Carstairs vs Mcdesme
McDesme is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 52 in Carstairs. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Carstairs tends to suit couples and older residents, while McDesme 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
Carstairs
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 69/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Carstairs
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (12% vs 17%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Carstairs
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($175/wk vs $200/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Carstairs
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (1255.9 km vs 1259.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Carstairs
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 69/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 12%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
McDesme
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-8.3% vs -22.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Carstairs and Mcdesme 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
McDesme has more residents (254 vs 91); Carstairs skews older (52 vs 42).
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 91 | 254 +179% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -22.2% | -8.3% |
| Median age | 52 | 42 |
| Median household income | $114,816/yr +14% vs other | $98,384/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $175/wk | $200/wk +14% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.6%).
Development activity
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 22 across Burdekin same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -9% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 85% of QLD | Higher than 73% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 67% of QLD | Higher than 13% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — | Higher than 14% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 50% of QLD | Higher than 52% of QLD |
Liveability
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
McDesme carries more crime risk (69 vs 32).
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 32/100 | Moderate 69/100 |
| 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 | 1 within 5 km |
Schools
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
McDesme sits further from the CBD (1259.2 km vs 1255.9 km).
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 4/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1255.9 km | 1259.2 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 854 min same for both | |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 4806 | 0.1% postcode 4807 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 75 postcode 4806 | 68 postcode 4807 |
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 (81.4%).
Setting
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 9 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 15 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 7.4 km | 14.1 km |
NBN connectivity
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 59 premises | 0% 120 premises |
Climate
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,037 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 32.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 13.3°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 6.6 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 17.3 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,502/yr same for both | |
| Council | Burdekin same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Dawson same for both | |
| Member | Andrew Willcox same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Carstairs | Mcdesme | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Carstairs
Other comparisons with Mcdesme
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.