Darlington vs Kerry
Darlington is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 49 in Kerry. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Darlington, most households are couple families. In Kerry, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Darlington tends to suit families with children and couples, while Kerry 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
Darlington
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 44/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 70%)
- But Kerry has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 84%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Kerry
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 28%)
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
Kerry
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (85.1 km vs 101.5 km)
- has a shorter drive in (78 min vs 93 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Darlington
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 44/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Darlington
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (11.4% vs -6.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Darlington and Kerry drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Kerry has more residents (306 vs 98); Kerry skews older (49 vs 43).
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 98 | 306 +212% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +11.4% | -6.1% |
| Median age | 43 | 49 |
| Median household income | $95,316/yr +11% vs other | $84,500/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $330/wk | $345/wk +5% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).
Development activity
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 524 across Scenic Rim same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +65% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 69% of QLD | — |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 56% of QLD | Higher than 45% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 61% of QLD same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 19% of QLD | Higher than 45% of QLD |
Liveability
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
Kerry carries more crime risk (44 vs 25); Darlington carries more bushfire risk (66 vs 52).
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 66/100 | Moderate 52/100 |
| Crime | Low 25/100 | Moderate 44/100 |
| 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
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
Schools in Darlington
- Darlington State School Government · Primary below peers
Schools in Kerry
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 2 |
| Waterways | 5 | 11 |
Mobility
Darlington sits further from the CBD (101.5 km vs 85.1 km).
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 101.5 km +16% vs other | 85.1 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 93 min | 78 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 4285 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 84 postcode 4285 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.2%).
Setting
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 359 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 118 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 41.1 km | 40.8 km |
NBN connectivity
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 32 premises | 0% 126 premises |
Climate
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,556 mm | 1,682 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 28.7°C | — |
| Winter min (Jul) | 10.8°C | — |
Council rates
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,689/yr same for both | |
| Council | Scenic Rim same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wright same for both | |
| Member | Scott Buchholz same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Darlington | Kerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Darlington
Other comparisons with Kerry
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.