Bergen vs Plainby
Bergen is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 48 in Plainby. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bergen, most households are couple families. In Plainby, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Bergen tends to suit families with children and couples, while Plainby suits people living alone.
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
Bergen
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 71/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 38%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Bergen
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 40%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Too close to call
Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Bergen has a shorter drive in (131 min vs 143 min)
- Plainby sits closer to the CBD (163.4 km vs 165.7 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Bergen carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 71/100)
- Plainby has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 24%)
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
Bergen and Plainby 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
Bergen has more residents (85 vs 56); Bergen has higher household incomes ($79,612 vs $64,948).
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 85 +34% vs other | 56 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +25.0% | +27.3% |
| Median age | 42 | 48 |
| Median household income | $79,612/yr +18% vs other | $64,948/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $270/wk | $280/wk +4% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).
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 (25.9%).
Development activity
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1,513 across Toowoomba same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -25% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 50% of QLD | Higher than 30% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 44% of QLD | Higher than 37% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — | Higher than 17% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 45% of QLD | Higher than 36% of QLD |
Liveability
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Plainby carries more crime risk (71 vs 14).
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 14/100 | High 71/100 |
| 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
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 1 | 2 |
Mobility
Bergen sits further from the CBD (165.7 km vs 163.4 km).
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 165.7 km +1% vs other | 163.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 131 min | 143 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 4353 | 0.2% postcode 4355 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 72 postcode 4353 | 68 postcode 4355 |
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 (85.4%).
Setting
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 601 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 689 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 27/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 35 premises | 0% 21 premises |
Climate
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 577 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 31.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.9°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,618/yr same for both | |
| Council | Toowoomba same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Groom | Maranoa |
| Member | Garth Hamilton | David Littleproud |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Bergen | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Bergen
Other comparisons with Plainby
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.