Burua vs River Ranch
Burua is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 44 in River Ranch. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Burua: a median of $836,000, against $748,000 in River Ranch, though rent is higher in River Ranch. On these figures, Burua tends to suit 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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Burua carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 61/100)
- River Ranch has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 87%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
River Ranch
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($747,500 vs $836,500)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Burua
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 14%)
- has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $320/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Burua
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (526 km vs 528.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Burua
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more units and townhouses to downsize into (13% vs 2%)
- carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 61/100)
- But River Ranch has more residents already 65 and over (18% vs 10%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Burua
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (9.7% vs -24.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Burua and River Ranch 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
Burua has more residents (849 vs 269); River Ranch rents higher ($320/wk vs $200/wk).
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 849 +68% vs other | 269 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +9.7% | -24.6% |
| Median age | 39 | 44 |
| Median household income | $126,360/yr +4% vs other | $121,316/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $200/wk | $320/wk +60% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).
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 (3.3%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.0%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $836,500 | $747,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $265,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 30 days from 8 sales | — |
Development activity
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 274 across Gladstone same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +132% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 92% of QLD | Higher than 90% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 13% of QLD | Higher than 39% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 35% of QLD | Higher than 36% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 52% of QLD | Higher than 58% of QLD |
Liveability
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | C | — |
| Score | 41/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Burua carries more bushfire risk (58 vs 0); River Ranch carries more crime risk (61 vs 22).
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 58/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Low 22/100 | Moderate 61/100 |
| 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
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Burua
- Faith Baptist Christian School Independent · Combined at peers
Schools in River Ranch
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 3 same for both | |
Mobility
River Ranch sits further from the CBD (528.2 km vs 526 km).
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 526 km | 528.2 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 363 min | 365 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4680 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 59 postcode 4680 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 (87.1%).
Setting
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 100 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 47 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 9.7 km | 15.8 km |
NBN connectivity
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 277 premises | 0% 115 premises |
Climate
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 851 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 31.8°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 14.5°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 5.5 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 14.3 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | 0.46 pphm same for both | |
Council rates
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,358/yr same for both | |
| Council | Gladstone same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Flynn same for both | |
| Member | Colin Boyce same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Burua | River Ranch | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Burua
Other comparisons with River Ranch
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.