Felton vs Back Plains

Back Plains is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 50 in Felton. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Felton tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Back Plains suits families with children.

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

Back Plains

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 38/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (85% vs 70%)
  • But Felton has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 89%)

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

First-home buyers

Back Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 25%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Felton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $265/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 15%)

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

Commuting to the city

Felton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (164.2 km vs 179.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (131 min vs 143 min)
  • But Back Plains is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Back Plains

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 38/100)
  • But Felton has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 11%)

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

Investors

Back Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (40.5% vs -3.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Felton Back Plains
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.

Felton Back Plains
Walkability 0 / 13
Felton — Walkability: 0/100 Back Plains — Walkability: 13/100
Safety 62 / 78
Felton — Safety: 62/100 Back Plains — Safety: 78/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Felton — Low fire risk: 100/100 Back Plains — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Felton has more residents (267 vs 104); Back Plains rents higher ($265/wk vs $150/wk).

Felton Back Plains
Population 267
+61% vs other
 104
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.3% +40.5%
Median age 50 42
Median household income $93,184/yr $94,224/yr
+1% vs other
Median weekly rent $150/wk $265/wk
+77% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Felton Back Plains
0-4 4.9% / 6.7%
Felton — 0-4: 4.9% Back Plains — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 9.4% / 14.4%
Felton — 5-14: 9.4% Back Plains — 5-14: 14.4%
15-19 4.5% / 7.7%
Felton — 15-19: 4.5% Back Plains — 15-19: 7.7%
20-24 9.0% / —
Felton — 20-24: 9.0% Back Plains — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 7.5% / 13.5%
Felton — 25-34: 7.5% Back Plains — 25-34: 13.5%
35-44 7.9% / 9.6%
Felton — 35-44: 7.9% Back Plains — 35-44: 9.6%
45-54 15.0% / 11.5%
Felton — 45-54: 15.0% Back Plains — 45-54: 11.5%
55-64 16.9% / 15.4%
Felton — 55-64: 16.9% Back Plains — 55-64: 15.4%
65-74 15.7% / 10.6%
Felton — 65-74: 15.7% Back Plains — 65-74: 10.6%
75-84 7.5% / —
Felton — 75-84: 7.5% Back Plains — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 2.6% / —
Felton — 85+: 2.6% Back Plains — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Felton 64.3% couple families
Felton — Couple Families: 64.3% Felton — Lone Person: 30.4% Felton — One Parent Families: 5.4%
Back Plains 60.0% couple families
Back Plains — Couple Families: 60.0% Back Plains — Lone Person: 15.0% Back Plains — One Parent Families: 25.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Felton 19.0% renting
Felton — Owned Outright: 45.2% Felton — Mortgage: 35.7% Felton — Renting: 19.0%
Back Plains 13.8% renting
Back Plains — Owned Outright: 41.4% Back Plains — Mortgage: 44.8% Back Plains — Renting: 13.8%
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.

Felton Back Plains
England 2.6% / 2.9%
Felton — England: 2.6% Back Plains — England: 2.9%
Philippines 1.9% / —
Felton — Philippines: 1.9% Back Plains — Philippines: not among its largest
Zimbabwe 1.1% / —
Felton — Zimbabwe: 1.1% Back Plains — Zimbabwe: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.9%).

Qualifications

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

Felton Back Plains
Certificate III & IV 12.0% / 19.2%
Felton — Certificate III & IV: 12.0% Back Plains — Certificate III & IV: 19.2%
Bachelor Degree 9.0% / 12.5%
Felton — Bachelor Degree: 9.0% Back Plains — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 4.8%
Felton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Back Plains — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / —
Felton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Back Plains — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Felton 100.0% houses
Felton — Houses: 100.0% Felton — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Back Plains 88.9% houses
Back Plains — Houses: 88.9% Back Plains — Flats / Apartments: 11.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Development activity

Felton Back Plains
New dwellings approved 1,513
across Toowoomba
same for both
Approvals change year on year -25%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Felton Back Plains
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 66% of QLD Higher than 67% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 47% of QLD Higher than 73% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 10% of QLD Higher than 7% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of QLD Higher than 28% of QLD

Liveability

Back Plains is more walkable (13 vs 0).

Felton Back Plains
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Felton carries more crime risk (38 vs 22).

Felton Back Plains
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
38/100
 Low
22/100
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

Felton Back Plains
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Felton

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

Schools in Back Plains

  • Back Plains State School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Felton Back Plains
Parks & reserves 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Back Plains sits further from the CBD (179.9 km vs 164.2 km).

Felton Back Plains
Walkability score 0/100 13/100
Distance to Brisbane 164.2 km 179.9 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 131 min 143 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 4358
 0.1%
postcode 4361
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 58
postcode 4358
 66
postcode 4361

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.

Felton Back Plains
Car (driver) 65.3% / 82.7%
Felton — Car (driver): 65.3% Back Plains — Car (driver): 82.7%
Worked from Home 25.0% / 17.3%
Felton — Worked from Home: 25.0% Back Plains — Worked from Home: 17.3%
Car (passenger) 4.0% / —
Felton — Car (passenger): 4.0% Back Plains — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bicycle 3.2% / —
Felton — Bicycle: 3.2% Back Plains — Bicycle: not among its largest
Walked Only 2.4% / —
Felton — Walked Only: 2.4% Back Plains — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.7%).

Setting

Felton Back Plains
Elevation 427 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 458 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Felton Back Plains
Connectivity score 28/100 21/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
101 premises
 0%
28 premises

Climate

Felton Back Plains
Annual rainfall 643 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Felton Back Plains
Average residential rate $1,618/yr
same for both
Council Toowoomba
same for both

Federal electorate

Felton Back Plains
Division Groom Maranoa
Member Garth Hamilton David Littleproud
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Felton Back Plains
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Felton

Retirees Rural

Back Plains

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Felton

Felton vs Pittsworth Felton vs Cambooya Felton vs Greenmount Felton vs Southbrook Felton vs Nobby Felton vs Broxburn

Other comparisons with Back Plains

Back Plains vs Nobby Back Plains vs Mount Molar Back Plains vs Ellangowan Back Plains vs Felton South Back Plains vs Ryeford
Full data on Felton Full data on Back Plains
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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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