Alton Downs vs Etna Creek

Etna Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 41 in Alton Downs. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Alton Downs tends to suit families with children, while Etna Creek suits young adults.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Alton Downs

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 77/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Etna Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $330/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 16%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Alton Downs

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (451 min vs 463 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (649.6 km vs 655.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Alton Downs

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (15% vs 3%)
  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 77/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Etna Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (29.9% vs 3.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Alton Downs and Etna Creek drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Walkability 0 / 0
Alton Downs — Walkability: 0/100 Etna Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 63 / 23
Alton Downs — Safety: 63/100 Etna Creek — Safety: 23/100
Low fire risk 100 / 78
Alton Downs — Low fire risk: 100/100 Etna Creek — Low fire risk: 78/100

Demographics

Alton Downs rents higher ($330/wk vs $200/wk); Alton Downs has more residents (1,324 vs 1,029).

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Population 1,324
+22% vs other
 1,029
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.6% +29.9%
Median age 41 35
Median household income $108,004/yr
+10% vs other
 $97,500/yr
Median weekly rent $330/wk
+39% vs other
 $200/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Alton Downs Etna Creek
0-4 5.7% / 0.6%
Alton Downs — 0-4: 5.7% Etna Creek — 0-4: 0.6%
5-14 13.4% / 4.6%
Alton Downs — 5-14: 13.4% Etna Creek — 5-14: 4.6%
15-19 6.9% / 2.1%
Alton Downs — 15-19: 6.9% Etna Creek — 15-19: 2.1%
20-24 4.5% / 11.1%
Alton Downs — 20-24: 4.5% Etna Creek — 20-24: 11.1%
25-34 11.6% / 29.8%
Alton Downs — 25-34: 11.6% Etna Creek — 25-34: 29.8%
35-44 12.4% / 25.7%
Alton Downs — 35-44: 12.4% Etna Creek — 35-44: 25.7%
45-54 13.7% / 13.3%
Alton Downs — 45-54: 13.7% Etna Creek — 45-54: 13.3%
55-64 16.8% / 9.3%
Alton Downs — 55-64: 16.8% Etna Creek — 55-64: 9.3%
65-74 10.3% / 1.4%
Alton Downs — 65-74: 10.3% Etna Creek — 65-74: 1.4%
75-84 3.5% / 1.6%
Alton Downs — 75-84: 3.5% Etna Creek — 75-84: 1.6%
85+ 1.2% / —
Alton Downs — 85+: 1.2% Etna Creek — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Alton Downs 57.6% couple families
Alton Downs — Couple Families: 57.6% Alton Downs — Lone Person: 23.9% Alton Downs — One Parent Families: 15.5% Alton Downs — Other Families: 1.7% Alton Downs — Group Household: 1.3%
Etna Creek 59.2% couple families
Etna Creek — Couple Families: 59.2% Etna Creek — Lone Person: 24.5% Etna Creek — One Parent Families: 10.2% Etna Creek — Other Families: 6.1% Etna Creek — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Alton Downs 5.6% renting
Alton Downs — Owned Outright: 39.2% Alton Downs — Mortgage: 55.2% Alton Downs — Renting: 5.6%
Etna Creek 8.2% renting
Etna Creek — Owned Outright: 46.6% Etna Creek — Mortgage: 45.2% Etna Creek — Renting: 8.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Certificate III & IV 22.9% / 9.8%
Alton Downs — Certificate III & IV: 22.9% Etna Creek — Certificate III & IV: 9.8%
Bachelor Degree 8.1% / 3.7%
Alton Downs — Bachelor Degree: 8.1% Etna Creek — Bachelor Degree: 3.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.1% / 1.7%
Alton Downs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.1% Etna Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 1.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 0.4%
Alton Downs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Etna Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / —
Alton Downs — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Etna Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Alton Downs Etna Creek
New Zealand 1.3% / 2.3%
Alton Downs — New Zealand: 1.3% Etna Creek — New Zealand: 2.3%
England 0.6% / 0.5%
Alton Downs — England: 0.6% Etna Creek — England: 0.5%
Netherlands 0.3% / 0.3%
Alton Downs — Netherlands: 0.3% Etna Creek — Netherlands: 0.3%
South Africa 0.5% / —
Alton Downs — South Africa: 0.5% Etna Creek — South Africa: not among its largest
Fiji — / 0.4%
Alton Downs — Fiji: not among its largest Etna Creek — Fiji: 0.4%
Scotland 0.3% / —
Alton Downs — Scotland: 0.3% Etna Creek — Scotland: not among its largest
Brazil — / 0.3%
Alton Downs — Brazil: not among its largest Etna Creek — Brazil: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Alton Downs 99.3% houses
Alton Downs — Houses: 99.3% Alton Downs — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Etna Creek 100.0% houses
Etna Creek — Houses: 100.0% Etna Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Median house price $1,130,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,130,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 88 days
from 9 sales
 —

Development activity

Alton Downs Etna Creek
New dwellings approved 390
across Rockhampton
 317
across Livingstone
Approvals change year on year +133% +97%

Ranking within QLD

Alton Downs Etna Creek
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 80% of QLD Higher than 71% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 47% of QLD Higher than 18% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 20% of QLD Higher than 18% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 45% of QLD Higher than 42% of QLD

Liveability

Alton Downs scores higher overall (52 vs 33).

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Grade B D
Score 52/100 33/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Etna Creek carries more bushfire risk (22 vs 0); Etna Creek carries more crime risk (77 vs 37).

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
22/100
Crime Low
37/100
 High
77/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Parks & reserves 3 1
Waterways 2 9

Mobility

Etna Creek sits further from the CBD (655.8 km vs 649.6 km).

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 649.6 km 655.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 451 min 463 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 4702
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 58
postcode 4702
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Car (driver) 82.8% / 84.5%
Alton Downs — Car (driver): 82.8% Etna Creek — Car (driver): 84.5%
Worked from Home 8.5% / 6.8%
Alton Downs — Worked from Home: 8.5% Etna Creek — Worked from Home: 6.8%
Walked Only 2.6% / 5.8%
Alton Downs — Walked Only: 2.6% Etna Creek — Walked Only: 5.8%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / 2.9%
Alton Downs — Car (passenger): 5.4% Etna Creek — Car (passenger): 2.9%
Bus 0.7% / —
Alton Downs — Bus: 0.7% Etna Creek — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.5%).

Setting

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Elevation 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 34 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 30.2 km 33.2 km

NBN connectivity

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Connectivity score 29/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
486 premises
 0%
98 premises

Climate

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Annual rainfall 811 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 32.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 11.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Alton Downs Etna Creek
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 8.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Average residential rate $1,313/yr $2,445/yr
Council Rockhampton Livingstone

Federal electorate

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Division Flynn Capricornia
Member Colin Boyce Michelle Landry
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Alton Downs Etna Creek
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Alton Downs

Rural

Etna Creek

Multicultural Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Alton Downs

Alton Downs vs Glenlee Alton Downs vs Glendale Alton Downs vs Ridgelands Alton Downs vs Pink Lily Alton Downs vs Dalma Alton Downs vs Nine Mile

Other comparisons with Etna Creek

Etna Creek vs Rockyview Etna Creek vs Glenlee Etna Creek vs The Caves Etna Creek vs Glendale Etna Creek vs South Yaamba Etna Creek vs Yaamba
Full data on Alton Downs Full data on Etna Creek
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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