Blue Mountain Heights vs Birnam
Birnam is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 47 in Blue Mountain Heights. 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, Blue Mountain Heights tends to suit older residents, while Birnam suits families with children and 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
Blue Mountain Heights
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 94/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Blue Mountain Heights
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 25%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Blue Mountain Heights
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
Blue Mountain Heights
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (32/100 vs 4/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Blue Mountain Heights
ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (32/100 vs 4/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 6%)
- carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 94/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Blue Mountain Heights
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (6.4% vs -3.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Blue Mountain Heights and Birnam 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
Blue Mountain Heights has more residents (988 vs 63); Birnam rents higher ($460/wk vs $400/wk).
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 988 +94% vs other | 63 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +6.4% | -3.1% |
| Median age | 47 | 43 |
| Median household income | $124,384/yr | $123,448/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $400/wk | $460/wk +15% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.6%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).
Property market
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,130,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $585,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 36 days from 6 sales | — |
Development activity
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1,513 across Toowoomba same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -25% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 92% of QLD | Higher than 91% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 82% of QLD | Higher than 67% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 70% of QLD | Higher than 67% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 87% of QLD | Higher than 43% of QLD |
Liveability
Blue Mountain Heights is more walkable (32 vs 4).
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | A | — |
| Score | 76/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 10/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Birnam carries more crime risk (94 vs 31).
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 31/100 | High 94/100 |
| 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 | 4 within 5 km | 3 within 5 km |
Schools
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Universities within 10 km | 1 USQ (Toowoomba), 6.9 km | 1 USQ (Toowoomba), 7.8 km |
Amenities in the suburb
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 same for both | |
Mobility
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 32/100 | 4/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 134.9 km | 135.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 106 min | 105 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 4350 | 0.6% postcode 4352 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 41 postcode 4350 | 84 postcode 4352 |
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 (78.0%).
Setting
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 629 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 528 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 76/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 58% 383 premises | 0% 13 premises |
Climate
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 4.9 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 12.0 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,618/yr same for both | |
| Council | Toowoomba same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Groom same for both | |
| Member | Garth Hamilton same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Blue Mountain Heights | Birnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Blue Mountain Heights
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Blue Mountain Heights
Other comparisons with Birnam
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.