Balnagowan vs Hampden

Balnagowan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 44 in Hampden. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Balnagowan: a median of $1.24 million, against $668,000 in Hampden, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Balnagowan tends to suit families with children and couples, while Hampden 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

Balnagowan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (84% vs 70%)

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

First-home buyers

Hampden

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($667,500 vs $1,240,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hampden

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $275/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Balnagowan

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (980.6 km vs 992.6 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (674 min vs 679 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Hampden

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 11%)

Weighs 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

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

Balnagowan Hampden
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.

Balnagowan Hampden
Walkability 0 / 0
Balnagowan — Walkability: 0/100 Hampden — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 59 / 62
Balnagowan — Safety: 59/100 Hampden — Safety: 62/100
Low fire risk 100 / 60
Balnagowan — Low fire risk: 100/100 Hampden — Low fire risk: 60/100

Demographics

Balnagowan has higher household incomes ($143,000 vs $101,504); Hampden has more residents (598 vs 438).

Balnagowan Hampden
Population 438 598
+37% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.8% +5.7%
Median age 40 44
Median household income $143,000/yr
+29% vs other
 $101,504/yr
Median weekly rent $275/wk
+9% vs other
 $250/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Balnagowan Hampden
0-4 5.0% / 4.3%
Balnagowan — 0-4: 5.0% Hampden — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 17.1% / 12.5%
Balnagowan — 5-14: 17.1% Hampden — 5-14: 12.5%
15-19 11.2% / 7.9%
Balnagowan — 15-19: 11.2% Hampden — 15-19: 7.9%
20-24 3.7% / 4.5%
Balnagowan — 20-24: 3.7% Hampden — 20-24: 4.5%
25-34 8.7% / 9.4%
Balnagowan — 25-34: 8.7% Hampden — 25-34: 9.4%
35-44 14.4% / 12.5%
Balnagowan — 35-44: 14.4% Hampden — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 17.8% / 13.4%
Balnagowan — 45-54: 17.8% Hampden — 45-54: 13.4%
55-64 11.6% / 17.7%
Balnagowan — 55-64: 11.6% Hampden — 55-64: 17.7%
65-74 8.9% / 12.2%
Balnagowan — 65-74: 8.9% Hampden — 65-74: 12.2%
75-84 2.3% / 6.2%
Balnagowan — 75-84: 2.3% Hampden — 75-84: 6.2%
85+ — / 1.3%
Balnagowan — 85+: not among its largest Hampden — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Balnagowan 71.3% couple families
Balnagowan — Couple Families: 71.3% Balnagowan — Lone Person: 16.0% Balnagowan — One Parent Families: 12.8% Balnagowan — Other Families: 0.0%
Hampden 60.0% couple families
Hampden — Couple Families: 60.0% Hampden — Lone Person: 27.5% Hampden — One Parent Families: 10.0% Hampden — Other Families: 2.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Balnagowan 7.8% renting
Balnagowan — Owned Outright: 37.2% Balnagowan — Mortgage: 55.0% Balnagowan — Renting: 7.8%
Hampden 7.1% renting
Hampden — Owned Outright: 43.4% Hampden — Mortgage: 49.5% Hampden — Renting: 7.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Balnagowan Hampden
Certificate III & IV 20.8% / 24.9%
Balnagowan — Certificate III & IV: 20.8% Hampden — Certificate III & IV: 24.9%
Bachelor Degree 6.2% / 5.5%
Balnagowan — Bachelor Degree: 6.2% Hampden — Bachelor Degree: 5.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.9% / 4.5%
Balnagowan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9% Hampden — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 2.0%
Balnagowan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Hampden — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.9%).

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.

Balnagowan Hampden
New Zealand 2.7% / 4.2%
Balnagowan — New Zealand: 2.7% Hampden — New Zealand: 4.2%
South Africa 2.1% / 0.5%
Balnagowan — South Africa: 2.1% Hampden — South Africa: 0.5%
England 0.7% / 1.3%
Balnagowan — England: 0.7% Hampden — England: 1.3%
Philippines — / 0.7%
Balnagowan — Philippines: not among its largest Hampden — Philippines: 0.7%
Zimbabwe — / 0.7%
Balnagowan — Zimbabwe: not among its largest Hampden — Zimbabwe: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Balnagowan 100.0% houses
Balnagowan — Houses: 100.0%
Hampden 101.5% houses
Hampden — Houses: 101.5%
Houses

Property market

Balnagowan Hampden
Median house price $1,240,500 $667,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $487,500

Development activity

Balnagowan Hampden
New dwellings approved 574
across Mackay
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Balnagowan Hampden
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 96% of QLD Higher than 75% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 26% of QLD Higher than 24% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 40% of QLD Higher than 9% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 55% of QLD Higher than 54% of QLD

Liveability

Balnagowan Hampden
Grade — C
Score — 35/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Hampden carries more bushfire risk (40 vs 0).

Balnagowan Hampden
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
40/100
Crime Moderate
41/100
 Low
38/100
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

Balnagowan Hampden
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Balnagowan

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

Schools in Hampden

  • Hampden State School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Balnagowan Hampden
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 15 19

Mobility

Hampden sits further from the CBD (992.6 km vs 980.6 km).

Balnagowan Hampden
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 980.6 km 992.6 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 674 min 679 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 4740
 0.1%
postcode 4741
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 4740
 70
postcode 4741

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.

Balnagowan Hampden
Car (driver) 77.7% / 81.5%
Balnagowan — Car (driver): 77.7% Hampden — Car (driver): 81.5%
Worked from Home 11.7% / 8.2%
Balnagowan — Worked from Home: 11.7% Hampden — Worked from Home: 8.2%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 6.2%
Balnagowan — Car (passenger): 5.3% Hampden — Car (passenger): 6.2%
Walked Only 2.9% / 4.1%
Balnagowan — Walked Only: 2.9% Hampden — Walked Only: 4.1%
Bus 2.4% / —
Balnagowan — Bus: 2.4% Hampden — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.5%).

Setting

Balnagowan Hampden
Elevation 38 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 75 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 13.3 km 11.4 km

NBN connectivity

Balnagowan Hampden
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
152 premises
 0%
216 premises

Climate

Balnagowan Hampden
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)

Balnagowan Hampden
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Balnagowan Hampden
Average residential rate $1,873/yr
same for both
Council Mackay
same for both

Federal electorate

Balnagowan Hampden
Division Dawson
same for both
Member Andrew Willcox
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Balnagowan Hampden
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Balnagowan

Family River Rural

Hampden

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Balnagowan

Balnagowan vs Marian Balnagowan vs Walkerston Balnagowan vs Farleigh Balnagowan vs The Leap Balnagowan vs Pleystowe Balnagowan vs Dumbleton

Other comparisons with Hampden

Hampden vs Marian Hampden vs Kuttabul Hampden vs The Leap Hampden vs Devereux Creek
Full data on Balnagowan Full data on Hampden
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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