Irongate vs Rossvale
Irongate is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 45 in Rossvale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Irongate, the large majority of households are couple families. In Rossvale, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Irongate tends to suit families with children and couples, while Rossvale suits 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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Irongate is already more of a family suburb (88% vs 44%)
- Rossvale carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 55/100)
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
Rossvale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($235/wk vs $270/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Rossvale
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (133 min vs 138 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (174.1 km vs 180.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Rossvale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 55/100)
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
Irongate and Rossvale 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
Irongate has more residents (135 vs 85); Rossvale skews older (45 vs 37).
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 135 +37% vs other | 85 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +13.4% | +13.3% |
| Median age | 37 | 45 |
| Median household income | $79,040/yr | $80,184/yr +1% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $270/wk +13% vs other | $235/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).
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 (4.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Development activity
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1,513 across Toowoomba same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -25% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 49% of QLD | Higher than 51% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 18% of QLD | Higher than 65% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 2% of QLD | Higher than 3% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 34% of QLD | Higher than 33% of QLD |
Liveability
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Irongate carries more crime risk (55 vs 28).
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Moderate 55/100 | Low 28/100 |
| 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
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Irongate sits further from the CBD (180.1 km vs 174.1 km).
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 180.1 km +3% vs other | 174.1 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 138 min | 133 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 4356 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 62 postcode 4356 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 (91.2%).
Setting
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 463 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 472 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 26/100 | 25/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 37 premises | 0% 22 premises |
Climate
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 691 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,618/yr same for both | |
| Council | Toowoomba same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Groom same for both | |
| Member | Garth Hamilton same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Irongate | Rossvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Irongate
Other comparisons with Rossvale
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.