Basalt vs Southern Cross

In both, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Basalt, about half of households are couple families. In Southern Cross, most households are couple families. On these figures, Basalt tends to suit people living alone, while Southern Cross 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

Southern Cross

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 74%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 56%)
  • But Basalt has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)

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

Basalt

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($160/wk vs $300/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 17%)

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

Commuting to the city

Southern Cross

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (935 min vs 1038 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1367.1 km vs 1483 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Basalt

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (26% vs 3%)

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

Investors

Basalt

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.2% vs 6.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Basalt Southern Cross
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.

Basalt Southern Cross
Walkability 0 / 0
Basalt — Walkability: 0/100 Southern Cross — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 58 / 62
Basalt — Safety: 58/100 Southern Cross — Safety: 62/100
Low fire risk 74 / 100
Basalt — Low fire risk: 74/100 Southern Cross — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Southern Cross has more residents (575 vs 215); Southern Cross rents higher ($300/wk vs $160/wk).

Basalt Southern Cross
Population 215 575
+167% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +13.2% +6.1%
Median age 45 43
Median household income $71,500/yr $92,300/yr
+29% vs other
Median weekly rent $160/wk $300/wk
+88% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Basalt Southern Cross
0-4 5.1% / 4.7%
Basalt — 0-4: 5.1% Southern Cross — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 6.5% / 17.0%
Basalt — 5-14: 6.5% Southern Cross — 5-14: 17.0%
15-19 7.0% / 8.2%
Basalt — 15-19: 7.0% Southern Cross — 15-19: 8.2%
20-24 8.4% / 3.1%
Basalt — 20-24: 8.4% Southern Cross — 20-24: 3.1%
25-34 13.0% / 6.4%
Basalt — 25-34: 13.0% Southern Cross — 25-34: 6.4%
35-44 13.0% / 14.1%
Basalt — 35-44: 13.0% Southern Cross — 35-44: 14.1%
45-54 16.7% / 15.0%
Basalt — 45-54: 16.7% Southern Cross — 45-54: 15.0%
55-64 15.8% / 13.0%
Basalt — 55-64: 15.8% Southern Cross — 55-64: 13.0%
65-74 12.1% / 12.0%
Basalt — 65-74: 12.1% Southern Cross — 65-74: 12.0%
75-84 7.0% / 5.9%
Basalt — 75-84: 7.0% Southern Cross — 75-84: 5.9%
85+ — / 1.9%
Basalt — 85+: not among its largest Southern Cross — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Basalt 48.0% couple families
Basalt — Couple Families: 48.0% Basalt — Lone Person: 44.0% Basalt — One Parent Families: 8.0% Basalt — Group Household: 0.0%
Southern Cross 55.5% couple families
Southern Cross — Couple Families: 55.5% Southern Cross — Lone Person: 27.3% Southern Cross — One Parent Families: 14.8% Southern Cross — Group Household: 2.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Basalt 14.3% renting
Basalt — Owned Outright: 63.3% Basalt — Mortgage: 22.4% Basalt — Renting: 14.3%
Southern Cross 12.0% renting
Southern Cross — Owned Outright: 41.7% Southern Cross — Mortgage: 46.4% Southern Cross — Renting: 12.0%
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.

Basalt Southern Cross
New Zealand 1.9% / 1.4%
Basalt — New Zealand: 1.9% Southern Cross — New Zealand: 1.4%
England — / 0.9%
Basalt — England: not among its largest Southern Cross — England: 0.9%
Scotland — / 0.5%
Basalt — Scotland: not among its largest Southern Cross — Scotland: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.9%).

Qualifications

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

Basalt Southern Cross
Certificate III & IV 16.3% / 20.2%
Basalt — Certificate III & IV: 16.3% Southern Cross — Certificate III & IV: 20.2%
Bachelor Degree 6.5% / 3.7%
Basalt — Bachelor Degree: 6.5% Southern Cross — Bachelor Degree: 3.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 2.8% / 5.0%
Basalt — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.8% Southern Cross — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.2%
Basalt — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Southern Cross — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Basalt 74.3% houses
Basalt — Houses: 74.3% Basalt — Flats / Apartments: 25.7%
Southern Cross 97.0% houses
Southern Cross — Houses: 97.0% Southern Cross — Flats / Apartments: 3.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Development activity

Basalt Southern Cross
New dwellings approved 24
across Charters Towers
same for both
Approvals change year on year -67%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Basalt Southern Cross
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 40% of QLD Higher than 65% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 41% of QLD Higher than 45% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 23% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 14% of QLD Higher than 45% of QLD

Liveability

Basalt Southern Cross
Grade — C
Score — 43/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Basalt carries more bushfire risk (26 vs 0).

Basalt Southern Cross
Bushfire Low
26/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
42/100
 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

Basalt Southern Cross
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

Basalt Southern Cross
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 129 7

Mobility

Basalt sits further from the CBD (1483 km vs 1367.1 km).

Basalt Southern Cross
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 1483 km
+8% vs other
 1367.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 1038 min 935 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 4820
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 4820
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.

Basalt Southern Cross
Car (driver) 22.4% / 73.3%
Basalt — Car (driver): 22.4% Southern Cross — Car (driver): 73.3%
Worked from Home 53.3% / 10.0%
Basalt — Worked from Home: 53.3% Southern Cross — Worked from Home: 10.0%
Walked Only 21.5% / 1.7%
Basalt — Walked Only: 21.5% Southern Cross — Walked Only: 1.7%
Car (passenger) 2.8% / 6.7%
Basalt — Car (passenger): 2.8% Southern Cross — Car (passenger): 6.7%
Bus — / 8.3%
Basalt — Bus: not among its largest Southern Cross — Bus: 8.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.3%).

Setting

Basalt Southern Cross
Elevation 472 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 299 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Basalt Southern Cross
Connectivity score 15/100 29/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
109 premises
 0%
210 premises

Council rates

Basalt Southern Cross
Average residential rate $1,328/yr
same for both
Council Charters Towers
same for both

Federal electorate

Basalt Southern Cross
Division Kennedy
same for both
Member Bob Katter
same for both
Party Katter's Australian Party (KAP)
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Basalt Southern Cross
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Basalt

Rural

Southern Cross

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Basalt

Basalt vs Breddan Basalt vs Pentland Basalt vs Greenvale Basalt vs Black Jack Basalt vs Campaspe Basalt vs Paluma

Other comparisons with Southern Cross

Southern Cross vs Toll Southern Cross vs Breddan Southern Cross vs Towers Hill Southern Cross vs Black Jack Southern Cross vs Grand Secret Southern Cross vs Alabama Hill
Full data on Basalt Full data on Southern Cross
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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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