Cherbourg vs Charlestown

Cherbourg is the younger of the two, with a median age of 23 against 45 in Charlestown. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cherbourg, the large majority of households rent. In Charlestown, the large majority of households own their home. On these figures, Cherbourg tends to suit renters and families with children, while Charlestown suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Charlestown

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (63/100 vs 96/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 88%)
  • But Cherbourg is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 64%)

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

Renters

Cherbourg

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (100% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $225/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 20%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Cherbourg has a shorter drive in (193 min vs 211 min)
  • Charlestown sits closer to the CBD (233.5 km vs 262.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Charlestown

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 4%)
  • carries lower crime risk (63/100 vs 96/100)
  • But Cherbourg has more GPs (5 vs 0)

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

Investors

Charlestown

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.5% vs -5.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cherbourg Charlestown
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.

Cherbourg Charlestown
Walkability 4 / 0
Cherbourg — Walkability: 4/100 Charlestown — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 4 / 37
Cherbourg — Safety: 4/100 Charlestown — Safety: 37/100
Low fire risk 31 / 40
Cherbourg — Low fire risk: 31/100 Charlestown — Low fire risk: 40/100

Demographics

Cherbourg has more residents (1,194 vs 79); Charlestown rents higher ($225/wk vs $100/wk).

Cherbourg Charlestown
Population 1,194
+93% vs other
 79
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -5.9% +21.5%
Median age 23 45
Median household income $41,236/yr $58,448/yr
+42% vs other
Median weekly rent $100/wk $225/wk
+125% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cherbourg Charlestown
0-4 9.5% / 7.6%
Cherbourg — 0-4: 9.5% Charlestown — 0-4: 7.6%
5-14 25.5% / 10.1%
Cherbourg — 5-14: 25.5% Charlestown — 5-14: 10.1%
15-19 9.6% / 6.3%
Cherbourg — 15-19: 9.6% Charlestown — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 7.6% / 5.1%
Cherbourg — 20-24: 7.6% Charlestown — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 13.5% / 7.6%
Cherbourg — 25-34: 13.5% Charlestown — 25-34: 7.6%
35-44 10.6% / 11.4%
Cherbourg — 35-44: 10.6% Charlestown — 35-44: 11.4%
45-54 10.1% / 17.7%
Cherbourg — 45-54: 10.1% Charlestown — 45-54: 17.7%
55-64 8.9% / 13.9%
Cherbourg — 55-64: 8.9% Charlestown — 55-64: 13.9%
65-74 2.8% / 10.1%
Cherbourg — 65-74: 2.8% Charlestown — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 1.3% / 11.4%
Cherbourg — 75-84: 1.3% Charlestown — 75-84: 11.4%
85+ 0.4% / —
Cherbourg — 85+: 0.4% Charlestown — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cherbourg 50.0% one parent families
Cherbourg — One Parent Families: 50.0% Cherbourg — Couple Families: 23.4% Cherbourg — Lone Person: 22.1% Cherbourg — Other Families: 3.5% Cherbourg — Group Household: 1.0%
Charlestown 20.0% one parent families
Charlestown — One Parent Families: 20.0% Charlestown — Couple Families: 44.0% Charlestown — Lone Person: 36.0% Charlestown — Other Families: 0.0% Charlestown — Group Household: 0.0%
One Parent Families Couple Families Lone Person Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cherbourg 100.0% renting
Cherbourg — Owned Outright: 0.0% Cherbourg — Mortgage: 0.0% Cherbourg — Renting: 100.0%
Charlestown 24.3% renting
Charlestown — Owned Outright: 43.2% Charlestown — Mortgage: 32.4% Charlestown — Renting: 24.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cherbourg 88.3% houses
Cherbourg — Houses: 88.3% Cherbourg — Flats / Apartments: 9.1% Cherbourg — Townhouses: 2.6%
Charlestown 100.0% houses
Charlestown — Houses: 100.0% Charlestown — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Charlestown — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Cherbourg Charlestown
Certificate III & IV 8.8% / 11.4%
Cherbourg — Certificate III & IV: 8.8% Charlestown — Certificate III & IV: 11.4%
Bachelor Degree 0.7% / 12.7%
Cherbourg — Bachelor Degree: 0.7% Charlestown — Bachelor Degree: 12.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / 6.3%
Cherbourg — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Charlestown — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 6.3%
Postgraduate Degree — / 5.1%
Cherbourg — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Charlestown — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 2.8% / —
Cherbourg — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.8% Charlestown — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.7%).

Development activity

Cherbourg Charlestown
New dwellings approved 14
across Cherbourg
 198
across South Burnett
Approvals change year on year -100% -18%

Ranking within QLD

Cherbourg Charlestown
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 5% of QLD Higher than 20% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 68% of QLD Higher than 28% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 58% of QLD Higher than 39% of QLD

Liveability

Cherbourg Charlestown
Grade D —
Score 10/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Cherbourg carries more crime risk (96 vs 63).

Cherbourg Charlestown
Bushfire Moderate
69/100
 Moderate
60/100
Crime High
96/100
 Moderate
63/100
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 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Cherbourg Charlestown
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Cherbourg

  • Cherbourg State School Government · Primary

Schools in Charlestown

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

Amenities in the suburb

Cherbourg Charlestown
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 1 0
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Waterways 3 15

Mobility

Cherbourg sits further from the CBD (262.2 km vs 233.5 km).

Cherbourg Charlestown
Walkability score 4/100 0/100
Distance to Brisbane 262.2 km
+11% vs other
 233.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 193 min 211 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 4605
 0.0%
postcode 4608
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 4605
 62
postcode 4608

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.

Cherbourg Charlestown
Car (driver) 64.5% / 76.9%
Cherbourg — Car (driver): 64.5% Charlestown — Car (driver): 76.9%
Walked Only 24.1% / —
Cherbourg — Walked Only: 24.1% Charlestown — Walked Only: not among its largest
Worked from Home — / 23.1%
Cherbourg — Worked from Home: not among its largest Charlestown — Worked from Home: 23.1%
Car (passenger) 11.4% / —
Cherbourg — Car (passenger): 11.4% Charlestown — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.9%).

Setting

Cherbourg Charlestown
Elevation 338 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 409 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Cherbourg Charlestown
Connectivity score 30/100 28/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
312 premises
 0%
37 premises

Federal electorate

Cherbourg Charlestown
Division Wide Bay Flynn
Member Llew O'Brien Colin Boyce
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cherbourg Charlestown
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cherbourg

Acreage Family Young Families

Charlestown

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cherbourg

Cherbourg vs Murgon Cherbourg vs Wondai Cherbourg vs Moffatdale

Other comparisons with Charlestown

Charlestown vs Wondai Charlestown vs Wattle Camp Charlestown vs Wooroolin Charlestown vs Tingoora Charlestown vs Moffatdale Charlestown vs Corndale
Full data on Cherbourg Full data on Charlestown
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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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