Glen Cairn vs Lawes
Lawes is the younger of the two, with a median age of 21 against 38 in Glen Cairn. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Glen Cairn, the large majority of households own their home and most households are couple families. In Lawes, the large majority of households rent. On these figures, Glen Cairn tends to suit couples, while Lawes suits renters and young adults.
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
- Glen Cairn is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 36%)
- Lawes has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Lawes
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (100% vs 9%)
- has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $500/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 32%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Lawes
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (87.5 km vs 90.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Glen Cairn
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (24.8% vs -68.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Glen Cairn and Lawes 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
Glen Cairn rents higher ($500/wk vs $250/wk); Glen Cairn skews older (38 vs 21).
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 141 +26% vs other | 105 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +24.8% | -68.0% |
| Median age | 38 | 21 |
| Median household income | $82,316/yr +29% vs other | $58,500/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $500/wk +50% vs other | $250/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).
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 (6.7%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Development activity
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 352 across Lockyer Valley same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +103% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 53% of QLD | Higher than 21% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 15% of QLD | Higher than 10% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 42% of QLD | Higher than 33% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 52% of QLD | Higher than 75% of QLD |
Liveability
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Glen Cairn carries more bushfire risk (47 vs 0).
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 47/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | High 85/100 | High 86/100 |
| 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
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 2 |
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 3 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| EV chargers | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 1 | 2 |
Mobility
Glen Cairn sits further from the CBD (90.2 km vs 87.5 km).
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 90.2 km +3% vs other | 87.5 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 77 min | 75 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4342 | 0.2% postcode 4343 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 86 postcode 4342 | 83 postcode 4343 |
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 (75.0%).
Setting
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 115 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 91 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 65/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Fibre to the building |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 54 premises | 0% 96 premises |
Climate
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 697 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 31.9°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 7.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,952/yr same for both | |
| Council | Lockyer Valley same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wright same for both | |
| Member | Scott Buchholz same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Glen Cairn | Lawes | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Lawes
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Glen Cairn
Other comparisons with Lawes
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.