Idalia vs Rosslea

Idalia is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 35 in Rosslea. In Idalia, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. In Rosslea, most households rent and most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Idalia: a median of $810,000, against $678,000 in Rosslea, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Idalia tends to suit families with children and couples, while Rosslea suits renters, people living alone, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Idalia

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (4 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (80% vs 33%)

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

First-home buyers

Rosslea

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($677,500 vs $810,000)
  • has cheaper units ($400,000 vs $447,000)
  • But Idalia leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 26%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Rosslea

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($275/wk vs $400/wk)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (58% vs 43%)

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

Commuting to the city

Idalia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (61/100 vs 52/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Idalia is more walkable (61/100 vs 52/100)
  • Rosslea has more units and townhouses to downsize into (67% vs 20%)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Idalia returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.7% vs 3.8%)
  • Rosslea is growing faster (9.9% vs 2.8%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Idalia Rosslea
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.

Idalia Rosslea
Walkability 61 / 52
Idalia — Walkability: 61/100 Rosslea — Walkability: 52/100
Safety 16 / 7
Idalia — Safety: 16/100 Rosslea — Safety: 7/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Idalia — Low fire risk: 100/100 Rosslea — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Idalia has more residents (4,563 vs 1,903); Idalia has higher household incomes ($131,248 vs $69,264).

Idalia Rosslea
Population 4,563
+58% vs other
 1,903
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.8% +9.9%
Median age 32 35
Median household income $131,248/yr
+47% vs other
 $69,264/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+31% vs other
 $275/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Idalia Rosslea
0-4 5.5% / 5.3%
Idalia — 0-4: 5.5% Rosslea — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 15.1% / 7.7%
Idalia — 5-14: 15.1% Rosslea — 5-14: 7.7%
15-19 6.2% / 4.9%
Idalia — 15-19: 6.2% Rosslea — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 10.1% / 12.7%
Idalia — 20-24: 10.1% Rosslea — 20-24: 12.7%
25-34 16.7% / 19.0%
Idalia — 25-34: 16.7% Rosslea — 25-34: 19.0%
35-44 15.5% / 11.7%
Idalia — 35-44: 15.5% Rosslea — 35-44: 11.7%
45-54 13.9% / 12.5%
Idalia — 45-54: 13.9% Rosslea — 45-54: 12.5%
55-64 7.8% / 12.9%
Idalia — 55-64: 7.8% Rosslea — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 5.2% / 9.1%
Idalia — 65-74: 5.2% Rosslea — 65-74: 9.1%
75-84 2.8% / 3.4%
Idalia — 75-84: 2.8% Rosslea — 75-84: 3.4%
85+ 1.2% / 1.1%
Idalia — 85+: 1.2% Rosslea — 85+: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Idalia 24.3% lone person
Idalia — Lone Person: 24.3% Idalia — Couple Families: 52.2% Idalia — One Parent Families: 12.7% Idalia — Group Household: 10.0% Idalia — Other Families: 0.9%
Rosslea 58.1% lone person
Rosslea — Lone Person: 58.1% Rosslea — Couple Families: 18.3% Rosslea — One Parent Families: 15.2% Rosslea — Group Household: 7.0% Rosslea — Other Families: 1.5%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Idalia 43.2% renting
Idalia — Owned Outright: 18.6% Idalia — Mortgage: 38.3% Idalia — Renting: 43.2%
Rosslea 58.4% renting
Rosslea — Owned Outright: 18.7% Rosslea — Mortgage: 23.0% Rosslea — Renting: 58.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Idalia Rosslea
Bachelor Degree 17.3% / 14.9%
Idalia — Bachelor Degree: 17.3% Rosslea — Bachelor Degree: 14.9%
Certificate III & IV 13.7% / 15.1%
Idalia — Certificate III & IV: 13.7% Rosslea — Certificate III & IV: 15.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 7.4%
Idalia — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Rosslea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Postgraduate Degree 5.5% / 3.3%
Idalia — Postgraduate Degree: 5.5% Rosslea — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 2.2%
Idalia — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Rosslea — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

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.

Idalia Rosslea
England 3.0% / 2.4%
Idalia — England: 3.0% Rosslea — England: 2.4%
New Zealand 2.0% / 2.4%
Idalia — New Zealand: 2.0% Rosslea — New Zealand: 2.4%
India 2.6% / 1.2%
Idalia — India: 2.6% Rosslea — India: 1.2%
Philippines 0.7% / 1.7%
Idalia — Philippines: 0.7% Rosslea — Philippines: 1.7%
South Africa 1.3% / —
Idalia — South Africa: 1.3% Rosslea — South Africa: not among its largest
Vietnam — / 0.6%
Idalia — Vietnam: not among its largest Rosslea — Vietnam: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Idalia 80.0% houses
Idalia — Houses: 80.0% Idalia — Flats / Apartments: 19.2% Idalia — Townhouses: 0.8%
Rosslea 33.2% houses
Rosslea — Houses: 33.2% Rosslea — Flats / Apartments: 24.4% Rosslea — Townhouses: 42.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Idalia Rosslea
Median house price $810,000 $677,500
Median unit price $447,000 $400,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 32 days
from 23 sales
 27 days
from 14 sales

Development activity

Idalia Rosslea
New dwellings approved 1,096
across Townsville
same for both
Approvals change year on year -22%
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.

Idalia Rosslea
Houses 4.7%
$740/wk on $825K
 3.8%
$550/wk on $745K
Units 6.0%
$520/wk on $449K
 6.1%
$490/wk on $419K

Ranking within QLD

Idalia Rosslea
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 93% of QLD Higher than 36% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 89% of QLD Higher than 87% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 74% of QLD Higher than 73% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 91% of QLD Higher than 98% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 81% of QLD Higher than 44% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 89% of QLD Higher than 90% of QLD

Liveability

Idalia scores higher overall (56 vs 37); Idalia is more walkable (61 vs 52).

Idalia Rosslea
Grade B C
Score 56/100 37/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Idalia Rosslea
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
84/100
 High
93/100
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 3
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Idalia Rosslea
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
James Cook University - Townsville, 5.3 km
 1
James Cook University - Townsville, 4.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.3% 3.1%

Schools in Idalia

  • Oonoonba State School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Rosslea

  • Tec-NQ - Rosslea Campus Independent · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Idalia Rosslea
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 7 1
Parks & reserves 4 0
Childcare 4 0
GPs 1
same for both
Pharmacies 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 3 1

Mobility

Idalia Rosslea
Walkability score 61/100 52/100
Distance to Brisbane 1346.6 km 1348 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 918 min 920 min
Public transport score 32/100
Bus
 35/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 6.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 7.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 4811
 0.7%
postcode 4812
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 4811
 44
postcode 4812

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.

Idalia Rosslea
Car (driver) 85.1% / 83.0%
Idalia — Car (driver): 85.1% Rosslea — Car (driver): 83.0%
Car (passenger) 5.5% / 6.5%
Idalia — Car (passenger): 5.5% Rosslea — Car (passenger): 6.5%
Worked from Home 6.2% / 4.9%
Idalia — Worked from Home: 6.2% Rosslea — Worked from Home: 4.9%
Walked Only 1.4% / 2.6%
Idalia — Walked Only: 1.4% Rosslea — Walked Only: 2.6%
Bicycle 1.4% / 2.1%
Idalia — Bicycle: 1.4% Rosslea — Bicycle: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.1%).

Setting

Idalia Rosslea
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.5 km 4.5 km
5.0 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Idalia Rosslea
Connectivity score 79/100 96/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 62%
2,186 premises
 89%
1,255 premises

Climate

Idalia Rosslea
Annual rainfall 1,304 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 15.0°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Idalia Rosslea
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Idalia Rosslea
Average residential rate $1,810/yr
same for both
Council Townsville
same for both

Federal electorate

Idalia Rosslea
Division Dawson Herbert
Member Andrew Willcox Phillip Thompson
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Idalia Rosslea
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Idalia

Parks

Rosslea

Affordable Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Idalia

Idalia vs Annandale Idalia vs Wulguru Idalia vs Oonoonba Idalia vs Cluden

Other comparisons with Rosslea

Rosslea vs Annandale Rosslea vs Mundingburra Rosslea vs Hermit Park Rosslea vs Oonoonba
Full data on Idalia Full data on Rosslea
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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