Conway vs Preston

Preston is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 52 in Conway. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Conway, most households are couple families. In Preston, about half of households are couple families.

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

Conway

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (75/100 vs 87/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Preston

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (749 min vs 759 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1099 km vs 1110.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Conway

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (75/100 vs 87/100)

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

Investors

Preston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.9% vs 4.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Conway Preston
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.

Conway Preston
Walkability 0 / 0
Conway — Walkability: 0/100 Preston — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 25 / 13
Conway — Safety: 25/100 Preston — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 37 / 100
Conway — Low fire risk: 37/100 Preston — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Preston has more residents (346 vs 202); Preston has higher household incomes ($93,756 vs $72,748).

Conway Preston
Population 202 346
+71% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.1% +16.9%
Median age 52 47
Median household income $72,748/yr $93,756/yr
+29% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Conway Preston
0-4 3.0% / 2.9%
Conway — 0-4: 3.0% Preston — 0-4: 2.9%
5-14 12.4% / 11.8%
Conway — 5-14: 12.4% Preston — 5-14: 11.8%
15-19 5.0% / 5.2%
Conway — 15-19: 5.0% Preston — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 1.5% / 3.8%
Conway — 20-24: 1.5% Preston — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 5.9% / 9.5%
Conway — 25-34: 5.9% Preston — 25-34: 9.5%
35-44 8.4% / 11.6%
Conway — 35-44: 8.4% Preston — 35-44: 11.6%
45-54 11.4% / 16.2%
Conway — 45-54: 11.4% Preston — 45-54: 16.2%
55-64 27.2% / 16.2%
Conway — 55-64: 27.2% Preston — 55-64: 16.2%
65-74 13.4% / 15.9%
Conway — 65-74: 13.4% Preston — 65-74: 15.9%
75-84 4.5% / 5.8%
Conway — 75-84: 4.5% Preston — 75-84: 5.8%
85+ 2.0% / —
Conway — 85+: 2.0% Preston — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Conway 57.1% couple families
Conway — Couple Families: 57.1% Conway — Lone Person: 31.0% Conway — Group Household: 11.9% Conway — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Preston 48.5% couple families
Preston — Couple Families: 48.5% Preston — Lone Person: 23.5% Preston — Group Household: 11.8% Preston — One Parent Families: 16.2%
Couple Families Lone Person Group Household One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Conway 11.3% renting
Conway — Owned Outright: 35.5% Conway — Mortgage: 53.2% Conway — Renting: 11.3%
Preston 10.2% renting
Preston — Owned Outright: 44.1% Preston — Mortgage: 45.8% Preston — Renting: 10.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Conway Preston
England 4.5% / 4.0%
Conway — England: 4.5% Preston — England: 4.0%
New Zealand 2.0% / 2.9%
Conway — New Zealand: 2.0% Preston — New Zealand: 2.9%
South Africa 2.0% / 2.6%
Conway — South Africa: 2.0% Preston — South Africa: 2.6%
Scotland — / 1.2%
Conway — Scotland: not among its largest Preston — Scotland: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.5%).

Qualifications

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

Conway Preston
Certificate III & IV 15.3% / 25.4%
Conway — Certificate III & IV: 15.3% Preston — Certificate III & IV: 25.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.4% / 6.1%
Conway — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4% Preston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Bachelor Degree 5.4% / 5.8%
Conway — Bachelor Degree: 5.4% Preston — Bachelor Degree: 5.8%
Postgraduate Degree 3.5% / —
Conway — Postgraduate Degree: 3.5% Preston — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Conway 100.0% houses
Conway — Houses: 100.0% Conway — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Preston 97.5% houses
Preston — Houses: 97.5% Preston — Flats / Apartments: 2.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Conway Preston
Median house price — $825,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Development activity

Conway Preston
New dwellings approved 190
across Whitsunday
same for both
Approvals change year on year +70%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Conway Preston
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 42% of QLD Higher than 67% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 12% of QLD Higher than 15% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 31% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 38% of QLD
same for both

Liveability

Conway Preston
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Conway carries more bushfire risk (63 vs 0); Preston carries more crime risk (87 vs 75).

Conway Preston
Bushfire Moderate
63/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
75/100
 High
87/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
12/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Conway Preston
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

Conway Preston
Parks & reserves 2 0
Waterways 1 4

Mobility

Conway sits further from the CBD (1110.2 km vs 1099 km).

Conway Preston
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 1110.2 km
+1% vs other
 1099 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 759 min 749 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 4800
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 85
postcode 4800
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.

Conway Preston
Car (driver) 72.4% / 82.3%
Conway — Car (driver): 72.4% Preston — Car (driver): 82.3%
Worked from Home 18.4% / 12.2%
Conway — Worked from Home: 18.4% Preston — Worked from Home: 12.2%
Car (passenger) 9.2% / 3.4%
Conway — Car (passenger): 9.2% Preston — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Walked Only — / 2.0%
Conway — Walked Only: not among its largest Preston — Walked Only: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.3%).

Setting

Conway Preston
Elevation 84 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 954 m 5.5 km

NBN connectivity

Conway Preston
Connectivity score 28/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
85 premises
 0%
129 premises

Climate

Conway Preston
Annual rainfall 1,502 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 11.9°C
same for both

Council rates

Conway Preston
Average residential rate $1,412/yr
same for both
Council Whitsunday
same for both

Federal electorate

Conway Preston
Division Dawson
same for both
Member Andrew Willcox
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Conway Preston
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Conway

Coastal Rural

Preston

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Conway

Conway vs Palm Grove Conway vs Conway Beach Conway vs Wilson Beach

Other comparisons with Preston

Preston vs Mount Julian Preston vs Mount Marlow Preston vs Palm Grove
Full data on Conway Full data on Preston
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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