Where we get our data
SuburbCost compiles data from official government sources, utility pricing schedules, and academic datasets. Here's every source we use.
Council rates
QLD Dept of Local Government Comparative Data
data.qld.gov.au
Residential Rating Comparative Information 2025–26
Water and sewerage
Commute and transport
Suburb geography
Australian Bureau of Statistics
abs.gov.au
ABS Digital Boundary Files: SAL_2021_AUST_GDA2020 — Suburbs and Localities shapefile (GDA2020). Used for suburb boundary polygons, centroid calculations, and spatial school matching.
Risk data
School data
ACARA — School Profile 2025
acara.edu.au
ICSEA percentile data used for school score calculations (score = ICSEA percentile ÷ 10)
ACARA — School Location 2025
acara.edu.au
School coordinates (lat/lng) used for spatial matching to suburb polygons
Queensland Department of Education
data.qld.gov.au
State school catchment boundaries (GIS shapefile)
Insurance and strata estimates
Anthropic Claude AI
anthropic.com
Insurance and body corporate levy estimates are generated using Claude (claude-sonnet-4-20250514) and calibrated against published market ranges for Queensland. These are estimates only — not quotes from licensed insurers. Actual premiums depend on your specific property, insurer, and circumstances.
Known limitations
Council rates shown are the general rate only. Waste charges, emergency levies, and separate charges are not included as they vary by service level and council area.
Water bills are calculated using typical household consumption (190kL/year). Your actual bill will vary based on household size and usage habits.
Insurance and strata figures are AI estimates. They are useful for comparison but should not be relied upon for budgeting without obtaining actual quotes.
School catchment data reflects state government boundaries and does not include private schools, selective schools, or out-of-catchment enrolments.
Risk classifications are suburb-level and may not reflect the specific risk profile of an individual property.
Data is updated annually each July. Figures may not reflect mid-year pricing changes by councils or utilities.