Black River vs Jensen

Jensen is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 41 in Black River. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Black River, about half of households are couple families. In Jensen, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Jensen: a median of $915,000, against $755,000 in Black River, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Black River tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Jensen suits couples.

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

Jensen

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 60/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (82% vs 69%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Black River has cheaper houses ($755,000 vs $915,000)
  • Jensen has cheaper land ($334,500 vs $790,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Black River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $355/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Jensen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (1373 km vs 1379.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Jensen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 60/100)

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

Investors

Jensen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.7% vs 1.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Black River and Jensen 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 River Jensen
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 River Jensen
Walkability 0 / 5
Black River — Walkability: 0/100 Jensen — Walkability: 5/100
Safety 40 / 64
Black River — Safety: 40/100 Jensen — Safety: 64/100
Low fire risk 33 / 100
Black River — Low fire risk: 33/100 Jensen — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Jensen has higher household incomes ($119,340 vs $97,916); Black River skews older (41 vs 36).

Black River Jensen
Population 1,493 1,797
+20% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.2% +21.7%
Median age 41 36
Median household income $97,916/yr $119,340/yr
+22% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk $355/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Black River Jensen
0-4 6.0% / 7.4%
Black River — 0-4: 6.0% Jensen — 0-4: 7.4%
5-14 14.3% / 16.8%
Black River — 5-14: 14.3% Jensen — 5-14: 16.8%
15-19 5.4% / 6.4%
Black River — 15-19: 5.4% Jensen — 15-19: 6.4%
20-24 3.8% / 5.2%
Black River — 20-24: 3.8% Jensen — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 12.5% / 12.4%
Black River — 25-34: 12.5% Jensen — 25-34: 12.4%
35-44 13.5% / 13.6%
Black River — 35-44: 13.5% Jensen — 35-44: 13.6%
45-54 14.1% / 13.5%
Black River — 45-54: 14.1% Jensen — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 14.8% / 13.0%
Black River — 55-64: 14.8% Jensen — 55-64: 13.0%
65-74 11.4% / 7.9%
Black River — 65-74: 11.4% Jensen — 65-74: 7.9%
75-84 4.0% / 3.7%
Black River — 75-84: 4.0% Jensen — 75-84: 3.7%
85+ 0.7% / 0.4%
Black River — 85+: 0.7% Jensen — 85+: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Black River 51.8% couple families
Black River — Couple Families: 51.8% Black River — Lone Person: 26.2% Black River — One Parent Families: 17.6% Black River — Group Household: 4.4% Black River — Other Families: 0.0%
Jensen 66.0% couple families
Jensen — Couple Families: 66.0% Jensen — Lone Person: 14.9% Jensen — One Parent Families: 16.2% Jensen — Group Household: 2.1% Jensen — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Black River 10.0% renting
Black River — Owned Outright: 32.9% Black River — Mortgage: 57.1% Black River — Renting: 10.0%
Jensen 6.8% renting
Jensen — Owned Outright: 27.4% Jensen — Mortgage: 65.8% Jensen — Renting: 6.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Black River Jensen
Certificate III & IV 22.9% / 22.6%
Black River — Certificate III & IV: 22.9% Jensen — Certificate III & IV: 22.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.4% / 7.1%
Black River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4% Jensen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1%
Bachelor Degree 5.4% / 7.3%
Black River — Bachelor Degree: 5.4% Jensen — Bachelor Degree: 7.3%
Postgraduate Degree 1.1% / 0.8%
Black River — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1% Jensen — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.3% / 1.4%
Black River — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.3% Jensen — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

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.

Black River Jensen
New Zealand 2.3% / 2.2%
Black River — New Zealand: 2.3% Jensen — New Zealand: 2.2%
England 2.3% / 2.1%
Black River — England: 2.3% Jensen — England: 2.1%
Philippines 0.3% / 0.9%
Black River — Philippines: 0.3% Jensen — Philippines: 0.9%
Ireland — / 0.7%
Black River — Ireland: not among its largest Jensen — Ireland: 0.7%
India — / 0.5%
Black River — India: not among its largest Jensen — India: 0.5%
Malaysia 0.3% / —
Black River — Malaysia: 0.3% Jensen — Malaysia: not among its largest
Italy 0.3% / —
Black River — Italy: 0.3% Jensen — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Black River 97.5% houses
Black River — Houses: 97.5% Black River — Flats / Apartments: 2.5%
Jensen 96.4% houses
Jensen — Houses: 96.4% Jensen — Flats / Apartments: 3.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Black River Jensen
Median house price $755,000 $915,000
Median unit price — $203,000
Median land price $790,000 $334,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 6 sales
 18 days
from 10 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Black River Jensen
3 bed $690K / $683K
Black River — 3 bed: $690K (15 sales) Jensen — 3 bed: $683K (6 sales)

15 vs 6 sales

4 bed $779K / $949K
Black River — 4 bed: $779K (8 sales) Jensen — 4 bed: $949K (29 sales)

8 vs 29 sales

Development activity

Black River Jensen
New dwellings approved 1,096
across Townsville
same for both
Approvals change year on year -22%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Black River Jensen
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 72% of QLD Higher than 89% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 65% of QLD Higher than 69% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 70% of QLD Higher than 69% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 70% of QLD Higher than 90% of QLD

Liveability

Jensen scores higher overall (54 vs 21).

Black River Jensen
Grade D B
Score 21/100 54/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Black River carries more bushfire risk (67 vs 0); Black River carries more crime risk (60 vs 36).

Black River Jensen
Bushfire Moderate
67/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
60/100
 Low
36/100
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

Black River Jensen
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 River Jensen
Parks & reserves 0 1
Childcare 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Waterways 3 1

Mobility

Black River sits further from the CBD (1379.6 km vs 1373 km).

Black River Jensen
Walkability score 0/100 5/100
Distance to Brisbane 1379.6 km 1373 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 940 min 937 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 4818
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 87
postcode 4818
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 River Jensen
Car (driver) 83.6% / 84.1%
Black River — Car (driver): 83.6% Jensen — Car (driver): 84.1%
Worked from Home 10.9% / 8.4%
Black River — Worked from Home: 10.9% Jensen — Worked from Home: 8.4%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 4.5%
Black River — Car (passenger): 4.6% Jensen — Car (passenger): 4.5%
Bus 1.0% / 1.2%
Black River — Bus: 1.0% Jensen — Bus: 1.2%
Walked Only — / 1.8%
Black River — Walked Only: not among its largest Jensen — Walked Only: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.1%).

Setting

Black River Jensen
Elevation 37 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 22 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.7 km 8.3 km

NBN connectivity

Black River Jensen
Connectivity score 54/100 79/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 31%
614 premises
 64%
872 premises

Climate

Black River Jensen
Annual rainfall 1,304 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 15.0°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Black River Jensen
PM2.5 6.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 15.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.25 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Black River Jensen
Average residential rate $1,810/yr
same for both
Council Townsville
same for both

Federal electorate

Black River Jensen
Division Herbert
same for both
Member Phillip Thompson
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Black River Jensen
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Black River

Acreage

Jensen

Acreage Family

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Jensen

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Full data on Black River Full data on Jensen
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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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