Merritts Creek vs Pechey

Merritts Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 50 in Pechey. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Merritts Creek, most households are couple families. In Pechey, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Merritts Creek tends to suit families with children and couples, while Pechey suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Merritts Creek

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 79/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 54%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 90%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Pechey

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $485/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 23%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Merritts Creek sits closer to the CBD (149.2 km vs 151.3 km)
  • Pechey is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Pechey

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 11%)
  • But Merritts Creek carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 79/100)

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

Investors

Merritts Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.9% vs -6.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Merritts Creek Pechey
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.

Merritts Creek Pechey
Walkability 0 / 10
Merritts Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Pechey — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 89 / 21
Merritts Creek — Safety: 89/100 Pechey — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 100 / 22
Merritts Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100 Pechey — Low fire risk: 22/100

Demographics

Merritts Creek rents higher ($485/wk vs $220/wk); Merritts Creek has higher household incomes ($110,500 vs $80,132).

Merritts Creek Pechey
Population 102
+4% vs other
 98
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.9% -6.7%
Median age 43 50
Median household income $110,500/yr
+27% vs other
 $80,132/yr
Median weekly rent $485/wk
+55% vs other
 $220/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Merritts Creek Pechey
0-4 8.8% / 6.1%
Merritts Creek — 0-4: 8.8% Pechey — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 21.6% / 12.2%
Merritts Creek — 5-14: 21.6% Pechey — 5-14: 12.2%
15-19 8.8% / —
Merritts Creek — 15-19: 8.8% Pechey — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 — / 5.1%
Merritts Creek — 20-24: not among its largest Pechey — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 6.9% / 11.2%
Merritts Creek — 25-34: 6.9% Pechey — 25-34: 11.2%
35-44 13.7% / 11.2%
Merritts Creek — 35-44: 13.7% Pechey — 35-44: 11.2%
45-54 14.7% / 18.4%
Merritts Creek — 45-54: 14.7% Pechey — 45-54: 18.4%
55-64 20.6% / 20.4%
Merritts Creek — 55-64: 20.6% Pechey — 55-64: 20.4%
65-74 10.8% / 11.2%
Merritts Creek — 65-74: 10.8% Pechey — 65-74: 11.2%
75-84 — / 10.2%
Merritts Creek — 75-84: not among its largest Pechey — 75-84: 10.2%
85+ — / 3.1%
Merritts Creek — 85+: not among its largest Pechey — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Merritts Creek 57.9% couple families
Merritts Creek — Couple Families: 57.9% Merritts Creek — Lone Person: 26.3% Merritts Creek — One Parent Families: 15.8% Merritts Creek — Group Household: 0.0%
Pechey 45.7% couple families
Pechey — Couple Families: 45.7% Pechey — Lone Person: 37.1% Pechey — One Parent Families: 8.6% Pechey — Group Household: 8.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Merritts Creek 15.6% renting
Merritts Creek — Owned Outright: 34.4% Merritts Creek — Mortgage: 50.0% Merritts Creek — Renting: 15.6%
Pechey 11.4% renting
Pechey — Owned Outright: 48.6% Pechey — Mortgage: 40.0% Pechey — Renting: 11.4%
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.

Merritts Creek Pechey
England 2.9% / 6.1%
Merritts Creek — England: 2.9% Pechey — England: 6.1%
New Zealand 3.9% / 3.1%
Merritts Creek — New Zealand: 3.9% Pechey — New Zealand: 3.1%
South Africa — / 4.1%
Merritts Creek — South Africa: not among its largest Pechey — South Africa: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.1%).

Qualifications

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

Merritts Creek Pechey
Certificate III & IV 16.7% / 21.4%
Merritts Creek — Certificate III & IV: 16.7% Pechey — Certificate III & IV: 21.4%
Bachelor Degree 11.8% / 7.1%
Merritts Creek — Bachelor Degree: 11.8% Pechey — Bachelor Degree: 7.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 9.2%
Merritts Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Pechey — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 4.1%
Merritts Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Pechey — Postgraduate Degree: 4.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.9% / —
Merritts Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.9% Pechey — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Merritts Creek 100.0% houses
Merritts Creek — Houses: 100.0% Merritts Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Pechey 90.0% houses
Pechey — Houses: 90.0% Pechey — Flats / Apartments: 10.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Merritts Creek Pechey
Median house price — $580,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Development activity

Merritts Creek Pechey
New dwellings approved 1,513
across Toowoomba
same for both
Approvals change year on year -25%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Merritts Creek Pechey
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 83% of QLD Higher than 50% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 51% of QLD Higher than 72% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 68% of QLD Higher than 69% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 62% of QLD Higher than 33% of QLD

Liveability

Pechey is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Merritts Creek Pechey
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
same for both

Risk profile

Pechey carries more bushfire risk (78 vs 0); Pechey carries more crime risk (79 vs 11).

Merritts Creek Pechey
Bushfire None
0/100
 High
78/100
Crime Low
11/100
 High
79/100
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 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Merritts Creek Pechey
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

Merritts Creek Pechey
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Pechey sits further from the CBD (151.3 km vs 149.2 km).

Merritts Creek Pechey
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Brisbane 149.2 km 151.3 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 133 min 132 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 4352
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 84
postcode 4352
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.

Merritts Creek Pechey
Car (driver) 60.0% / 87.8%
Merritts Creek — Car (driver): 60.0% Pechey — Car (driver): 87.8%
Worked from Home 32.0% / 12.2%
Merritts Creek — Worked from Home: 32.0% Pechey — Worked from Home: 12.2%
Car (passenger) 8.0% / —
Merritts Creek — Car (passenger): 8.0% Pechey — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (87.8%).

Setting

Merritts Creek Pechey
Elevation 598 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 678 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Merritts Creek Pechey
Connectivity score 30/100 25/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
31 premises
 0%
41 premises

Climate

Merritts Creek Pechey
Annual rainfall 577 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Merritts Creek Pechey
PM2.5 4.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Merritts Creek Pechey
Average residential rate $1,618/yr
same for both
Council Toowoomba
same for both

Federal electorate

Merritts Creek Pechey
Division Groom
same for both
Member Garth Hamilton
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Merritts Creek Pechey
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Merritts Creek

Family Rural Young Families

Pechey

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Merritts Creek

Merritts Creek vs Geham Merritts Creek vs Hampton Merritts Creek vs Groomsville Merritts Creek vs Mount Luke

Other comparisons with Pechey

Pechey vs Crows Nest Pechey vs Hampton Pechey vs Groomsville
Full data on Merritts Creek Full data on Pechey
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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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