Koumala vs Nebo

Nebo is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 45 in Koumala. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Koumala, the large majority of households own their home and about half of households are couple families. In Nebo, about half of households rent. Houses cost more in Koumala: a median of $530,000, against $342,000 in Nebo, though rent is higher in Nebo. On these figures, Koumala tends to suit couples and older residents, while Nebo 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

Koumala

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 82/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 47%)

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

First-home buyers

Nebo

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($341,500 vs $530,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 21%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Koumala has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $279/wk)
  • Nebo has a bigger rental market to choose from (45% vs 14%)

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

Commuting to the city

Koumala

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (622 min vs 674 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (909.5 km vs 960.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Koumala

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 10%)
  • carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 82/100)

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

Investors

Nebo

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.8% vs -7.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Koumala Nebo
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.

Koumala Nebo
Walkability 0 / 0
Koumala — Walkability: 0/100 Nebo — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 45 / 18
Koumala — Safety: 45/100 Nebo — Safety: 18/100
Low fire risk 60 / 57
Koumala — Low fire risk: 60/100 Nebo — Low fire risk: 57/100

Demographics

Koumala skews older (45 vs 37); Nebo rents higher ($279/wk vs $250/wk).

Koumala Nebo
Population 772 857
+11% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -7.1% +13.8%
Median age 45 37
Median household income $95,316/yr $103,012/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk $279/wk
+12% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Koumala Nebo
0-4 5.4% / 5.8%
Koumala — 0-4: 5.4% Nebo — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 14.6% / 11.9%
Koumala — 5-14: 14.6% Nebo — 5-14: 11.9%
15-19 3.8% / 2.3%
Koumala — 15-19: 3.8% Nebo — 15-19: 2.3%
20-24 2.8% / 5.7%
Koumala — 20-24: 2.8% Nebo — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 8.0% / 18.7%
Koumala — 25-34: 8.0% Nebo — 25-34: 18.7%
35-44 14.5% / 13.7%
Koumala — 35-44: 14.5% Nebo — 35-44: 13.7%
45-54 14.0% / 14.8%
Koumala — 45-54: 14.0% Nebo — 45-54: 14.8%
55-64 15.8% / 16.2%
Koumala — 55-64: 15.8% Nebo — 55-64: 16.2%
65-74 16.7% / 7.2%
Koumala — 65-74: 16.7% Nebo — 65-74: 7.2%
75-84 2.8% / 2.1%
Koumala — 75-84: 2.8% Nebo — 75-84: 2.1%
85+ 0.5% / 0.4%
Koumala — 85+: 0.5% Nebo — 85+: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Koumala 54.3% couple families
Koumala — Couple Families: 54.3% Koumala — Lone Person: 29.1% Koumala — One Parent Families: 11.9% Koumala — Group Household: 4.6% Koumala — Other Families: 0.0%
Nebo 37.0% couple families
Nebo — Couple Families: 37.0% Nebo — Lone Person: 41.6% Nebo — One Parent Families: 9.8% Nebo — Group Household: 9.8% Nebo — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Koumala 14.4% renting
Koumala — Owned Outright: 46.3% Koumala — Mortgage: 39.3% Koumala — Renting: 14.4%
Nebo 45.2% renting
Nebo — Owned Outright: 24.7% Nebo — Mortgage: 30.1% Nebo — Renting: 45.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Koumala Nebo
Certificate III & IV 21.5% / 16.8%
Koumala — Certificate III & IV: 21.5% Nebo — Certificate III & IV: 16.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.5% / 2.9%
Koumala — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.5% Nebo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.9%
Bachelor Degree 4.1% / 2.2%
Koumala — Bachelor Degree: 4.1% Nebo — Bachelor Degree: 2.2%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.2%
Koumala — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Nebo — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.4% / 0.7%
Koumala — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4% Nebo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).

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.

Koumala Nebo
New Zealand 1.2% / 3.9%
Koumala — New Zealand: 1.2% Nebo — New Zealand: 3.9%
Philippines 0.5% / 1.5%
Koumala — Philippines: 0.5% Nebo — Philippines: 1.5%
England 0.5% / 0.8%
Koumala — England: 0.5% Nebo — England: 0.8%
Ireland — / 0.5%
Koumala — Ireland: not among its largest Nebo — Ireland: 0.5%
Italy 0.4% / —
Koumala — Italy: 0.4% Nebo — Italy: not among its largest
South Africa — / 0.4%
Koumala — South Africa: not among its largest Nebo — South Africa: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Koumala 96.7% houses
Koumala — Houses: 96.7% Koumala — Townhouses: 0.0% Koumala — Flats / Apartments: 3.3%
Nebo 90.5% houses
Nebo — Houses: 90.5% Nebo — Townhouses: 8.6% Nebo — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Koumala Nebo
Median house price $530,000 $341,500
Median unit price — $480,000
Median land price — $161,250
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 4 sales
 37 days
from 4 sales

Development activity

Koumala Nebo
New dwellings approved 574
across Mackay
 27
across Isaac
Approvals change year on year -6% +0%

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.

Koumala Nebo
Houses — 5.9%
$350/wk on $310K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Koumala Nebo
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 69% of QLD Higher than 76% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 39% of QLD Higher than 30% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption — Higher than 35% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 44% of QLD Higher than 56% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 98% of QLD

Liveability

Koumala scores higher overall (22 vs 14).

Koumala Nebo
Grade D
same for both
Score 22/100 14/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Nebo carries more crime risk (82 vs 55).

Koumala Nebo
Bushfire Moderate
40/100
 Moderate
43/100
Crime Moderate
55/100
 High
82/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
96/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Koumala Nebo
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Koumala

  • Koumala State School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Nebo

  • Nebo State School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Koumala Nebo
Parks & reserves 4
same for both
Childcare 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 0 2
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 66 31

Mobility

Nebo sits further from the CBD (960.6 km vs 909.5 km).

Koumala Nebo
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 909.5 km 960.6 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 622 min 674 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 4738
 0.3%
postcode 4742
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 69
postcode 4738
 46
postcode 4742

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.

Koumala Nebo
Car (driver) 67.1% / 70.1%
Koumala — Car (driver): 67.1% Nebo — Car (driver): 70.1%
Worked from Home 21.9% / 10.2%
Koumala — Worked from Home: 21.9% Nebo — Worked from Home: 10.2%
Walked Only 5.0% / 8.5%
Koumala — Walked Only: 5.0% Nebo — Walked Only: 8.5%
Car (passenger) 4.7% / 8.5%
Koumala — Car (passenger): 4.7% Nebo — Car (passenger): 8.5%
Bus 1.3% / 1.0%
Koumala — Bus: 1.3% Nebo — Bus: 1.0%
Bicycle — / 1.7%
Koumala — Bicycle: not among its largest Nebo — Bicycle: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.1%).

Setting

Koumala Nebo
Elevation 49 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 246 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Koumala Nebo
Connectivity score 29/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
322 premises
 0%
442 premises

Council rates

Koumala Nebo
Average residential rate $1,873/yr $925/yr
Council Mackay Isaac

Federal electorate

Koumala Nebo
Division Capricornia
same for both
Member Michelle Landry
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Koumala Nebo
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Koumala

Rural

Nebo

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Koumala

Koumala vs Sarina Koumala vs Ilbilbie Koumala vs Sarina Range Koumala vs Blue Mountain Koumala vs Coral Sea

Other comparisons with Nebo

Nebo vs Hail Creek Nebo vs Blue Mountain
Full data on Koumala Full data on Nebo
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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