Birkalla vs Merryburn

Merryburn is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 45 in Birkalla. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Merryburn tends to suit 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

Merryburn

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 79/100)

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

Birkalla

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (33% vs 7%)
  • has cheaper rent ($263/wk vs $285/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Birkalla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (1561.7 km vs 1564.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Merryburn

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 79/100)

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

Investors

Birkalla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (24.8% vs 2.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Birkalla Merryburn
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.

Birkalla Merryburn
Walkability 4 / 0
Birkalla — Walkability: 4/100 Merryburn — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 21 / 89
Birkalla — Safety: 21/100 Merryburn — Safety: 89/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Birkalla — Low fire risk: 100/100 Merryburn — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Merryburn has higher household incomes ($89,648 vs $72,748); Birkalla skews older (45 vs 39).

Birkalla Merryburn
Population 156 189
+21% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +24.8% +2.7%
Median age 45 39
Median household income $72,748/yr $89,648/yr
+23% vs other
Median weekly rent $263/wk $285/wk
+8% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Birkalla Merryburn
0-4 5.1% / 4.8%
Birkalla — 0-4: 5.1% Merryburn — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 12.2% / 20.1%
Birkalla — 5-14: 12.2% Merryburn — 5-14: 20.1%
15-19 11.5% / 6.3%
Birkalla — 15-19: 11.5% Merryburn — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 3.2% / 2.1%
Birkalla — 20-24: 3.2% Merryburn — 20-24: 2.1%
25-34 8.3% / 10.1%
Birkalla — 25-34: 8.3% Merryburn — 25-34: 10.1%
35-44 9.6% / 14.3%
Birkalla — 35-44: 9.6% Merryburn — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 21.2% / 13.2%
Birkalla — 45-54: 21.2% Merryburn — 45-54: 13.2%
55-64 13.5% / 12.2%
Birkalla — 55-64: 13.5% Merryburn — 55-64: 12.2%
65-74 5.8% / 10.1%
Birkalla — 65-74: 5.8% Merryburn — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 10.9% / 5.3%
Birkalla — 75-84: 10.9% Merryburn — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 2.6% / 2.6%
Birkalla — 85+: 2.6% Merryburn — 85+: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Birkalla 58.5% couple families
Birkalla — Couple Families: 58.5% Birkalla — Lone Person: 26.8% Birkalla — One Parent Families: 14.6%
Merryburn 55.3% couple families
Merryburn — Couple Families: 55.3% Merryburn — Lone Person: 25.5% Merryburn — One Parent Families: 19.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Birkalla 32.8% renting
Birkalla — Owned Outright: 37.7% Birkalla — Mortgage: 29.5% Birkalla — Renting: 32.8%
Merryburn 6.6% renting
Merryburn — Owned Outright: 41.0% Merryburn — Mortgage: 52.5% Merryburn — Renting: 6.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Birkalla Merryburn
Certificate III & IV 19.2% / 20.1%
Birkalla — Certificate III & IV: 19.2% Merryburn — Certificate III & IV: 20.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 2.1%
Birkalla — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Merryburn — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.1%
Bachelor Degree — / 2.1%
Birkalla — Bachelor Degree: not among its largest Merryburn — Bachelor Degree: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

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.

Birkalla Merryburn
England — / 4.2%
Birkalla — England: not among its largest Merryburn — England: 4.2%
India 3.2% / —
Birkalla — India: 3.2% Merryburn — India: not among its largest
Philippines 3.2% / —
Birkalla — Philippines: 3.2% Merryburn — Philippines: not among its largest
Fiji — / 3.2%
Birkalla — Fiji: not among its largest Merryburn — Fiji: 3.2%
Vietnam — / 2.6%
Birkalla — Vietnam: not among its largest Merryburn — Vietnam: 2.6%
Japan — / 2.6%
Birkalla — Japan: not among its largest Merryburn — Japan: 2.6%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Birkalla 100.0% houses
Birkalla — Houses: 100.0%
Merryburn 100.0% houses
Merryburn — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Development activity

Birkalla Merryburn
New dwellings approved 186
across Cassowary Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +68%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Birkalla Merryburn
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 42% of QLD Higher than 63% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 69% of QLD Higher than 20% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 15% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 65% of QLD Higher than 53% of QLD

Liveability

Birkalla Merryburn
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Birkalla carries more crime risk (79 vs 11).

Birkalla Merryburn
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
79/100
 Low
11/100
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 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Birkalla Merryburn
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

Mobility

Merryburn sits further from the CBD (1564.9 km vs 1561.7 km).

Birkalla Merryburn
Walkability score 4/100 0/100
Distance to Brisbane 1561.7 km 1564.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 1063 min 1067 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 4854
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 4854
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.

Birkalla Merryburn
Car (driver) 69.7% / 77.0%
Birkalla — Car (driver): 69.7% Merryburn — Car (driver): 77.0%
Car (passenger) 9.1% / 12.2%
Birkalla — Car (passenger): 9.1% Merryburn — Car (passenger): 12.2%
Bus 10.6% / 6.8%
Birkalla — Bus: 10.6% Merryburn — Bus: 6.8%
Worked from Home 6.1% / 4.1%
Birkalla — Worked from Home: 6.1% Merryburn — Worked from Home: 4.1%
Walked Only 4.5% / —
Birkalla — Walked Only: 4.5% Merryburn — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.0%).

Setting

Birkalla Merryburn
Elevation 21 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 31 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 14.3 km 12.1 km

NBN connectivity

Birkalla Merryburn
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
72 premises
 0%
73 premises

Climate

Birkalla Merryburn
Annual rainfall 3,534 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 16.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Birkalla Merryburn
Average residential rate $1,829/yr
same for both
Council Cassowary Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Birkalla Merryburn
Division Kennedy
same for both
Member Bob Katter
same for both
Party Katter's Australian Party (KAP)
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Birkalla Merryburn
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Birkalla

Rural

Merryburn

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Birkalla

Birkalla vs Tully Birkalla vs Bulgun Birkalla vs Midgenoo

Other comparisons with Merryburn

Merryburn vs East Feluga Merryburn vs Midgenoo
Full data on Birkalla Full data on Merryburn
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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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