emerald

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Emerald. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Emerald. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People who speak a language other than English at home	8.22 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official

Safety

How safe is Emerald?

Police recorded about 14,161 incidents per 100,000 (2025-09/2026-08). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: LGA Reported Offences Rates²

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	14,161 incidents per 100,000	31 Aug 2026	LGA Reported Offences Rates²Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Emerald. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) — State Language Course

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For eligible migrants, humanitarian entrants.

EnglishIn Person, Online, HybridFree

Open official information

Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) — Newcomer Adaptation

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For humanitarian entrants.

In Person, HybridFree

Open official information

Open the full Australia section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Emerald.

Find courses near Emerald

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Emerald?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 6.02 µg/m³ · Air Quality Monitoring — 2024¹

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.56WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in AustraliaAnnual PM2.5 in Emerald is 6.0 µg/m³. Of 37 cities with data, 12 have annual PM2.5 of 5 to under 6 µg/m³.

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Emerald 6.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	6.02 µg/m³country median 6.0 — about the same	31 Dec 2024	Air Quality Monitoring — 2024¹Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Emerald?

The published population was 14,089 people in August 2021. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 2,079 is not 23.1% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport85.2%
Foreign residents14.8%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	38.98 km²	31 Dec 2021	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.⁴Official
Foreign-resident share	23.1 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census GCP Significant Urban Areas for Australia (DataPack)³Official
Foreign residents	2,079 people	10 Aug 2021	Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.³Official
Population density	390.9 people/km²	31 Dec 2025	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁵Official
Female residents	6,906 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Male residents	7,183 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Population	14,089 people	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

9,619

11,631

13,642

15,654

15,238200120052011201520212025

Population rose 51.8% between 2001 and 2025, from 10,035 to 15,238.

International community in Emerald

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	14,089	100.0%
Australia	10,829	76.9%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	2,079	14.8%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	14,089	100.0%
Australia	10,829	76.9%
Country of birth not stated	1,181	8.4%
New Zealand	573	4.1%
Philippines	249	1.8%
South Africa	207	1.5%
Born elsewhere(d)	159	1.1%
England	157	1.1%
India	111	0.8%
Zimbabwe	63	0.4%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	50	0.4%

Show 32 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Malaysia	44	0.3%
Thailand	37	0.3%
Sri Lanka	31	0.2%
Scotland	30	0.2%
United States of America	30	0.2%
Samoa	29	0.2%
Papua New Guinea	28	0.2%
Fiji	27	0.2%
Vietnam	26	0.2%
Canada	24	0.2%
Indonesia	23	0.2%
Ireland	23	0.2%
Taiwan	20	0.1%
Germany	16	0.1%
Nepal	15	0.1%
Korea, Republic of (South)	13	0.1%
Wales	12	0.1%
Myanmar	11	0.1%
Netherlands	11	0.1%
Poland	10	0.1%
Iran	8	0.1%
Japan	8	0.1%
Greece	6	0.0%
Italy	6	0.0%
Brazil	5	0.0%
France	5	0.0%
Mauritius	5	0.0%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	4	0.0%
Bangladesh	3	0.0%
Chile	3	0.0%
Singapore	3	0.0%
Turkey	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	14,089	100.0%
Australian citizen	11,633	82.6%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	14.76 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Households	4,736 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Labour force participation rate	73.7 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Median age	32 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Median monthly mortgage repayment (AUD)	1,600 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official

Alternatives for people set on Emerald

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Darwin as an Emerald alternative in the same country

Better on 1 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.

Residents: 127,215 Darwin vs 14,089 Emerald+803%
Median gross pay, region: €3,017 Darwin vs €2,777 Emerald+9%
Foreign residents: 37.4% Darwin vs 23.1% Emeraldno percentage

Full comparison More about Darwin

Alternative cities in Australia

Other cities in Australia to compare with Emerald, nearest in population first.

All Australia cities

Port Pirie13,896 residents Broome14,660 residents Port Augusta13,515 residents Ulverstone15,086 residents Port Hedland15,298 residents Sale15,301 residents

How does Emerald compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Emerald's.

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Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Emerald when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Emerald's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Emerald?

The published population was 14,089 people in August 2021. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

Is the air quality good in Emerald?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 6 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Air Quality Monitoring — 2024.

How safe is Emerald?

What is the unemployment rate in Emerald?

The unemployment rate is 3.3 % (August 2021). Source: 2021 Census GCP Significant Urban Areas for Australia (DataPack).

What is the typical salary around Emerald?

The median gross salary is 2,777 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

How many foreign residents live in Emerald?

2,079 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality..

Is Emerald a good place to live?

Emerald may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Australia live in Emerald?

The official country of birth distribution records 10,829 people (76.9%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Emerald, Australia: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version ea376c496a0e2ff1d85364fc2add3f5f]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/emerald/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_emerald-australia-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_ca2dc3ef4a12,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Emerald, Australia: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {ea376c496a0e2ff1d85364fc2add3f5f},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/emerald/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Emerald, Australia: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/emerald/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version ea376c496a0e2ff1d85364fc2add3f5f; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Air Quality Monitoring — 2024 Air Quality Monitoring · data.qld.gov.au · checked 2026-10-05
LGA Reported Offences Rates open-crime-data.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com · checked 2026-10-07
Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-08-10
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
Telstra nbn100 telstra.com.au · checked 2026-09-15
Telstra Upfront Basic telstra.com.au · checked 2026-09-15
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.