Newell vs Rocky Point
Rocky Point is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 55 in Newell. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Newell, about half of households are people living alone. In Rocky Point, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Newell tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Rocky Point suits families with children and 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
Rocky Point
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
- is already more of a family suburb (62% vs 36%)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 85%)
- But Newell carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 99/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Rocky Point
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 32%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Newell
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (32% vs 20%)
- has cheaper rent ($280/wk vs $350/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Newell
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (1779.7 km vs 1785.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Newell
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 99/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 17%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Rocky Point
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (12.4% vs -2.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Newell and Rocky Point 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
Newell has more residents (327 vs 145); Rocky Point has higher household incomes ($95,316 vs $61,464).
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 327 +56% vs other | 145 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -2.7% | +12.4% |
| Median age | 55 | 52 |
| Median household income | $61,464/yr | $95,316/yr +55% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $280/wk | $350/wk +25% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.7%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $560,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 26 days from 3 sales | — |
Development activity
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 48 across Douglas same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -18% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 26% of QLD | Higher than 69% of QLD |
| Schools | — | Higher than 36% of QLD |
| Walkability | Higher than 62% of QLD | Higher than 49% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 48% of QLD | Higher than 47% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 65% of QLD | Higher than 45% of QLD |
Liveability
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
Rocky Point carries more crime risk (99 vs 32).
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 32/100 | High 99/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 72/100 | Moderate 56/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 3 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated below peers | 0 | 1 |
Amenities in the suburb
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Beaches | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 3 | 1 |
Mobility
Rocky Point sits further from the CBD (1785.1 km vs 1779.7 km).
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1779.7 km | 1785.1 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 1251 min | 1252 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4873 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 63 postcode 4873 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 (82.5%).
Setting
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | -1 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 6 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 42 m 220 m to a named beach | 17 m 3.9 km to a named beach |
NBN connectivity
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 213 premises | 0% 72 premises |
Climate
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 2,155 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,417/yr same for both | |
| Council | Douglas same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Leichhardt same for both | |
| Member | Matt Smith same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Newell | Rocky Point | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Newell
Other comparisons with Rocky Point
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.