East Russell vs Bramston Beach
East Russell is the younger of the two, with a median age of 53 against 64 in Bramston Beach. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bramston Beach, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Bramston Beach tends to suit 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
East Russell
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (59% vs 33%)
- carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 71/100)
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
East Russell
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 29%)
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $280/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Bramston Beach
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (1129 min vs 1140 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (1639.4 km vs 1651.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here
- East Russell carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 71/100)
- Bramston Beach has more residents already 65 and over (48% vs 24%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
East Russell
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (16.9% vs -0.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
East Russell and Bramston Beach 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
Bramston Beach has more residents (173 vs 83); Bramston Beach rents higher ($280/wk vs $150/wk).
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 83 | 173 +108% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +16.9% | -0.6% |
| Median age | 53 | 64 |
| Median household income | $67,184/yr +26% vs other | $49,660/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $150/wk | $280/wk +87% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $470,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 73 days from 3 sales |
Development activity
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 767 across Cairns same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -81% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 33% of QLD | Higher than 13% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 10% of QLD | Higher than 7% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 55% of QLD | Higher than 24% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 37% of QLD | Higher than 50% of QLD |
Liveability
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Bramston Beach carries more bushfire risk (32 vs 19); Bramston Beach carries more crime risk (71 vs 58).
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 19/100 | Low 32/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 58/100 | High 71/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 76/100 | High 74/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 3 |
| Waterways | 12 | 5 |
Mobility
East Russell sits further from the CBD (1651.2 km vs 1639.4 km).
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1651.2 km | 1639.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 1140 min | 1129 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 4861 | 0.2% postcode 4871 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 40 postcode 4861 | 51 postcode 4871 |
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 (73.3%).
Setting
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 243 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 8 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 783 m | 1.1 km |
NBN connectivity
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 28/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 44 premises | 0% 151 premises |
Climate
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 3,531 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 31.2°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 17.0°C same for both | |
Council rates
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,354/yr same for both | |
| Council | Cairns same for both | |
Federal electorate
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Kennedy same for both | |
| Member | Bob Katter same for both | |
| Party | Katter's Australian Party (KAP) same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| East Russell | Bramston Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 East Russell
Other comparisons with Bramston Beach
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.