Meldale vs Toorbul

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Toorbul, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Meldale: a median of $950,000, against $815,000 in Toorbul, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Toorbul tends to suit people living alone.

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

Meldale

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (61% vs 45%)
  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 50/100)
  • But Toorbul has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Toorbul

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (30% vs 44%)
  • has cheaper houses ($815,000 vs $950,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Toorbul

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (25% vs 14%)

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

Commuting to the city

Toorbul

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Meldale carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 50/100)
  • Toorbul is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Meldale Toorbul
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.

Meldale Toorbul
Walkability 0 / 16
Meldale — Walkability: 0/100 Toorbul — Walkability: 16/100
Safety 63 / 50
Meldale — Safety: 63/100 Toorbul — Safety: 50/100
Low fire risk 100 / 61
Meldale — Low fire risk: 100/100 Toorbul — Low fire risk: 61/100

Demographics

Toorbul has more residents (958 vs 230); Toorbul skews older (57 vs 55).

Meldale Toorbul
Population 230 958
+317% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.1% +3.0%
Median age 55 57
Median household income $58,500/yr $59,748/yr
+2% vs other
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+7% vs other
 $325/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Meldale Toorbul
0-4 1.7% / 4.5%
Meldale — 0-4: 1.7% Toorbul — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 10.4% / 6.7%
Meldale — 5-14: 10.4% Toorbul — 5-14: 6.7%
15-19 4.3% / 3.5%
Meldale — 15-19: 4.3% Toorbul — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 1.3% / 2.3%
Meldale — 20-24: 1.3% Toorbul — 20-24: 2.3%
25-34 7.4% / 7.0%
Meldale — 25-34: 7.4% Toorbul — 25-34: 7.0%
35-44 12.2% / 8.8%
Meldale — 35-44: 12.2% Toorbul — 35-44: 8.8%
45-54 14.8% / 14.2%
Meldale — 45-54: 14.8% Toorbul — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 20.0% / 22.1%
Meldale — 55-64: 20.0% Toorbul — 55-64: 22.1%
65-74 23.0% / 18.9%
Meldale — 65-74: 23.0% Toorbul — 65-74: 18.9%
75-84 7.8% / 10.5%
Meldale — 75-84: 7.8% Toorbul — 75-84: 10.5%
85+ 1.3% / 2.3%
Meldale — 85+: 1.3% Toorbul — 85+: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Meldale 32.7% lone person
Meldale — Lone Person: 32.7% Meldale — Couple Families: 44.9% Meldale — One Parent Families: 16.3% Meldale — Group Household: 6.1% Meldale — Other Families: 0.0%
Toorbul 45.6% lone person
Toorbul — Lone Person: 45.6% Toorbul — Couple Families: 28.0% Toorbul — One Parent Families: 17.2% Toorbul — Group Household: 6.8% Toorbul — Other Families: 2.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Meldale 14.1% renting
Meldale — Owned Outright: 49.4% Meldale — Mortgage: 36.5% Meldale — Renting: 14.1%
Toorbul 25.1% renting
Toorbul — Owned Outright: 46.4% Toorbul — Mortgage: 28.6% Toorbul — Renting: 25.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Meldale Toorbul
England 4.3% / 3.2%
Meldale — England: 4.3% Toorbul — England: 3.2%
New Zealand 2.6% / 4.4%
Meldale — New Zealand: 2.6% Toorbul — New Zealand: 4.4%
Scotland 1.7% / —
Meldale — Scotland: 1.7% Toorbul — Scotland: not among its largest
Fiji 1.7% / —
Meldale — Fiji: 1.7% Toorbul — Fiji: not among its largest
South Africa — / 0.3%
Meldale — South Africa: not among its largest Toorbul — South Africa: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

Qualifications

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

Meldale Toorbul
Certificate III & IV 20.9% / 21.5%
Meldale — Certificate III & IV: 20.9% Toorbul — Certificate III & IV: 21.5%
Bachelor Degree 7.0% / 5.9%
Meldale — Bachelor Degree: 7.0% Toorbul — Bachelor Degree: 5.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.8% / 6.8%
Meldale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8% Toorbul — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 1.4%
Meldale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Toorbul — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.9%
Meldale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Toorbul — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Meldale 94.6% houses
Meldale — Houses: 94.6% Meldale — Flats / Apartments: 5.4%
Toorbul 93.1% houses
Toorbul — Houses: 93.1% Toorbul — Flats / Apartments: 6.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Meldale Toorbul
Median house price $950,000 $815,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $1,650,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 53 days
from 12 sales

Development activity

Meldale Toorbul
New dwellings approved 6,996
across Moreton Bay
same for both
Approvals change year on year +49%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Meldale Toorbul
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 23% of QLD Higher than 24% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 42% of QLD Higher than 77% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 65% of QLD Higher than 64% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of QLD Higher than 48% of QLD

Liveability

Toorbul is more walkable (16 vs 0).

Meldale Toorbul
Grade — D
Score — 32/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Toorbul carries more bushfire risk (39 vs 0); Toorbul carries more crime risk (50 vs 37).

Meldale Toorbul
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
39/100
Crime Low
37/100
 Moderate
50/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
50/100
 Low
36/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Meldale Toorbul
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Meldale Toorbul
Parks & reserves 0 3
Pharmacies 0 1
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Meldale Toorbul
Walkability score 0/100 16/100
Distance to Brisbane 61.8 km 61.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 61 min 58 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 4510
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 74
postcode 4510
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.

Meldale Toorbul
Car (driver) 85.5% / 78.3%
Meldale — Car (driver): 85.5% Toorbul — Car (driver): 78.3%
Worked from Home 14.5% / 14.1%
Meldale — Worked from Home: 14.5% Toorbul — Worked from Home: 14.1%
Car (passenger) — / 3.4%
Meldale — Car (passenger): not among its largest Toorbul — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Walked Only — / 3.1%
Meldale — Walked Only: not among its largest Toorbul — Walked Only: 3.1%
Bus — / 1.2%
Meldale — Bus: not among its largest Toorbul — Bus: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.5%).

Setting

Meldale Toorbul
Elevation 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 673 m 1.5 km

NBN connectivity

Meldale Toorbul
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
110 premises
 0%
507 premises

Climate

Meldale Toorbul
Annual rainfall 1,052 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 14.7°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Meldale Toorbul
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.43 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Meldale Toorbul
Average residential rate $1,577/yr
same for both
Council Moreton Bay
same for both

Federal electorate

Meldale Toorbul
Division Longman
same for both
Member Terry Young
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Meldale Toorbul
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Meldale

Coastal Outer Retirees

Toorbul

Acreage Coastal Outer Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Meldale

Meldale vs Donnybrook

Other comparisons with Toorbul

Toorbul vs Caboolture Toorbul vs Banksia Beach Toorbul vs Ningi Toorbul vs Elimbah Toorbul vs Sandstone Point Toorbul vs Bellara
Full data on Meldale Full data on Toorbul
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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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