Kearneys Spring vs Preston

Kearneys Spring is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 40 in Preston. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Kearneys Spring, about half of households rent. In Preston, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Preston: a median of $1.6 million, against $832,000 in Kearneys Spring, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Kearneys Spring tends to suit renters, people living alone, and older residents, while Preston suits families with children and 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

Kearneys Spring

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (24 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • But Preston is already more of a family suburb (84% vs 49%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Kearneys Spring has cheaper houses ($832,500 vs $1,600,000)
  • Preston leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 26%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Kearneys Spring

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (45% vs 4%)
  • has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $420/wk)
  • But Preston leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 23%)

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

Commuting to the city

Kearneys Spring

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (69/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (130 km vs 136.6 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (106 min vs 111 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Kearneys Spring

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (69/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (41% vs 2%)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)

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

Investors

Kearneys Spring

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (10.1% vs 4.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kearneys Spring Preston
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.

Kearneys Spring Preston
Walkability 69 / 0
Kearneys Spring — Walkability: 69/100 Preston — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 29 / 27
Kearneys Spring — Safety: 29/100 Preston — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Kearneys Spring — Low fire risk: 100/100 Preston — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Kearneys Spring has more residents (9,419 vs 644); Preston has higher household incomes ($128,544 vs $69,420).

Kearneys Spring Preston
Population 9,419
+93% vs other
 644
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.1% +4.9%
Median age 35 40
Median household income $69,420/yr $128,544/yr
+85% vs other
Median weekly rent $310/wk $420/wk
+35% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kearneys Spring Preston
0-4 7.1% / 5.7%
Kearneys Spring — 0-4: 7.1% Preston — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 12.7% / 21.7%
Kearneys Spring — 5-14: 12.7% Preston — 5-14: 21.7%
15-19 5.3% / 6.7%
Kearneys Spring — 15-19: 5.3% Preston — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 6.5% / 2.5%
Kearneys Spring — 20-24: 6.5% Preston — 20-24: 2.5%
25-34 17.0% / 6.5%
Kearneys Spring — 25-34: 17.0% Preston — 25-34: 6.5%
35-44 13.4% / 14.0%
Kearneys Spring — 35-44: 13.4% Preston — 35-44: 14.0%
45-54 9.2% / 18.0%
Kearneys Spring — 45-54: 9.2% Preston — 45-54: 18.0%
55-64 8.3% / 13.4%
Kearneys Spring — 55-64: 8.3% Preston — 55-64: 13.4%
65-74 9.5% / 7.5%
Kearneys Spring — 65-74: 9.5% Preston — 65-74: 7.5%
75-84 7.0% / 4.3%
Kearneys Spring — 75-84: 7.0% Preston — 75-84: 4.3%
85+ 4.2% / —
Kearneys Spring — 85+: 4.2% Preston — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kearneys Spring 32.3% couple families
Kearneys Spring — Couple Families: 32.3% Kearneys Spring — Lone Person: 44.1% Kearneys Spring — One Parent Families: 16.9% Kearneys Spring — Group Household: 5.1% Kearneys Spring — Other Families: 1.6%
Preston 75.7% couple families
Preston — Couple Families: 75.7% Preston — Lone Person: 15.4% Preston — One Parent Families: 8.8% Preston — Group Household: 0.0% Preston — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kearneys Spring 45.3% renting
Kearneys Spring — Owned Outright: 28.4% Kearneys Spring — Mortgage: 26.2% Kearneys Spring — Renting: 45.3%
Preston 4.0% renting
Preston — Owned Outright: 38.0% Preston — Mortgage: 58.0% Preston — Renting: 4.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Kearneys Spring Preston
Certificate III & IV 13.4% / 14.4%
Kearneys Spring — Certificate III & IV: 13.4% Preston — Certificate III & IV: 14.4%
Bachelor Degree 12.8% / 14.9%
Kearneys Spring — Bachelor Degree: 12.8% Preston — Bachelor Degree: 14.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.8% / 7.6%
Kearneys Spring — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8% Preston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6%
Postgraduate Degree 5.1% / 6.8%
Kearneys Spring — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1% Preston — Postgraduate Degree: 6.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 2.3%
Kearneys Spring — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Preston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.9%).

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.

Kearneys Spring Preston
India 5.6% / —
Kearneys Spring — India: 5.6% Preston — India: not among its largest
England 1.6% / 2.5%
Kearneys Spring — England: 1.6% Preston — England: 2.5%
New Zealand 1.4% / 1.7%
Kearneys Spring — New Zealand: 1.4% Preston — New Zealand: 1.7%
Nepal 2.8% / —
Kearneys Spring — Nepal: 2.8% Preston — Nepal: not among its largest
South Africa 0.7% / 1.7%
Kearneys Spring — South Africa: 0.7% Preston — South Africa: 1.7%
Iraq 2.0% / —
Kearneys Spring — Iraq: 2.0% Preston — Iraq: not among its largest
Zimbabwe — / 1.7%
Kearneys Spring — Zimbabwe: not among its largest Preston — Zimbabwe: 1.7%
Sri Lanka — / 1.1%
Kearneys Spring — Sri Lanka: not among its largest Preston — Sri Lanka: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kearneys Spring 59.4% houses
Kearneys Spring — Houses: 59.4% Kearneys Spring — Townhouses: 34.1% Kearneys Spring — Flats / Apartments: 6.6%
Preston 98.1% houses
Preston — Houses: 98.1% Preston — Townhouses: 1.9% Preston — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Kearneys Spring Preston
Median house price $832,500 $1,600,000
Median unit price $600,500 —
Median land price — $1,600,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 27 days
from 84 sales
 62 days
from 8 sales

Development activity

Kearneys Spring Preston
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.

Kearneys Spring Preston
Houses 3.4%
$625/wk on $949K
 —
Units 4.1%
$470/wk on $599K
 —

Ranking within QLD

Kearneys Spring Preston
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 36% of QLD Higher than 93% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 91% of QLD Higher than 8% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 71% of QLD Higher than 66% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 22% of QLD —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 34% of QLD —

Liveability

Kearneys Spring is more walkable (69 vs 0).

Kearneys Spring Preston
Grade B
same for both
Score 50/100 54/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Kearneys Spring Preston
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
71/100
 High
73/100
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 4
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Kearneys Spring Preston
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
USQ (Toowoomba), 5.0 km
 None

Schools in Kearneys Spring

  • Highlands Christian College Independent · Combined above peers

Schools in Preston

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

Amenities in the suburb

Kearneys Spring Preston
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 6 0
Parks & reserves 24 1
Childcare 5 0
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 5 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Fuel stations 4 0
Waterways 5 0

Mobility

Preston sits further from the CBD (136.6 km vs 130 km).

Kearneys Spring Preston
Walkability score 69/100 0/100
Distance to Brisbane 130 km 136.6 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 106 min 111 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 4350
 0.6%
postcode 4352
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 4350
 84
postcode 4352

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.

Kearneys Spring Preston
Car (driver) 82.7% / 79.1%
Kearneys Spring — Car (driver): 82.7% Preston — Car (driver): 79.1%
Worked from Home 6.2% / 16.1%
Kearneys Spring — Worked from Home: 6.2% Preston — Worked from Home: 16.1%
Car (passenger) 7.8% / 3.8%
Kearneys Spring — Car (passenger): 7.8% Preston — Car (passenger): 3.8%
Walked Only 1.7% / 1.0%
Kearneys Spring — Walked Only: 1.7% Preston — Walked Only: 1.0%
Bus 1.0% / —
Kearneys Spring — Bus: 1.0% Preston — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.7%).

Setting

Kearneys Spring Preston
Elevation 669 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 572 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Kearneys Spring Preston
Connectivity score 91/100 55/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 82%
4,642 premises
 33%
238 premises

Climate

Kearneys Spring Preston
Annual rainfall 643 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Kearneys Spring Preston
PM2.5 2.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 3.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Kearneys Spring Preston
Average residential rate $1,618/yr
same for both
Council Toowoomba
same for both

Federal electorate

Kearneys Spring Preston
Division Groom
same for both
Member Garth Hamilton
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kearneys Spring Preston
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kearneys Spring

Parks Regional Centre Townhouses

Preston

Acreage Family Premium

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kearneys Spring

Kearneys Spring vs Harristown Kearneys Spring vs Middle Ridge Kearneys Spring vs Centenary Heights Kearneys Spring vs South Toowoomba Kearneys Spring vs Darling Heights Kearneys Spring vs Top Camp

Other comparisons with Preston

Preston vs Middle Ridge Preston vs Hodgson Vale Preston vs Top Camp Preston vs Ramsay Preston vs Upper Flagstone Preston vs Rockmount
Full data on Kearneys Spring Full data on Preston
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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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