Paluma vs Dotswood
Dotswood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 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 Dotswood, most households are couple families. On these figures, Paluma tends to suit people living alone, while Dotswood 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 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
- carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 84/100)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 71%)
- But Dotswood is already more of a family suburb (65% vs 35%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Paluma
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 35%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Dotswood
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $160/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Dotswood
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (976 min vs 1166 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (1426.4 km vs 1466.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Paluma
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 84/100)
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 -17.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Paluma and Dotswood 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
Paluma rents higher ($160/wk vs $0/wk); Paluma has higher household incomes ($70,200 vs $49,348).
| Paluma | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 87 +5% vs other | 83 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +27.9% | -17.8% |
| Median age | 58 | 52 |
| Median household income | $70,200/yr +30% vs other | $49,348/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $160/wk (not reported on the other side) | — |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).
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 (24.1%).
Property market
| Paluma | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $330,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Development activity
| Paluma | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 24 across Charters Towers same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -67% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Paluma | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 37% of QLD | Higher than 12% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 12% of QLD | Higher than 33% 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 11% of QLD |
Liveability
| Paluma | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Dotswood carries more crime risk (84 vs 27).
| Paluma | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 48/100 | Moderate 42/100 |
| Crime | Low 27/100 | High 84/100 |
| 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 | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 1 |
| Waterways | 120 | 41 |
Mobility
Paluma sits further from the CBD (1466.2 km vs 1426.4 km).
| Paluma | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1466.2 km +3% vs other | 1426.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 1166 min | 976 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.4%).
Setting
| Paluma | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 697 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 324 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Paluma | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 45 premises | 0% 16 premises |
Council rates
| Paluma | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,328/yr same for both | |
| Council | Charters Towers same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Paluma | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Dotswood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Paluma
Other comparisons with Dotswood
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.