Freestone vs Swan Creek
Freestone is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 48 in Swan Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Freestone, about half of households are couple families. In Swan Creek, most households are couple families. On these figures, Freestone tends to suit 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
Swan Creek
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (13/100 vs 43/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (88% vs 68%)
- But Freestone has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Swan Creek
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 27%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Swan Creek
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($240/wk vs $260/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Freestone
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
- sits closer to the CBD (143.1 km vs 151.5 km)
- has a shorter drive in (120 min vs 125 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Swan Creek
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (13/100 vs 43/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 16%)
- But Freestone is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Swan Creek
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (15.8% vs -4.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Freestone and Swan Creek 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
Freestone has more residents (208 vs 161); Swan Creek skews older (48 vs 43).
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 208 +23% vs other | 161 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -4.1% | +15.8% |
| Median age | 43 | 48 |
| Median household income | $79,248/yr | $85,176/yr +7% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $260/wk +8% vs other | $240/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).
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 (4.3%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.4%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Development activity
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 291 across Southern Downs same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +63% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 50% of QLD | Higher than 58% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 74% of QLD | Higher than 30% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 28% of QLD same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 60% of QLD | Higher than 56% of QLD |
Liveability
Freestone is more walkable (13 vs 0).
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Freestone carries more crime risk (43 vs 13).
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Moderate 43/100 | Low 13/100 |
| 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
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Freestone
- Freestone State School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Swan Creek
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Swan Creek sits further from the CBD (151.5 km vs 143.1 km).
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 13/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 143.1 km | 151.5 km +6% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 120 min | 125 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 4370 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 57 postcode 4370 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 (74.0%).
Setting
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 529 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 479 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 90 premises | 0% 60 premises |
Climate
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 760 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,627/yr same for both | |
| Council | Southern Downs same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Maranoa same for both | |
| Member | David Littleproud same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Freestone | Swan Creek | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Freestone
Other comparisons with Swan Creek
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.