Palmwoods vs Woombye

Woombye is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 43 in Palmwoods. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families.

Palmwoods is the larger and more walkable of the two, with a population of 6357 compared to Woombye's 3944, and notably higher walkability (71 versus 36) and liveability scores (71 versus 48). Crime risk is meaningfully lower in Palmwoods at 30 compared to 48 in Woombye. Household incomes are similar, though Woombye edges slightly ahead at $91,676 annually versus $90,376, and rental costs are comparable at $400–$430 per week. Both suburbs sit around 100 km from the CBD with no bushfire or flood risk, making Palmwoods a better fit for those prioritising walkability and community amenities, while Woombye may appeal to buyers seeking a quieter, slightly smaller setting.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

Palmwoods

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (26 vs 5)
  • carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 48/100)
  • But Woombye has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)

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

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

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Palmwoods is more walkable (71/100 vs 38/100)
  • Woombye sits closer to the CBD (99.5 km vs 102 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Palmwoods

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (71/100 vs 38/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 48/100)

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

Investors

Woombye

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.5% vs 12.0%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Palmwoods Woombye
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.

Palmwoods Woombye
Walkability 71 / 38
Palmwoods — Walkability: 71/100 Woombye — Walkability: 38/100
Safety 70 / 52
Palmwoods — Safety: 70/100 Woombye — Safety: 52/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Palmwoods — Low fire risk: 100/100 Woombye — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Palmwoods has more residents (6,357 vs 3,944); Palmwoods skews older (43 vs 40).

Palmwoods Woombye
Population 6,357
+38% vs other
 3,944
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +12.0% +21.5%
Median age 43 40
Median household income $90,376/yr $91,676/yr
+1% vs other
Median weekly rent $430/wk
+7% vs other
 $400/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Palmwoods Woombye
0-4 5.1% / 5.3%
Palmwoods — 0-4: 5.1% Woombye — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 13.5% / 13.7%
Palmwoods — 5-14: 13.5% Woombye — 5-14: 13.7%
15-19 6.2% / 7.2%
Palmwoods — 15-19: 6.2% Woombye — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 4.7% / 5.2%
Palmwoods — 20-24: 4.7% Woombye — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 10.5% / 11.1%
Palmwoods — 25-34: 10.5% Woombye — 25-34: 11.1%
35-44 12.3% / 13.8%
Palmwoods — 35-44: 12.3% Woombye — 35-44: 13.8%
45-54 14.3% / 15.0%
Palmwoods — 45-54: 14.3% Woombye — 45-54: 15.0%
55-64 13.4% / 13.3%
Palmwoods — 55-64: 13.4% Woombye — 55-64: 13.3%
65-74 10.9% / 9.5%
Palmwoods — 65-74: 10.9% Woombye — 65-74: 9.5%
75-84 6.2% / 4.8%
Palmwoods — 75-84: 6.2% Woombye — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ 2.7% / 1.3%
Palmwoods — 85+: 2.7% Woombye — 85+: 1.3%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Palmwoods 48.4% couple families
Palmwoods — Couple Families: 48.4% Palmwoods — Lone Person: 29.4% Palmwoods — One Parent Families: 16.9% Palmwoods — Group Household: 4.3% Palmwoods — Other Families: 1.0%
Woombye 51.4% couple families
Woombye — Couple Families: 51.4% Woombye — Lone Person: 27.1% Woombye — One Parent Families: 16.7% Woombye — Group Household: 4.0% Woombye — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Palmwoods 21.8% renting
Palmwoods — Owned Outright: 34.2% Palmwoods — Mortgage: 44.0% Palmwoods — Renting: 21.8%
Woombye 26.9% renting
Woombye — Owned Outright: 28.5% Woombye — Mortgage: 44.7% Woombye — Renting: 26.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Palmwoods Woombye
Certificate III & IV 18.1% / 18.8%
Palmwoods — Certificate III & IV: 18.1% Woombye — Certificate III & IV: 18.8%
Bachelor Degree 11.6% / 12.0%
Palmwoods — Bachelor Degree: 11.6% Woombye — Bachelor Degree: 12.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 9.0%
Palmwoods — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Woombye — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Postgraduate Degree 2.8% / 3.1%
Palmwoods — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8% Woombye — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 1.9%
Palmwoods — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Woombye — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

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.

Palmwoods Woombye
England 6.2% / 5.7%
Palmwoods — England: 6.2% Woombye — England: 5.7%
New Zealand 3.7% / 4.0%
Palmwoods — New Zealand: 3.7% Woombye — New Zealand: 4.0%
South Africa 0.8% / 1.7%
Palmwoods — South Africa: 0.8% Woombye — South Africa: 1.7%
Scotland 0.3% / 0.5%
Palmwoods — Scotland: 0.3% Woombye — Scotland: 0.5%
Germany 0.3% / 0.5%
Palmwoods — Germany: 0.3% Woombye — Germany: 0.5%
Philippines 0.3% / 0.4%
Palmwoods — Philippines: 0.3% Woombye — Philippines: 0.4%
Ireland 0.5% / —
Palmwoods — Ireland: 0.5% Woombye — Ireland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Palmwoods 90.4% houses
Palmwoods — Houses: 90.4% Palmwoods — Townhouses: 8.1% Palmwoods — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Woombye 85.5% houses
Woombye — Houses: 85.5% Woombye — Townhouses: 7.4% Woombye — Flats / Apartments: 7.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Palmwoods Woombye
Median house price $1,125,000 $1,100,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $812,450 $905,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 77 sales
 38 days
from 58 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.

Palmwoods Woombye
3 bed $980K / $925K
Palmwoods — 3 bed: $980K (52 sales) Woombye — 3 bed: $925K (43 sales)

52 vs 43 sales

4 bed $1.19M / $1.18M
Palmwoods — 4 bed: $1.19M (94 sales) Woombye — 4 bed: $1.18M (51 sales)

94 vs 51 sales

5 bed $1.33M / $1.21M
Palmwoods — 5 bed: $1.33M (19 sales) Woombye — 5 bed: $1.21M (11 sales)

19 vs 11 sales

Development activity

Palmwoods Woombye
New dwellings approved 2,962
across Sunshine Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year -41%
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.

Palmwoods Woombye
Houses 3.6%
$835/wk on $1.2M
 4.0%
$800/wk on $1.05M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Palmwoods Woombye
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 63% of QLD Higher than 65% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 29% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 92% of QLD Higher than 84% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 83% of QLD Higher than 80% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of QLD Higher than 76% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 31% of QLD Higher than 52% of QLD

Liveability

Palmwoods is more walkable (71 vs 38); Palmwoods scores higher overall (72 vs 51).

Palmwoods Woombye
Grade A B
Score 72/100 51/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Woombye carries more crime risk (48 vs 30).

Palmwoods Woombye
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
30/100
 Moderate
48/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Palmwoods Woombye
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Palmwoods

  • Palmwoods State School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Woombye

  • Suncoast Christian College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Woombye State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Nambour Christian College Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Palmwoods Woombye
Supermarkets 1 2
Cafes & restaurants 5 2
Parks & reserves 26 5
Childcare 5
same for both
GPs 2 1
Pharmacies 1 2
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2
same for both
Fuel stations 0 3
Waterways 54 9

Mobility

Palmwoods sits further from the CBD (102 km vs 99.5 km).

Palmwoods Woombye
Walkability score 71/100 38/100
Distance to Brisbane 102 km
+2% vs other
 99.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 84 min 80 min
Public transport score 48/100
Rail · Bus
 89/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 6.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 38.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 4 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 4555
 0.9%
postcode 4559
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 92
postcode 4555
 83
postcode 4559

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.

Palmwoods Woombye
Car (driver) 76.0% / 78.6%
Palmwoods — Car (driver): 76.0% Woombye — Car (driver): 78.6%
Worked from Home 16.4% / 14.5%
Palmwoods — Worked from Home: 16.4% Woombye — Worked from Home: 14.5%
Car (passenger) 4.7% / 4.4%
Palmwoods — Car (passenger): 4.7% Woombye — Car (passenger): 4.4%
Walked Only 1.9% / 1.5%
Palmwoods — Walked Only: 1.9% Woombye — Walked Only: 1.5%
Bus 0.3% / 0.9%
Palmwoods — Bus: 0.3% Woombye — Bus: 0.9%
Train 0.5% / 0.2%
Palmwoods — Train: 0.5% Woombye — Train: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.6%).

Setting

Palmwoods Woombye
Elevation 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 53 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 13.1 km 9.9 km

NBN connectivity

Palmwoods Woombye
Connectivity score 69/100 66/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 48%
2,899 premises
 39%
1,619 premises

Air quality (annual mean)

Palmwoods Woombye
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Palmwoods Woombye
Average residential rate $1,690/yr
same for both
Council Sunshine Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Palmwoods Woombye
Division Fisher Fairfax
Member Andrew Wallace Ted O'Brien
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Palmwoods Woombye
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Palmwoods

Acreage Parks River Trains

Woombye

Acreage Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Palmwoods

Palmwoods vs Eudlo Palmwoods vs Montville Palmwoods vs West Woombye Palmwoods vs Ilkley Palmwoods vs Hunchy Palmwoods vs Chevallum

Other comparisons with Woombye

Woombye vs Nambour Woombye vs Rosemount Woombye vs Diddillibah Woombye vs Forest Glen Woombye vs Coes Creek Woombye vs West Woombye
Full data on Palmwoods Full data on Woombye
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.

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