Mapleton, QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Mapleton crowns the Blackall Range behind Queensland's Sunshine Coast, about 11 kilometres west of Nambour and 107 kilometres north of Brisbane, at around 400 metres elevation. The cool tableland was long a gathering place for Kabi Kabi and Wakka Wakka people during the bunya-nut season. Known as Luton Vale until settlers chose the name Mapleton in 1894 - after Mapleton in Derbyshire, England - the village grew on red cedar and beech logging, then fruit, pineapples and dairying, served by a tramway from 1915 to 1944. Today it is edged by Mapleton Falls and Kondalilla national parks, whose waterfalls, rainforest walks and range views draw visitors up from the coast.
Around the national middle
Mapleton is more socio-economically advantaged than about 47% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 982, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Mapleton at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 1,661
- Median age
- 59
- Median weekly household income
- $1,089
- SEIFA score
- 982
- Coordinates
- -26.6296, 152.8613
Mapleton demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Mapleton using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is seniors (65+) at 36%, 20% of homes are rented, and 24% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 194 | 12% |
| Youth (15–24) | 106 | 6% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 251 | 15% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 508 | 31% |
| Seniors (65+) | 605 | 36% |
Share of the 1,664 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 386 | 54% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 161 | 23% |
| Rented | 143 | 20% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 621 | 87% |
| Townhouses & semis | 14 | 2% |
| Flats & apartments | 0 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 714 occupied private dwellings in Mapleton.
- Median weekly rent
- $350
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,534
- Average household size
- 2.1 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,390
- Median weekly personal income
- $591
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 362 (24%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 69 (5%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 28 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 752 (52%)
- Labour-force participation
- 42.7%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.4%
- Employed full-time
- 247
- Employed part-time
- 260
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Mapleton
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Mapleton is January (average daytime high around 27.5°C) and the coolest is July (around 18.5°C). The area receives roughly 1153 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27.5°C | 19°C | 140 mm |
| Feb | 26.9°C | 19°C | 179 mm |
| Mar | 26°C | 18.4°C | 150 mm |
| Apr | 23.1°C | 15.2°C | 70 mm |
| May | 20.6°C | 12.3°C | 90 mm |
| Jun | 18.5°C | 10.1°C | 51 mm |
| Jul | 18.5°C | 9.2°C | 46 mm |
| Aug | 20.2°C | 9.9°C | 36 mm |
| Sep | 22.7°C | 12°C | 45 mm |
| Oct | 24.8°C | 14.4°C | 120 mm |
| Nov | 26.6°C | 16.3°C | 92 mm |
| Dec | 27.6°C | 18°C | 134 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Mapleton
Where is Mapleton?
Mapleton is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Mapleton?
At the 2021 Census, Mapleton had a population of about 1,661.
Is Mapleton an advantaged area?
Mapleton has an ABS SEIFA score of 982, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 47 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 47% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Mapleton?
Mapleton has average daytime highs of about 23.6°C and overnight lows of about 14.5°C, with roughly 1,153 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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