Mount Louisa vs Shaw

Shaw is the younger of the two, with a median age of 28 against 34 in Mount Louisa. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Mount Louisa, most households own their home and about half of households are couple families. In Shaw, about half of households rent. On these figures, Shaw tends to suit renters, young adults, and 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

Mount Louisa

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (8 vs 2)
  • carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 87/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Shaw

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (51% vs 34%)
  • has cheaper rent ($322/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Mount Louisa

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (59/100 vs 22/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1359 km vs 1363.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mount Louisa

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (59/100 vs 22/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 87/100)

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

Investors

Shaw

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (38.2% vs 4.6%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Mount Louisa and Shaw 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 Louisa Shaw
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 Louisa Shaw
Walkability 59 / 22
Mount Louisa — Walkability: 59/100 Shaw — Walkability: 22/100
Safety 27 / 13
Mount Louisa — Safety: 27/100 Shaw — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Mount Louisa — Low fire risk: 100/100 Shaw — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Mount Louisa has more residents (9,227 vs 760); Mount Louisa skews older (34 vs 28).

Mount Louisa Shaw
Population 9,227
+92% vs other
 760
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.6% +38.2%
Median age 34 28
Median household income $107,744/yr
+3% vs other
 $104,832/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+8% vs other
 $322/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mount Louisa Shaw
0-4 6.8% / 7.9%
Mount Louisa — 0-4: 6.8% Shaw — 0-4: 7.9%
5-14 16.1% / 16.1%
Mount Louisa — 5-14: 16.1% Shaw — 5-14: 16.1%
15-19 6.4% / 4.6%
Mount Louisa — 15-19: 6.4% Shaw — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 6.8% / 9.9%
Mount Louisa — 20-24: 6.8% Shaw — 20-24: 9.9%
25-34 14.6% / 22.8%
Mount Louisa — 25-34: 14.6% Shaw — 25-34: 22.8%
35-44 15.3% / 15.3%
Mount Louisa — 35-44: 15.3% Shaw — 35-44: 15.3%
45-54 12.8% / 9.6%
Mount Louisa — 45-54: 12.8% Shaw — 45-54: 9.6%
55-64 9.8% / 6.2%
Mount Louisa — 55-64: 9.8% Shaw — 55-64: 6.2%
65-74 7.2% / 5.4%
Mount Louisa — 65-74: 7.2% Shaw — 65-74: 5.4%
75-84 3.0% / 1.3%
Mount Louisa — 75-84: 3.0% Shaw — 75-84: 1.3%
85+ 1.2% / 0.4%
Mount Louisa — 85+: 1.2% Shaw — 85+: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mount Louisa 51.3% couple families
Mount Louisa — Couple Families: 51.3% Mount Louisa — Lone Person: 23.3% Mount Louisa — One Parent Families: 18.4% Mount Louisa — Group Household: 5.1% Mount Louisa — Other Families: 1.9%
Shaw 41.9% couple families
Shaw — Couple Families: 41.9% Shaw — Lone Person: 31.8% Shaw — One Parent Families: 24.2% Shaw — Group Household: 2.0% Shaw — 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 Louisa 33.9% renting
Mount Louisa — Owned Outright: 21.6% Mount Louisa — Mortgage: 44.5% Mount Louisa — Renting: 33.9%
Shaw 51.2% renting
Shaw — Owned Outright: 8.4% Shaw — Mortgage: 40.4% Shaw — Renting: 51.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mount Louisa Shaw
Certificate III & IV 19.0% / 16.7%
Mount Louisa — Certificate III & IV: 19.0% Shaw — Certificate III & IV: 16.7%
Bachelor Degree 10.7% / 13.0%
Mount Louisa — Bachelor Degree: 10.7% Shaw — Bachelor Degree: 13.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 5.9%
Mount Louisa — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Shaw — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.9% / 2.4%
Mount Louisa — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9% Shaw — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.7%
Mount Louisa — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Shaw — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

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.

Mount Louisa Shaw
Philippines 1.4% / 4.1%
Mount Louisa — Philippines: 1.4% Shaw — Philippines: 4.1%
England 1.9% / 3.0%
Mount Louisa — England: 1.9% Shaw — England: 3.0%
New Zealand 2.0% / 2.6%
Mount Louisa — New Zealand: 2.0% Shaw — New Zealand: 2.6%
South Africa 1.0% / 1.2%
Mount Louisa — South Africa: 1.0% Shaw — South Africa: 1.2%
India 0.6% / 1.2%
Mount Louisa — India: 0.6% Shaw — India: 1.2%
Zimbabwe — / 1.4%
Mount Louisa — Zimbabwe: not among its largest Shaw — Zimbabwe: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mount Louisa 96.3% houses
Mount Louisa — Houses: 96.3% Mount Louisa — Townhouses: 3.6% Mount Louisa — Flats / Apartments: 0.1%
Shaw 93.2% houses
Shaw — Houses: 93.2% Shaw — Townhouses: 3.1% Shaw — Flats / Apartments: 3.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mount Louisa Shaw
Median house price $705,000 $708,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $270,000 $253,400
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 108 sales
 26 days
from 17 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.

Mount Louisa Shaw
3 bed $630K / $645K
Mount Louisa — 3 bed: $630K (64 sales) Shaw — 3 bed: $645K (17 sales)

64 vs 17 sales

4 bed $735K / $728K
Mount Louisa — 4 bed: $735K (127 sales) Shaw — 4 bed: $728K (54 sales)

127 vs 54 sales

Development activity

Mount Louisa Shaw
New dwellings approved 1,096
across Townsville
same for both
Approvals change year on year -22%
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.

Mount Louisa Shaw
Houses 4.3%
$625/wk on $762K
 4.3%
$635/wk on $762K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Mount Louisa Shaw
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 80% of QLD Higher than 77% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 89% of QLD Higher than 80% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 73% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 97% of QLD Higher than 86% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 66% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD

Liveability

Mount Louisa is more walkable (59 vs 22); Mount Louisa scores higher overall (50 vs 40).

Mount Louisa Shaw
Grade B C
Score 50/100 40/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Shaw carries more crime risk (87 vs 73).

Mount Louisa Shaw
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
73/100
 High
87/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise High
83/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 10
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Mount Louisa Shaw
Inside the suburb 2
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
James Cook University - Townsville, 9.0 km
 None

Schools in Mount Louisa

  • Calvary Christian College Independent · Combined below peers
  • Eaton College Independent · Combined · Special school

Schools in Shaw

  • St Benedict's Catholic School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Mary Help of Christians Catholic College Catholic · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mount Louisa Shaw
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 8 2
Childcare 4 2
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Shaw sits further from the CBD (1363.4 km vs 1359 km).

Mount Louisa Shaw
Walkability score 59/100 22/100
Distance to Brisbane 1359 km 1363.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 933 min 930 min
Public transport score 74/100
Bus
 24/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 30.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 2.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 4814
 0.6%
postcode 4818
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 63
postcode 4814
 87
postcode 4818

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 Louisa Shaw
Car (driver) 85.9% / 88.6%
Mount Louisa — Car (driver): 85.9% Shaw — Car (driver): 88.6%
Worked from Home 5.9% / 6.2%
Mount Louisa — Worked from Home: 5.9% Shaw — Worked from Home: 6.2%
Car (passenger) 5.7% / 4.3%
Mount Louisa — Car (passenger): 5.7% Shaw — Car (passenger): 4.3%
Walked Only 0.9% / 0.8%
Mount Louisa — Walked Only: 0.9% Shaw — Walked Only: 0.8%
Bicycle 0.8% / —
Mount Louisa — Bicycle: 0.8% Shaw — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (88.6%).

Setting

Mount Louisa Shaw
Elevation 84 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.2 km 9.1 km

NBN connectivity

Mount Louisa Shaw
Connectivity score 95/100 75/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 91%
3,550 premises
 65%
214 premises

Climate

Mount Louisa Shaw
Annual rainfall 1,304 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 15.0°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Mount Louisa Shaw
PM2.5 6.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 15.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.25 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Mount Louisa Shaw
Average residential rate $1,810/yr
same for both
Council Townsville
same for both

Federal electorate

Mount Louisa Shaw
Division Herbert
same for both
Member Phillip Thompson
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Mount Louisa

Family Large Blocks Regional Centre

Shaw

Acreage Family

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mount Louisa

Mount Louisa vs Kirwan Mount Louisa vs Heatley Mount Louisa vs Garbutt Mount Louisa vs Cosgrove Mount Louisa vs Bohle Mount Louisa vs Mount St John

Other comparisons with Shaw

Shaw vs Kirwan Shaw vs Burdell Shaw vs Deeragun Shaw vs Bohle Plains Shaw vs Cosgrove Shaw vs Bohle
Full data on Mount Louisa Full data on Shaw
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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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