Paluma vs Hervey Range

Hervey Range is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 58 in Paluma. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Paluma, most households are people living alone. In Hervey Range, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Hervey Range: a median of $839,000, against $330,000 in Paluma, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Paluma tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Hervey Range suits families with children and 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

  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 54/100)
  • But Hervey Range is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 35%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Paluma has cheaper houses ($330,000 vs $838,750)
  • Hervey Range leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 26%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Paluma

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($160/wk vs $365/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 20%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Hervey Range

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (987 min vs 1166 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1403.8 km vs 1466.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Paluma

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 54/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 22%)

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 5.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Paluma and Hervey Range 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 Hervey Range
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 Hervey Range
Walkability 0 / 0
Paluma — Walkability: 0/100 Hervey Range — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 73 / 46
Paluma — Safety: 73/100 Hervey Range — Safety: 46/100
Low fire risk 52 / 46
Paluma — Low fire risk: 52/100 Hervey Range — Low fire risk: 46/100

Demographics

Hervey Range has more residents (295 vs 87); Hervey Range rents higher ($365/wk vs $160/wk).

Paluma Hervey Range
Population 87 295
+239% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +27.9% +5.7%
Median age 58 42
Median household income $70,200/yr $97,500/yr
+39% vs other
Median weekly rent $160/wk $365/wk
+128% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Paluma Hervey Range
0-4 6.9% / 5.8%
Paluma — 0-4: 6.9% Hervey Range — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 4.6% / 13.9%
Paluma — 5-14: 4.6% Hervey Range — 5-14: 13.9%
15-19 5.7% / 8.5%
Paluma — 15-19: 5.7% Hervey Range — 15-19: 8.5%
20-24 — / 1.0%
Paluma — 20-24: not among its largest Hervey Range — 20-24: 1.0%
25-34 9.2% / 8.8%
Paluma — 25-34: 9.2% Hervey Range — 25-34: 8.8%
35-44 — / 11.5%
Paluma — 35-44: not among its largest Hervey Range — 35-44: 11.5%
45-54 20.7% / 12.5%
Paluma — 45-54: 20.7% Hervey Range — 45-54: 12.5%
55-64 21.8% / 14.2%
Paluma — 55-64: 21.8% Hervey Range — 55-64: 14.2%
65-74 21.8% / 15.6%
Paluma — 65-74: 21.8% Hervey Range — 65-74: 15.6%
75-84 8.0% / 3.7%
Paluma — 75-84: 8.0% Hervey Range — 75-84: 3.7%
85+ 3.4% / 2.7%
Paluma — 85+: 3.4% Hervey Range — 85+: 2.7%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Paluma 34.6% couple families
Paluma — Couple Families: 34.6% Paluma — Lone Person: 65.4% Paluma — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Hervey Range 63.9% couple families
Hervey Range — Couple Families: 63.9% Hervey Range — Lone Person: 21.3% Hervey Range — One Parent Families: 14.8%
Couple Families Lone Person 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%
Hervey Range 6.7% renting
Hervey Range — Owned Outright: 44.9% Hervey Range — Mortgage: 48.3% Hervey Range — Renting: 6.7%
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%
Hervey Range 98.0% houses
Hervey Range — Houses: 98.0% Hervey Range — Flats / Apartments: 2.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Paluma Hervey Range
Certificate III & IV 18.4% / 23.4%
Paluma — Certificate III & IV: 18.4% Hervey Range — Certificate III & IV: 23.4%
Bachelor Degree 12.6% / 6.8%
Paluma — Bachelor Degree: 12.6% Hervey Range — Bachelor Degree: 6.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.6% / 5.8%
Paluma — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.6% Hervey Range — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 1.4%
Paluma — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% Hervey Range — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%
Postgraduate Degree — / 4.1%
Paluma — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Hervey Range — Postgraduate Degree: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.4%).

Property market

Paluma Hervey Range
Median house price $330,000 $838,750
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Development activity

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

Ranking within QLD

Paluma Hervey Range
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 37% of QLD Higher than 71% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 12% of QLD Higher than 19% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 57% of QLD Higher than 56% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 4% of QLD Higher than 7% of QLD

Liveability

Paluma Hervey Range
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

Hervey Range carries more crime risk (54 vs 27).

Paluma Hervey Range
Bushfire Moderate
48/100
 Moderate
54/100
Crime Low
27/100
 Moderate
54/100
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 Hervey Range
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 Hervey Range
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 4 0
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 120 14

Mobility

Paluma sits further from the CBD (1466.2 km vs 1403.8 km).

Paluma Hervey Range
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 1466.2 km
+4% vs other
 1403.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 1166 min 987 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 4816
 0.4%
postcode 4817
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 73
postcode 4816
 76
postcode 4817

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 Hervey Range
Car (driver) 38.2% / 73.2%
Paluma — Car (driver): 38.2% Hervey Range — Car (driver): 73.2%
Worked from Home 38.2% / 22.0%
Paluma — Worked from Home: 38.2% Hervey Range — Worked from Home: 22.0%
Walked Only 23.5% / —
Paluma — Walked Only: 23.5% Hervey Range — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus — / 4.9%
Paluma — Bus: not among its largest Hervey Range — Bus: 4.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.2%).

Setting

Paluma Hervey Range
Elevation 697 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 527 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 38.7 km 35.5 km

NBN connectivity

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

Tags

Paluma

Retirees Rural

Hervey Range

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Paluma

Paluma vs Basalt Paluma vs Bambaroo Paluma vs Upper Stone Paluma vs Mount Fox Paluma vs Dotswood Paluma vs Yuruga

Other comparisons with Hervey Range

Hervey Range vs Alice River Hervey Range vs Black River Hervey Range vs Rangewood Hervey Range vs Dotswood
Full data on Paluma Full data on Hervey Range
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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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