Balberra vs Sandiford
Sandiford is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 47 in Balberra. In both, the large majority of households own their home. In Balberra, the large majority of homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. In Sandiford, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Sandiford: a median of $848,000, against $580,000 in Balberra, though rent is higher in Balberra. On these figures, Balberra tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Sandiford suits families with children.
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
- Balberra has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 48%)
- Sandiford carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 67/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Balberra
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($580,000 vs $848,500)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Sandiford
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $250/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Balberra
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (948.9 km vs 958.9 km)
- has a shorter drive in (648 min vs 653 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Sandiford
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more units and townhouses to downsize into (57% vs 2%)
- carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 67/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Balberra and Sandiford drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Balberra has more residents (425 vs 168); Balberra rents higher ($250/wk vs $150/wk).
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 425 +60% vs other | 168 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -7.0% | -4.0% |
| Median age | 47 | 40 |
| Median household income | $96,824/yr +5% vs other | $92,248/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $250/wk +40% vs other | $150/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.9%).
Property market
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $580,000 | $848,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Development activity
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 574 across Mackay same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -6% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 70% of QLD | Higher than 65% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 15% of QLD | Higher than 33% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 40% of QLD | Higher than 41% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 52% of QLD | Higher than 56% of QLD |
Liveability
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
Balberra carries more crime risk (67 vs 30).
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Moderate 67/100 | Low 30/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 84/100 | None 0/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km | 1 within 5 km |
Schools
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 7 | 3 |
Mobility
Sandiford sits further from the CBD (958.9 km vs 948.9 km).
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 948.9 km | 958.9 km +1% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 648 min | 653 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4740 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 4740 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.8%).
Setting
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 13 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 14 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 3.6 km | 8.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 188 premises | 0% 75 premises |
Climate
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,517 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.8°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 12.4°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 6.6 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 17.9 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,873/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mackay same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Capricornia same for both | |
| Member | Michelle Landry same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Balberra | Sandiford | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Balberra
Sandiford
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Balberra
Other comparisons with Sandiford
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.