Crows Nest vs Plainby

Plainby is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 57 in Crows Nest. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Crows Nest, about half of households are people living alone. In Plainby, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Crows Nest tends to suit older residents, while Plainby suits people living alone.

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

Crows Nest

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (8 vs 0)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 71/100)

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

First-home buyers

Crows Nest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (28% vs 40%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Plainby

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 30%)

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

Commuting to the city

Crows Nest

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (127 min vs 143 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (149.9 km vs 163.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Crows Nest

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 71/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (39% vs 28%)

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

Investors

Plainby

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (27.3% vs 2.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Crows Nest Plainby
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.

Crows Nest Plainby
Walkability 0 / 0
Crows Nest — Walkability: 0/100 Plainby — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 55 / 29
Crows Nest — Safety: 55/100 Plainby — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 31 / 100
Crows Nest — Low fire risk: 31/100 Plainby — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Crows Nest has more residents (2,212 vs 56); Plainby has higher household incomes ($64,948 vs $47,476).

Crows Nest Plainby
Population 2,212
+97% vs other
 56
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.4% +27.3%
Median age 57 48
Median household income $47,476/yr $64,948/yr
+37% vs other
Median weekly rent $270/wk $280/wk
+4% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Crows Nest Plainby
0-4 3.3% / 5.4%
Crows Nest — 0-4: 3.3% Plainby — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 9.7% / 7.1%
Crows Nest — 5-14: 9.7% Plainby — 5-14: 7.1%
15-19 4.4% / 5.4%
Crows Nest — 15-19: 4.4% Plainby — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 3.3% / 5.4%
Crows Nest — 20-24: 3.3% Plainby — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 7.7% / 12.5%
Crows Nest — 25-34: 7.7% Plainby — 25-34: 12.5%
35-44 7.6% / 14.3%
Crows Nest — 35-44: 7.6% Plainby — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 10.5% / 17.9%
Crows Nest — 45-54: 10.5% Plainby — 45-54: 17.9%
55-64 14.8% / 10.7%
Crows Nest — 55-64: 14.8% Plainby — 55-64: 10.7%
65-74 17.9% / 21.4%
Crows Nest — 65-74: 17.9% Plainby — 65-74: 21.4%
75-84 14.6% / 7.1%
Crows Nest — 75-84: 14.6% Plainby — 75-84: 7.1%
85+ 6.1% / —
Crows Nest — 85+: 6.1% Plainby — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Crows Nest 52.0% lone person
Crows Nest — Lone Person: 52.0% Crows Nest — Couple Families: 23.6% Crows Nest — One Parent Families: 18.1% Crows Nest — Group Household: 4.4% Crows Nest — Other Families: 1.9%
Plainby 61.5% lone person
Plainby — Lone Person: 61.5% Plainby — Couple Families: 38.5% Plainby — One Parent Families: 0.0% Plainby — Group Household: 0.0% Plainby — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Crows Nest 25.1% renting
Crows Nest — Owned Outright: 49.0% Crows Nest — Mortgage: 25.8% Crows Nest — Renting: 25.1%
Plainby 22.7% renting
Plainby — Owned Outright: 50.0% Plainby — Mortgage: 27.3% Plainby — Renting: 22.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Crows Nest 92.5% houses
Crows Nest — Houses: 92.5% Crows Nest — Townhouses: 3.9% Crows Nest — Flats / Apartments: 3.6%
Plainby 100.0% houses
Plainby — Houses: 100.0% Plainby — Townhouses: 0.0% Plainby — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Crows Nest Plainby
Certificate III & IV 16.0% / 17.9%
Crows Nest — Certificate III & IV: 16.0% Plainby — Certificate III & IV: 17.9%
Bachelor Degree 7.1% / 12.5%
Crows Nest — Bachelor Degree: 7.1% Plainby — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.2% / 5.4%
Crows Nest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2% Plainby — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.4%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / —
Crows Nest — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Plainby — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.9% / —
Crows Nest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9% Plainby — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

Property market

Crows Nest Plainby
Median house price $620,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $675,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 62 days
from 23 sales
 —

Development activity

Crows Nest Plainby
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.

Crows Nest Plainby
Houses 4.5%
$655/wk on $760K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Crows Nest Plainby
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 10% of QLD Higher than 30% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 35% of QLD Higher than 37% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 16% of QLD Higher than 17% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 71% of QLD Higher than 36% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 75% of QLD —

Liveability

Crows Nest Plainby
Grade D —
Score 16/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Crows Nest carries more bushfire risk (69 vs 0); Plainby carries more crime risk (71 vs 45).

Crows Nest Plainby
Bushfire Moderate
69/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
45/100
 High
71/100
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
same for both

Schools

Crows Nest Plainby
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Crows Nest

  • Crow's Nest State School Government · Combined above peers

Schools in Plainby

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

Amenities in the suburb

Crows Nest Plainby
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 5 0
Parks & reserves 8 0
Childcare 1 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 4 0
Waterways 28 2

Mobility

Plainby sits further from the CBD (163.4 km vs 149.9 km).

Crows Nest Plainby
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 149.9 km 163.4 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 127 min 143 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 4355
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 68
postcode 4355
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.

Crows Nest Plainby
Car (driver) 74.7% / 64.3%
Crows Nest — Car (driver): 74.7% Plainby — Car (driver): 64.3%
Worked from Home 11.2% / 35.7%
Crows Nest — Worked from Home: 11.2% Plainby — Worked from Home: 35.7%
Walked Only 8.2% / —
Crows Nest — Walked Only: 8.2% Plainby — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 5.3% / —
Crows Nest — Car (passenger): 5.3% Plainby — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bicycle 0.5% / —
Crows Nest — Bicycle: 0.5% Plainby — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.7%).

Setting

Crows Nest Plainby
Elevation 520 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 689 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Crows Nest Plainby
Connectivity score 57/100 27/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 22%
1,217 premises
 0%
21 premises

Climate

Crows Nest Plainby
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

Council rates

Crows Nest Plainby
Average residential rate $1,618/yr
same for both
Council Toowoomba
same for both

Federal electorate

Crows Nest Plainby
Division Maranoa
same for both
Member David Littleproud
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Crows Nest Plainby
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Crows Nest

Acreage Affordable Retirees

Plainby

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Crows Nest

Crows Nest vs Ravensbourne Crows Nest vs Pechey Crows Nest vs Pierces Creek Crows Nest vs Anduramba Crows Nest vs Pinelands

Other comparisons with Plainby

Plainby vs Douglas Plainby vs Groomsville Plainby vs Bergen Plainby vs Pinelands
Full data on Crows Nest Full data on Plainby
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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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