Bluewater vs Toolakea
Bluewater is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 50 in Toolakea. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bluewater, about half of households are couple families. In Toolakea, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Bluewater: a median of $702,000, against $617,000 in Toolakea. On these figures, Bluewater tends to suit families with children and couples, while Toolakea suits people living alone.
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
- Bluewater is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 48%)
- Toolakea carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 74/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
They split
one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here
- Bluewater leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 30%)
- Toolakea has cheaper houses ($617,000 vs $702,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Bluewater
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (942 min vs 949 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (1385 km vs 1388.3 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Toolakea
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 74/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, 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
Bluewater and Toolakea 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
Bluewater has more residents (1,085 vs 218); Bluewater has higher household incomes ($98,332 vs $79,248).
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,085 +80% vs other | 218 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +4.3% | +6.3% |
| Median age | 41 | 50 |
| Median household income | $98,332/yr +19% vs other | $79,248/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $320/wk +3% vs other | $310/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).
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 (3.8%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $702,000 | $617,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $590,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 48 days from 8 sales | — |
Development activity
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1,096 across Townsville same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -22% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 73% of QLD | Higher than 50% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 50% of QLD | Higher than 60% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 70% of QLD same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 62% of QLD | Higher than 65% of QLD |
Liveability
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D | — |
| Score | 18/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Bluewater carries more bushfire risk (65 vs 0); Bluewater carries more crime risk (74 vs 64).
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 65/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | High 74/100 | Moderate 64/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 91/100 | High 75/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Bluewater
- Bluewater State School Government · Primary at peers
Schools in Toolakea
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Childcare | 2 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Beaches | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 8 | 0 |
Mobility
Toolakea sits further from the CBD (1388.3 km vs 1385 km).
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1385 km | 1388.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 942 min | 949 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (88.6%).
Setting
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 13 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 1 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 3.5 km | 259 m |
NBN connectivity
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 451 premises | 0% 124 premises |
Climate
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
Council rates
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,810/yr same for both | |
| Council | Townsville same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Herbert same for both | |
| Member | Phillip Thompson same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Bluewater | Toolakea | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Bluewater
Other comparisons with Toolakea
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.