Paluma vs Basalt

Basalt is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 58 in Paluma. In both, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Paluma, most households are people living alone. In Basalt, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Paluma tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Basalt 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

Paluma

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 42/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 74%)
  • But Basalt is already more of a family suburb (56% vs 35%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs 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 3 things we measure here

  • Paluma sits closer to the CBD (1466.2 km vs 1483 km)
  • Basalt has a shorter drive in (1038 min vs 1166 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Paluma

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 19%)
  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 42/100)

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

Investors

Paluma

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (27.9% vs 13.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Paluma Basalt
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.

Paluma Basalt
Walkability 0 / 0
Paluma — Walkability: 0/100 Basalt — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 73 / 58
Paluma — Safety: 73/100 Basalt — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 52 / 74
Paluma — Low fire risk: 52/100 Basalt — Low fire risk: 74/100

Demographics

Basalt has more residents (215 vs 87); Paluma skews older (58 vs 45).

Paluma Basalt
Population 87 215
+147% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +27.9% +13.2%
Median age 58 45
Median household income $70,200/yr $71,500/yr
+2% vs other
Median weekly rent $160/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Paluma Basalt
0-4 6.9% / 5.1%
Paluma — 0-4: 6.9% Basalt — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 4.6% / 6.5%
Paluma — 5-14: 4.6% Basalt — 5-14: 6.5%
15-19 5.7% / 7.0%
Paluma — 15-19: 5.7% Basalt — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 — / 8.4%
Paluma — 20-24: not among its largest Basalt — 20-24: 8.4%
25-34 9.2% / 13.0%
Paluma — 25-34: 9.2% Basalt — 25-34: 13.0%
35-44 — / 13.0%
Paluma — 35-44: not among its largest Basalt — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 20.7% / 16.7%
Paluma — 45-54: 20.7% Basalt — 45-54: 16.7%
55-64 21.8% / 15.8%
Paluma — 55-64: 21.8% Basalt — 55-64: 15.8%
65-74 21.8% / 12.1%
Paluma — 65-74: 21.8% Basalt — 65-74: 12.1%
75-84 8.0% / 7.0%
Paluma — 75-84: 8.0% Basalt — 75-84: 7.0%
85+ 3.4% / —
Paluma — 85+: 3.4% Basalt — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Paluma 65.4% lone person
Paluma — Lone Person: 65.4% Paluma — Couple Families: 34.6% Paluma — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Basalt 44.0% lone person
Basalt — Lone Person: 44.0% Basalt — Couple Families: 48.0% Basalt — One Parent Families: 8.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Paluma 16.2% renting
Paluma — Owned Outright: 67.6% Paluma — Mortgage: 16.2% Paluma — Renting: 16.2%
Basalt 14.3% renting
Basalt — Owned Outright: 63.3% Basalt — Mortgage: 22.4% Basalt — Renting: 14.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Paluma 100.0% houses
Paluma — Houses: 100.0% Paluma — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Basalt 74.3% houses
Basalt — Houses: 74.3% Basalt — Flats / Apartments: 25.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Paluma Basalt
Certificate III & IV 18.4% / 16.3%
Paluma — Certificate III & IV: 18.4% Basalt — Certificate III & IV: 16.3%
Bachelor Degree 12.6% / 6.5%
Paluma — Bachelor Degree: 12.6% Basalt — Bachelor Degree: 6.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.6% / 2.8%
Paluma — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.6% Basalt — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / —
Paluma — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% Basalt — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

Property market

Paluma Basalt
Median house price $330,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Development activity

Paluma Basalt
New dwellings approved 24
across Charters Towers
same for both
Approvals change year on year -67%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Paluma Basalt
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 37% of QLD Higher than 40% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 12% of QLD Higher than 41% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 57% of QLD Higher than 23% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 4% of QLD Higher than 14% of QLD

Liveability

Paluma Basalt
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Paluma carries more bushfire risk (48 vs 26); Basalt carries more crime risk (42 vs 27).

Paluma Basalt
Bushfire Moderate
48/100
 Low
26/100
Crime Low
27/100
 Moderate
42/100
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

Paluma Basalt
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Paluma Basalt
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 4 3
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 120 129

Mobility

Basalt sits further from the CBD (1483 km vs 1466.2 km).

Paluma Basalt
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 1466.2 km 1483 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 1166 min 1038 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 4816
 0.2%
postcode 4820
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 73
postcode 4816
 49
postcode 4820

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.

Paluma Basalt
Worked from Home 38.2% / 53.3%
Paluma — Worked from Home: 38.2% Basalt — Worked from Home: 53.3%
Car (driver) 38.2% / 22.4%
Paluma — Car (driver): 38.2% Basalt — Car (driver): 22.4%
Walked Only 23.5% / 21.5%
Paluma — Walked Only: 23.5% Basalt — Walked Only: 21.5%
Car (passenger) — / 2.8%
Paluma — Car (passenger): not among its largest Basalt — Car (passenger): 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (53.3%).

Setting

Paluma Basalt
Elevation 697 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 472 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Paluma Basalt
Connectivity score 15/100
same for both
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
45 premises
 0%
109 premises

Council rates

Paluma Basalt
Average residential rate $1,328/yr
same for both
Council Charters Towers
same for both

Federal electorate

Paluma Basalt
Division Kennedy
same for both
Member Bob Katter
same for both
Party Katter's Australian Party (KAP)
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Paluma Basalt
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Paluma

Retirees Rural

Basalt

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Paluma

Paluma vs Hervey Range Paluma vs Bambaroo Paluma vs Upper Stone Paluma vs Mount Fox Paluma vs Dotswood Paluma vs Yuruga

Other comparisons with Basalt

Basalt vs Southern Cross Basalt vs Breddan Basalt vs Pentland Basalt vs Greenvale Basalt vs Black Jack Basalt vs Campaspe
Full data on Paluma Full data on Basalt
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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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