Mount Lofty vs Ballard

Ballard is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 43 in Mount Lofty. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ballard, most households are couple families. On these figures, Mount Lofty tends to suit people living alone, while Ballard 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

Ballard

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 49/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 58%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 89%)
  • But Mount Lofty has more parks and reserves (8 vs 0)

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

Mount Lofty

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (26% vs 8%)

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

Commuting to the city

Mount Lofty

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (21/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (126.5 km vs 133.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mount Lofty

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (21/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 13%)
  • But Ballard carries lower crime risk (11/100 vs 49/100)

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

Investors

Ballard

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (10.6% vs 1.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mount Lofty Ballard
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.

Mount Lofty Ballard
Walkability 21 / 0
Mount Lofty — Walkability: 21/100 Ballard — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 51 / 89
Mount Lofty — Safety: 51/100 Ballard — Safety: 89/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Mount Lofty — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ballard — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Mount Lofty has more residents (3,825 vs 167); Mount Lofty skews older (43 vs 37).

Mount Lofty Ballard
Population 3,825
+96% vs other
 167
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.3% +10.6%
Median age 43 37
Median household income $104,104/yr
+9% vs other
 $94,900/yr
Median weekly rent $340/wk $360/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mount Lofty Ballard
0-4 5.3% / 5.4%
Mount Lofty — 0-4: 5.3% Ballard — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 12.9% / 13.8%
Mount Lofty — 5-14: 12.9% Ballard — 5-14: 13.8%
15-19 7.3% / 7.8%
Mount Lofty — 15-19: 7.3% Ballard — 15-19: 7.8%
20-24 5.0% / 4.8%
Mount Lofty — 20-24: 5.0% Ballard — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 10.5% / 15.0%
Mount Lofty — 25-34: 10.5% Ballard — 25-34: 15.0%
35-44 11.7% / 13.2%
Mount Lofty — 35-44: 11.7% Ballard — 35-44: 13.2%
45-54 14.6% / 11.4%
Mount Lofty — 45-54: 14.6% Ballard — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 12.2% / 13.8%
Mount Lofty — 55-64: 12.2% Ballard — 55-64: 13.8%
65-74 10.5% / 7.2%
Mount Lofty — 65-74: 10.5% Ballard — 65-74: 7.2%
75-84 6.9% / 6.0%
Mount Lofty — 75-84: 6.9% Ballard — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 3.0% / —
Mount Lofty — 85+: 3.0% Ballard — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mount Lofty 44.0% couple families
Mount Lofty — Couple Families: 44.0% Mount Lofty — Lone Person: 38.3% Mount Lofty — One Parent Families: 14.5% Mount Lofty — Group Household: 2.5% Mount Lofty — Other Families: 0.7%
Ballard 58.8% couple families
Ballard — Couple Families: 58.8% Ballard — Lone Person: 26.5% Ballard — One Parent Families: 14.7% Ballard — Group Household: 0.0% Ballard — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mount Lofty 26.1% renting
Mount Lofty — Owned Outright: 37.5% Mount Lofty — Mortgage: 36.4% Mount Lofty — Renting: 26.1%
Ballard 7.5% renting
Ballard — Owned Outright: 34.0% Ballard — Mortgage: 58.5% Ballard — Renting: 7.5%
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.

Mount Lofty Ballard
England 2.6% / 3.0%
Mount Lofty — England: 2.6% Ballard — England: 3.0%
New Zealand 1.6% / —
Mount Lofty — New Zealand: 1.6% Ballard — New Zealand: not among its largest
South Africa 1.2% / —
Mount Lofty — South Africa: 1.2% Ballard — South Africa: not among its largest
Iraq 1.2% / —
Mount Lofty — Iraq: 1.2% Ballard — Iraq: not among its largest
India 0.6% / —
Mount Lofty — India: 0.6% Ballard — India: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

Qualifications

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

Mount Lofty Ballard
Certificate III & IV 12.9% / 21.0%
Mount Lofty — Certificate III & IV: 12.9% Ballard — Certificate III & IV: 21.0%
Bachelor Degree 18.9% / 10.2%
Mount Lofty — Bachelor Degree: 18.9% Ballard — Bachelor Degree: 10.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 6.0%
Mount Lofty — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% Ballard — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0%
Postgraduate Degree 7.2% / 4.2%
Mount Lofty — Postgraduate Degree: 7.2% Ballard — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.8% / 4.8%
Mount Lofty — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8% Ballard — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mount Lofty 89.1% houses
Mount Lofty — Houses: 89.1% Mount Lofty — Townhouses: 9.8% Mount Lofty — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Ballard 100.0% houses
Ballard — Houses: 100.0% Ballard — Townhouses: 0.0% Ballard — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mount Lofty Ballard
Median house price $1,105,500 —
Median unit price $580,000 —
Median land price $640,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 38 days
from 59 sales
 —

Development activity

Mount Lofty Ballard
New dwellings approved 1,513
across Toowoomba
 352
across Lockyer Valley
Approvals change year on year -25% +103%

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.

Mount Lofty Ballard
Houses 3.2%
$650/wk on $1.05M
 —
Units 3.9%
$440/wk on $582K
 —

Ranking within QLD

Mount Lofty Ballard
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 77% of QLD Higher than 68% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of QLD Higher than 6% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 71% of QLD Higher than 66% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of QLD Higher than 69% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 15% of QLD —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 28% of QLD —

Liveability

Mount Lofty is more walkable (21 vs 0).

Mount Lofty Ballard
Grade B —
Score 66/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Mount Lofty carries more crime risk (49 vs 11).

Mount Lofty Ballard
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
49/100
 Low
11/100
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 4
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Mount Lofty Ballard
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
USQ (Toowoomba), 3.7 km
 1
USQ (Toowoomba), 7.3 km

Schools in Mount Lofty

  • Toowoomba State High School Government · Secondary at peers

Schools in Ballard

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Mount Lofty Ballard
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 8 0
Childcare 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 1 6

Mobility

Ballard sits further from the CBD (133.8 km vs 126.5 km).

Mount Lofty Ballard
Walkability score 21/100 0/100
Distance to Brisbane 126.5 km 133.8 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 104 min 108 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 4350
 0.6%
postcode 4352
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 4350
 84
postcode 4352

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.

Mount Lofty Ballard
Car (driver) 78.8% / 92.2%
Mount Lofty — Car (driver): 78.8% Ballard — Car (driver): 92.2%
Worked from Home 11.8% / 7.8%
Mount Lofty — Worked from Home: 11.8% Ballard — Worked from Home: 7.8%
Car (passenger) 5.9% / —
Mount Lofty — Car (passenger): 5.9% Ballard — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 2.0% / —
Mount Lofty — Walked Only: 2.0% Ballard — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 1.2% / —
Mount Lofty — Bicycle: 1.2% Ballard — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (92.2%).

Setting

Mount Lofty Ballard
Elevation 537 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 395 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Mount Lofty Ballard
Connectivity score 99/100 49/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 98%
1,760 premises
 24%
67 premises

Climate

Mount Lofty Ballard
Annual rainfall 643 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Mount Lofty Ballard
PM2.5 4.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Mount Lofty Ballard
Average residential rate $1,618/yr $1,952/yr
Council Toowoomba Lockyer Valley

Federal electorate

Mount Lofty Ballard
Division Groom Wright
Member Garth Hamilton Scott Buchholz
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mount Lofty Ballard
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mount Lofty

Acreage Professionals

Ballard

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mount Lofty

Mount Lofty vs East Toowoomba Mount Lofty vs North Toowoomba Mount Lofty vs Harlaxton Mount Lofty vs Withcott Mount Lofty vs Prince Henry Heights Mount Lofty vs Redwood

Other comparisons with Ballard

Ballard vs Highfields Ballard vs Harlaxton Ballard vs Withcott Ballard vs Blue Mountain Heights Ballard vs Murphys Creek Ballard vs Mount Kynoch
Full data on Mount Lofty Full data on Ballard
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or