Pioneer vs Sunset

Pioneer is the younger of the two, with a median age of 27 against 31 in Sunset. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Pioneer, most households rent. In Sunset, about half of households rent. Houses cost more in Sunset: a median of $296,000, against $229,000 in Pioneer, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Pioneer tends to suit renters and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

  • Pioneer has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 2)
  • Sunset has more separate houses rather than flats (90% vs 79%)

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

First-home buyers

Pioneer

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($180,000 vs $252,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($229,000 vs $296,000)
  • But Sunset leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 21%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Pioneer

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($210/wk vs $349/wk)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (60% vs 46%)

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

Commuting to the city

Pioneer

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (66/100 vs 51/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Pioneer

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (21% vs 10%)
  • is more walkable (66/100 vs 51/100)

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

Investors

Pioneer

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.8% vs -2.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Pioneer Sunset
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.

Pioneer Sunset
Walkability 66 / 51
Pioneer — Walkability: 66/100 Sunset — Walkability: 51/100
Safety 3 / 9
Pioneer — Safety: 3/100 Sunset — Safety: 9/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Pioneer — Low fire risk: 100/100 Sunset — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Sunset rents higher ($349/wk vs $210/wk); Sunset has higher household incomes ($120,900 vs $86,528).

Pioneer Sunset
Population 2,346
+9% vs other
 2,137
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.8% -2.3%
Median age 27 31
Median household income $86,528/yr $120,900/yr
+40% vs other
Median weekly rent $210/wk $349/wk
+66% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pioneer Sunset
0-4 10.5% / 8.6%
Pioneer — 0-4: 10.5% Sunset — 0-4: 8.6%
5-14 18.8% / 17.2%
Pioneer — 5-14: 18.8% Sunset — 5-14: 17.2%
15-19 9.1% / 5.2%
Pioneer — 15-19: 9.1% Sunset — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 7.2% / 7.6%
Pioneer — 20-24: 7.2% Sunset — 20-24: 7.6%
25-34 16.0% / 17.7%
Pioneer — 25-34: 16.0% Sunset — 25-34: 17.7%
35-44 12.6% / 13.6%
Pioneer — 35-44: 12.6% Sunset — 35-44: 13.6%
45-54 10.5% / 12.4%
Pioneer — 45-54: 10.5% Sunset — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 9.2% / 9.6%
Pioneer — 55-64: 9.2% Sunset — 55-64: 9.6%
65-74 4.0% / 4.7%
Pioneer — 65-74: 4.0% Sunset — 65-74: 4.7%
75-84 1.7% / 2.8%
Pioneer — 75-84: 1.7% Sunset — 75-84: 2.8%
85+ 0.5% / 0.5%
Pioneer — 85+: 0.5% Sunset — 85+: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pioneer 32.3% couple families
Pioneer — Couple Families: 32.3% Pioneer — Lone Person: 29.1% Pioneer — One Parent Families: 34.3% Pioneer — Group Household: 2.4% Pioneer — Other Families: 1.9%
Sunset 44.9% couple families
Sunset — Couple Families: 44.9% Sunset — Lone Person: 30.5% Sunset — One Parent Families: 19.1% Sunset — Group Household: 3.9% Sunset — Other Families: 1.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Pioneer 59.6% renting
Pioneer — Owned Outright: 14.6% Pioneer — Mortgage: 25.8% Pioneer — Renting: 59.6%
Sunset 46.1% renting
Sunset — Owned Outright: 18.0% Sunset — Mortgage: 35.9% Sunset — Renting: 46.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Pioneer Sunset
Certificate III & IV 12.7% / 20.1%
Pioneer — Certificate III & IV: 12.7% Sunset — Certificate III & IV: 20.1%
Bachelor Degree 3.4% / 6.5%
Pioneer — Bachelor Degree: 3.4% Sunset — Bachelor Degree: 6.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.0% / 4.5%
Pioneer — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.0% Sunset — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.5%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / 1.4%
Pioneer — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Sunset — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.4% / 0.9%
Pioneer — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4% Sunset — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

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.

Pioneer Sunset
New Zealand 3.1% / 5.3%
Pioneer — New Zealand: 3.1% Sunset — New Zealand: 5.3%
Philippines 2.1% / 2.4%
Pioneer — Philippines: 2.1% Sunset — Philippines: 2.4%
England 0.4% / 1.6%
Pioneer — England: 0.4% Sunset — England: 1.6%
Zimbabwe 0.8% / —
Pioneer — Zimbabwe: 0.8% Sunset — Zimbabwe: not among its largest
India 0.5% / 0.3%
Pioneer — India: 0.5% Sunset — India: 0.3%
South Africa — / 0.8%
Pioneer — South Africa: not among its largest Sunset — South Africa: 0.8%
Sri Lanka 0.5% / 0.2%
Pioneer — Sri Lanka: 0.5% Sunset — Sri Lanka: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pioneer 78.6% houses
Pioneer — Houses: 78.6% Pioneer — Townhouses: 16.1% Pioneer — Flats / Apartments: 5.3%
Sunset 90.1% houses
Sunset — Houses: 90.1% Sunset — Townhouses: 9.5% Sunset — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Pioneer Sunset
Median house price $229,000 $296,000
Median unit price $180,000 $252,000
Median land price —
same for both

House price by bedroom count

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

Pioneer Sunset
3 bed $206K / $270K
Pioneer — 3 bed: $206K (18 sales) Sunset — 3 bed: $270K (32 sales)

18 vs 32 sales

4 bed $290K / $315K
Pioneer — 4 bed: $290K (7 sales) Sunset — 4 bed: $315K (15 sales)

7 vs 15 sales

Ranking within QLD

Pioneer Sunset
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 60% of QLD —
Schools Higher than 33% of QLD —
Walkability Higher than 91% of QLD Higher than 87% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 1% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of QLD Higher than 71% of QLD

Liveability

Sunset scores higher overall (34 vs 21); Pioneer is more walkable (66 vs 51).

Pioneer Sunset
Grade D
same for both
Score 21/100 34/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Pioneer Sunset
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
97/100
 High
91/100
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 5
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Pioneer Sunset
Inside the suburb 4 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Pioneer

  • St Kieran's Catholic School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Mount Isa School of the Air Government · Combined below peers
  • Spinifex State College - Mount Isa - Senior Campus Government · Secondary
  • Mount Isa Special School Government · Combined · Special school

Schools in Sunset

  • Sunset State School Government · Primary below peers
  • Mount Isa Flexible School Catholic · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Pioneer Sunset
Parks & reserves 3 2
Childcare 1 2
GPs 1 0

Mobility

Pioneer Sunset
Walkability score 66/100 51/100
Distance to Brisbane 1824.6 km 1825.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 1207 min 1208 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 4825
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 38
postcode 4825
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.

Pioneer Sunset
Car (driver) 80.5% / 86.2%
Pioneer — Car (driver): 80.5% Sunset — Car (driver): 86.2%
Car (passenger) 12.4% / 8.5%
Pioneer — Car (passenger): 12.4% Sunset — Car (passenger): 8.5%
Walked Only 4.4% / 2.0%
Pioneer — Walked Only: 4.4% Sunset — Walked Only: 2.0%
Worked from Home 1.9% / 1.3%
Pioneer — Worked from Home: 1.9% Sunset — Worked from Home: 1.3%
Bicycle 0.9% / 0.9%
Pioneer — Bicycle: 0.9% Sunset — Bicycle: 0.9%
Bus — / 1.1%
Pioneer — Bus: not among its largest Sunset — Bus: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (86.2%).

Setting

Pioneer Sunset
Elevation 358 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 365 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Pioneer Sunset
Connectivity score 61/100 57/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 28%
950 premises
 22%
906 premises

Climate

Pioneer Sunset
Annual rainfall 502 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Pioneer Sunset
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Pioneer Sunset
Average residential rate $893/yr
same for both
Council Mount Isa
same for both

Federal electorate

Pioneer Sunset
Division Kennedy
same for both
Member Bob Katter
same for both
Party Katter's Australian Party (KAP)
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Pioneer Sunset
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Pioneer

Affordable Family Parks Young Families

Sunset

Affordable Family Large Blocks Parks Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Pioneer

Pioneer vs Townview Pioneer vs Winston Pioneer vs Menzies Pioneer vs The Gap Pioneer vs Fisher

Other comparisons with Sunset

Sunset vs Winston Sunset vs Mount Isa Sunset vs Ryan Sunset vs Fisher
Full data on Pioneer Full data on Sunset
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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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