Palmyra vs Walkerston
Walkerston is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 47 in Palmyra. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Palmyra: a median of $737,000, against $670,000 in Walkerston, though rent is higher in Walkerston. On these figures, Walkerston tends to suit families with children.
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
Walkerston
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (7 vs 0)
- has more childcare (4 vs 1)
- has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
- But Palmyra carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 34/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Walkerston
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($670,000 vs $737,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Palmyra
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $360/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Palmyra sits closer to the CBD (967.9 km vs 971.6 km)
- Walkerston is more walkable (68/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Walkerston
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- is more walkable (68/100 vs 0/100)
- has more GPs (2 vs 0)
- But Palmyra carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 34/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Walkerston
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (6.2% vs -5.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Palmyra and Walkerston 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
Walkerston has more residents (3,615 vs 250); Palmyra skews older (47 vs 35).
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 250 | 3,615 +1346% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -5.3% | +6.2% |
| Median age | 47 | 35 |
| Median household income | $115,336/yr +3% vs other | $111,384/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk | $360/wk +20% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).
Property market
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $737,000 | $670,000 |
| Median unit price | — | $580,000 |
| Median land price | — | $462,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 36 days from 36 sales |
Development activity
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 574 across Mackay same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -6% same for both | |
Gross rental yield
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | — | 4.8% $660/wk on $709K |
| Units | — same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 85% of QLD | Higher than 83% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 11% of QLD | Higher than 91% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 2% of QLD same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 51% of QLD | Higher than 79% of QLD |
| Rental yield (houses) | — | Higher than 87% of QLD |
Liveability
Walkerston is more walkable (68 vs 0).
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | B |
| Score | — | 62/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Walkerston carries more crime risk (34 vs 19).
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 19/100 | Low 34/100 |
| 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 | 1 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 2 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Palmyra
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Walkerston
- St John's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
- Walkerston State School Government · Primary at peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 7 |
| Childcare | 1 | 4 |
| GPs | 0 | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 0 | 1 |
| Police stations | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 2 | 1 |
Mobility
Walkerston sits further from the CBD (971.6 km vs 967.9 km).
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 68/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 967.9 km | 971.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 662 min | 666 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 4751 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 65 postcode 4751 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 (86.9%).
Setting
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 15 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 21 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 10.8 km | 13.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 69/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Fibre to the node |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 114 premises | 45% 1,481 premises |
Climate
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,517 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.8°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 12.4°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 6.6 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 17.9 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,873/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mackay same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Capricornia same for both | |
| Member | Michelle Landry same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Palmyra | Walkerston | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Palmyra
Other comparisons with Walkerston
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.