Birnam vs Gowrie Junction

Gowrie Junction is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 43 in Birnam. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Birnam 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

Gowrie Junction

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 94/100)

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

First-home buyers

Gowrie Junction

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 25%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Gowrie Junction

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($400/wk vs $460/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Gowrie Junction

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 4/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Gowrie Junction

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 4/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (12% vs 6%)
  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 94/100)

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

Investors

Gowrie Junction

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.8% vs -3.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Birnam Gowrie Junction
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.

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Walkability 4 / 23
Birnam — Walkability: 4/100 Gowrie Junction — Walkability: 23/100
Safety 6 / 49
Birnam — Safety: 6/100 Gowrie Junction — Safety: 49/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Birnam — Low fire risk: 100/100 Gowrie Junction — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Gowrie Junction has more residents (2,242 vs 63); Birnam skews older (43 vs 37).

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Population 63 2,242
+3459% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.1% +5.8%
Median age 43 37
Median household income $123,448/yr
+9% vs other
 $112,528/yr
Median weekly rent $460/wk
+13% vs other
 $400/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Birnam Gowrie Junction
0-4 7.9% / 5.8%
Birnam — 0-4: 7.9% Gowrie Junction — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 20.6% / 18.5%
Birnam — 5-14: 20.6% Gowrie Junction — 5-14: 18.5%
15-19 6.3% / 7.3%
Birnam — 15-19: 6.3% Gowrie Junction — 15-19: 7.3%
20-24 — / 4.4%
Birnam — 20-24: not among its largest Gowrie Junction — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 12.7% / 10.6%
Birnam — 25-34: 12.7% Gowrie Junction — 25-34: 10.6%
35-44 9.5% / 14.1%
Birnam — 35-44: 9.5% Gowrie Junction — 35-44: 14.1%
45-54 9.5% / 13.8%
Birnam — 45-54: 9.5% Gowrie Junction — 45-54: 13.8%
55-64 20.6% / 14.2%
Birnam — 55-64: 20.6% Gowrie Junction — 55-64: 14.2%
65-74 6.3% / 7.8%
Birnam — 65-74: 6.3% Gowrie Junction — 65-74: 7.8%
75-84 — / 3.3%
Birnam — 75-84: not among its largest Gowrie Junction — 75-84: 3.3%
85+ — / 0.7%
Birnam — 85+: not among its largest Gowrie Junction — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Birnam 76.5% couple families
Birnam — Couple Families: 76.5% Birnam — Lone Person: 23.5% Birnam — One Parent Families: 0.0% Birnam — Group Household: 0.0% Birnam — Other Families: 0.0%
Gowrie Junction 69.3% couple families
Gowrie Junction — Couple Families: 69.3% Gowrie Junction — Lone Person: 17.5% Gowrie Junction — One Parent Families: 9.8% Gowrie Junction — Group Household: 2.6% Gowrie Junction — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Birnam 0.0% renting
Birnam — Owned Outright: 60.0% Birnam — Mortgage: 40.0% Birnam — Renting: 0.0%
Gowrie Junction 7.5% renting
Gowrie Junction — Owned Outright: 32.6% Gowrie Junction — Mortgage: 59.9% Gowrie Junction — Renting: 7.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Birnam 100.0% houses
Birnam — Houses: 100.0% Birnam — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Gowrie Junction 99.6% houses
Gowrie Junction — Houses: 99.6% Gowrie Junction — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Certificate III & IV 22.2% / 21.5%
Birnam — Certificate III & IV: 22.2% Gowrie Junction — Certificate III & IV: 21.5%
Bachelor Degree 12.7% / 8.6%
Birnam — Bachelor Degree: 12.7% Gowrie Junction — Bachelor Degree: 8.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 7.4%
Birnam — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Gowrie Junction — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Postgraduate Degree 9.5% / 1.9%
Birnam — Postgraduate Degree: 9.5% Gowrie Junction — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.3%
Birnam — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Gowrie Junction — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

Property market

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Median house price — $900,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $785,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 64 days
from 14 sales

Development activity

Birnam Gowrie Junction
New dwellings approved 1,513
across Toowoomba
same for both
Approvals change year on year -25%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Birnam Gowrie Junction
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 91% of QLD Higher than 84% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 67% of QLD Higher than 80% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 67% of QLD Higher than 68% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 43% of QLD Higher than 79% of QLD

Liveability

Gowrie Junction is more walkable (23 vs 4).

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Grade — B
Score — 61/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Birnam carries more crime risk (94 vs 51).

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
94/100
 Moderate
51/100
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 3
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
USQ (Toowoomba), 7.8 km
 None

Schools in Birnam

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

Schools in Gowrie Junction

  • Gowrie State School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 0 2
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 1 4

Mobility

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Walkability score 4/100 23/100
Distance to Brisbane 135.9 km 134.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 105 min 103 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.

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Car (driver) 72.5% / 86.6%
Birnam — Car (driver): 72.5% Gowrie Junction — Car (driver): 86.6%
Worked from Home 17.5% / 9.3%
Birnam — Worked from Home: 17.5% Gowrie Junction — Worked from Home: 9.3%
Car (passenger) 10.0% / 3.8%
Birnam — Car (passenger): 10.0% Gowrie Junction — Car (passenger): 3.8%
Bus — / 0.3%
Birnam — Bus: not among its largest Gowrie Junction — Bus: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (86.6%).

Setting

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Elevation 528 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 477 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Connectivity score 29/100 69/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
13 premises
 47%
810 premises

Climate

Birnam Gowrie Junction
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

Air quality (annual mean)

Birnam Gowrie Junction
PM2.5 4.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Average residential rate $1,618/yr
same for both
Council Toowoomba
same for both

Federal electorate

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Division Groom
same for both
Member Garth Hamilton
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Birnam Gowrie Junction
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Birnam

Family Rural

Gowrie Junction

Acreage Family

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Birnam

Birnam vs Highfields Birnam vs Cranley Birnam vs Blue Mountain Heights Birnam vs Cawdor Birnam vs Mount Kynoch

Other comparisons with Gowrie Junction

Gowrie Junction vs Cranley Gowrie Junction vs Kingsthorpe Gowrie Junction vs Cotswold Hills Gowrie Junction vs Cawdor Gowrie Junction vs Glencoe Gowrie Junction vs Charlton
Full data on Birnam Full data on Gowrie Junction
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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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