Cranley vs Birnam

Birnam is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 60 in Cranley. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Cranley, about half of households are people living alone. In Birnam, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Cranley tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Birnam suits families with children and 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

Birnam

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 38%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 68%)
  • But Cranley carries lower crime risk (60/100 vs 94/100)

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

First-home buyers

Birnam

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 32%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Cranley has cheaper rent ($330/wk vs $460/wk)
  • Birnam leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 30%)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Cranley

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (98 min vs 105 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (129.5 km vs 135.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cranley

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (45% vs 6%)
  • carries lower crime risk (60/100 vs 94/100)

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

Investors

Cranley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (57.7% vs -3.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cranley Birnam
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.

Cranley Birnam
Walkability 6 / 4
Cranley — Walkability: 6/100 Birnam — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 40 / 6
Cranley — Safety: 40/100 Birnam — Safety: 6/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Cranley — Low fire risk: 100/100 Birnam — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Cranley has more residents (2,281 vs 63); Birnam has higher household incomes ($123,448 vs $57,824).

Cranley Birnam
Population 2,281
+97% vs other
 63
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +57.7% -3.1%
Median age 60 43
Median household income $57,824/yr $123,448/yr
+113% vs other
Median weekly rent $330/wk $460/wk
+39% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cranley Birnam
0-4 4.1% / 7.9%
Cranley — 0-4: 4.1% Birnam — 0-4: 7.9%
5-14 7.6% / 20.6%
Cranley — 5-14: 7.6% Birnam — 5-14: 20.6%
15-19 3.9% / 6.3%
Cranley — 15-19: 3.9% Birnam — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 5.7% / —
Cranley — 20-24: 5.7% Birnam — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 10.8% / 12.7%
Cranley — 25-34: 10.8% Birnam — 25-34: 12.7%
35-44 7.5% / 9.5%
Cranley — 35-44: 7.5% Birnam — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 6.5% / 9.5%
Cranley — 45-54: 6.5% Birnam — 45-54: 9.5%
55-64 8.7% / 20.6%
Cranley — 55-64: 8.7% Birnam — 55-64: 20.6%
65-74 16.7% / 6.3%
Cranley — 65-74: 16.7% Birnam — 65-74: 6.3%
75-84 21.1% / —
Cranley — 75-84: 21.1% Birnam — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 7.5% / —
Cranley — 85+: 7.5% Birnam — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cranley 22.7% couple families
Cranley — Couple Families: 22.7% Cranley — Lone Person: 54.2% Cranley — One Parent Families: 15.2% Cranley — Group Household: 6.1% Cranley — Other Families: 1.9%
Birnam 76.5% couple families
Birnam — Couple Families: 76.5% Birnam — Lone Person: 23.5% Birnam — One Parent Families: 0.0% Birnam — Group Household: 0.0% Birnam — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cranley 27.0% renting
Cranley — Owned Outright: 57.3% Cranley — Mortgage: 15.7% Cranley — Renting: 27.0%
Birnam 0.0% renting
Birnam — Owned Outright: 60.0% Birnam — Mortgage: 40.0% Birnam — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cranley 67.8% houses
Cranley — Houses: 67.8% Cranley — Townhouses: 31.2% Cranley — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Birnam 100.0% houses
Birnam — Houses: 100.0% Birnam — Townhouses: 0.0% Birnam — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Cranley Birnam
Certificate III & IV 14.4% / 22.2%
Cranley — Certificate III & IV: 14.4% Birnam — Certificate III & IV: 22.2%
Bachelor Degree 9.6% / 12.7%
Cranley — Bachelor Degree: 9.6% Birnam — Bachelor Degree: 12.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 7.9%
Cranley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Birnam — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.0% / 9.5%
Cranley — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0% Birnam — Postgraduate Degree: 9.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / —
Cranley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Birnam — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

Property market

Cranley Birnam
Median house price $837,500 —
Median unit price $650,000 —
Median land price $650,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 8 sales
 —

Development activity

Cranley Birnam
New dwellings approved 1,513
across Toowoomba
same for both
Approvals change year on year -25%
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.

Cranley Birnam
Houses 4.1%
$620/wk on $795K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Cranley Birnam
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 20% of QLD Higher than 91% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 69% of QLD Higher than 67% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 71% of QLD Higher than 67% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 93% of QLD Higher than 43% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 58% of QLD —

Liveability

Cranley Birnam
Grade C —
Score 46/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Birnam carries more crime risk (94 vs 60).

Cranley Birnam
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
60/100
 High
94/100
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 7
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Cranley Birnam
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
Universities within 10 km 1
USQ (Toowoomba), 5.7 km
 1
USQ (Toowoomba), 7.8 km

Amenities in the suburb

Cranley Birnam
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Birnam sits further from the CBD (135.9 km vs 129.5 km).

Cranley Birnam
Walkability score 6/100 4/100
Distance to Brisbane 129.5 km 135.9 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 98 min 105 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 4350
 0.6%
postcode 4352
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 4350
 84
postcode 4352

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.

Cranley Birnam
Car (driver) 83.8% / 72.5%
Cranley — Car (driver): 83.8% Birnam — Car (driver): 72.5%
Worked from Home 6.0% / 17.5%
Cranley — Worked from Home: 6.0% Birnam — Worked from Home: 17.5%
Car (passenger) 8.9% / 10.0%
Cranley — Car (passenger): 8.9% Birnam — Car (passenger): 10.0%
Walked Only 1.3% / —
Cranley — Walked Only: 1.3% Birnam — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.8%).

Setting

Cranley Birnam
Elevation 590 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 528 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Cranley Birnam
Connectivity score 83/100 29/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 72%
604 premises
 0%
13 premises

Climate

Cranley Birnam
Annual rainfall 577 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Cranley Birnam
PM2.5 4.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Cranley Birnam
Average residential rate $1,618/yr
same for both
Council Toowoomba
same for both

Federal electorate

Cranley Birnam
Division Groom
same for both
Member Garth Hamilton
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cranley Birnam
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cranley

Retirees Townhouses

Birnam

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cranley

Cranley vs Wilsonton Cranley vs Rockville Cranley vs Harlaxton Cranley vs Wilsonton Heights Cranley vs Gowrie Junction Cranley vs Cotswold Hills

Other comparisons with Birnam

Birnam vs Highfields Birnam vs Gowrie Junction Birnam vs Blue Mountain Heights Birnam vs Cawdor Birnam vs Mount Kynoch
Full data on Cranley Full data on Birnam
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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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