Booval vs Silkstone

Silkstone is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 43 in Booval. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Booval, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In Silkstone, most households own their home. Houses cost more in Silkstone: a median of $848,000, against $768,000 in Booval, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Booval tends to suit renters and people living alone, while Silkstone suits 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

Silkstone

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (93% vs 63%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (53% vs 38%)
  • carries lower crime risk (78/100 vs 96/100)

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

  • Booval has cheaper houses ($767,500 vs $847,500)
  • Silkstone leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 30%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Booval

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (54% vs 38%)
  • has cheaper rent ($265/wk vs $305/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Booval

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (35.8 km vs 38.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Booval

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (37% vs 7%)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • But Silkstone carries lower crime risk (78/100 vs 96/100)

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

Investors

Silkstone

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (10.1% vs 3.9%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Booval Silkstone
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.

Booval Silkstone
Walkability 86 / 80
Booval — Walkability: 86/100 Silkstone — Walkability: 80/100
Safety 4 / 22
Booval — Safety: 4/100 Silkstone — Safety: 22/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Booval — Low fire risk: 100/100 Silkstone — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Silkstone has more residents (3,830 vs 2,723); Silkstone has higher household incomes ($68,588 vs $51,688).

Booval Silkstone
Population 2,723 3,830
+41% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.9% +10.1%
Median age 43 38
Median household income $51,688/yr $68,588/yr
+33% vs other
Median weekly rent $265/wk $305/wk
+15% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Booval Silkstone
0-4 4.7% / 6.1%
Booval — 0-4: 4.7% Silkstone — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 10.1% / 13.3%
Booval — 5-14: 10.1% Silkstone — 5-14: 13.3%
15-19 4.6% / 5.5%
Booval — 15-19: 4.6% Silkstone — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 6.2% / 5.7%
Booval — 20-24: 6.2% Silkstone — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 13.3% / 13.7%
Booval — 25-34: 13.3% Silkstone — 25-34: 13.7%
35-44 12.6% / 13.0%
Booval — 35-44: 12.6% Silkstone — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 14.5% / 11.6%
Booval — 45-54: 14.5% Silkstone — 45-54: 11.6%
55-64 13.9% / 11.9%
Booval — 55-64: 13.9% Silkstone — 55-64: 11.9%
65-74 11.0% / 9.7%
Booval — 65-74: 11.0% Silkstone — 65-74: 9.7%
75-84 6.5% / 6.9%
Booval — 75-84: 6.5% Silkstone — 75-84: 6.9%
85+ 2.6% / 2.5%
Booval — 85+: 2.6% Silkstone — 85+: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Booval 54.0% lone person
Booval — Lone Person: 54.0% Booval — Couple Families: 18.2% Booval — One Parent Families: 19.5% Booval — Group Household: 5.6% Booval — Other Families: 2.7%
Silkstone 40.3% lone person
Silkstone — Lone Person: 40.3% Silkstone — Couple Families: 32.6% Silkstone — One Parent Families: 20.7% Silkstone — Group Household: 4.1% Silkstone — Other Families: 2.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Booval 53.9% renting
Booval — Owned Outright: 21.2% Booval — Mortgage: 24.9% Booval — Renting: 53.9%
Silkstone 37.7% renting
Silkstone — Owned Outright: 28.0% Silkstone — Mortgage: 34.3% Silkstone — Renting: 37.7%
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.

Booval Silkstone
New Zealand 3.2% / 3.2%
Booval — New Zealand: 3.2% Silkstone — New Zealand: 3.2%
England 2.9% / 2.8%
Booval — England: 2.9% Silkstone — England: 2.8%
Philippines 1.1% / 0.8%
Booval — Philippines: 1.1% Silkstone — Philippines: 0.8%
India 0.8% / 0.7%
Booval — India: 0.8% Silkstone — India: 0.7%
Scotland 0.5% / 0.4%
Booval — Scotland: 0.5% Silkstone — Scotland: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).

Qualifications

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

Booval Silkstone
Certificate III & IV 15.2% / 17.3%
Booval — Certificate III & IV: 15.2% Silkstone — Certificate III & IV: 17.3%
Bachelor Degree 7.7% / 7.8%
Booval — Bachelor Degree: 7.7% Silkstone — Bachelor Degree: 7.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.8% / 6.9%
Booval — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8% Silkstone — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / 1.6%
Booval — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% Silkstone — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 1.5%
Booval — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Silkstone — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Booval 63.3% houses
Booval — Houses: 63.3% Booval — Townhouses: 20.7% Booval — Flats / Apartments: 16.0%
Silkstone 92.9% houses
Silkstone — Houses: 92.9% Silkstone — Townhouses: 4.2% Silkstone — Flats / Apartments: 2.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Booval Silkstone
Median house price $767,500 $847,500
Median unit price $656,750 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 38 days
from 26 sales
 22 days
from 19 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.

Booval Silkstone
2 bed $722K / $666K
Booval — 2 bed: $722K (12 sales) Silkstone — 2 bed: $666K (8 sales)

12 vs 8 sales

3 bed $785K / $860K
Booval — 3 bed: $785K (46 sales) Silkstone — 3 bed: $860K (32 sales)

46 vs 32 sales

4 bed $850K / $850K
Booval — 4 bed: $850K (9 sales) Silkstone — 4 bed: $850K (17 sales)

9 vs 17 sales

Development activity

Booval Silkstone
New dwellings approved 3,476
across Ipswich
same for both
Approvals change year on year -7%
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.

Booval Silkstone
Houses 3.6%
$550/wk on $799K
 3.6%
$560/wk on $799K
Units 3.7%
$430/wk on $609K
 —

Ranking within QLD

Booval Silkstone
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 15% of QLD Higher than 35% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 98% of QLD Higher than 96% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 77% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 94% of QLD Higher than 95% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 28% of QLD Higher than 33% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 18% of QLD —

Liveability

Silkstone scores higher overall (48 vs 35).

Booval Silkstone
Grade C
same for both
Score 35/100 48/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Booval carries more crime risk (96 vs 78).

Booval Silkstone
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
96/100
 High
78/100
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 8
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Booval Silkstone
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Booval

  • Sacred Heart School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in Silkstone

  • Silkstone State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Claremont Special School Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Booval Silkstone
Supermarkets 2 1
Cafes & restaurants 8 2
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Childcare 3 5
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 4 3

Mobility

Silkstone sits further from the CBD (38.5 km vs 35.8 km).

Booval Silkstone
Walkability score 86/100 80/100
Distance to Brisbane 35.8 km 38.5 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 37 min
same for both
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 53.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 43.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 4304
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 4304
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.

Booval Silkstone
Car (driver) 71.2% / 73.8%
Booval — Car (driver): 71.2% Silkstone — Car (driver): 73.8%
Worked from Home 12.7% / 13.8%
Booval — Worked from Home: 12.7% Silkstone — Worked from Home: 13.8%
Car (passenger) 5.0% / 5.8%
Booval — Car (passenger): 5.0% Silkstone — Car (passenger): 5.8%
Train 6.2% / 3.3%
Booval — Train: 6.2% Silkstone — Train: 3.3%
Walked Only 3.0% / 2.2%
Booval — Walked Only: 3.0% Silkstone — Walked Only: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.8%).

Setting

Booval Silkstone
Elevation 37 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 38.3 km 39.1 km

NBN connectivity

Booval Silkstone
Connectivity score 86/100 89/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
1,790 premises
 52%
1,767 premises

Climate

Booval Silkstone
Annual rainfall —
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Booval Silkstone
PM2.5 6.8 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.4 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.64 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Booval Silkstone
Average residential rate $1,713/yr
same for both
Council Ipswich
same for both

Federal electorate

Booval Silkstone
Division Blair
same for both
Member Shayne Neumann
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Booval Silkstone
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Booval

Outer Parks Townhouses Trains

Silkstone

Outer Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Booval

Booval vs Bundamba Booval vs North Booval Booval vs East Ipswich Booval vs Newtown

Other comparisons with Silkstone

Silkstone vs Raceview Silkstone vs Bundamba Silkstone vs Eastern Heights Silkstone vs Newtown Silkstone vs Blackstone
Full data on Booval Full data on Silkstone
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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