Pialba vs Scarness

Comparing Pialba and Scarness, QLD: Scarness scores higher overall (40 vs 32); Pialba carries more crime risk (94 vs 77).

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Pialba has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • Scarness carries lower crime risk (77/100 vs 94/100)

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

First-home buyers

Scarness

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($594,000 vs $718,000)

Weighs house prices, unit 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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Pialba has more GPs (11 vs 1)
  • Scarness carries lower crime risk (77/100 vs 94/100)

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

Investors

Pialba

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (12.9% vs 3.6%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.8% vs 4.3%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Pialba Scarness
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.

Pialba Scarness
Walkability 83 / 82
Pialba — Walkability: 83/100 Scarness — Walkability: 82/100
Safety 6 / 23
Pialba — Safety: 6/100 Scarness — Safety: 23/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Pialba — Low fire risk: 100/100 Scarness — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Pialba Scarness
Population 4,151
+12% vs other
 3,646
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +12.9% +3.6%
Median age 50 51
Median household income $48,464/yr $48,516/yr
Median weekly rent $310/wk
+3% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pialba Scarness
0-4 4.1% / 3.5%
Pialba — 0-4: 4.1% Scarness — 0-4: 3.5%
5-14 10.8% / 10.1%
Pialba — 5-14: 10.8% Scarness — 5-14: 10.1%
15-19 5.1% / 4.9%
Pialba — 15-19: 5.1% Scarness — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 4.6% / 4.3%
Pialba — 20-24: 4.6% Scarness — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 10.1% / 9.9%
Pialba — 25-34: 10.1% Scarness — 25-34: 9.9%
35-44 8.7% / 10.0%
Pialba — 35-44: 8.7% Scarness — 35-44: 10.0%
45-54 11.9% / 11.4%
Pialba — 45-54: 11.9% Scarness — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 14.3% / 14.8%
Pialba — 55-64: 14.3% Scarness — 55-64: 14.8%
65-74 17.0% / 17.8%
Pialba — 65-74: 17.0% Scarness — 65-74: 17.8%
75-84 10.6% / 10.1%
Pialba — 75-84: 10.6% Scarness — 75-84: 10.1%
85+ 2.7% / 3.5%
Pialba — 85+: 2.7% Scarness — 85+: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pialba 50.8% lone person
Pialba — Lone Person: 50.8% Pialba — One Parent Families: 21.8% Pialba — Couple Families: 20.2% Pialba — Group Household: 6.0% Pialba — Other Families: 1.4%
Scarness 52.1% lone person
Scarness — Lone Person: 52.1% Scarness — One Parent Families: 20.1% Scarness — Couple Families: 19.5% Scarness — Group Household: 6.7% Scarness — Other Families: 1.5%
Lone Person One Parent Families Couple Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Pialba 42.9% renting
Pialba — Owned Outright: 38.0% Pialba — Mortgage: 19.1% Pialba — Renting: 42.9%
Scarness 42.8% renting
Scarness — Owned Outright: 35.4% Scarness — Mortgage: 21.8% Scarness — Renting: 42.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Pialba Scarness
Certificate III & IV 17.1% / 18.2%
Pialba — Certificate III & IV: 17.1% Scarness — Certificate III & IV: 18.2%
Bachelor Degree 8.3% / 8.0%
Pialba — Bachelor Degree: 8.3% Scarness — Bachelor Degree: 8.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.4% / 7.2%
Pialba — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4% Scarness — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.0% / 1.8%
Pialba — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0% Scarness — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / 1.6%
Pialba — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% Scarness — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

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.

Pialba Scarness
England 5.2% / 4.9%
Pialba — England: 5.2% Scarness — England: 4.9%
New Zealand 3.7% / 4.0%
Pialba — New Zealand: 3.7% Scarness — New Zealand: 4.0%
Philippines 0.9% / 1.0%
Pialba — Philippines: 0.9% Scarness — Philippines: 1.0%
South Africa 0.7% / 0.8%
Pialba — South Africa: 0.7% Scarness — South Africa: 0.8%
Germany 0.7% / 0.7%
Pialba — Germany: 0.7% Scarness — Germany: 0.7%
Scotland 0.7% / 0.6%
Pialba — Scotland: 0.7% Scarness — Scotland: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pialba 63.7% houses
Pialba — Houses: 63.7% Pialba — Townhouses: 28.2% Pialba — Flats / Apartments: 8.1%
Scarness 65.7% houses
Scarness — Houses: 65.7% Scarness — Townhouses: 26.5% Scarness — Flats / Apartments: 7.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Pialba Scarness
Median house price $750,000 $710,000
Median unit price $540,000 $555,000
Median land price $718,000 $594,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 60 sales
 36 days
from 58 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Pialba Scarness
2 bed $505K / $535K
Pialba — 2 bed: $505K (21 sales) Scarness — 2 bed: $535K (20 sales)

21 vs 20 sales

3 bed $575K / $592K
Pialba — 3 bed: $575K (17 sales) Scarness — 3 bed: $592K (11 sales)

17 vs 11 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.

Pialba Scarness
2 bed $530K / $645K
Pialba — 2 bed: $530K (9 sales) Scarness — 2 bed: $645K (10 sales)

9 vs 10 sales

3 bed $710K / $695K
Pialba — 3 bed: $710K (66 sales) Scarness — 3 bed: $695K (81 sales)

66 vs 81 sales

4 bed $882K / $760K
Pialba — 4 bed: $882K (62 sales) Scarness — 4 bed: $760K (45 sales)

62 vs 45 sales

Development activity

Pialba Scarness
New dwellings approved 1,578
across Fraser Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year -8%
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.

Pialba Scarness
Houses 4.2%
$670/wk on $837K
 3.8%
$550/wk on $760K
Units 4.8%
$530/wk on $577K
 4.3%
$500/wk on $599K

Ranking within QLD

Pialba Scarness
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 11% of QLD
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 97% of QLD Higher than 96% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 59% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of QLD Higher than 79% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 63% of QLD Higher than 38% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 65% of QLD Higher than 45% of QLD

Liveability

Scarness scores higher overall (40 vs 32).

Pialba Scarness
Grade D C
Score 32/100 40/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Pialba carries more crime risk (94 vs 77).

Pialba Scarness
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
94/100
 High
77/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
74/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Pialba Scarness
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Pialba

  • Hervey Bay State High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Pialba State School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Scarness

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Pialba Scarness
Supermarkets 2 1
Cafes & restaurants 3 9
Parks & reserves 6 4
Childcare 2 1
GPs 11 1
Pharmacies 3 1
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 3 0

Mobility

Pialba Scarness
Walkability score 83/100 82/100
Distance to Brisbane 284.6 km 286.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 208 min 211 min
Public transport score 71/100
Bus
 50/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 26.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 9.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 4655
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 81
postcode 4655
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.

Pialba Scarness
Car (driver) 76.5% / 77.7%
Pialba — Car (driver): 76.5% Scarness — Car (driver): 77.7%
Worked from Home 8.4% / 9.3%
Pialba — Worked from Home: 8.4% Scarness — Worked from Home: 9.3%
Car (passenger) 7.6% / 6.2%
Pialba — Car (passenger): 7.6% Scarness — Car (passenger): 6.2%
Walked Only 5.9% / 4.8%
Pialba — Walked Only: 5.9% Scarness — Walked Only: 4.8%
Bicycle 1.2% / 1.4%
Pialba — Bicycle: 1.2% Scarness — Bicycle: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.7%).

Setting

Pialba Scarness
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 7 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 453 m
797 m to a named beach
 524 m
1.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Pialba Scarness
Connectivity score 77/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 35%
3,356 premises
 35%
2,252 premises

Climate

Pialba Scarness
Annual rainfall 1,074 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Pialba Scarness
Average residential rate $1,576/yr
same for both
Council Fraser Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Pialba Scarness
Division Hinkler
same for both
Member David Batt
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Pialba Scarness
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Pialba

Beach Coastal Parks Retirees Townhouses

Scarness

Coastal Parks Retirees Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Pialba

Pialba vs Urraween Pialba vs Point Vernon Pialba vs Kawungan Pialba vs Eli Waters

Other comparisons with Scarness

Scarness vs Torquay Scarness vs Kawungan
Full data on Pialba Full data on Scarness
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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