Marsden vs Waterford West

Marsden is the younger of the two, with a median age of 28 against 36 in Waterford West. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Marsden, about half of households rent and about half of households are couple families. In Waterford West, most households own their home. On these figures, Marsden tends to suit renters, families with children, and couples, while Waterford West suits people living alone.

Marsden is the larger and younger suburb with a population of 14795 compared to Waterford West's 6942, and a median age of 28 years versus 36 years. Marsden also has higher median household income at $73268 annually against $61568, though Waterford West offers better walkability (75 versus 64) and slightly lower crime risk (85 versus 76). House prices are comparable—$835000 in Marsden and $812500 in Waterford West—but Marsden's units command higher prices at $609900. Both suburbs sit roughly 31 km from the CBD with no bushfire risk. Marsden may suit buyers drawn to a more established, higher-income community, while Waterford West appeals to those prioritising walkability and a quieter, more mature demographic.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

Marsden

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (72% vs 56%)

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

First-home buyers

Waterford West

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($710,000 vs $870,000)
  • has cheaper units ($530,000 vs $609,900)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Marsden has a bigger rental market to choose from (54% vs 42%)
  • Waterford West has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Waterford West

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (75/100 vs 64/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Waterford West

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 8%)
  • is more walkable (75/100 vs 64/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Marsden Waterford West
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.

Marsden Waterford West
Walkability 64 / 75
Marsden — Walkability: 64/100 Waterford West — Walkability: 75/100
Safety 24 / 15
Marsden — Safety: 24/100 Waterford West — Safety: 15/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Marsden — Low fire risk: 100/100 Waterford West — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Marsden has more residents (14,795 vs 6,942); Waterford West skews older (36 vs 28).

Marsden Waterford West
Population 14,795
+53% vs other
 6,942
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.1% +7.9%
Median age 28 36
Median household income $73,268/yr
+16% vs other
 $61,568/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+11% vs other
 $310/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Marsden Waterford West
0-4 8.9% / 7.0%
Marsden — 0-4: 8.9% Waterford West — 0-4: 7.0%
5-14 19.0% / 14.0%
Marsden — 5-14: 19.0% Waterford West — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 8.6% / 6.3%
Marsden — 15-19: 8.6% Waterford West — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 7.6% / 7.1%
Marsden — 20-24: 7.6% Waterford West — 20-24: 7.1%
25-34 15.0% / 13.8%
Marsden — 25-34: 15.0% Waterford West — 25-34: 13.8%
35-44 13.4% / 12.3%
Marsden — 35-44: 13.4% Waterford West — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 10.6% / 11.1%
Marsden — 45-54: 10.6% Waterford West — 45-54: 11.1%
55-64 8.7% / 9.6%
Marsden — 55-64: 8.7% Waterford West — 55-64: 9.6%
65-74 5.6% / 9.7%
Marsden — 65-74: 5.6% Waterford West — 65-74: 9.7%
75-84 2.1% / 6.3%
Marsden — 75-84: 2.1% Waterford West — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 0.6% / 2.6%
Marsden — 85+: 0.6% Waterford West — 85+: 2.6%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Marsden 46.3% couple families
Marsden — Couple Families: 46.3% Marsden — Lone Person: 21.4% Marsden — One Parent Families: 25.5% Marsden — Group Household: 4.6% Marsden — Other Families: 2.2%
Waterford West 34.2% couple families
Waterford West — Couple Families: 34.2% Waterford West — Lone Person: 37.6% Waterford West — One Parent Families: 21.3% Waterford West — Group Household: 5.0% Waterford West — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Marsden 54.0% renting
Marsden — Owned Outright: 13.5% Marsden — Mortgage: 32.4% Marsden — Renting: 54.0%
Waterford West 42.1% renting
Waterford West — Owned Outright: 27.3% Waterford West — Mortgage: 30.6% Waterford West — Renting: 42.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Marsden Waterford West
Certificate III & IV 13.6% / 15.1%
Marsden — Certificate III & IV: 13.6% Waterford West — Certificate III & IV: 15.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.9% / 5.6%
Marsden — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9% Waterford West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Bachelor Degree 3.8% / 5.0%
Marsden — Bachelor Degree: 3.8% Waterford West — Bachelor Degree: 5.0%
Postgraduate Degree 1.1% / 1.6%
Marsden — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1% Waterford West — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.6% / 0.6%
Marsden — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6% Waterford West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

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.

Marsden Waterford West
New Zealand 9.7% / 8.0%
Marsden — New Zealand: 9.7% Waterford West — New Zealand: 8.0%
England 1.5% / 3.4%
Marsden — England: 1.5% Waterford West — England: 3.4%
Afghanistan 2.3% / 1.1%
Marsden — Afghanistan: 2.3% Waterford West — Afghanistan: 1.1%
India — / 2.6%
Marsden — India: not among its largest Waterford West — India: 2.6%
Philippines 1.2% / 1.4%
Marsden — Philippines: 1.2% Waterford West — Philippines: 1.4%
Myanmar 2.4% / —
Marsden — Myanmar: 2.4% Waterford West — Myanmar: not among its largest
Fiji 1.3% / 0.9%
Marsden — Fiji: 1.3% Waterford West — Fiji: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Marsden 79.4% houses
Marsden — Houses: 79.4% Marsden — Townhouses: 20.4% Marsden — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Waterford West 74.1% houses
Waterford West — Houses: 74.1% Waterford West — Townhouses: 20.7% Waterford West — Flats / Apartments: 5.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Marsden Waterford West
Median house price $835,000 $812,500
Median unit price $609,900 $530,000
Median land price $870,000 $710,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 115 sales
 22 days
from 95 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.

Marsden Waterford West
3 bed $800K / $800K
Marsden — 3 bed: $800K (110 sales) Waterford West — 3 bed: $800K (81 sales)

110 vs 81 sales

4 bed $860K / $838K
Marsden — 4 bed: $860K (86 sales) Waterford West — 4 bed: $838K (60 sales)

86 vs 60 sales

5 bed $1M / $1M
Marsden — 5 bed: $1M (19 sales) Waterford West — 5 bed: $1M (9 sales)

19 vs 9 sales

Development activity

Marsden Waterford West
New dwellings approved 4,950
across Logan
same for both
Approvals change year on year -8%
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.

Marsden Waterford West
Houses 3.7%
$605/wk on $849K
 4.0%
$620/wk on $799K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Marsden Waterford West
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 43% of QLD Higher than 26% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 90% of QLD Higher than 94% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 64% of QLD Higher than 76% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 93% of QLD Higher than 87% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 36% of QLD Higher than 57% of QLD

Liveability

Waterford West is more walkable (75 vs 64).

Marsden Waterford West
Grade C
same for both
Score 41/100 40/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Marsden Waterford West
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
76/100
 High
85/100
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 2
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Marsden Waterford West
Inside the suburb 2
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Marsden

  • Marsden State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Burrowes State School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Waterford West

  • Marsden State High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Waterford West State School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Marsden Waterford West
Supermarkets 2 5
Cafes & restaurants 3 13
Parks & reserves 16 14
Childcare 9 11
GPs 4 3
Pharmacies 3 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 3 2
Waterways 6 2

Mobility

Marsden Waterford West
Walkability score 64/100 75/100
Distance to Brisbane 31.1 km 31 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 34 min 32 min
Public transport score 76/100
Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 107.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 106.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 4132
 0.8%
postcode 4133
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 62
postcode 4132
 77
postcode 4133

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.

Marsden Waterford West
Car (driver) 79.6% / 77.2%
Marsden — Car (driver): 79.6% Waterford West — Car (driver): 77.2%
Car (passenger) 9.0% / 7.8%
Marsden — Car (passenger): 9.0% Waterford West — Car (passenger): 7.8%
Worked from Home 6.7% / 8.3%
Marsden — Worked from Home: 6.7% Waterford West — Worked from Home: 8.3%
Train 1.7% / 2.4%
Marsden — Train: 1.7% Waterford West — Train: 2.4%
Bus 1.9% / 1.9%
Marsden — Bus: 1.9% Waterford West — Bus: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.6%).

Setting

Marsden Waterford West
Elevation 13 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 17 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 19.9 km 16.8 km

NBN connectivity

Marsden Waterford West
Connectivity score 83/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 28%
5,017 premises
 6%
3,073 premises

Climate

Marsden Waterford West
Annual rainfall 1,032 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Marsden Waterford West
PM2.5 5.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.48 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Marsden Waterford West
Average residential rate $1,681/yr
same for both
Council Logan
same for both

Federal electorate

Marsden Waterford West
Division Rankin Forde
Member Jim Chalmers Rowan Holzberger
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Marsden Waterford West
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Marsden

Family Multicultural Outer Parks Townhouses Young Families

Waterford West

Outer Parks Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Marsden

Marsden vs Crestmead Marsden vs Kingston Marsden vs Berrinba

Other comparisons with Waterford West

Waterford West vs Crestmead Waterford West vs Kingston Waterford West vs Loganlea Waterford West vs Logan Reserve Waterford West vs Waterford
Full data on Marsden Full data on Waterford West
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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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