Gowrie Little Plain vs Meringandan West

Meringandan West is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 39 in Gowrie Little Plain. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Gowrie Little Plain tends to suit 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

They split

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

  • Gowrie Little Plain is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 82%)
  • Meringandan West has more parks and reserves (9 vs 0)

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

Gowrie Little Plain

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($235/wk vs $400/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Meringandan West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Meringandan West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Gowrie Little Plain

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.5% vs 12.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Gowrie Little Plain and Meringandan West drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
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.

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Walkability 0 / 17
Gowrie Little Plain — Walkability: 0/100 Meringandan West — Walkability: 17/100
Safety 74 / 78
Gowrie Little Plain — Safety: 74/100 Meringandan West — Safety: 78/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Gowrie Little Plain — Low fire risk: 100/100 Meringandan West — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Meringandan West has more residents (2,488 vs 79); Meringandan West rents higher ($400/wk vs $235/wk).

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Population 79 2,488
+3049% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +21.5% +12.5%
Median age 39 32
Median household income $116,948/yr
+2% vs other
 $114,088/yr
Median weekly rent $235/wk $400/wk
+70% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
0-4 11.4% / 8.2%
Gowrie Little Plain — 0-4: 11.4% Meringandan West — 0-4: 8.2%
5-14 15.2% / 20.7%
Gowrie Little Plain — 5-14: 15.2% Meringandan West — 5-14: 20.7%
15-19 5.1% / 6.8%
Gowrie Little Plain — 15-19: 5.1% Meringandan West — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 — / 4.2%
Gowrie Little Plain — 20-24: not among its largest Meringandan West — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 13.9% / 14.2%
Gowrie Little Plain — 25-34: 13.9% Meringandan West — 25-34: 14.2%
35-44 12.7% / 16.0%
Gowrie Little Plain — 35-44: 12.7% Meringandan West — 35-44: 16.0%
45-54 13.9% / 11.1%
Gowrie Little Plain — 45-54: 13.9% Meringandan West — 45-54: 11.1%
55-64 13.9% / 10.2%
Gowrie Little Plain — 55-64: 13.9% Meringandan West — 55-64: 10.2%
65-74 7.6% / 5.5%
Gowrie Little Plain — 65-74: 7.6% Meringandan West — 65-74: 5.5%
75-84 — / 2.0%
Gowrie Little Plain — 75-84: not among its largest Meringandan West — 75-84: 2.0%
85+ — / 0.4%
Gowrie Little Plain — 85+: not among its largest Meringandan West — 85+: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gowrie Little Plain 100.0% couple families
Gowrie Little Plain — Couple Families: 100.0% Gowrie Little Plain — Lone Person: 0.0% Gowrie Little Plain — One Parent Families: 0.0% Gowrie Little Plain — Group Household: 0.0% Gowrie Little Plain — Other Families: 0.0%
Meringandan West 71.3% couple families
Meringandan West — Couple Families: 71.3% Meringandan West — Lone Person: 15.9% Meringandan West — One Parent Families: 10.8% Meringandan West — Group Household: 1.0% Meringandan West — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gowrie Little Plain 0.0% renting
Gowrie Little Plain — Owned Outright: 57.1% Gowrie Little Plain — Mortgage: 42.9% Gowrie Little Plain — Renting: 0.0%
Meringandan West 9.3% renting
Meringandan West — Owned Outright: 22.8% Meringandan West — Mortgage: 67.9% Meringandan West — Renting: 9.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gowrie Little Plain 100.0% houses
Gowrie Little Plain — Houses: 100.0% Gowrie Little Plain — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Meringandan West 99.4% houses
Meringandan West — Houses: 99.4% Meringandan West — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Certificate III & IV 25.3% / 22.3%
Gowrie Little Plain — Certificate III & IV: 25.3% Meringandan West — Certificate III & IV: 22.3%
Bachelor Degree 8.9% / 8.8%
Gowrie Little Plain — Bachelor Degree: 8.9% Meringandan West — Bachelor Degree: 8.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 8.0%
Gowrie Little Plain — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% Meringandan West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Postgraduate Degree 5.1% / 1.4%
Gowrie Little Plain — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1% Meringandan West — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.3%
Gowrie Little Plain — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Meringandan West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.3%).

Property market

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Median house price — $895,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $905,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 47 days
from 51 sales

Development activity

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
New dwellings approved 1,513
across Toowoomba
same for both
Approvals change year on year -25%
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.

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Houses — 3.6%
$650/wk on $949K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 87% of QLD Higher than 85% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 57% of QLD Higher than 77% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 69% of QLD Higher than 67% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of QLD Higher than 82% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 27% of QLD

Liveability

Meringandan West is more walkable (17 vs 0).

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Grade — B
Score — 66/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
26/100
 Low
22/100
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

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Gowrie Little Plain

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

Schools in Meringandan West

  • Meringandan State School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Parks & reserves 0 9
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Walkability score 0/100 17/100
Distance to Brisbane 145.8 km 144.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 115 min 114 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 4352
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 84
postcode 4352
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.

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Car (driver) 71.8% / 86.2%
Gowrie Little Plain — Car (driver): 71.8% Meringandan West — Car (driver): 86.2%
Worked from Home 28.2% / 8.3%
Gowrie Little Plain — Worked from Home: 28.2% Meringandan West — Worked from Home: 8.3%
Car (passenger) — / 4.8%
Gowrie Little Plain — Car (passenger): not among its largest Meringandan West — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Walked Only — / 0.6%
Gowrie Little Plain — Walked Only: not among its largest Meringandan West — Walked Only: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (86.2%).

Setting

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Elevation 454 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 535 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Connectivity score 28/100 73/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
20 premises
 53%
1,108 premises

Climate

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Annual rainfall 577 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
PM2.5 4.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Average residential rate $1,618/yr
same for both
Council Toowoomba
same for both

Federal electorate

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Division Groom
same for both
Member Garth Hamilton
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gowrie Little Plain

Family Rural Young Families

Meringandan West

Acreage Family Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gowrie Little Plain

Gowrie Little Plain vs Glencoe Gowrie Little Plain vs Yalangur

Other comparisons with Meringandan West

Meringandan West vs Meringandan Meringandan West vs Cawdor Meringandan West vs Glencoe Meringandan West vs Yalangur
Full data on Gowrie Little Plain Full data on Meringandan West
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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