Castle Hill vs North Ward

North Ward is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 46 in Castle Hill. In Castle Hill, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. In North Ward, most households rent, most homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Castle Hill: a median of $1.37 million, against $1.05 million in North Ward, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Castle Hill tends to suit couples, while North Ward suits renters, people living alone, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

  • Castle Hill has more separate houses rather than flats (92% vs 24%)
  • North Ward has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Castle Hill

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($335,000 vs $543,500)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 27%)
  • But North Ward has cheaper houses ($1,050,000 vs $1,370,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

North Ward

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (59% vs 13%)
  • has cheaper rent ($285/wk vs $570/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

North Ward

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (78/100 vs 38/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

North Ward

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (76% vs 8%)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (78/100 vs 38/100)
  • But Castle Hill carries lower crime risk (77/100 vs 89/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Castle Hill North Ward
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.

Castle Hill North Ward
Walkability 38 / 78
Castle Hill — Walkability: 38/100 North Ward — Walkability: 78/100
Safety 23 / 11
Castle Hill — Safety: 23/100 North Ward — Safety: 11/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Castle Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100 North Ward — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

North Ward has more residents (5,073 vs 972); Castle Hill has higher household incomes ($196,612 vs $78,000).

Castle Hill North Ward
Population 972 5,073
+422% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.3% +0.2%
Median age 46 40
Median household income $196,612/yr
+60% vs other
 $78,000/yr
Median weekly rent $570/wk
+50% vs other
 $285/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Castle Hill North Ward
0-4 4.4% / 3.2%
Castle Hill — 0-4: 4.4% North Ward — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 13.5% / 8.5%
Castle Hill — 5-14: 13.5% North Ward — 5-14: 8.5%
15-19 6.7% / 6.6%
Castle Hill — 15-19: 6.7% North Ward — 15-19: 6.6%
20-24 4.9% / 7.4%
Castle Hill — 20-24: 4.9% North Ward — 20-24: 7.4%
25-34 7.8% / 16.8%
Castle Hill — 25-34: 7.8% North Ward — 25-34: 16.8%
35-44 9.9% / 13.1%
Castle Hill — 35-44: 9.9% North Ward — 35-44: 13.1%
45-54 19.4% / 14.1%
Castle Hill — 45-54: 19.4% North Ward — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 18.7% / 14.7%
Castle Hill — 55-64: 18.7% North Ward — 55-64: 14.7%
65-74 9.7% / 9.8%
Castle Hill — 65-74: 9.7% North Ward — 65-74: 9.8%
75-84 4.5% / 4.7%
Castle Hill — 75-84: 4.5% North Ward — 75-84: 4.7%
85+ 1.3% / 1.1%
Castle Hill — 85+: 1.3% North Ward — 85+: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Castle Hill 23.1% lone person
Castle Hill — Lone Person: 23.1% Castle Hill — Couple Families: 58.7% Castle Hill — One Parent Families: 10.7% Castle Hill — Group Household: 7.6% Castle Hill — Other Families: 0.0%
North Ward 62.1% lone person
North Ward — Lone Person: 62.1% North Ward — Couple Families: 17.6% North Ward — One Parent Families: 10.5% North Ward — Group Household: 8.5% North Ward — Other Families: 1.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Castle Hill 13.2% renting
Castle Hill — Owned Outright: 47.3% Castle Hill — Mortgage: 39.5% Castle Hill — Renting: 13.2%
North Ward 58.9% renting
North Ward — Owned Outright: 23.2% North Ward — Mortgage: 17.9% North Ward — Renting: 58.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Castle Hill North Ward
Bachelor Degree 24.5% / 19.0%
Castle Hill — Bachelor Degree: 24.5% North Ward — Bachelor Degree: 19.0%
Postgraduate Degree 11.9% / 8.7%
Castle Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 11.9% North Ward — Postgraduate Degree: 8.7%
Certificate III & IV 7.6% / 11.6%
Castle Hill — Certificate III & IV: 7.6% North Ward — Certificate III & IV: 11.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 7.7%
Castle Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% North Ward — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.9% / 2.9%
Castle Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9% North Ward — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).

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.

Castle Hill North Ward
England 5.0% / 4.0%
Castle Hill — England: 5.0% North Ward — England: 4.0%
New Zealand 1.6% / 2.8%
Castle Hill — New Zealand: 1.6% North Ward — New Zealand: 2.8%
India 1.7% / 1.1%
Castle Hill — India: 1.7% North Ward — India: 1.1%
South Africa 1.6% / 0.9%
Castle Hill — South Africa: 1.6% North Ward — South Africa: 0.9%
Scotland 1.4% / 0.7%
Castle Hill — Scotland: 1.4% North Ward — Scotland: 0.7%
Philippines — / 1.3%
Castle Hill — Philippines: not among its largest North Ward — Philippines: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Castle Hill 92.2% houses
Castle Hill — Houses: 92.2% Castle Hill — Flats / Apartments: 1.2% Castle Hill — Townhouses: 6.6%
North Ward 23.5% houses
North Ward — Houses: 23.5% North Ward — Flats / Apartments: 57.6% North Ward — Townhouses: 18.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Castle Hill North Ward
Median house price $1,370,000 $1,050,000
Median unit price $335,000 $543,500
Median land price $387,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 19 sales
 47 days
from 43 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.

Castle Hill North Ward
3 bed $976K / $985K
Castle Hill — 3 bed: $976K (10 sales) North Ward — 3 bed: $985K (22 sales)

10 vs 22 sales

4 bed $1.3M / $1.11M
Castle Hill — 4 bed: $1.3M (19 sales) North Ward — 4 bed: $1.11M (27 sales)

19 vs 27 sales

5 bed $1.61M / $1.11M
Castle Hill — 5 bed: $1.61M (12 sales) North Ward — 5 bed: $1.11M (10 sales)

12 vs 10 sales

Development activity

Castle Hill North Ward
New dwellings approved 1,096
across Townsville
same for both
Approvals change year on year -22%
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.

Castle Hill North Ward
Houses — 2.6%
$600/wk on $1.2M
Units — 4.3%
$500/wk on $599K

Ranking within QLD

Castle Hill North Ward
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 99% of QLD Higher than 49% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 89% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 84% of QLD Higher than 95% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 85% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 100% of QLD Higher than 98% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 5% of QLD
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 45% of QLD

Liveability

North Ward is more walkable (78 vs 38).

Castle Hill North Ward
Grade B
same for both
Score 59/100
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

North Ward carries more crime risk (89 vs 77).

Castle Hill North Ward
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
77/100
 High
89/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Moderate
56/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 12
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Castle Hill North Ward
Inside the suburb 0 4
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
James Cook University - Townsville, 1.8 km
 1
James Cook University - Townsville, 1.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.9% 2.0%

Schools in Castle Hill

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in North Ward

  • St Joseph's Catholic School, The Strand Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Townsville Central State School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Patrick's College Townsville Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Townsville Grammar School Independent · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Castle Hill North Ward
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 24
Parks & reserves 3 10
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Beaches 0 4

Mobility

Castle Hill North Ward
Walkability score 38/100 78/100
Distance to Brisbane 1353.8 km 1353.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 930 min 926 min
Public transport score 30/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 2.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 35.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 27 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 4810
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 34
postcode 4810
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.

Castle Hill North Ward
Car (driver) 80.4% / 74.4%
Castle Hill — Car (driver): 80.4% North Ward — Car (driver): 74.4%
Worked from Home 12.2% / 7.9%
Castle Hill — Worked from Home: 12.2% North Ward — Worked from Home: 7.9%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 5.9%
Castle Hill — Car (passenger): 3.9% North Ward — Car (passenger): 5.9%
Walked Only 1.6% / 8.2%
Castle Hill — Walked Only: 1.6% North Ward — Walked Only: 8.2%
Bicycle 1.8% / 2.4%
Castle Hill — Bicycle: 1.8% North Ward — Bicycle: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.4%).

Setting

Castle Hill North Ward
Elevation 158 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 13 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.5 km
1.6 km to a named beach
 426 m
387 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Castle Hill North Ward
Connectivity score 100/100 96/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
486 premises
 90%
3,699 premises

Climate

Castle Hill North Ward
Annual rainfall 1,304 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 15.0°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Castle Hill North Ward
PM2.5 6.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 15.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.25 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Castle Hill North Ward
Average residential rate $1,810/yr
same for both
Council Townsville
same for both

Federal electorate

Castle Hill North Ward
Division Herbert
same for both
Member Phillip Thompson
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Castle Hill North Ward
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Castle Hill

Acreage Coastal Professionals Quiet

North Ward

Affordable Apartments Beach Beachfront Coastal Parks Professionals

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Castle Hill

Castle Hill vs West End Castle Hill vs Townsville City Castle Hill vs Belgian Gardens

Other comparisons with North Ward

North Ward vs Townsville City North Ward vs Belgian Gardens North Ward vs Coral Sea
Full data on Castle Hill Full data on North Ward
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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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