Mcdowall vs Stafford Heights

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In McDowall, most households are couple families. In Stafford Heights, about half of households are couple families. Stafford Heights is closer to the city centre: 10.8 km, against 13.9 km. On these figures, McDowall tends to suit 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

McDowall

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (16 vs 9)
  • carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 53/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 64%)
  • But Stafford Heights has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Stafford Heights

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($415/wk vs $470/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Stafford Heights

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (18 min vs 24 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (10.8 km vs 13.9 km)
  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 69/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Mcdowall carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 53/100)
  • Stafford Heights is more walkable (79/100 vs 69/100)

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

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

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
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.

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Walkability 69 / 79
Mcdowall — Walkability: 69/100 Stafford Heights — Walkability: 79/100
Safety 70 / 47
Mcdowall — Safety: 70/100 Stafford Heights — Safety: 47/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Mcdowall — Low fire risk: 100/100 Stafford Heights — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

McDowall has higher household incomes ($129,272 vs $112,268); McDowall rents higher ($470/wk vs $415/wk).

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Population 7,612
+8% vs other
 6,992
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.2% +2.3%
Median age 38 37
Median household income $129,272/yr
+13% vs other
 $112,268/yr
Median weekly rent $470/wk
+12% vs other
 $415/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
0-4 6.4% / 6.7%
Mcdowall — 0-4: 6.4% Stafford Heights — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 14.2% / 12.0%
Mcdowall — 5-14: 14.2% Stafford Heights — 5-14: 12.0%
15-19 6.4% / 5.7%
Mcdowall — 15-19: 6.4% Stafford Heights — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 6.4% / 5.9%
Mcdowall — 20-24: 6.4% Stafford Heights — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 10.6% / 15.3%
Mcdowall — 25-34: 10.6% Stafford Heights — 25-34: 15.3%
35-44 15.2% / 14.6%
Mcdowall — 35-44: 15.2% Stafford Heights — 35-44: 14.6%
45-54 14.2% / 12.8%
Mcdowall — 45-54: 14.2% Stafford Heights — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 11.8% / 11.0%
Mcdowall — 55-64: 11.8% Stafford Heights — 55-64: 11.0%
65-74 9.2% / 8.2%
Mcdowall — 65-74: 9.2% Stafford Heights — 65-74: 8.2%
75-84 4.5% / 5.8%
Mcdowall — 75-84: 4.5% Stafford Heights — 75-84: 5.8%
85+ 1.1% / 2.0%
Mcdowall — 85+: 1.1% Stafford Heights — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mcdowall 63.1% couple families
Mcdowall — Couple Families: 63.1% Mcdowall — Lone Person: 19.9% Mcdowall — One Parent Families: 12.7% Mcdowall — Group Household: 3.3% Mcdowall — Other Families: 1.0%
Stafford Heights 46.9% couple families
Stafford Heights — Couple Families: 46.9% Stafford Heights — Lone Person: 28.1% Stafford Heights — One Parent Families: 16.6% Stafford Heights — Group Household: 6.0% Stafford Heights — Other Families: 2.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mcdowall 22.7% renting
Mcdowall — Owned Outright: 36.7% Mcdowall — Mortgage: 40.6% Mcdowall — Renting: 22.7%
Stafford Heights 30.0% renting
Stafford Heights — Owned Outright: 32.4% Stafford Heights — Mortgage: 37.6% Stafford Heights — Renting: 30.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Bachelor Degree 18.0% / 17.8%
Mcdowall — Bachelor Degree: 18.0% Stafford Heights — Bachelor Degree: 17.8%
Certificate III & IV 11.8% / 13.2%
Mcdowall — Certificate III & IV: 11.8% Stafford Heights — Certificate III & IV: 13.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 8.1%
Mcdowall — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Stafford Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Postgraduate Degree 7.0% / 4.9%
Mcdowall — Postgraduate Degree: 7.0% Stafford Heights — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 2.7%
Mcdowall — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Stafford Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

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.

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
England 3.8% / 2.5%
Mcdowall — England: 3.8% Stafford Heights — England: 2.5%
New Zealand 2.5% / 2.9%
Mcdowall — New Zealand: 2.5% Stafford Heights — New Zealand: 2.9%
India 2.6% / 0.9%
Mcdowall — India: 2.6% Stafford Heights — India: 0.9%
Italy 1.1% / 1.4%
Mcdowall — Italy: 1.1% Stafford Heights — Italy: 1.4%
South Africa 1.6% / 0.7%
Mcdowall — South Africa: 1.6% Stafford Heights — South Africa: 0.7%
China 1.5% / 0.6%
Mcdowall — China: 1.5% Stafford Heights — China: 0.6%
Philippines 0.8% / 1.0%
Mcdowall — Philippines: 0.8% Stafford Heights — Philippines: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mcdowall 87.7% houses
Mcdowall — Houses: 87.7% Mcdowall — Townhouses: 10.0% Mcdowall — Flats / Apartments: 2.3%
Stafford Heights 96.8% houses
Stafford Heights — Houses: 96.8% Stafford Heights — Townhouses: 2.1% Stafford Heights — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Median house price $1,310,000 $1,275,000
Median unit price $695,000 —
Median land price $1,200,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 79 sales
 22 days
from 67 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.

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
3 bed $1.2M / $1.25M
Mcdowall — 3 bed: $1.2M (34 sales) Stafford Heights — 3 bed: $1.25M (74 sales)

34 vs 74 sales

4 bed $1.33M / $1.4M
Mcdowall — 4 bed: $1.33M (56 sales) Stafford Heights — 4 bed: $1.4M (32 sales)

56 vs 32 sales

5 bed $1.68M / $1.7M
Mcdowall — 5 bed: $1.68M (21 sales) Stafford Heights — 5 bed: $1.7M (13 sales)

21 vs 13 sales

Development activity

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
New dwellings approved 9,382
across Brisbane
same for both
Approvals change year on year +9%
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.

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Houses 3.3%
$835/wk on $1.3M
 3.6%
$838/wk on $1.2M
Units 4.5%
$700/wk on $810K
 —

Ranking within QLD

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 93% of QLD Higher than 83% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 2% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 91% of QLD Higher than 95% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 92% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 90% of QLD Higher than 84% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 19% of QLD Higher than 31% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 52% of QLD —

Liveability

McDowall scores higher overall (88 vs 65); Stafford Heights is more walkable (79 vs 69).

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Grade A+ B
Score 88/100 65/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Stafford Heights carries more crime risk (53 vs 30).

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
30/100
 Moderate
53/100
Flood —
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Kelvin Grove, 7.8 km
 3
Kelvin Grove, 5.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.1% 2.5%

Schools in Mcdowall

  • McDowall State School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Stafford Heights

  • Somerset Hills State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Stafford Heights State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Queen of Apostles Primary School - Chuter Street Campus Catholic · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 16 9
Childcare 4 6
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 6 0

Mobility

McDowall sits further from the CBD (13.9 km vs 10.8 km).

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Walkability score 69/100 79/100
Distance to Brisbane 13.9 km
+22% vs other
 10.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 24 min 18 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 77.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 76.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.8%
postcode 4053
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 46
postcode 4053
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.

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Car (driver) 63.3% / 63.5%
Mcdowall — Car (driver): 63.3% Stafford Heights — Car (driver): 63.5%
Worked from Home 25.5% / 23.6%
Mcdowall — Worked from Home: 25.5% Stafford Heights — Worked from Home: 23.6%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 4.8%
Mcdowall — Car (passenger): 4.6% Stafford Heights — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Bus 2.8% / 4.1%
Mcdowall — Bus: 2.8% Stafford Heights — Bus: 4.1%
Train 2.7% / 2.3%
Mcdowall — Train: 2.7% Stafford Heights — Train: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (63.5%).

Setting

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Elevation 63 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 45 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.6 km 10.3 km
3.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Connectivity score 78/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 22%
3,119 premises
 1%
2,902 premises

Climate

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
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)

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
PM2.5 4.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 13.4 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.74 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Average residential rate $1,519/yr
same for both
Council Brisbane
same for both

Federal electorate

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Division Lilley
same for both
Member Anika Wells
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mcdowall Stafford Heights
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mcdowall

Large Blocks Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Quiet

Stafford Heights

Middle-Ring Parks Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mcdowall

Mcdowall vs Albany Creek Mcdowall vs Aspley Mcdowall vs Bridgeman Downs Mcdowall vs Everton Park Mcdowall vs Chermside West Mcdowall vs Everton Hills

Other comparisons with Stafford Heights

Stafford Heights vs Everton Park Stafford Heights vs Kedron Stafford Heights vs Stafford Stafford Heights vs Chermside West
Full data on Mcdowall Full data on Stafford Heights
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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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