Bluff vs Blackwater

Blackwater is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 47 in Bluff. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bluff, most households own their home and about half of households are people living alone. In Blackwater, most households rent. On these figures, Bluff tends to suit people living alone, while Blackwater suits renters, young adults, and families with children.

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

Blackwater

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (15 vs 4)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • But Bluff carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 84/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Bluff has cheaper rent ($170/wk vs $220/wk)
  • Blackwater has a bigger rental market to choose from (65% vs 42%)

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

Commuting to the city

Bluff

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (810.3 km vs 831.6 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (546 min vs 560 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bluff

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 5%)
  • carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 84/100)
  • But Blackwater has more GPs (2 vs 0)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Blackwater

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-1.0% vs -13.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bluff Blackwater
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.

Bluff Blackwater
Walkability 0 / 0
Bluff — Walkability: 0/100 Blackwater — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 47 / 16
Bluff — Safety: 47/100 Blackwater — Safety: 16/100
Low fire risk 52 / 100
Bluff — Low fire risk: 52/100 Blackwater — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Blackwater has more residents (4,702 vs 324); Bluff skews older (47 vs 31).

Bluff Blackwater
Population 324 4,702
+1351% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -13.1% -1.0%
Median age 47 31
Median household income $116,324/yr $122,616/yr
+5% vs other
Median weekly rent $170/wk $220/wk
+29% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bluff Blackwater
0-4 3.7% / 7.7%
Bluff — 0-4: 3.7% Blackwater — 0-4: 7.7%
5-14 9.0% / 15.6%
Bluff — 5-14: 9.0% Blackwater — 5-14: 15.6%
15-19 7.1% / 6.8%
Bluff — 15-19: 7.1% Blackwater — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 4.0% / 7.3%
Bluff — 20-24: 4.0% Blackwater — 20-24: 7.3%
25-34 11.7% / 17.9%
Bluff — 25-34: 11.7% Blackwater — 25-34: 17.9%
35-44 13.9% / 17.2%
Bluff — 35-44: 13.9% Blackwater — 35-44: 17.2%
45-54 18.5% / 13.5%
Bluff — 45-54: 18.5% Blackwater — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 21.0% / 9.0%
Bluff — 55-64: 21.0% Blackwater — 55-64: 9.0%
65-74 13.0% / 3.4%
Bluff — 65-74: 13.0% Blackwater — 65-74: 3.4%
75-84 3.4% / 1.1%
Bluff — 75-84: 3.4% Blackwater — 75-84: 1.1%
85+ — / 0.1%
Bluff — 85+: not among its largest Blackwater — 85+: 0.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bluff 39.5% couple families
Bluff — Couple Families: 39.5% Bluff — Lone Person: 47.4% Bluff — One Parent Families: 13.2% Bluff — Group Household: 0.0% Bluff — Other Families: 0.0%
Blackwater 43.9% couple families
Blackwater — Couple Families: 43.9% Blackwater — Lone Person: 34.2% Blackwater — One Parent Families: 16.0% Blackwater — Group Household: 4.3% Blackwater — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bluff 41.5% renting
Bluff — Owned Outright: 27.6% Bluff — Mortgage: 30.9% Bluff — Renting: 41.5%
Blackwater 64.7% renting
Blackwater — Owned Outright: 11.3% Blackwater — Mortgage: 24.0% Blackwater — Renting: 64.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Bluff Blackwater
New Zealand 2.2% / 4.0%
Bluff — New Zealand: 2.2% Blackwater — New Zealand: 4.0%
England 1.5% / 0.8%
Bluff — England: 1.5% Blackwater — England: 0.8%
Philippines — / 1.5%
Bluff — Philippines: not among its largest Blackwater — Philippines: 1.5%
Thailand — / 0.6%
Bluff — Thailand: not among its largest Blackwater — Thailand: 0.6%
India — / 0.3%
Bluff — India: not among its largest Blackwater — India: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

Qualifications

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

Bluff Blackwater
Certificate III & IV 17.6% / 19.0%
Bluff — Certificate III & IV: 17.6% Blackwater — Certificate III & IV: 19.0%
Bachelor Degree 3.7% / 4.9%
Bluff — Bachelor Degree: 3.7% Blackwater — Bachelor Degree: 4.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 2.8% / 3.6%
Bluff — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.8% Blackwater — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.6%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.8%
Bluff — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Blackwater — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.7%
Bluff — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Blackwater — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bluff 86.3% houses
Bluff — Houses: 86.3% Bluff — Townhouses: 11.3% Bluff — Flats / Apartments: 2.4%
Blackwater 93.0% houses
Blackwater — Houses: 93.0% Blackwater — Townhouses: 2.1% Blackwater — Flats / Apartments: 5.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bluff Blackwater
Median house price $312,500 $302,000
Median unit price — $310,000
Median land price — $39,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 62 days
from 46 sales

Development activity

Bluff Blackwater
New dwellings approved 35
across Central Highlands (Qld)
same for both
Approvals change year on year -75%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Bluff Blackwater
Houses — 6.7%
$500/wk on $389K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Bluff Blackwater
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 86% of QLD Higher than 91% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 17% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 18% of QLD Higher than 20% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 18% of QLD Higher than 40% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 6% of QLD Higher than 81% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 99% of QLD

Liveability

Bluff Blackwater
Grade — D
Score — 24/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Bluff carries more bushfire risk (48 vs 0); Blackwater carries more crime risk (84 vs 53).

Bluff Blackwater
Bushfire Moderate
48/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
53/100
 High
84/100
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

Bluff Blackwater
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 2

Schools in Bluff

  • Bluff State School Government · Primary

Schools in Blackwater

  • Blackwater State High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Blackwater North State School Government · Primary below peers
  • Blackwater State School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bluff Blackwater
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 4 15
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Fuel stations 1 5
Waterways 36 31

Mobility

Blackwater sits further from the CBD (831.6 km vs 810.3 km).

Bluff Blackwater
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 810.3 km 831.6 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 546 min 560 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 4702
 0.3%
postcode 4717
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 58
postcode 4702
 26
postcode 4717

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.

Bluff Blackwater
Car (driver) 56.4% / 70.1%
Bluff — Car (driver): 56.4% Blackwater — Car (driver): 70.1%
Walked Only 18.6% / 5.0%
Bluff — Walked Only: 18.6% Blackwater — Walked Only: 5.0%
Bus 7.7% / 9.8%
Bluff — Bus: 7.7% Blackwater — Bus: 9.8%
Car (passenger) 6.4% / 10.8%
Bluff — Car (passenger): 6.4% Blackwater — Car (passenger): 10.8%
Worked from Home 10.9% / 3.6%
Bluff — Worked from Home: 10.9% Blackwater — Worked from Home: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.1%).

Setting

Bluff Blackwater
Elevation 170 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 161 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Bluff Blackwater
Connectivity score 15/100 72/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
30 premises
 49%
2,756 premises

Air quality (annual mean)

Bluff Blackwater
PM2.5 5.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Bluff Blackwater
Average residential rate $1,276/yr
same for both
Council Central Highlands (Qld)
same for both

Federal electorate

Bluff Blackwater
Division Flynn
same for both
Member Colin Boyce
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bluff Blackwater
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bluff

Rural

Blackwater

Affordable Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bluff

Bluff vs Dingo Bluff vs Stewarton

Other comparisons with Blackwater

Blackwater vs Comet Blackwater vs Mackenzie River Blackwater vs Stewarton
Full data on Bluff Full data on Blackwater
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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