Fordsdale vs Rockmount
In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Fordsdale tends to suit 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
Rockmount
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 50%)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 83%)
- But Fordsdale carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 64/100)
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
Fordsdale
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (41% vs 23%)
- has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $400/wk)
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
- sits closer to the CBD (118.9 km vs 131.7 km)
- has a shorter drive in (98 min vs 106 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Fordsdale carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 64/100)
- Rockmount has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 14%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Fordsdale and Rockmount 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
Rockmount has more residents (82 vs 50); Rockmount has higher household incomes ($84,500 vs $68,224).
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 50 | 82 +64% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -3.8% | -5.7% |
| Median age | 47 | 49 |
| Median household income | $68,224/yr | $84,500/yr +24% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $350/wk | $400/wk +14% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.0%).
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 (18.0%).
Development activity
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 352 across Lockyer Valley same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +103% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 34% of QLD | Higher than 56% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 20% of QLD | Higher than 3% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 33% of QLD | Higher than 64% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 23% of QLD | Higher than 25% of QLD |
Liveability
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Rockmount carries more crime risk (64 vs 47).
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 34/100 | Moderate 43/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 47/100 | Moderate 64/100 |
| 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 | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 1 |
| Waterways | 7 | 23 |
Mobility
Rockmount sits further from the CBD (131.7 km vs 118.9 km).
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 118.9 km | 131.7 km +11% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 98 min | 106 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 4343 | 0.5% postcode 4344 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 83 postcode 4343 | 79 postcode 4344 |
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 (100.0%).
Setting
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 319 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 359 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 16/100 | 18/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 29 premises | 0% 32 premises |
Climate
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 643 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 2.4 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 3.8 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,952/yr same for both | |
| Council | Lockyer Valley same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wright same for both | |
| Member | Scott Buchholz same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Fordsdale | Rockmount | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Fordsdale
Other comparisons with Rockmount
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.