Buaraba vs Palmtree

Buaraba is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 55 in Palmtree. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Buaraba, about half of households are couple families. In Palmtree, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Buaraba tends to suit couples, while Palmtree 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

Buaraba

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (59% vs 37%)
  • carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 36/100)

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

Palmtree

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 30%)
  • has cheaper rent ($218/wk vs $360/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Buaraba

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (90 min vs 117 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (111.8 km vs 138.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Buaraba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 36/100)

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

Investors

Palmtree

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (9.6% vs -6.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Buaraba Palmtree
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.

Buaraba Palmtree
Walkability 0 / 0
Buaraba — Walkability: 0/100 Palmtree — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 77 / 64
Buaraba — Safety: 77/100 Palmtree — Safety: 64/100
Low fire risk 31 / 30
Buaraba — Low fire risk: 31/100 Palmtree — Low fire risk: 30/100

Demographics

Buaraba has more residents (170 vs 80); Buaraba rents higher ($360/wk vs $218/wk).

Buaraba Palmtree
Population 170
+53% vs other
 80
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -6.1% +9.6%
Median age 48 55
Median household income $63,336/yr $68,224/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+39% vs other
 $218/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Buaraba Palmtree
0-4 5.9% / —
Buaraba — 0-4: 5.9% Palmtree — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 10.0% / 7.5%
Buaraba — 5-14: 10.0% Palmtree — 5-14: 7.5%
15-19 5.3% / —
Buaraba — 15-19: 5.3% Palmtree — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 2.4% / 7.5%
Buaraba — 20-24: 2.4% Palmtree — 20-24: 7.5%
25-34 12.4% / 10.0%
Buaraba — 25-34: 12.4% Palmtree — 25-34: 10.0%
35-44 10.6% / 12.5%
Buaraba — 35-44: 10.6% Palmtree — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 14.1% / 13.8%
Buaraba — 45-54: 14.1% Palmtree — 45-54: 13.8%
55-64 13.5% / 27.5%
Buaraba — 55-64: 13.5% Palmtree — 55-64: 27.5%
65-74 17.1% / 16.2%
Buaraba — 65-74: 17.1% Palmtree — 65-74: 16.2%
75-84 6.5% / 7.5%
Buaraba — 75-84: 6.5% Palmtree — 75-84: 7.5%
85+ 2.4% / —
Buaraba — 85+: 2.4% Palmtree — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Buaraba 29.6% lone person
Buaraba — Lone Person: 29.6% Buaraba — Couple Families: 48.1% Buaraba — Group Household: 11.1% Buaraba — One Parent Families: 11.1%
Palmtree 63.2% lone person
Palmtree — Lone Person: 63.2% Palmtree — Couple Families: 36.8% Palmtree — Group Household: 0.0% Palmtree — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Buaraba 18.0% renting
Buaraba — Owned Outright: 54.0% Buaraba — Mortgage: 28.0% Buaraba — Renting: 18.0%
Palmtree 23.1% renting
Palmtree — Owned Outright: 61.5% Palmtree — Mortgage: 15.4% Palmtree — Renting: 23.1%
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.

Buaraba Palmtree
New Zealand 5.9% / 6.2%
Buaraba — New Zealand: 5.9% Palmtree — New Zealand: 6.2%
England 2.9% / —
Buaraba — England: 2.9% Palmtree — England: not among its largest
Vietnam 1.8% / —
Buaraba — Vietnam: 1.8% Palmtree — Vietnam: not among its largest
South Africa 1.8% / —
Buaraba — South Africa: 1.8% Palmtree — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.2%).

Qualifications

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

Buaraba Palmtree
Certificate III & IV 19.4% / 25.0%
Buaraba — Certificate III & IV: 19.4% Palmtree — Certificate III & IV: 25.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 18.8%
Buaraba — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Palmtree — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 18.8%
Bachelor Degree 10.6% / 7.5%
Buaraba — Bachelor Degree: 10.6% Palmtree — Bachelor Degree: 7.5%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 5.0%
Buaraba — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Palmtree — Postgraduate Degree: 5.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Buaraba 100.0% houses
Buaraba — Houses: 100.0%
Palmtree 100.0% houses
Palmtree — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Development activity

Buaraba Palmtree
New dwellings approved 363
across Somerset
 1,513
across Toowoomba
Approvals change year on year +375% -25%

Ranking within QLD

Buaraba Palmtree
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 29% of QLD Higher than 34% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 48% of QLD Higher than 28% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 52% of QLD Higher than 67% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 34% of QLD Higher than 32% of QLD

Liveability

Buaraba Palmtree
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Palmtree carries more crime risk (36 vs 23).

Buaraba Palmtree
Bushfire Moderate
69/100
 High
70/100
Crime Low
23/100
 Low
36/100
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

Buaraba Palmtree
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

Buaraba Palmtree
Parks & reserves 1 2
Waterways 21 6

Mobility

Palmtree sits further from the CBD (138.6 km vs 111.8 km).

Buaraba Palmtree
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 111.8 km 138.6 km
+24% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 90 min 117 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 4311
 0.6%
postcode 4352
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 92
postcode 4311
 84
postcode 4352

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.

Buaraba Palmtree
Car (driver) 56.1% / 54.8%
Buaraba — Car (driver): 56.1% Palmtree — Car (driver): 54.8%
Worked from Home 38.6% / 45.2%
Buaraba — Worked from Home: 38.6% Palmtree — Worked from Home: 45.2%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / —
Buaraba — Car (passenger): 5.3% Palmtree — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.1%).

Setting

Buaraba Palmtree
Elevation 165 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 673 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Buaraba Palmtree
Connectivity score 26/100 25/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
67 premises
 0%
32 premises

Climate

Buaraba Palmtree
Annual rainfall 697 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Buaraba Palmtree
Average residential rate $1,063/yr $1,618/yr
Council Somerset Toowoomba

Federal electorate

Buaraba Palmtree
Division Blair Maranoa
Member Shayne Neumann David Littleproud
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal National Party of Queensland

First Home Owner Grant

Buaraba Palmtree
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Buaraba

Retirees Rural

Palmtree

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Buaraba

Buaraba vs Coominya Buaraba vs Spring Creek Buaraba vs Mount Hallen Buaraba vs Ravensbourne Buaraba vs Churchable Buaraba vs Atkinsons Dam

Other comparisons with Palmtree

Palmtree vs Hampton Palmtree vs Ravensbourne Palmtree vs Perseverance
Full data on Buaraba Full data on Palmtree
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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