Pinelands vs Plainby
Plainby is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 58 in Pinelands. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Pinelands, the large majority of households are couple families. In Plainby, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Pinelands tends to suit 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
Pinelands
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 71/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (75% vs 38%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Pinelands
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 40%)
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
Pinelands
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (134 min vs 143 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (157.7 km vs 163.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Pinelands
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 71/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Plainby
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (27.3% vs -5.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Pinelands and Plainby 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
Pinelands has more residents (81 vs 56); Pinelands skews older (58 vs 48).
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 81 +31% vs other | 56 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -5.8% | +27.3% |
| Median age | 58 | 48 |
| Median household income | $54,184/yr | $64,948/yr +20% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $268/wk | $280/wk +4% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).
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 (17.9%).
Development activity
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1,513 across Toowoomba same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -25% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 16% of QLD | Higher than 30% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 19% of QLD | Higher than 37% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 16% of QLD | Higher than 17% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 53% of QLD | Higher than 36% of QLD |
Liveability
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Plainby carries more crime risk (71 vs 29).
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 29/100 | High 71/100 |
| 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
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 9 | 2 |
Mobility
Plainby sits further from the CBD (163.4 km vs 157.7 km).
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 157.7 km | 163.4 km +4% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 134 min | 143 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 4355 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 68 postcode 4355 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 (64.3%).
Setting
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 646 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 689 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 27/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 37 premises | 0% 21 premises |
Climate
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 577 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 31.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.9°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,618/yr same for both | |
| Council | Toowoomba same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Maranoa same for both | |
| Member | David Littleproud same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Pinelands | Plainby | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Pinelands
Other comparisons with Plainby
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.