Broadwater vs Thorndale
Broadwater is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 56 in Thorndale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Broadwater, about half of households are couple families. In Thorndale, most households are couple families. On these figures, Thorndale tends to suit older residents.
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
- Broadwater has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- Thorndale carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 38/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Broadwater
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 28%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Broadwater
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (179 min vs 189 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (225.1 km vs 230.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Thorndale
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 38/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 20%)
- But Broadwater is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Broadwater
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (9.9% vs -10.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Broadwater and Thorndale 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
Broadwater has more residents (321 vs 134); Broadwater has higher household incomes ($61,516 vs $47,632).
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 321 +58% vs other | 134 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +9.9% | -10.7% |
| Median age | 44 | 56 |
| Median household income | $61,516/yr +23% vs other | $47,632/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $260/wk same for both | |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).
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 (4.7%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Development activity
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 291 across Southern Downs same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +63% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 26% of QLD | Higher than 10% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 73% of QLD | Higher than 60% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 46% of QLD same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 51% of QLD | Higher than 40% of QLD |
Liveability
Broadwater is more walkable (13 vs 0).
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Broadwater carries more bushfire risk (54 vs 0); Broadwater carries more crime risk (38 vs 19).
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 54/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Low 38/100 | Low 19/100 |
| 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
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Broadwater
- Broadwater State School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Thorndale
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 same for both | |
| Waterways | 2 | 1 |
Mobility
Thorndale sits further from the CBD (230.1 km vs 225.1 km).
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 13/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 225.1 km | 230.1 km +2% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 179 min | 189 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4380 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 57 postcode 4380 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 (87.9%).
Setting
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 795 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 923 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 28/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 119 premises | 0% 58 premises |
Climate
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 730 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 27.2°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 2.3°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,627/yr same for both | |
| Council | Southern Downs same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Maranoa same for both | |
| Member | David Littleproud same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Broadwater | Thorndale | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Broadwater
Other comparisons with Thorndale
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.