Nobby vs Back Plains
Back Plains is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 46 in Nobby. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Nobby, about half of households are couple families. In Back Plains, most households are couple families. On these figures, Nobby tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Back Plains 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
Nobby
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 89%)
- But Back Plains is already more of a family suburb (85% vs 62%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Back Plains
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 25%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Back Plains
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 22%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Nobby
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (163 km vs 179.9 km)
- has a shorter drive in (134 min vs 143 min)
- But Back Plains is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Back Plains
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more units and townhouses to downsize into (11% vs 0%)
- is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
- But Nobby has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 11%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Back Plains
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (40.5% vs 8.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Nobby and Back Plains 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
Nobby has more residents (609 vs 104); Back Plains has higher household incomes ($94,224 vs $63,180).
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 609 +83% vs other | 104 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +8.2% | +40.5% |
| Median age | 46 | 42 |
| Median household income | $63,180/yr | $94,224/yr +49% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $265/wk same for both | |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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 (2.9%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $592,500 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $420,000 | — |
Development activity
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1,513 across Toowoomba same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -25% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 29% of QLD | Higher than 67% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 30% of QLD | Higher than 73% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 63% of QLD | Higher than 7% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 56% of QLD | Higher than 28% of QLD |
Liveability
Back Plains is more walkable (13 vs 0).
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | B | — |
| Score | 52/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 25/100 | Low 22/100 |
| 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
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Nobby
- Nobby State School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Back Plains
- Back Plains State School Government · Primary at peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 3 | 0 |
| Waterways | 9 | 0 |
Mobility
Back Plains sits further from the CBD (179.9 km vs 163 km).
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 13/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 163 km | 179.9 km +10% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 134 min | 143 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.5% postcode 4360 | 0.1% postcode 4361 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 91 postcode 4360 | 66 postcode 4361 |
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 (82.7%).
Setting
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 490 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 458 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 21/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 255 premises | 0% 28 premises |
Climate
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 643 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,618/yr same for both | |
| Council | Toowoomba same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Groom | Maranoa |
| Member | Garth Hamilton | David Littleproud |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Nobby | Back Plains | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Nobby
Back Plains
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Nobby
Other comparisons with Back Plains
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.