Alva vs Ayr

Ayr is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 56 in Alva. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ayr, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Alva: a median of $540,000, against $400,000 in Ayr, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Alva tends to suit older residents, while Ayr suits buyers on a tighter budget.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Alva carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 71/100)
  • Ayr has more parks and reserves (18 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Ayr

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($400,000 vs $540,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Ayr

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (32% vs 22%)
  • has cheaper rent ($230/wk vs $250/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Ayr

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (861 min vs 874 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1264.6 km vs 1278.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Ayr

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (17% vs 3%)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • But Alva has more residents already 65 and over (32% vs 24%)

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

Investors

Ayr

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-1.5% vs -23.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Alva Ayr
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.

Alva Ayr
Walkability 0 / 88
Alva — Walkability: 0/100 Ayr — Walkability: 88/100
Safety 46 / 29
Alva — Safety: 46/100 Ayr — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Alva — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ayr — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Ayr has more residents (8,603 vs 214); Alva skews older (56 vs 44).

Alva Ayr
Population 214 8,603
+3920% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -23.3% -1.5%
Median age 56 44
Median household income $64,116/yr $64,792/yr
+1% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk
+8% vs other
 $230/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Alva Ayr
0-4 1.4% / 4.8%
Alva — 0-4: 1.4% Ayr — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 10.7% / 11.4%
Alva — 5-14: 10.7% Ayr — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 3.3% / 5.4%
Alva — 15-19: 3.3% Ayr — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 2.3% / 6.1%
Alva — 20-24: 2.3% Ayr — 20-24: 6.1%
25-34 3.3% / 12.4%
Alva — 25-34: 3.3% Ayr — 25-34: 12.4%
35-44 11.7% / 10.1%
Alva — 35-44: 11.7% Ayr — 35-44: 10.1%
45-54 13.6% / 12.3%
Alva — 45-54: 13.6% Ayr — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 18.7% / 13.4%
Alva — 55-64: 18.7% Ayr — 55-64: 13.4%
65-74 19.6% / 12.6%
Alva — 65-74: 19.6% Ayr — 65-74: 12.6%
75-84 10.3% / 8.2%
Alva — 75-84: 10.3% Ayr — 75-84: 8.2%
85+ 2.3% / 3.3%
Alva — 85+: 2.3% Ayr — 85+: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Alva 40.4% lone person
Alva — Lone Person: 40.4% Alva — Couple Families: 40.4% Alva — One Parent Families: 19.1% Alva — Group Household: 0.0% Alva — Other Families: 0.0%
Ayr 47.4% lone person
Ayr — Lone Person: 47.4% Ayr — Couple Families: 31.0% Ayr — One Parent Families: 15.7% Ayr — Group Household: 4.1% Ayr — Other Families: 1.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Alva 21.7% renting
Alva — Owned Outright: 56.5% Alva — Mortgage: 21.7% Alva — Renting: 21.7%
Ayr 32.1% renting
Ayr — Owned Outright: 41.2% Ayr — Mortgage: 26.7% Ayr — Renting: 32.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Alva Ayr
Certificate III & IV 18.7% / 17.6%
Alva — Certificate III & IV: 18.7% Ayr — Certificate III & IV: 17.6%
Bachelor Degree 5.1% / 6.5%
Alva — Bachelor Degree: 5.1% Ayr — Bachelor Degree: 6.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.7% / 4.8%
Alva — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7% Ayr — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.8%
Alva — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Ayr — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.7%
Alva — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Ayr — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

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.

Alva Ayr
New Zealand 3.3% / 0.9%
Alva — New Zealand: 3.3% Ayr — New Zealand: 0.9%
Germany 2.3% / 0.3%
Alva — Germany: 2.3% Ayr — Germany: 0.3%
Sri Lanka 1.9% / —
Alva — Sri Lanka: 1.9% Ayr — Sri Lanka: not among its largest
Italy — / 1.7%
Alva — Italy: not among its largest Ayr — Italy: 1.7%
England — / 1.2%
Alva — England: not among its largest Ayr — England: 1.2%
Philippines — / 0.6%
Alva — Philippines: not among its largest Ayr — Philippines: 0.6%
South Africa — / 0.5%
Alva — South Africa: not among its largest Ayr — South Africa: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Alva 96.6% houses
Alva — Houses: 96.6% Alva — Townhouses: 0.0% Alva — Flats / Apartments: 3.4%
Ayr 82.5% houses
Ayr — Houses: 82.5% Ayr — Townhouses: 14.4% Ayr — Flats / Apartments: 3.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Alva Ayr
Median house price $540,000 $400,000
Median unit price — $299,395
Median land price — $160,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 48 days
from 135 sales

Development activity

Alva Ayr
New dwellings approved 22
across Burdekin
same for both
Approvals change year on year -9%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Alva Ayr
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 30% of QLD
same for both
Schools — Higher than 58% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 3% of QLD Higher than 98% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 13% of QLD Higher than 14% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 49% of QLD Higher than 73% of QLD

Liveability

Ayr is more walkable (88 vs 0).

Alva Ayr
Grade — B
Score — 49/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Ayr carries more crime risk (71 vs 54).

Alva Ayr
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
54/100
 High
71/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
97/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Alva Ayr
Inside the suburb 0 8
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0 3
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Alva

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Ayr

  • Burdekin Christian College Independent · Combined above peers
  • East Ayr State School Government · Primary above peers
  • Ayr State High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Burdekin Catholic High School Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • St Francis Catholic School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Ayr State School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Alva Ayr
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 5
Parks & reserves 1 18
Childcare 0 5
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 0 5
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 6
Fuel stations 0 5
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 3 4

Mobility

Alva sits further from the CBD (1278.3 km vs 1264.6 km).

Alva Ayr
Walkability score 0/100 88/100
Distance to Brisbane 1278.3 km
+1% vs other
 1264.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 874 min 861 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 4807
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 68
postcode 4807
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.

Alva Ayr
Car (driver) 84.8% / 78.7%
Alva — Car (driver): 84.8% Ayr — Car (driver): 78.7%
Worked from Home 11.4% / 4.7%
Alva — Worked from Home: 11.4% Ayr — Worked from Home: 4.7%
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 8.6%
Alva — Car (passenger): 3.8% Ayr — Car (passenger): 8.6%
Walked Only — / 4.1%
Alva — Walked Only: not among its largest Ayr — Walked Only: 4.1%
Bus — / 3.3%
Alva — Bus: not among its largest Ayr — Bus: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.8%).

Setting

Alva Ayr
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.0 km
4.7 km to a named beach
 13.1 km

NBN connectivity

Alva Ayr
Connectivity score 30/100 62/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
172 premises
 33%
4,730 premises

Climate

Alva Ayr
Annual rainfall 992 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Alva Ayr
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Alva Ayr
Average residential rate $1,502/yr
same for both
Council Burdekin
same for both

Federal electorate

Alva Ayr
Division Dawson
same for both
Member Andrew Willcox
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Alva Ayr
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Alva

Coastal Retirees Rural

Ayr

Affordable Regional Centre

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Alva

Alva vs Brandon Alva vs Airdmillan Alva vs Coral Sea

Other comparisons with Ayr

Ayr vs Brandon Ayr vs Jarvisfield Ayr vs McDesme Ayr vs Airdmillan
Full data on Alva Full data on Ayr
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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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