Kirwan vs Shaw

Shaw is the younger of the two, with a median age of 28 against 38 in Kirwan. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Kirwan, most households own their home. In Shaw, about half of households rent. On these figures, Shaw tends to suit renters and young adults.

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

Kirwan

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (22 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (17 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Shaw

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($253,400 vs $525,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Shaw

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (51% vs 36%)

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

Commuting to the city

Kirwan

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (75/100 vs 22/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1358.4 km vs 1363.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Kirwan

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (75/100 vs 22/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (15% vs 7%)

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

Investors

Shaw

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (38.2% vs -3.0%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kirwan Shaw
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.

Kirwan Shaw
Walkability 75 / 22
Kirwan — Walkability: 75/100 Shaw — Walkability: 22/100
Safety 19 / 13
Kirwan — Safety: 19/100 Shaw — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Kirwan — Low fire risk: 100/100 Shaw — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Kirwan has more residents (20,780 vs 760); Kirwan skews older (38 vs 28).

Kirwan Shaw
Population 20,780
+96% vs other
 760
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.0% +38.2%
Median age 38 28
Median household income $86,996/yr $104,832/yr
+21% vs other
Median weekly rent $325/wk $322/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kirwan Shaw
0-4 5.6% / 7.9%
Kirwan — 0-4: 5.6% Shaw — 0-4: 7.9%
5-14 14.5% / 16.1%
Kirwan — 5-14: 14.5% Shaw — 5-14: 16.1%
15-19 7.7% / 4.6%
Kirwan — 15-19: 7.7% Shaw — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 6.4% / 9.9%
Kirwan — 20-24: 6.4% Shaw — 20-24: 9.9%
25-34 12.0% / 22.8%
Kirwan — 25-34: 12.0% Shaw — 25-34: 22.8%
35-44 13.0% / 15.3%
Kirwan — 35-44: 13.0% Shaw — 35-44: 15.3%
45-54 13.8% / 9.6%
Kirwan — 45-54: 13.8% Shaw — 45-54: 9.6%
55-64 12.2% / 6.2%
Kirwan — 55-64: 12.2% Shaw — 55-64: 6.2%
65-74 9.1% / 5.4%
Kirwan — 65-74: 9.1% Shaw — 65-74: 5.4%
75-84 4.4% / 1.3%
Kirwan — 75-84: 4.4% Shaw — 75-84: 1.3%
85+ 1.4% / 0.4%
Kirwan — 85+: 1.4% Shaw — 85+: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kirwan 40.7% couple families
Kirwan — Couple Families: 40.7% Kirwan — Lone Person: 30.9% Kirwan — One Parent Families: 22.3% Kirwan — Group Household: 4.5% Kirwan — Other Families: 1.6%
Shaw 41.9% couple families
Shaw — Couple Families: 41.9% Shaw — Lone Person: 31.8% Shaw — One Parent Families: 24.2% Shaw — Group Household: 2.0% Shaw — 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.

Kirwan 35.5% renting
Kirwan — Owned Outright: 26.9% Kirwan — Mortgage: 37.6% Kirwan — Renting: 35.5%
Shaw 51.2% renting
Shaw — Owned Outright: 8.4% Shaw — Mortgage: 40.4% Shaw — Renting: 51.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Kirwan Shaw
Certificate III & IV 17.7% / 16.7%
Kirwan — Certificate III & IV: 17.7% Shaw — Certificate III & IV: 16.7%
Bachelor Degree 8.4% / 13.0%
Kirwan — Bachelor Degree: 8.4% Shaw — Bachelor Degree: 13.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 5.9%
Kirwan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Shaw — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / 2.4%
Kirwan — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% Shaw — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 1.7%
Kirwan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Shaw — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.7%).

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.

Kirwan Shaw
Philippines 1.3% / 4.1%
Kirwan — Philippines: 1.3% Shaw — Philippines: 4.1%
England 2.3% / 3.0%
Kirwan — England: 2.3% Shaw — England: 3.0%
New Zealand 2.2% / 2.6%
Kirwan — New Zealand: 2.2% Shaw — New Zealand: 2.6%
India 0.6% / 1.2%
Kirwan — India: 0.6% Shaw — India: 1.2%
Zimbabwe — / 1.4%
Kirwan — Zimbabwe: not among its largest Shaw — Zimbabwe: 1.4%
Scotland 0.4% / —
Kirwan — Scotland: 0.4% Shaw — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kirwan 88.7% houses
Kirwan — Houses: 88.7% Kirwan — Townhouses: 10.2% Kirwan — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Shaw 93.2% houses
Shaw — Houses: 93.2% Shaw — Townhouses: 3.1% Shaw — Flats / Apartments: 3.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Kirwan Shaw
Median house price $655,500 $708,500
Median unit price $425,000 —
Median land price $525,000 $253,400
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 215 sales
 26 days
from 17 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Kirwan Shaw
3 bed $605K / $645K
Kirwan — 3 bed: $605K (201 sales) Shaw — 3 bed: $645K (17 sales)

201 vs 17 sales

4 bed $701K / $728K
Kirwan — 4 bed: $701K (186 sales) Shaw — 4 bed: $728K (54 sales)

186 vs 54 sales

Development activity

Kirwan Shaw
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.

Kirwan Shaw
Houses 4.4%
$590/wk on $699K
 4.3%
$635/wk on $762K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Kirwan Shaw
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 60% of QLD Higher than 77% of QLD
Schools Higher than 41% of QLD —
Walkability Higher than 94% of QLD Higher than 80% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 56% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 93% of QLD Higher than 86% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 72% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD

Liveability

Kirwan is more walkable (75 vs 22).

Kirwan Shaw
Grade C
same for both
Score 37/100 40/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Kirwan Shaw
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
81/100
 High
87/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Moderate
50/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Kirwan Shaw
Inside the suburb 4 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 3 1
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Kirwan

  • Kirwan State High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Kirwan State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Ryan Catholic College Catholic · Combined at peers
  • The Willows State School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Shaw

  • St Benedict's Catholic School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Mary Help of Christians Catholic College Catholic · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Kirwan Shaw
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 22 2
Childcare 17 2
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 4 0

Mobility

Shaw sits further from the CBD (1363.4 km vs 1358.4 km).

Kirwan Shaw
Walkability score 75/100 22/100
Distance to Brisbane 1358.4 km 1363.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 928 min 930 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 24/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 102.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 2.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 4817
 0.6%
postcode 4818
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 76
postcode 4817
 87
postcode 4818

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.

Kirwan Shaw
Car (driver) 84.0% / 88.6%
Kirwan — Car (driver): 84.0% Shaw — Car (driver): 88.6%
Car (passenger) 7.5% / 4.3%
Kirwan — Car (passenger): 7.5% Shaw — Car (passenger): 4.3%
Worked from Home 4.9% / 6.2%
Kirwan — Worked from Home: 4.9% Shaw — Worked from Home: 6.2%
Walked Only 1.5% / 0.8%
Kirwan — Walked Only: 1.5% Shaw — Walked Only: 0.8%
Bus 1.3% / —
Kirwan — Bus: 1.3% Shaw — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (88.6%).

Setting

Kirwan Shaw
Elevation 13 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.8 km 9.1 km

NBN connectivity

Kirwan Shaw
Connectivity score 83/100 75/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 68%
8,910 premises
 65%
214 premises

Climate

Kirwan Shaw
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)

Kirwan Shaw
PM2.5 6.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 15.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.25 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Kirwan Shaw
Average residential rate $1,810/yr
same for both
Council Townsville
same for both

Federal electorate

Kirwan Shaw
Division Herbert
same for both
Member Phillip Thompson
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kirwan Shaw
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kirwan

Affordable Large Blocks Parks Regional Centre

Shaw

Acreage Family

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kirwan

Kirwan vs Mount Louisa Kirwan vs Douglas Kirwan vs Condon Kirwan vs Cranbrook Kirwan vs Bohle Plains Kirwan vs Heatley

Other comparisons with Shaw

Shaw vs Mount Louisa Shaw vs Burdell Shaw vs Deeragun Shaw vs Bohle Plains Shaw vs Cosgrove Shaw vs Bohle
Full data on Kirwan Full data on Shaw
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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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