Black Jack vs Southern Cross

Black Jack is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 43 in Southern Cross. 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, Black Jack 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

Southern Cross

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 71/100)

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

Southern Cross

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Black Jack

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (927 min vs 935 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1364.8 km vs 1367.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Southern Cross

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 71/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 11%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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

Black Jack 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.

Black Jack 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.

Black Jack Southern Cross
Walkability 0 / 0
Black Jack — Walkability: 0/100 Southern Cross — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 29 / 62
Black Jack — Safety: 29/100 Southern Cross — Safety: 62/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Black Jack — Low fire risk: 100/100 Southern Cross — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Southern Cross has more residents (575 vs 167); Black Jack rents higher ($350/wk vs $300/wk).

Black Jack Southern Cross
Population 167 575
+244% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.7% +6.1%
Median age 40 43
Median household income $93,600/yr
+1% vs other
 $92,300/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+14% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Black Jack Southern Cross
0-4 6.0% / 4.7%
Black Jack — 0-4: 6.0% Southern Cross — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 21.0% / 17.0%
Black Jack — 5-14: 21.0% Southern Cross — 5-14: 17.0%
15-19 5.4% / 8.2%
Black Jack — 15-19: 5.4% Southern Cross — 15-19: 8.2%
20-24 — / 3.1%
Black Jack — 20-24: not among its largest Southern Cross — 20-24: 3.1%
25-34 11.4% / 6.4%
Black Jack — 25-34: 11.4% Southern Cross — 25-34: 6.4%
35-44 10.2% / 14.1%
Black Jack — 35-44: 10.2% Southern Cross — 35-44: 14.1%
45-54 17.4% / 15.0%
Black Jack — 45-54: 17.4% Southern Cross — 45-54: 15.0%
55-64 18.0% / 13.0%
Black Jack — 55-64: 18.0% Southern Cross — 55-64: 13.0%
65-74 9.0% / 12.0%
Black Jack — 65-74: 9.0% Southern Cross — 65-74: 12.0%
75-84 1.8% / 5.9%
Black Jack — 75-84: 1.8% Southern Cross — 75-84: 5.9%
85+ — / 1.9%
Black Jack — 85+: not among its largest Southern Cross — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Black Jack 57.5% couple families
Black Jack — Couple Families: 57.5% Black Jack — Lone Person: 22.5% Black Jack — One Parent Families: 20.0% Black Jack — 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.

Black Jack 10.2% renting
Black Jack — Owned Outright: 38.8% Black Jack — Mortgage: 51.0% Black Jack — Renting: 10.2%
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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Black Jack 96.2% houses
Black Jack — Houses: 96.2% Black Jack — Flats / Apartments: 3.8%
Southern Cross 97.0% houses
Southern Cross — Houses: 97.0% Southern Cross — Flats / Apartments: 3.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Black Jack Southern Cross
Certificate III & IV 13.8% / 20.2%
Black Jack — Certificate III & IV: 13.8% Southern Cross — Certificate III & IV: 20.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.6% / 5.0%
Black Jack — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6% Southern Cross — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0%
Bachelor Degree 6.6% / 3.7%
Black Jack — Bachelor Degree: 6.6% Southern Cross — Bachelor Degree: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.2%
Black Jack — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Southern Cross — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

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

Development activity

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

Ranking within QLD

Black Jack Southern Cross
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 67% of QLD Higher than 65% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 14% of QLD Higher than 45% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 22% of QLD Higher than 23% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 32% of QLD Higher than 45% of QLD

Liveability

Black Jack Southern Cross
Grade — C
Score — 43/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Black Jack carries more crime risk (71 vs 38).

Black Jack Southern Cross
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
71/100
 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

Black Jack 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

Black Jack Southern Cross
Waterways 9 7

Mobility

Southern Cross sits further from the CBD (1367.1 km vs 1364.8 km).

Black Jack Southern Cross
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 1364.8 km 1367.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 927 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.

Black Jack Southern Cross
Car (driver) 68.8% / 73.3%
Black Jack — Car (driver): 68.8% Southern Cross — Car (driver): 73.3%
Worked from Home 17.2% / 10.0%
Black Jack — Worked from Home: 17.2% Southern Cross — Worked from Home: 10.0%
Car (passenger) 7.8% / 6.7%
Black Jack — Car (passenger): 7.8% Southern Cross — Car (passenger): 6.7%
Bus — / 8.3%
Black Jack — Bus: not among its largest Southern Cross — Bus: 8.3%
Walked Only 6.2% / 1.7%
Black Jack — Walked Only: 6.2% Southern Cross — Walked Only: 1.7%

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

Setting

Black Jack Southern Cross
Elevation 356 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 299 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Black Jack Southern Cross
Connectivity score 25/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
56 premises
 0%
210 premises

Climate

Black Jack Southern Cross
Annual rainfall 690 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 33.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 12.0°C
same for both

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Black Jack 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

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

Tags

Black Jack

Family Rural

Southern Cross

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Black Jack

Black Jack vs Broughton Black Jack vs Mosman Park Black Jack vs Basalt Black Jack vs Seventy Mile Black Jack vs Towers Hill Black Jack vs Campaspe

Other comparisons with Southern Cross

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

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or