Moonie vs Southwood
Southwood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 46 in Moonie. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Moonie, about half of households are couple families. In Southwood, most households are couple families. On these figures, Moonie tends to suit older residents, while Southwood suits 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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Southwood
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $200/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Moonie
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (234 min vs 266 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (308.1 km vs 347.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Moonie
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 7%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Moonie
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-3.7% vs -32.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Moonie and Southwood drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Moonie rents higher ($200/wk vs $0/wk); Moonie has more residents (182 vs 57).
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 182 +69% vs other | 57 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -3.7% | -32.1% |
| Median age | 46 | 42 |
| Median household income | $69,316/yr | $94,224/yr +36% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $200/wk (not reported on the other side) | — |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.1%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.3%).
Development activity
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 53 across Western Downs same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -40% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 36% of QLD | Higher than 67% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 33% of QLD | Higher than 24% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 11% of QLD | Higher than 9% of QLD |
Liveability
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Moonie carries more bushfire risk (45 vs 29).
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 45/100 | Low 29/100 |
| Crime | High 77/100 | High 83/100 |
| 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
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
Schools in Moonie
- Moonie State School Government · Primary below peers
Schools in Southwood
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 2 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 2 | 0 |
| Waterways | 28 | 8 |
Mobility
Southwood sits further from the CBD (347.4 km vs 308.1 km).
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 308.1 km | 347.4 km +13% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 234 min | 266 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 4406 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 42 postcode 4406 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (53.3%).
Setting
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 278 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 248 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 70 premises | 0% 19 premises |
Council rates
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,238/yr same for both | |
| Council | Western Downs same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Maranoa same for both | |
| Member | David Littleproud same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Moonie | Southwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Moonie
Other comparisons with Southwood
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.