Back Plains vs Ryeford

Back Plains is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 49 in Ryeford. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Back Plains, most households are couple families. In Ryeford, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Back Plains tends to suit couples, while Ryeford suits people living alone, families with children, and older residents.

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

Back Plains

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 36/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (85% vs 53%)
  • But Ryeford has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 89%)

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

Ryeford

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 14%)
  • has cheaper rent ($240/wk vs $265/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Back Plains is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • Ryeford sits closer to the CBD (170.7 km vs 179.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Back Plains

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 36/100)
  • But Ryeford has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 11%)

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

Investors

Back Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (40.5% vs -5.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Back Plains Ryeford
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.

Back Plains Ryeford
Walkability 13 / 0
Back Plains — Walkability: 13/100 Ryeford — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 78 / 64
Back Plains — Safety: 78/100 Ryeford — Safety: 64/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Back Plains — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ryeford — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Back Plains has more residents (104 vs 54); Back Plains has higher household incomes ($94,224 vs $80,184).

Back Plains Ryeford
Population 104
+48% vs other
 54
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +40.5% -5.3%
Median age 42 49
Median household income $94,224/yr
+15% vs other
 $80,184/yr
Median weekly rent $265/wk
+9% vs other
 $240/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Back Plains Ryeford
0-4 6.7% / —
Back Plains — 0-4: 6.7% Ryeford — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 14.4% / 25.9%
Back Plains — 5-14: 14.4% Ryeford — 5-14: 25.9%
15-19 7.7% / 5.6%
Back Plains — 15-19: 7.7% Ryeford — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 — / 5.6%
Back Plains — 20-24: not among its largest Ryeford — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 13.5% / 7.4%
Back Plains — 25-34: 13.5% Ryeford — 25-34: 7.4%
35-44 9.6% / 9.3%
Back Plains — 35-44: 9.6% Ryeford — 35-44: 9.3%
45-54 11.5% / 7.4%
Back Plains — 45-54: 11.5% Ryeford — 45-54: 7.4%
55-64 15.4% / 22.2%
Back Plains — 55-64: 15.4% Ryeford — 55-64: 22.2%
65-74 10.6% / 16.7%
Back Plains — 65-74: 10.6% Ryeford — 65-74: 16.7%
75-84 — / 13.0%
Back Plains — 75-84: not among its largest Ryeford — 75-84: 13.0%
85+ — / —
Back Plains — 85+: not among its largest Ryeford — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.9%).

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.

Back Plains Ryeford
Philippines — / 9.3%
Back Plains — Philippines: not among its largest Ryeford — Philippines: 9.3%
England 2.9% / —
Back Plains — England: 2.9% Ryeford — England: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Back Plains 60.0% couple families
Back Plains — Couple Families: 60.0% Back Plains — Lone Person: 15.0% Back Plains — One Parent Families: 25.0%
Ryeford 23.5% couple families
Ryeford — Couple Families: 23.5% Ryeford — Lone Person: 47.1% Ryeford — One Parent Families: 29.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Back Plains 88.9% houses
Back Plains — Houses: 88.9% Back Plains — Flats / Apartments: 11.1%
Ryeford 100.0% houses
Ryeford — Houses: 100.0% Ryeford — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Back Plains Ryeford
Certificate III & IV 19.2% / 24.1%
Back Plains — Certificate III & IV: 19.2% Ryeford — Certificate III & IV: 24.1%
Bachelor Degree 12.5% / 7.4%
Back Plains — Bachelor Degree: 12.5% Ryeford — Bachelor Degree: 7.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.8% / 7.4%
Back Plains — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8% Ryeford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.1%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Back Plains 13.8% renting
Back Plains — Owned Outright: 41.4% Back Plains — Mortgage: 44.8% Back Plains — Renting: 13.8%
Ryeford 24.0% renting
Ryeford — Owned Outright: 40.0% Ryeford — Mortgage: 36.0% Ryeford — Renting: 24.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Development activity

Back Plains Ryeford
New dwellings approved 1,513
across Toowoomba
same for both
Approvals change year on year -25%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Back Plains Ryeford
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 67% of QLD Higher than 51% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 73% of QLD Higher than 33% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 7% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 28% of QLD Higher than 44% of QLD

Liveability

Back Plains is more walkable (13 vs 0).

Back Plains Ryeford
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Ryeford carries more crime risk (36 vs 22).

Back Plains Ryeford
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
22/100
 Low
36/100
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

Back Plains Ryeford
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Back Plains

  • Back Plains State School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Ryeford

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

Mobility

Back Plains sits further from the CBD (179.9 km vs 170.7 km).

Back Plains Ryeford
Walkability score 13/100 0/100
Distance to Brisbane 179.9 km
+5% vs other
 170.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 143 min 142 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 4361
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 66
postcode 4361
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.

Back Plains Ryeford
Car (driver) 82.7% / 66.7%
Back Plains — Car (driver): 82.7% Ryeford — Car (driver): 66.7%
Worked from Home 17.3% / 33.3%
Back Plains — Worked from Home: 17.3% Ryeford — Worked from Home: 33.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.7%).

Setting

Back Plains Ryeford
Elevation 458 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 423 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Back Plains Ryeford
Connectivity score 21/100 29/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
28 premises
 0%
24 premises

Climate

Back Plains Ryeford
Annual rainfall 643 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Back Plains Ryeford
Average residential rate $1,618/yr
same for both
Council Toowoomba
same for both

Federal electorate

Back Plains Ryeford
Division Maranoa
same for both
Member David Littleproud
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Back Plains Ryeford
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Back Plains

Rural

Ryeford

Family Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Back Plains

Back Plains vs Nobby Back Plains vs Felton Back Plains vs Mount Molar Back Plains vs Ellangowan Back Plains vs Felton South

Other comparisons with Ryeford

Ryeford vs Clifton Ryeford vs Mount Molar Ryeford vs Sandy Camp Ryeford vs Ellangowan Ryeford vs Kings Creek
Full data on Back Plains Full data on Ryeford
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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