Buxton vs Isis River
Isis River is the younger of the two, with a median age of 60 against 63 in Buxton. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Buxton, most households are people living alone. In Isis River, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Isis River: a median of $620,000, against $508,000 in Buxton, though rent is higher in Buxton. On these figures, Buxton tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Isis River suits couples.
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
- Buxton carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 87/100)
- Isis River is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 29%)
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
- Buxton has cheaper houses ($507,500 vs $620,000)
- Isis River leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 29%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Isis River
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $250/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Isis River
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (202 min vs 216 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (295.2 km vs 314 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Buxton
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 87/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (45% vs 35%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Buxton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (17.9% vs -9.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Buxton and Isis River 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
Buxton rents higher ($250/wk vs $0/wk); Buxton has more residents (507 vs 100).
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 507 +80% vs other | 100 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +17.9% | -9.1% |
| Median age | 63 | 60 |
| Median household income | $41,392/yr | $53,248/yr +29% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $250/wk (not reported on the other side) | — |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.0%).
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 (6.0%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $507,500 | $620,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $355,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 77 days from 3 sales | — |
Development activity
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 997 across Bundaberg same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -45% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 5% of QLD | Higher than 16% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 3% of QLD | Higher than 51% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 29% of QLD | Higher than 30% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 48% of QLD | Higher than 31% of QLD |
Liveability
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D | — |
| Score | 14/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | high-need area decile 1/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Isis River carries more crime risk (87 vs 20); Buxton carries more bushfire risk (73 vs 27).
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 73/100 | Low 27/100 |
| Crime | Low 20/100 | High 87/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | Moderate 57/100 | None 0/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 2 | 5 |
Mobility
Buxton sits further from the CBD (314 km vs 295.2 km).
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 314 km +6% vs other | 295.2 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 216 min | 202 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 4660 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 82 postcode 4660 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 (86.1%).
Setting
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 9 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 32 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 5.2 km | 17.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 23/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 380 premises | 0% 41 premises |
Climate
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 969 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.7°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 11.2°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,773/yr same for both | |
| Council | Bundaberg same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Hinkler same for both | |
| Member | David Batt same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Buxton | Isis River | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Buxton
Other comparisons with Isis River
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.