Gladstone vs Laura

Laura is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 51 in Gladstone. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Laura: a median of $370,000, against $275,000 in Gladstone, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Gladstone tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

Gladstone and Laura are similarly sized towns in South Australia, but they differ notably in cost and risk profile. Laura has higher median household income at $54,184 versus Gladstone's $48,620, and property prices are substantially higher there too—$340,000 compared to $275,000. However, Gladstone scores better on liveability (39 versus 33) and carries significantly lower bushfire risk (33 versus 70). Gladstone may suit those prioritising affordability and lower environmental risk, while Laura appeals to buyers with stronger household income seeking a higher-income area, though it comes with higher housing costs and bushfire exposure.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Gladstone has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • Laura carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 35/100)

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

First-home buyers

Gladstone

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($275,000 vs $370,000)
  • has cheaper land ($75,000 vs $100,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Gladstone

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($160/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Gladstone

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (221.5 km vs 224.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Laura

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 35/100)

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

Investors

Laura

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.3% vs -1.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Gladstone Laura
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.

Gladstone Laura
Walkability 44 / 43
Gladstone — Walkability: 44/100 Laura — Walkability: 43/100
Safety 65 / 82
Gladstone — Safety: 65/100 Laura — Safety: 82/100
Low fire risk 67 / 30
Gladstone — Low fire risk: 67/100 Laura — Low fire risk: 30/100

Demographics

Laura rents higher ($200/wk vs $160/wk); Laura has higher household incomes ($54,184 vs $48,620).

Gladstone Laura
Population 745 765
+3% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.3% +16.3%
Median age 51 48
Median household income $48,620/yr $54,184/yr
+11% vs other
Median weekly rent $160/wk $200/wk
+25% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gladstone Laura
0-4 5.4% / 6.8%
Gladstone — 0-4: 5.4% Laura — 0-4: 6.8%
5-14 10.7% / 12.8%
Gladstone — 5-14: 10.7% Laura — 5-14: 12.8%
15-19 6.6% / 3.7%
Gladstone — 15-19: 6.6% Laura — 15-19: 3.7%
20-24 3.5% / 4.4%
Gladstone — 20-24: 3.5% Laura — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 8.9% / 8.2%
Gladstone — 25-34: 8.9% Laura — 25-34: 8.2%
35-44 8.7% / 9.9%
Gladstone — 35-44: 8.7% Laura — 35-44: 9.9%
45-54 11.0% / 10.8%
Gladstone — 45-54: 11.0% Laura — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 17.0% / 14.5%
Gladstone — 55-64: 17.0% Laura — 55-64: 14.5%
65-74 18.4% / 15.0%
Gladstone — 65-74: 18.4% Laura — 65-74: 15.0%
75-84 8.5% / 9.8%
Gladstone — 75-84: 8.5% Laura — 75-84: 9.8%
85+ 1.3% / 2.9%
Gladstone — 85+: 1.3% Laura — 85+: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gladstone 54.7% lone person
Gladstone — Lone Person: 54.7% Gladstone — Couple Families: 23.4% Gladstone — One Parent Families: 14.5% Gladstone — Group Household: 5.6% Gladstone — Other Families: 1.9%
Laura 48.1% lone person
Laura — Lone Person: 48.1% Laura — Couple Families: 36.3% Laura — One Parent Families: 9.0% Laura — Group Household: 2.4% Laura — Other Families: 4.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gladstone 18.5% renting
Gladstone — Owned Outright: 50.7% Gladstone — Mortgage: 30.8% Gladstone — Renting: 18.5%
Laura 23.5% renting
Laura — Owned Outright: 49.0% Laura — Mortgage: 27.6% Laura — Renting: 23.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Gladstone Laura
Certificate III & IV 16.4% / 18.2%
Gladstone — Certificate III & IV: 16.4% Laura — Certificate III & IV: 18.2%
Bachelor Degree 6.8% / 6.5%
Gladstone — Bachelor Degree: 6.8% Laura — Bachelor Degree: 6.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.7% / 6.1%
Gladstone — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7% Laura — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / 2.6%
Gladstone — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Laura — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / 1.4%
Gladstone — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Laura — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

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.

Gladstone Laura
England 2.7% / 2.9%
Gladstone — England: 2.7% Laura — England: 2.9%
New Zealand 1.2% / 0.8%
Gladstone — New Zealand: 1.2% Laura — New Zealand: 0.8%
Germany 0.7% / 0.4%
Gladstone — Germany: 0.7% Laura — Germany: 0.4%
India 0.4% / 0.7%
Gladstone — India: 0.4% Laura — India: 0.7%
China 0.7% / —
Gladstone — China: 0.7% Laura — China: not among its largest
South Africa — / 0.5%
Gladstone — South Africa: not among its largest Laura — South Africa: 0.5%
Netherlands — / 0.5%
Gladstone — Netherlands: not among its largest Laura — Netherlands: 0.5%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gladstone 96.2% houses
Gladstone — Houses: 96.2% Gladstone — Townhouses: 3.8% Gladstone — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Laura 93.9% houses
Laura — Houses: 93.9% Laura — Townhouses: 4.8% Laura — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Gladstone Laura
Median house price $275,000 $370,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $75,000 $100,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 89 days
from 5 sales
 93 days
from 5 sales

Zoning mix

Gladstone Laura
Rural and farming 99% 98%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Gladstone Laura
New dwellings approved 11
across Northern Areas
same for both
Approvals change year on year -100%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Gladstone Laura
Houses 11.7%
$850/wk on $378K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Gladstone Laura
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 14% of SA Higher than 19% of SA
Schools Higher than 81% of SA —
Walkability Higher than 79% of SA Higher than 78% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 67% of SA Higher than 66% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 100% of SA —

Liveability

Gladstone scores higher overall (44 vs 33).

Gladstone Laura
Grade C D
Score 44/100 33/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Laura carries more bushfire risk (70 vs 33); Gladstone carries more crime risk (35 vs 18).

Gladstone Laura
Bushfire Low
33/100
 High
70/100
Crime Low
35/100
 Low
18/100
Flood —
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Gladstone Laura
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Gladstone

  • Gladstone Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Gladstone High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Joseph's Parish School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in Laura

  • Laura Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Gladstone Laura
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 1
same for both
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1
same for both
Waterways 1 3

Mobility

Laura sits further from the CBD (224.5 km vs 221.5 km).

Gladstone Laura
Walkability score 44/100 43/100
Distance to Adelaide 221.5 km 224.5 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 149 min 150 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 5473
 0.0%
postcode 5480
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 5473
 74
postcode 5480

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.

Gladstone Laura
Car (driver) 70.4% / 65.6%
Gladstone — Car (driver): 70.4% Laura — Car (driver): 65.6%
Worked from Home 13.6% / 16.4%
Gladstone — Worked from Home: 13.6% Laura — Worked from Home: 16.4%
Walked Only 8.4% / 11.5%
Gladstone — Walked Only: 8.4% Laura — Walked Only: 11.5%
Car (passenger) 7.6% / 3.4%
Gladstone — Car (passenger): 7.6% Laura — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Bus — / 1.9%
Gladstone — Bus: not among its largest Laura — Bus: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.4%).

Setting

Gladstone Laura
Elevation 229 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 252 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 32.9 km 24.7 km

NBN connectivity

Gladstone Laura
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
414 premises
 0%
386 premises

Climate

Gladstone Laura
Annual rainfall 472 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Gladstone Laura
Average residential rate $1,809/yr
same for both
Council Northern Areas
same for both

Federal electorate

Gladstone Laura
Division Grey
same for both
Member Tom Venning
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gladstone Laura
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gladstone

Affordable Retirees Rural

Laura

Affordable Quiet Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gladstone

Gladstone vs Georgetown Gladstone vs Caltowie Gladstone vs Beetaloo Valley

Other comparisons with Laura

Laura vs Appila Laura vs Beetaloo Valley
Full data on Gladstone Full data on Laura
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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