Fordsdale vs Ramsay

Ramsay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 47 in Fordsdale. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ramsay, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Fordsdale tends to suit people living alone, while Ramsay suits 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

Ramsay

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 47/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (93% vs 50%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 83%)

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

First-home buyers

Fordsdale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (13% vs 22%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Fordsdale has a bigger rental market to choose from (41% vs 7%)
  • Ramsay leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 27%)

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

Commuting to the city

Fordsdale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (98 min vs 131 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (118.9 km vs 148.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Fordsdale has more units and townhouses to downsize into (17% vs 2%)
  • Ramsay carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 47/100)

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

Investors

Ramsay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.0% vs -3.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Fordsdale Ramsay
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.

Fordsdale Ramsay
Walkability 0 / 0
Fordsdale — Walkability: 0/100 Ramsay — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 53 / 79
Fordsdale — Safety: 53/100 Ramsay — Safety: 79/100
Low fire risk 66 / 100
Fordsdale — Low fire risk: 66/100 Ramsay — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Ramsay has more residents (369 vs 50); Ramsay has higher household incomes ($128,960 vs $68,224).

Fordsdale Ramsay
Population 50 369
+638% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.8% +6.0%
Median age 47 42
Median household income $68,224/yr $128,960/yr
+89% vs other
Median weekly rent $350/wk $370/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Fordsdale Ramsay
0-4 — / 7.3%
Fordsdale — 0-4: not among its largest Ramsay — 0-4: 7.3%
5-14 26.0% / 17.6%
Fordsdale — 5-14: 26.0% Ramsay — 5-14: 17.6%
15-19 8.0% / 7.3%
Fordsdale — 15-19: 8.0% Ramsay — 15-19: 7.3%
20-24 14.0% / 3.8%
Fordsdale — 20-24: 14.0% Ramsay — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 8.0% / 7.0%
Fordsdale — 25-34: 8.0% Ramsay — 25-34: 7.0%
35-44 12.0% / 13.8%
Fordsdale — 35-44: 12.0% Ramsay — 35-44: 13.8%
45-54 24.0% / 16.5%
Fordsdale — 45-54: 24.0% Ramsay — 45-54: 16.5%
55-64 18.0% / 9.8%
Fordsdale — 55-64: 18.0% Ramsay — 55-64: 9.8%
65-74 6.0% / 12.5%
Fordsdale — 65-74: 6.0% Ramsay — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 8.0% / 5.4%
Fordsdale — 75-84: 8.0% Ramsay — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ — / —
Fordsdale — 85+: not among its largest Ramsay — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Fordsdale 31.2% couple families
Fordsdale — Couple Families: 31.2% Fordsdale — Lone Person: 31.2% Fordsdale — One Parent Families: 18.8% Fordsdale — Other Families: 18.8%
Ramsay 88.3% couple families
Ramsay — Couple Families: 88.3% Ramsay — Lone Person: 6.7% Ramsay — One Parent Families: 5.0% Ramsay — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Fordsdale 41.2% renting
Fordsdale — Owned Outright: 35.3% Fordsdale — Mortgage: 23.5% Fordsdale — Renting: 41.2%
Ramsay 7.1% renting
Ramsay — Owned Outright: 36.6% Ramsay — Mortgage: 56.2% Ramsay — Renting: 7.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Fordsdale 83.3% houses
Fordsdale — Houses: 83.3% Fordsdale — Flats / Apartments: 16.7%
Ramsay 98.3% houses
Ramsay — Houses: 98.3% Ramsay — Flats / Apartments: 1.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Fordsdale Ramsay
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 18.0% / 6.0%
Fordsdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 18.0% Ramsay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0%
Certificate III & IV — / 17.3%
Fordsdale — Certificate III & IV: not among its largest Ramsay — Certificate III & IV: 17.3%
Bachelor Degree 6.0% / 10.6%
Fordsdale — Bachelor Degree: 6.0% Ramsay — Bachelor Degree: 10.6%
Postgraduate Degree — / 4.3%
Fordsdale — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Ramsay — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 3.0%
Fordsdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Ramsay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

Development activity

Fordsdale Ramsay
New dwellings approved 352
across Lockyer Valley
 1,513
across Toowoomba
Approvals change year on year +103% -25%

Ranking within QLD

Fordsdale Ramsay
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 34% of QLD Higher than 93% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 20% of QLD Higher than 31% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 33% of QLD Higher than 10% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 23% of QLD Higher than 44% of QLD

Liveability

Fordsdale Ramsay
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Fordsdale carries more bushfire risk (34 vs 0); Fordsdale carries more crime risk (47 vs 21).

Fordsdale Ramsay
Bushfire Low
34/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
47/100
 Low
21/100
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

Fordsdale Ramsay
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Fordsdale

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

Schools in Ramsay

  • Ramsay State School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Fordsdale Ramsay
Parks & reserves 2 0
Waterways 7 14

Mobility

Ramsay sits further from the CBD (148.6 km vs 118.9 km).

Fordsdale Ramsay
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 118.9 km 148.6 km
+25% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 98 min 131 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 4343
 0.1%
postcode 4358
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 83
postcode 4343
 58
postcode 4358

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.

Fordsdale Ramsay
Car (driver) 100.0% / 74.0%
Fordsdale — Car (driver): 100.0% Ramsay — Car (driver): 74.0%
Worked from Home — / 16.6%
Fordsdale — Worked from Home: not among its largest Ramsay — Worked from Home: 16.6%
Car (passenger) — / 5.3%
Fordsdale — Car (passenger): not among its largest Ramsay — Car (passenger): 5.3%
Bus — / 2.4%
Fordsdale — Bus: not among its largest Ramsay — Bus: 2.4%
Walked Only — / 1.8%
Fordsdale — Walked Only: not among its largest Ramsay — Walked Only: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).

Setting

Fordsdale Ramsay
Elevation 319 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 602 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Fordsdale Ramsay
Connectivity score 16/100 29/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
29 premises
 0%
122 premises

Climate

Fordsdale Ramsay
Annual rainfall 643 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Fordsdale Ramsay
PM2.5 2.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 3.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Fordsdale Ramsay
Average residential rate $1,952/yr $1,618/yr
Council Lockyer Valley Toowoomba

Federal electorate

Fordsdale Ramsay
Division Wright Groom
Member Scott Buchholz Garth Hamilton
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Fordsdale Ramsay
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Fordsdale

Family Rural Students

Ramsay

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Fordsdale

Fordsdale vs Mount Whitestone Fordsdale vs Rockmount Fordsdale vs West Haldon

Other comparisons with Ramsay

Ramsay vs Cambooya Ramsay vs Hodgson Vale Ramsay vs Preston Ramsay vs East Greenmount Ramsay vs Rockmount Ramsay vs West Haldon
Full data on Fordsdale Full data on Ramsay
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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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