Herberton vs Kalunga
Kalunga is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 51 in Herberton. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Herberton, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Herberton 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
Kalunga
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 68/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (58% vs 36%)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (106% vs 95%)
- But Herberton has more schools inside the suburb (2 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
Kalunga
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (18% vs 23%)
- has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $220/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Herberton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (24/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Herberton
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (24/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 22%)
- But Kalunga carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 68/100)
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
Herberton and Kalunga 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
Herberton has more residents (895 vs 103); Herberton skews older (51 vs 43).
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 895 +88% vs other | 103 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +4.7% | +8.4% |
| Median age | 51 | 43 |
| Median household income | $49,192/yr | $57,200/yr +16% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $220/wk +9% vs other | $200/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).
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 (4.9%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $455,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 34 days from 5 sales | — |
Development activity
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 167 across Tablelands same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -80% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 12% of QLD | Higher than 20% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 81% of QLD | Higher than 29% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 16% of QLD same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 57% of QLD | Higher than 33% of QLD |
Liveability
Herberton is more walkable (24 vs 0).
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D | — |
| Score | 15/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | high-need area decile 1/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Herberton carries more crime risk (68 vs 17); Herberton carries more bushfire risk (84 vs 73).
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 84/100 | High 73/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 68/100 | Low 17/100 |
| 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
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 2 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
Schools in Herberton
- Mount St Bernard College Catholic · Secondary below peers
- Herberton State School - Secondary Campus Government · Secondary
Schools in Kalunga
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 3 | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 1 | 0 |
| Hospitals | 1 | 0 |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 4 | 2 |
Mobility
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 24/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1701.3 km | 1701 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 1177 min | 1179 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 4887 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 49 postcode 4887 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 (72.6%).
Setting
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 883 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 872 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 25/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 423 premises | 0% 41 premises |
Climate
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,114 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.3°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 13.8°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,609/yr same for both | |
| Council | Tablelands same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Kennedy same for both | |
| Member | Bob Katter same for both | |
| Party | Katter's Australian Party (KAP) same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Herberton | Kalunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Herberton
Kalunga
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Herberton
Other comparisons with Kalunga
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.