Murphys Creek vs Upper Lockyer

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Murphys Creek, most households are couple families. In Upper Lockyer, about half of households are couple families.

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.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

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

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

Commuting to the city

Upper Lockyer

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (90 min vs 99 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (117.2 km vs 123.5 km)
  • But Murphys Creek is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Murphys Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (13/100 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

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

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
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.

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Walkability 13 / 0
Murphys Creek — Walkability: 13/100 Upper Lockyer — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 46 / 41
Murphys Creek — Safety: 46/100 Upper Lockyer — Safety: 41/100
Low fire risk 34 / 22
Murphys Creek — Low fire risk: 34/100 Upper Lockyer — Low fire risk: 22/100

Demographics

Murphys Creek skews older (42 vs 40).

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Population 633
+14% vs other
 542
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.6% +0.7%
Median age 42 40
Median household income $90,480/yr $91,520/yr
+1% vs other
Median weekly rent $290/wk $310/wk
+7% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
0-4 5.1% / 4.1%
Murphys Creek — 0-4: 5.1% Upper Lockyer — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 14.4% / 15.3%
Murphys Creek — 5-14: 14.4% Upper Lockyer — 5-14: 15.3%
15-19 7.0% / 8.9%
Murphys Creek — 15-19: 7.0% Upper Lockyer — 15-19: 8.9%
20-24 3.9% / 4.2%
Murphys Creek — 20-24: 3.9% Upper Lockyer — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 10.7% / 8.7%
Murphys Creek — 25-34: 10.7% Upper Lockyer — 25-34: 8.7%
35-44 13.0% / 13.3%
Murphys Creek — 35-44: 13.0% Upper Lockyer — 35-44: 13.3%
45-54 12.8% / 14.0%
Murphys Creek — 45-54: 12.8% Upper Lockyer — 45-54: 14.0%
55-64 15.2% / 17.5%
Murphys Creek — 55-64: 15.2% Upper Lockyer — 55-64: 17.5%
65-74 12.5% / 9.4%
Murphys Creek — 65-74: 12.5% Upper Lockyer — 65-74: 9.4%
75-84 3.6% / 4.6%
Murphys Creek — 75-84: 3.6% Upper Lockyer — 75-84: 4.6%
85+ 1.1% / 0.6%
Murphys Creek — 85+: 1.1% Upper Lockyer — 85+: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Murphys Creek 55.7% couple families
Murphys Creek — Couple Families: 55.7% Murphys Creek — Lone Person: 25.7% Murphys Creek — One Parent Families: 16.4% Murphys Creek — Group Household: 2.1%
Upper Lockyer 50.4% couple families
Upper Lockyer — Couple Families: 50.4% Upper Lockyer — Lone Person: 24.0% Upper Lockyer — One Parent Families: 20.7% Upper Lockyer — Group Household: 5.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Murphys Creek 6.1% renting
Murphys Creek — Owned Outright: 36.7% Murphys Creek — Mortgage: 57.1% Murphys Creek — Renting: 6.1%
Upper Lockyer 8.4% renting
Upper Lockyer — Owned Outright: 36.5% Upper Lockyer — Mortgage: 55.1% Upper Lockyer — Renting: 8.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Certificate III & IV 18.5% / 24.5%
Murphys Creek — Certificate III & IV: 18.5% Upper Lockyer — Certificate III & IV: 24.5%
Bachelor Degree 7.7% / 8.5%
Murphys Creek — Bachelor Degree: 7.7% Upper Lockyer — Bachelor Degree: 8.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 6.1%
Murphys Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Upper Lockyer — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Postgraduate Degree 3.3% / 0.7%
Murphys Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3% Upper Lockyer — Postgraduate Degree: 0.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 1.5%
Murphys Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Upper Lockyer — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).

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.

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
New Zealand 2.2% / 3.5%
Murphys Creek — New Zealand: 2.2% Upper Lockyer — New Zealand: 3.5%
England 2.7% / 2.6%
Murphys Creek — England: 2.7% Upper Lockyer — England: 2.6%
South Africa 0.5% / 0.7%
Murphys Creek — South Africa: 0.5% Upper Lockyer — South Africa: 0.7%
Zimbabwe — / 1.1%
Murphys Creek — Zimbabwe: not among its largest Upper Lockyer — Zimbabwe: 1.1%
Scotland 0.6% / —
Murphys Creek — Scotland: 0.6% Upper Lockyer — Scotland: not among its largest
Canada 0.6% / —
Murphys Creek — Canada: 0.6% Upper Lockyer — Canada: not among its largest
Philippines 0.5% / —
Murphys Creek — Philippines: 0.5% Upper Lockyer — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Murphys Creek 100.0% houses
Murphys Creek — Houses: 100.0% Murphys Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Murphys Creek — Townhouses: 2.0%
Upper Lockyer 96.2% houses
Upper Lockyer — Houses: 96.2% Upper Lockyer — Flats / Apartments: 3.8% Upper Lockyer — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Median house price $895,000 $827,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $527,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 46 days
from 4 sales
 42 days
from 3 sales

Development activity

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
New dwellings approved 352
across Lockyer Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year +103%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 64% of QLD
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 74% of QLD Higher than 63% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 68% of QLD Higher than 69% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 44% of QLD Higher than 65% of QLD

Liveability

Murphys Creek is more walkable (13 vs 0); Murphys Creek scores higher overall (31 vs 21).

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Grade D
same for both
Score 31/100 21/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Upper Lockyer carries more bushfire risk (78 vs 66).

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Bushfire Moderate
66/100
 High
78/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 Moderate
59/100
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

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Murphys Creek

  • Murphy's Creek State School Government · Primary

Schools in Upper Lockyer

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

Amenities in the suburb

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Waterways 12 0

Mobility

Murphys Creek sits further from the CBD (123.5 km vs 117.2 km).

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Walkability score 13/100 0/100
Distance to Brisbane 123.5 km
+5% vs other
 117.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 99 min 90 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.

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Car (driver) 80.9% / 88.1%
Murphys Creek — Car (driver): 80.9% Upper Lockyer — Car (driver): 88.1%
Worked from Home 13.5% / 8.5%
Murphys Creek — Worked from Home: 13.5% Upper Lockyer — Worked from Home: 8.5%
Car (passenger) 3.5% / 3.5%
Murphys Creek — Car (passenger): 3.5% Upper Lockyer — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Walked Only 2.2% / —
Murphys Creek — Walked Only: 2.2% Upper Lockyer — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (88.1%).

Setting

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Elevation 260 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 200 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Connectivity score 29/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
215 premises
 0%
212 premises

Climate

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Annual rainfall 577 mm 697 mm
Summer max (Jan) 31.0°C 31.9°C
Winter min (Jul) 3.9°C 7.1°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
PM2.5 4.9 µg/m³ 2.4 µg/m³
PM10 12.0 µg/m³ 3.8 µg/m³
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Average residential rate $1,952/yr
same for both
Council Lockyer Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Division Wright
same for both
Member Scott Buchholz
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Murphys Creek Upper Lockyer
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Murphys Creek

River Rural

Upper Lockyer

Acreage

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Murphys Creek

Murphys Creek vs Withcott Murphys Creek vs Cabarlah Murphys Creek vs Ballard Murphys Creek vs Lockyer

Other comparisons with Upper Lockyer

Upper Lockyer vs Helidon Upper Lockyer vs Lockyer
Full data on Murphys Creek Full data on Upper Lockyer
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