Blue Mountain vs Oakenden
Oakenden is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 44 in Blue Mountain. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Oakenden, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Oakenden tends to suit 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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Blue Mountain is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 90%)
- Oakenden carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 49/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Blue Mountain
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (5% vs 18%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Blue Mountain
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (25% vs 9%)
- has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $435/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 18%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Blue Mountain
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (948.3 km vs 958.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Oakenden
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 49/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Oakenden
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-1.6% vs -9.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Blue Mountain and Oakenden 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
Oakenden has more residents (424 vs 83); Oakenden rents higher ($435/wk vs $200/wk).
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 83 | 424 +411% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -9.8% | -1.6% |
| Median age | 44 | 39 |
| Median household income | $79,612/yr | $123,084/yr +55% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $200/wk | $435/wk +118% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).
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 (6.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 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 (19.3%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $800,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Development activity
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 27 across Isaac | 574 across Mackay |
| Approvals change year on year | +0% | -6% |
Ranking within QLD
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 50% of QLD | Higher than 91% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 35% of QLD | Higher than 15% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 5% of QLD | Higher than 8% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 12% of QLD | Higher than 52% of QLD |
Liveability
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Blue Mountain carries more crime risk (49 vs 23); Oakenden carries more bushfire risk (59 vs 48).
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 48/100 | Moderate 59/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 49/100 | Low 23/100 |
| 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
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Blue Mountain
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Oakenden
- Oakenden State School Government · Primary
Amenities in the suburb
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 19 | 18 |
Mobility
Oakenden sits further from the CBD (958.1 km vs 948.3 km).
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 948.3 km | 958.1 km +1% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 659 min | 655 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 4737 | 0.1% postcode 4741 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 66 postcode 4737 | 70 postcode 4741 |
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 (77.3%).
Setting
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 203 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 54 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 28.3 km | 16.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 17 premises | 0% 176 premises |
Climate
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,517 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.8°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 12.4°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $925/yr | $1,873/yr |
| Council | Isaac | Mackay |
Federal electorate
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Capricornia same for both | |
| Member | Michelle Landry same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Blue Mountain | Oakenden | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Blue Mountain
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Blue Mountain
Other comparisons with Oakenden
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.