Ballard vs Murphys Creek

Ballard is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 42 in Murphys Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families.

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

Ballard

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 54/100)

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

Murphys Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($290/wk vs $360/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Murphys Creek

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (99 min vs 108 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (123.5 km vs 133.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Ballard carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 54/100)
  • Murphys Creek is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Ballard

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (10.6% vs 0.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Ballard and Murphys 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.

Ballard Murphys 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.

Ballard Murphys Creek
Walkability 0 / 13
Ballard — Walkability: 0/100 Murphys Creek — Walkability: 13/100
Safety 89 / 46
Ballard — Safety: 89/100 Murphys Creek — Safety: 46/100
Low fire risk 100 / 34
Ballard — Low fire risk: 100/100 Murphys Creek — Low fire risk: 34/100

Demographics

Murphys Creek has more residents (633 vs 167); Ballard rents higher ($360/wk vs $290/wk).

Ballard Murphys Creek
Population 167 633
+279% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.6% +0.6%
Median age 37 42
Median household income $94,900/yr
+5% vs other
 $90,480/yr
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+19% vs other
 $290/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ballard Murphys Creek
0-4 5.4% / 5.1%
Ballard — 0-4: 5.4% Murphys Creek — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 13.8% / 14.4%
Ballard — 5-14: 13.8% Murphys Creek — 5-14: 14.4%
15-19 7.8% / 7.0%
Ballard — 15-19: 7.8% Murphys Creek — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 4.8% / 3.9%
Ballard — 20-24: 4.8% Murphys Creek — 20-24: 3.9%
25-34 15.0% / 10.7%
Ballard — 25-34: 15.0% Murphys Creek — 25-34: 10.7%
35-44 13.2% / 13.0%
Ballard — 35-44: 13.2% Murphys Creek — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 11.4% / 12.8%
Ballard — 45-54: 11.4% Murphys Creek — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 13.8% / 15.2%
Ballard — 55-64: 13.8% Murphys Creek — 55-64: 15.2%
65-74 7.2% / 12.5%
Ballard — 65-74: 7.2% Murphys Creek — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 6.0% / 3.6%
Ballard — 75-84: 6.0% Murphys Creek — 75-84: 3.6%
85+ — / 1.1%
Ballard — 85+: not among its largest Murphys Creek — 85+: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ballard 58.8% couple families
Ballard — Couple Families: 58.8% Ballard — Lone Person: 26.5% Ballard — One Parent Families: 14.7% Ballard — Group Household: 0.0%
Murphys Creek 55.7% couple families
Murphys Creek — Couple Families: 55.7% Murphys Creek — Lone Person: 25.7% Murphys Creek — One Parent Families: 16.4% Murphys Creek — Group Household: 2.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ballard 7.5% renting
Ballard — Owned Outright: 34.0% Ballard — Mortgage: 58.5% Ballard — Renting: 7.5%
Murphys Creek 6.1% renting
Murphys Creek — Owned Outright: 36.7% Murphys Creek — Mortgage: 57.1% Murphys Creek — Renting: 6.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Ballard Murphys Creek
England 3.0% / 2.7%
Ballard — England: 3.0% Murphys Creek — England: 2.7%
New Zealand — / 2.2%
Ballard — New Zealand: not among its largest Murphys Creek — New Zealand: 2.2%
Scotland — / 0.6%
Ballard — Scotland: not among its largest Murphys Creek — Scotland: 0.6%
Canada — / 0.6%
Ballard — Canada: not among its largest Murphys Creek — Canada: 0.6%
Philippines — / 0.5%
Ballard — Philippines: not among its largest Murphys Creek — Philippines: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

Qualifications

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

Ballard Murphys Creek
Certificate III & IV 21.0% / 18.5%
Ballard — Certificate III & IV: 21.0% Murphys Creek — Certificate III & IV: 18.5%
Bachelor Degree 10.2% / 7.7%
Ballard — Bachelor Degree: 10.2% Murphys Creek — Bachelor Degree: 7.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / 7.0%
Ballard — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Murphys Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Postgraduate Degree 4.2% / 3.3%
Ballard — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2% Murphys Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.8% / 1.4%
Ballard — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.8% Murphys Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ballard 100.0% houses
Ballard — Houses: 100.0% Ballard — Townhouses: 0.0%
Murphys Creek 100.0% houses
Murphys Creek — Houses: 100.0% Murphys Creek — Townhouses: 2.0%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Ballard Murphys Creek
Median house price — $895,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $527,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 46 days
from 4 sales

Development activity

Ballard Murphys Creek
New dwellings approved 352
across Lockyer Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year +103%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Ballard Murphys Creek
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 68% of QLD Higher than 64% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 6% of QLD Higher than 74% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 66% of QLD Higher than 68% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of QLD Higher than 44% of QLD

Liveability

Murphys Creek is more walkable (13 vs 0).

Ballard Murphys Creek
Grade — D
Score — 31/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Murphys Creek carries more bushfire risk (66 vs 0); Murphys Creek carries more crime risk (54 vs 11).

Ballard Murphys Creek
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
66/100
Crime Low
11/100
 Moderate
54/100
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 2
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Ballard Murphys Creek
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
USQ (Toowoomba), 7.3 km
 None

Schools in Ballard

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

Schools in Murphys Creek

  • Murphy's Creek State School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Ballard Murphys Creek
Waterways 6 12

Mobility

Ballard sits further from the CBD (133.8 km vs 123.5 km).

Ballard Murphys Creek
Walkability score 0/100 13/100
Distance to Brisbane 133.8 km
+8% vs other
 123.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 108 min 99 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 4352
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 84
postcode 4352
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.

Ballard Murphys Creek
Car (driver) 92.2% / 80.9%
Ballard — Car (driver): 92.2% Murphys Creek — Car (driver): 80.9%
Worked from Home 7.8% / 13.5%
Ballard — Worked from Home: 7.8% Murphys Creek — Worked from Home: 13.5%
Car (passenger) — / 3.5%
Ballard — Car (passenger): not among its largest Murphys Creek — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Walked Only — / 2.2%
Ballard — Walked Only: not among its largest Murphys Creek — Walked Only: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (92.2%).

Setting

Ballard Murphys Creek
Elevation 395 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 260 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ballard Murphys Creek
Connectivity score 49/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 24%
67 premises
 0%
215 premises

Climate

Ballard Murphys Creek
Annual rainfall 643 mm 577 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 31.0°C
Winter min (Jul) — 3.9°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Ballard Murphys Creek
PM2.5 4.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Ballard Murphys Creek
Average residential rate $1,952/yr
same for both
Council Lockyer Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Ballard Murphys Creek
Division Wright
same for both
Member Scott Buchholz
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ballard Murphys Creek
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ballard

River Rural

Murphys Creek

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ballard

Ballard vs Highfields Ballard vs Mount Lofty Ballard vs Harlaxton Ballard vs Withcott Ballard vs Blue Mountain Heights Ballard vs Mount Kynoch

Other comparisons with Murphys Creek

Murphys Creek vs Withcott Murphys Creek vs Cabarlah Murphys Creek vs Upper Lockyer Murphys Creek vs Lockyer
Full data on Ballard Full data on Murphys Creek
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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