Blackrock vs Forrest Beach
Blackrock is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 57 in Forrest Beach. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Blackrock, most households are couple families. In Forrest Beach, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Blackrock tends to suit couples, while Forrest Beach suits people living alone and older residents.
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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Blackrock is already more of a family suburb (72% vs 38%)
- Forrest Beach has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Blackrock
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (14% vs 29%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Blackrock
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 26%)
- has cheaper rent ($190/wk vs $240/wk)
- But Forrest Beach has a bigger rental market to choose from (23% vs 12%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Blackrock
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (999 min vs 1014 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (1469.2 km vs 1481.9 km)
- But Forrest Beach is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Forrest Beach
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 23%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Forrest Beach
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (8.8% vs -0.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Blackrock and Forrest Beach 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
Forrest Beach has more residents (1,364 vs 319); Blackrock has higher household incomes ($102,076 vs $48,620).
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 319 | 1,364 +328% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -0.3% | +8.8% |
| Median age | 42 | 57 |
| Median household income | $102,076/yr +52% vs other | $48,620/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $190/wk | $240/wk +26% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.1%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $449,000 |
| Median unit price | — | $532,500 |
| Median land price | — | $130,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 99 days from 17 sales |
Development activity
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 23 across Hinchinbrook same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -86% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 76% of QLD | Higher than 11% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 35% of QLD | Higher than 75% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 4% of QLD same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 57% of QLD | Higher than 62% of QLD |
Liveability
Forrest Beach is more walkable (13 vs 0).
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | D |
| Score | — | 24/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Forrest Beach carries more bushfire risk (45 vs 35).
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 35/100 | Moderate 45/100 |
| Crime | Low 37/100 | Moderate 41/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 | High 80/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Blackrock
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Forrest Beach
- Forrest Beach State School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| GPs | 0 | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Beaches | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 2 | 1 |
Mobility
Forrest Beach sits further from the CBD (1481.9 km vs 1469.2 km).
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 13/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1469.2 km | 1481.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 999 min | 1014 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 4850 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 51 postcode 4850 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.6%).
Setting
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 10 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 8 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 8.9 km | 1.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 127 premises | 0% 740 premises |
Climate
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 2,433 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 32.4°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 14.8°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,516/yr same for both | |
| Council | Hinchinbrook same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Kennedy same for both | |
| Member | Bob Katter same for both | |
| Party | Katter's Australian Party (KAP) same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Blackrock | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Blackrock
Forrest Beach
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Blackrock
Other comparisons with Forrest Beach
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.