Booral vs River Heads

Booral is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 54 in River Heads. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Booral, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Booral tends to suit couples, while River Heads 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

Booral

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 59%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, land 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

Booral

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (206 min vs 211 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (286.7 km vs 293 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

River Heads

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 21%)

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

Investors

River Heads

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (32.8% vs 6.2%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.9% vs 3.1%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Booral River Heads
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.

Booral River Heads
Walkability 0 / 0
Booral — Walkability: 0/100 River Heads — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 68 / 64
Booral — Safety: 68/100 River Heads — Safety: 64/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Booral — Low fire risk: 100/100 River Heads — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

River Heads skews older (54 vs 47); Booral has higher household incomes ($73,424 vs $64,636).

Booral River Heads
Population 1,636 2,044
+25% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.2% +32.8%
Median age 47 54
Median household income $73,424/yr
+12% vs other
 $64,636/yr
Median weekly rent $335/wk $350/wk
+4% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Booral River Heads
0-4 4.0% / 3.4%
Booral — 0-4: 4.0% River Heads — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 12.5% / 9.5%
Booral — 5-14: 12.5% River Heads — 5-14: 9.5%
15-19 7.2% / 4.3%
Booral — 15-19: 7.2% River Heads — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 4.4% / 4.2%
Booral — 20-24: 4.4% River Heads — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 8.9% / 7.7%
Booral — 25-34: 8.9% River Heads — 25-34: 7.7%
35-44 10.8% / 8.8%
Booral — 35-44: 10.8% River Heads — 35-44: 8.8%
45-54 14.4% / 13.4%
Booral — 45-54: 14.4% River Heads — 45-54: 13.4%
55-64 17.5% / 22.2%
Booral — 55-64: 17.5% River Heads — 55-64: 22.2%
65-74 13.3% / 19.4%
Booral — 65-74: 13.3% River Heads — 65-74: 19.4%
75-84 6.7% / 6.3%
Booral — 75-84: 6.7% River Heads — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 0.8% / 1.1%
Booral — 85+: 0.8% River Heads — 85+: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Booral 52.4% couple families
Booral — Couple Families: 52.4% Booral — Lone Person: 24.4% Booral — One Parent Families: 20.2% Booral — Group Household: 3.0%
River Heads 39.0% couple families
River Heads — Couple Families: 39.0% River Heads — Lone Person: 35.4% River Heads — One Parent Families: 19.7% River Heads — Group Household: 5.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Booral 12.4% renting
Booral — Owned Outright: 43.8% Booral — Mortgage: 43.8% Booral — Renting: 12.4%
River Heads 16.5% renting
River Heads — Owned Outright: 47.8% River Heads — Mortgage: 35.7% River Heads — Renting: 16.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Booral River Heads
Certificate III & IV 23.5% / 25.5%
Booral — Certificate III & IV: 23.5% River Heads — Certificate III & IV: 25.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.7% / 7.6%
Booral — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7% River Heads — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6%
Bachelor Degree 6.8% / 6.1%
Booral — Bachelor Degree: 6.8% River Heads — Bachelor Degree: 6.1%
Postgraduate Degree 1.0% / 2.2%
Booral — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0% River Heads — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.9% / 1.9%
Booral — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9% River Heads — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.5%).

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.

Booral River Heads
England 4.6% / 5.6%
Booral — England: 4.6% River Heads — England: 5.6%
New Zealand 3.6% / 4.5%
Booral — New Zealand: 3.6% River Heads — New Zealand: 4.5%
Philippines 0.6% / 1.0%
Booral — Philippines: 0.6% River Heads — Philippines: 1.0%
South Africa 0.8% / 0.7%
Booral — South Africa: 0.8% River Heads — South Africa: 0.7%
Netherlands 0.6% / 0.6%
Booral — Netherlands: 0.6% River Heads — Netherlands: 0.6%
Germany 0.7% / 0.4%
Booral — Germany: 0.7% River Heads — Germany: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Booral 97.5% houses
Booral — Houses: 97.5% Booral — Flats / Apartments: 2.5% Booral — Townhouses: 0.0%
River Heads 97.2% houses
River Heads — Houses: 97.2% River Heads — Flats / Apartments: 2.0% River Heads — Townhouses: 0.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Booral River Heads
Median house price $872,500 $830,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $439,000 $399,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 78 days
from 16 sales
 49 days
from 39 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Booral River Heads
3 bed $810K / $766K
Booral — 3 bed: $810K (17 sales) River Heads — 3 bed: $766K (56 sales)

17 vs 56 sales

4 bed $995K / $912K
Booral — 4 bed: $995K (27 sales) River Heads — 4 bed: $912K (40 sales)

27 vs 40 sales

Development activity

Booral River Heads
New dwellings approved 1,578
across Fraser Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year -8%
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.

Booral River Heads
Houses 3.1%
$740/wk on $1.25M
 3.9%
$670/wk on $899K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Booral River Heads
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 43% of QLD Higher than 30% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 59% of QLD Higher than 47% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 60% of QLD Higher than 59% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of QLD Higher than 91% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 13% of QLD Higher than 47% of QLD

Liveability

Booral River Heads
Grade C
same for both
Score 44/100 41/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Booral River Heads
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
32/100
 Low
36/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
69/100
 High
83/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Booral River Heads
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

Booral River Heads
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 2 1
Pharmacies 0 1

Mobility

River Heads sits further from the CBD (293 km vs 286.7 km).

Booral River Heads
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 286.7 km 293 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 206 min 211 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 4655
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 81
postcode 4655
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.

Booral River Heads
Car (driver) 80.7% / 78.6%
Booral — Car (driver): 80.7% River Heads — Car (driver): 78.6%
Worked from Home 9.9% / 13.4%
Booral — Worked from Home: 9.9% River Heads — Worked from Home: 13.4%
Car (passenger) 7.4% / 5.7%
Booral — Car (passenger): 7.4% River Heads — Car (passenger): 5.7%
Walked Only 1.4% / 1.7%
Booral — Walked Only: 1.4% River Heads — Walked Only: 1.7%
Bicycle 0.7% / —
Booral — Bicycle: 0.7% River Heads — Bicycle: not among its largest
Bus — / 0.6%
Booral — Bus: not among its largest River Heads — Bus: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.7%).

Setting

Booral River Heads
Elevation 50 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.3 km 713 m

NBN connectivity

Booral River Heads
Connectivity score 62/100 80/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
758 premises
 58%
1,070 premises

Climate

Booral River Heads
Annual rainfall 1,074 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.7°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Booral River Heads
PM2.5 5.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Booral River Heads
Average residential rate $1,576/yr
same for both
Council Fraser Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Booral River Heads
Division Hinkler
same for both
Member David Batt
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Booral River Heads
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Booral

Acreage Coastal

River Heads

Acreage Coastal Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Booral

Booral vs Urangan Booral vs Wondunna Booral vs Nikenbah Booral vs Bunya Creek

Other comparisons with River Heads

River Heads vs Susan River River Heads vs Bunya Creek
Full data on Booral Full data on River Heads
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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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