Buderim vs Mountain Creek

Mountain Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 46 in Buderim. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Mountain Creek, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Buderim: a median of $1.38 million, against $1.22 million in Mountain Creek, though rent is higher in Mountain Creek. On these figures, Buderim tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Mountain Creek 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

Buderim

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (65 vs 17)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (15 vs 7)
  • But Mountain Creek has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

Mountain Creek

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($716,500 vs $810,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,220,000 vs $1,375,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Buderim has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $500/wk)
  • Mountain Creek has a bigger rental market to choose from (37% vs 22%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Buderim is more walkable (69/100 vs 49/100)
  • Mountain Creek has a shorter drive in (75 min vs 80 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Buderim

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (11 vs 1)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 11%)
  • is more walkable (69/100 vs 49/100)

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

Investors

Mountain Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.8% vs 3.2%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Buderim Mountain Creek
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.

Buderim Mountain Creek
Walkability 69 / 49
Buderim — Walkability: 69/100 Mountain Creek — Walkability: 49/100
Safety 72 / 69
Buderim — Safety: 72/100 Mountain Creek — Safety: 69/100
Low fire risk 62 / 58
Buderim — Low fire risk: 62/100 Mountain Creek — Low fire risk: 58/100

Demographics

Buderim has more residents (31,430 vs 11,950); Buderim skews older (46 vs 37).

Buderim Mountain Creek
Population 31,430
+62% vs other
 11,950
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.1% +6.2%
Median age 46 37
Median household income $89,908/yr $99,372/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $450/wk $500/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Buderim Mountain Creek
0-4 4.4% / 5.7%
Buderim — 0-4: 4.4% Mountain Creek — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 12.5% / 16.7%
Buderim — 5-14: 12.5% Mountain Creek — 5-14: 16.7%
15-19 6.0% / 7.5%
Buderim — 15-19: 6.0% Mountain Creek — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 4.7% / 5.5%
Buderim — 20-24: 4.7% Mountain Creek — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 9.3% / 11.9%
Buderim — 25-34: 9.3% Mountain Creek — 25-34: 11.9%
35-44 11.4% / 15.4%
Buderim — 35-44: 11.4% Mountain Creek — 35-44: 15.4%
45-54 13.9% / 15.4%
Buderim — 45-54: 13.9% Mountain Creek — 45-54: 15.4%
55-64 12.9% / 10.9%
Buderim — 55-64: 12.9% Mountain Creek — 55-64: 10.9%
65-74 12.6% / 7.3%
Buderim — 65-74: 12.6% Mountain Creek — 65-74: 7.3%
75-84 8.2% / 3.0%
Buderim — 75-84: 8.2% Mountain Creek — 75-84: 3.0%
85+ 4.0% / 0.7%
Buderim — 85+: 4.0% Mountain Creek — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Buderim 44.4% couple families
Buderim — Couple Families: 44.4% Buderim — Lone Person: 35.2% Buderim — One Parent Families: 14.6% Buderim — Group Household: 4.7% Buderim — Other Families: 1.0%
Mountain Creek 51.2% couple families
Mountain Creek — Couple Families: 51.2% Mountain Creek — Lone Person: 20.2% Mountain Creek — One Parent Families: 22.1% Mountain Creek — Group Household: 5.7% Mountain Creek — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Buderim 22.4% renting
Buderim — Owned Outright: 40.3% Buderim — Mortgage: 37.3% Buderim — Renting: 22.4%
Mountain Creek 37.1% renting
Mountain Creek — Owned Outright: 23.0% Mountain Creek — Mortgage: 39.9% Mountain Creek — Renting: 37.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Buderim Mountain Creek
Certificate III & IV 14.9% / 16.5%
Buderim — Certificate III & IV: 14.9% Mountain Creek — Certificate III & IV: 16.5%
Bachelor Degree 15.7% / 12.5%
Buderim — Bachelor Degree: 15.7% Mountain Creek — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 8.9%
Buderim — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Mountain Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 4.7% / 3.1%
Buderim — Postgraduate Degree: 4.7% Mountain Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 1.9%
Buderim — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Mountain Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

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.

Buderim Mountain Creek
England 7.0% / 6.2%
Buderim — England: 7.0% Mountain Creek — England: 6.2%
New Zealand 4.3% / 5.6%
Buderim — New Zealand: 4.3% Mountain Creek — New Zealand: 5.6%
South Africa 1.9% / 2.2%
Buderim — South Africa: 1.9% Mountain Creek — South Africa: 2.2%
India 0.5% / 1.2%
Buderim — India: 0.5% Mountain Creek — India: 1.2%
Scotland 0.7% / 0.6%
Buderim — Scotland: 0.7% Mountain Creek — Scotland: 0.6%
Germany 0.7% / —
Buderim — Germany: 0.7% Mountain Creek — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Buderim 73.3% houses
Buderim — Houses: 73.3% Buderim — Flats / Apartments: 10.6% Buderim — Townhouses: 16.1%
Mountain Creek 77.7% houses
Mountain Creek — Houses: 77.7% Mountain Creek — Flats / Apartments: 15.5% Mountain Creek — Townhouses: 6.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Buderim Mountain Creek
Median house price $1,375,000 $1,220,000
Median unit price $810,000 $716,500
Median land price $1,087,500 $1,195,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 368 sales
 29 days
from 144 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

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

Buderim Mountain Creek
2 bed $735K / $710K
Buderim — 2 bed: $735K (76 sales) Mountain Creek — 2 bed: $710K (20 sales)

76 vs 20 sales

3 bed $880K / $802K
Buderim — 3 bed: $880K (81 sales) Mountain Creek — 3 bed: $802K (15 sales)

81 vs 15 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.

Buderim Mountain Creek
3 bed $1.2M / $996K
Buderim — 3 bed: $1.2M (180 sales) Mountain Creek — 3 bed: $996K (71 sales)

180 vs 71 sales

4 bed $1.4M / $1.28M
Buderim — 4 bed: $1.4M (350 sales) Mountain Creek — 4 bed: $1.28M (158 sales)

350 vs 158 sales

5 bed $1.69M / $1.44M
Buderim — 5 bed: $1.69M (102 sales) Mountain Creek — 5 bed: $1.44M (30 sales)

102 vs 30 sales

Development activity

Buderim Mountain Creek
New dwellings approved 2,962
across Sunshine Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year -41%
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.

Buderim Mountain Creek
Houses 3.2%
$900/wk on $1.45M
 3.8%
$875/wk on $1.2M
Units 4.2%
$645/wk on $805K
 4.3%
$675/wk on $820K

Ranking within QLD

Buderim Mountain Creek
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 63% of QLD Higher than 74% of QLD
Schools Higher than 95% of QLD Higher than 14% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 92% of QLD Higher than 86% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 88% of QLD Higher than 87% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 78% of QLD Higher than 87% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 15% of QLD Higher than 41% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 37% of QLD Higher than 43% of QLD

Liveability

Buderim scores higher overall (73 vs 49); Buderim is more walkable (69 vs 49).

Buderim Mountain Creek
Grade A C
Score 73/100 49/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Buderim Mountain Creek
Bushfire Low
38/100
 Moderate
42/100
Crime Low
28/100
 Low
31/100
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 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Buderim Mountain Creek
Inside the suburb 3 5
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 1
UniSC Sunshine Coast, 4.4 km
 1
UniSC Sunshine Coast, 3.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.8% 1.7%

Schools in Buderim

  • Buderim Mountain State School Government · Primary above peers
  • Matthew Flinders Anglican College Independent · Combined above peers
  • Immanuel Lutheran College Independent · Combined at peers

Schools in Mountain Creek

  • Brightwater State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Mountain Creek State High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Mountain Creek State School Government · Primary below peers
  • The Industry School - Sunshine Coast - Mountain Creek Campus Independent · Secondary
  • Autism Queensland Education & Therapy Centre - Mountain Creek Campus Independent · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Buderim Mountain Creek
Supermarkets 6 1
Cafes & restaurants 12 1
Parks & reserves 65 17
Childcare 15 7
GPs 11 1
Pharmacies 6 1
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 50 8

Mobility

Buderim Mountain Creek
Walkability score 69/100 49/100
Distance to Brisbane 94 km 93.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 80 min 75 min
Public transport score 76/100
Bus
 75/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 125.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 46.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 4556
 1.3%
postcode 4557
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 73
postcode 4556
 50
postcode 4557

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.

Buderim Mountain Creek
Car (driver) 72.8% / 75.7%
Buderim — Car (driver): 72.8% Mountain Creek — Car (driver): 75.7%
Worked from Home 19.7% / 16.1%
Buderim — Worked from Home: 19.7% Mountain Creek — Worked from Home: 16.1%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 5.2%
Buderim — Car (passenger): 4.6% Mountain Creek — Car (passenger): 5.2%
Walked Only 1.3% / 1.0%
Buderim — Walked Only: 1.3% Mountain Creek — Walked Only: 1.0%
Bus 0.9% / 0.8%
Buderim — Bus: 0.9% Mountain Creek — Bus: 0.8%
Bicycle 0.5% / 1.0%
Buderim — Bicycle: 0.5% Mountain Creek — Bicycle: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.7%).

Setting

Buderim Mountain Creek
Elevation 119 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.7 km
4.9 km to a named beach
 3.2 km
3.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Buderim Mountain Creek
Connectivity score 68/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 42%
14,677 premises
 56%
4,417 premises

Air quality (annual mean)

Buderim Mountain Creek
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.31 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Buderim Mountain Creek
Average residential rate $1,690/yr
same for both
Council Sunshine Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Buderim Mountain Creek
Division Fairfax
same for both
Member Ted O'Brien
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Buderim Mountain Creek
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Buderim

Parks Regional Centre

Mountain Creek

Family Parks Regional Centre River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Buderim

Buderim vs Maroochydore Buderim vs Sippy Downs Buderim vs Mooloolaba Buderim vs Alexandra Headland Buderim vs Kuluin Buderim vs Forest Glen

Other comparisons with Mountain Creek

Mountain Creek vs Sippy Downs Mountain Creek vs Mooloolaba Mountain Creek vs Parrearra Mountain Creek vs Minyama
Full data on Buderim Full data on Mountain Creek
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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