Blue Mountain vs Sunnyside

Sunnyside is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 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 Sunnyside, about half of households are couple families.

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

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 64%)

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 25%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Blue Mountain

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $275/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Sunnyside

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a shorter drive in (644 min vs 659 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Blue Mountain

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (17% vs 11%)

Weighs 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

Blue Mountain and Sunnyside drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
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.

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
Walkability 0 / 0
Blue Mountain — Walkability: 0/100 Sunnyside — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 51 / 43
Blue Mountain — Safety: 51/100 Sunnyside — Safety: 43/100
Low fire risk 52 / 100
Blue Mountain — Low fire risk: 52/100 Sunnyside — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Sunnyside has more residents (127 vs 83); Sunnyside rents higher ($275/wk vs $200/wk).

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
Population 83 127
+53% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -9.8% -12.4%
Median age 44 37
Median household income $79,612/yr $97,500/yr
+22% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk $275/wk
+38% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
0-4 9.6% / 8.7%
Blue Mountain — 0-4: 9.6% Sunnyside — 0-4: 8.7%
5-14 16.9% / 18.1%
Blue Mountain — 5-14: 16.9% Sunnyside — 5-14: 18.1%
15-19 9.6% / 4.7%
Blue Mountain — 15-19: 9.6% Sunnyside — 15-19: 4.7%
20-24 3.6% / 5.5%
Blue Mountain — 20-24: 3.6% Sunnyside — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 13.3% / 11.8%
Blue Mountain — 25-34: 13.3% Sunnyside — 25-34: 11.8%
35-44 4.8% / 13.4%
Blue Mountain — 35-44: 4.8% Sunnyside — 35-44: 13.4%
45-54 14.5% / 13.4%
Blue Mountain — 45-54: 14.5% Sunnyside — 45-54: 13.4%
55-64 19.3% / 18.9%
Blue Mountain — 55-64: 19.3% Sunnyside — 55-64: 18.9%
65-74 4.8% / 5.5%
Blue Mountain — 65-74: 4.8% Sunnyside — 65-74: 5.5%
75-84 12.0% / 5.5%
Blue Mountain — 75-84: 12.0% Sunnyside — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ — / —
Blue Mountain — 85+: not among its largest Sunnyside — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Blue Mountain 43.8% couple families
Blue Mountain — Couple Families: 43.8% Blue Mountain — One Parent Families: 56.2% Blue Mountain — Lone Person: 0.0%
Sunnyside 50.0% couple families
Sunnyside — Couple Families: 50.0% Sunnyside — One Parent Families: 13.6% Sunnyside — Lone Person: 36.4%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Blue Mountain 25.0% renting
Blue Mountain — Owned Outright: 57.1% Blue Mountain — Mortgage: 17.9% Blue Mountain — Renting: 25.0%
Sunnyside 20.9% renting
Sunnyside — Owned Outright: 34.9% Sunnyside — Mortgage: 44.2% Sunnyside — Renting: 20.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Blue Mountain 100.0% houses
Blue Mountain — Houses: 100.0%
Sunnyside 102.4% houses
Sunnyside — Houses: 102.4%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
Certificate III & IV 13.3% / 28.3%
Blue Mountain — Certificate III & IV: 13.3% Sunnyside — Certificate III & IV: 28.3%
Bachelor Degree 8.4% / 3.1%
Blue Mountain — Bachelor Degree: 8.4% Sunnyside — Bachelor Degree: 3.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / 2.4%
Blue Mountain — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Sunnyside — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.3%).

Development activity

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
New dwellings approved 27
across Isaac
 574
across Mackay
Approvals change year on year +0% -6%

Ranking within QLD

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 50% of QLD —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 35% of QLD Higher than 33% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 5% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 12% of QLD Higher than 57% of QLD

Liveability

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Blue Mountain carries more bushfire risk (48 vs 0).

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
Bushfire Moderate
48/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
49/100
 Moderate
57/100
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 Sunnyside
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

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 19 5

Mobility

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 948.3 km 946.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 659 min 644 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 4737
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 66
postcode 4737
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.

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
Car (driver) 57.7% / 78.7%
Blue Mountain — Car (driver): 57.7% Sunnyside — Car (driver): 78.7%
Worked from Home 42.3% / 8.2%
Blue Mountain — Worked from Home: 42.3% Sunnyside — Worked from Home: 8.2%
Car (passenger) — / 6.6%
Blue Mountain — Car (passenger): not among its largest Sunnyside — Car (passenger): 6.6%
Walked Only — / 6.6%
Blue Mountain — Walked Only: not among its largest Sunnyside — Walked Only: 6.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.7%).

Setting

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
Elevation 203 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 36 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 28.3 km 12.5 km

NBN connectivity

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
Connectivity score 15/100 30/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
17 premises
 0%
67 premises

Climate

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
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 Sunnyside
Average residential rate $925/yr $1,873/yr
Council Isaac Mackay

Federal electorate

Blue Mountain Sunnyside
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 Sunnyside
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Blue Mountain

Family Rural Young Families

Sunnyside

Family Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Blue Mountain

Blue Mountain vs Sarina Blue Mountain vs Nebo Blue Mountain vs Koumala Blue Mountain vs Eton Blue Mountain vs Oakenden Blue Mountain vs Sarina Range

Other comparisons with Sunnyside

Sunnyside vs Sarina Sunnyside vs Balberra Sunnyside vs Oakenden Sunnyside vs Munbura
Full data on Blue Mountain Full data on Sunnyside
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.

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