Queanbeyan East vs The Ridgeway

Queanbeyan East is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 52 in The Ridgeway. In Queanbeyan East, about half of households rent and most households are people living alone. In The Ridgeway, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Queanbeyan East: a median of $718,000, against $550,000 in The Ridgeway, though rent is higher in The Ridgeway. On these figures, Queanbeyan East tends to suit renters and young adults, while The Ridgeway suits couples, older residents, 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

  • Queanbeyan East has more parks and reserves (12 vs 0)
  • The Ridgeway has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 28%)

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

First-home buyers

The Ridgeway

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($550,000 vs $717,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Queanbeyan East

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (50% vs 6%)
  • has cheaper rent ($310/wk vs $625/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Queanbeyan East

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (69/100 vs 26/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (187 min vs 193 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (286.5 km vs 290.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

The Ridgeway

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 11%)
  • carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 73/100)
  • But Queanbeyan East is more walkable (69/100 vs 26/100)

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

Investors

Queanbeyan East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.7% vs -0.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
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.

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Walkability 69 / 26
Queanbeyan East — Walkability: 69/100 The Ridgeway — Walkability: 26/100
Safety 27 / 65
Queanbeyan East — Safety: 27/100 The Ridgeway — Safety: 65/100
Low fire risk 9 / 6
Queanbeyan East — Low fire risk: 9/100 The Ridgeway — Low fire risk: 6/100

Demographics

Queanbeyan East has more residents (4,240 vs 162); The Ridgeway rents higher ($625/wk vs $310/wk).

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Population 4,240
+96% vs other
 162
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.7% -0.6%
Median age 34 52
Median household income $87,724/yr $145,132/yr
+65% vs other
Median weekly rent $310/wk $625/wk
+102% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
0-4 6.9% / 4.9%
Queanbeyan East — 0-4: 6.9% The Ridgeway — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 9.2% / 8.0%
Queanbeyan East — 5-14: 9.2% The Ridgeway — 5-14: 8.0%
15-19 3.1% / 2.5%
Queanbeyan East — 15-19: 3.1% The Ridgeway — 15-19: 2.5%
20-24 7.1% / 4.3%
Queanbeyan East — 20-24: 7.1% The Ridgeway — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 23.9% / 11.1%
Queanbeyan East — 25-34: 23.9% The Ridgeway — 25-34: 11.1%
35-44 16.0% / 13.0%
Queanbeyan East — 35-44: 16.0% The Ridgeway — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 12.5% / 16.7%
Queanbeyan East — 45-54: 12.5% The Ridgeway — 45-54: 16.7%
55-64 10.7% / 16.0%
Queanbeyan East — 55-64: 10.7% The Ridgeway — 55-64: 16.0%
65-74 6.3% / 11.1%
Queanbeyan East — 65-74: 6.3% The Ridgeway — 65-74: 11.1%
75-84 3.2% / 14.8%
Queanbeyan East — 75-84: 3.2% The Ridgeway — 75-84: 14.8%
85+ 1.2% / —
Queanbeyan East — 85+: 1.2% The Ridgeway — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Queanbeyan East 24.9% couple families
Queanbeyan East — Couple Families: 24.9% Queanbeyan East — Lone Person: 55.5% Queanbeyan East — One Parent Families: 12.3% Queanbeyan East — Group Household: 5.4% Queanbeyan East — Other Families: 1.9%
The Ridgeway 65.0% couple families
The Ridgeway — Couple Families: 65.0% The Ridgeway — Lone Person: 0.0% The Ridgeway — One Parent Families: 35.0% The Ridgeway — Group Household: 0.0% The Ridgeway — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Queanbeyan East 50.2% renting
Queanbeyan East — Owned Outright: 18.9% Queanbeyan East — Mortgage: 30.9% Queanbeyan East — Renting: 50.2%
The Ridgeway 6.5% renting
The Ridgeway — Owned Outright: 50.0% The Ridgeway — Mortgage: 43.5% The Ridgeway — Renting: 6.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Queanbeyan East 28.1% houses
Queanbeyan East — Houses: 28.1% Queanbeyan East — Flats / Apartments: 37.8% Queanbeyan East — Townhouses: 34.1%
The Ridgeway 100.0% houses
The Ridgeway — Houses: 100.0% The Ridgeway — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% The Ridgeway — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Bachelor Degree 14.2% / 14.8%
Queanbeyan East — Bachelor Degree: 14.2% The Ridgeway — Bachelor Degree: 14.8%
Certificate III & IV 15.1% / 11.7%
Queanbeyan East — Certificate III & IV: 15.1% The Ridgeway — Certificate III & IV: 11.7%
Postgraduate Degree 7.1% / 12.3%
Queanbeyan East — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1% The Ridgeway — Postgraduate Degree: 12.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 4.9%
Queanbeyan East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% The Ridgeway — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 1.9%
Queanbeyan East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% The Ridgeway — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

Property market

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Median house price $717,500 $550,000
Median unit price $368,000 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 40 days
from 3 sales
 —

Zoning mix

The Ridgeway has more land zoned for conservation (93% vs 21%); Queanbeyan East has more industrially zoned land (28% vs 0%).

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Environmental 21% 93%
Industrial 28% 0%
Residential 26% 0%
Parks and recreation 16% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 7%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
New dwellings approved 510
across Queanbeyan-Palerang
same for both
Approvals change year on year +231%
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.

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Houses 4.4%
$655/wk on $775K
 —
Units 6.0%
$460/wk on $402K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
House price Higher than 39% of NSW Higher than 18% of NSW
Income Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of NSW
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 89% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 93% of NSW —

Liveability

Queanbeyan East is more walkable (69 vs 26).

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Grade C —
Score 33/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Queanbeyan East carries more crime risk (73 vs 35).

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Bushfire High
91/100
 High
94/100
Crime High
73/100
 Low
35/100
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

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Queanbeyan East

  • St Gregory's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Queanbeyan East Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in The Ridgeway

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

Amenities in the suburb

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 12 0
Childcare 4 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

The Ridgeway sits further from the CBD (290.7 km vs 286.5 km).

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Walkability score 69/100 26/100
Distance to Sydney 286.5 km 290.7 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 187 min 193 min
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 2620
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.

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Car (driver) 80.4% / 71.4%
Queanbeyan East — Car (driver): 80.4% The Ridgeway — Car (driver): 71.4%
Worked from Home 7.8% / 20.0%
Queanbeyan East — Worked from Home: 7.8% The Ridgeway — Worked from Home: 20.0%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 8.6%
Queanbeyan East — Car (passenger): 5.3% The Ridgeway — Car (passenger): 8.6%
Walked Only 3.5% / —
Queanbeyan East — Walked Only: 3.5% The Ridgeway — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 2.0% / —
Queanbeyan East — Bus: 2.0% The Ridgeway — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.4%).

Setting

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Elevation 588 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 699 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Connectivity score 100/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 99%
3,035 premises
 100%
69 premises

Climate

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Annual rainfall 622 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 0.8°C
same for both

Council rates

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Queanbeyan-Palerang
same for both

Federal electorate

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Division Eden-monaro
same for both
Member Kristy Mcbain
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Queanbeyan East The Ridgeway
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Queanbeyan East

Affordable Apartments Parks Quiet Townhouses

The Ridgeway

Affordable Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Queanbeyan East

Queanbeyan East vs Queanbeyan Queanbeyan East vs Greenleigh

Other comparisons with The Ridgeway

The Ridgeway vs Carwoola The Ridgeway vs Greenleigh
Full data on Queanbeyan East Full data on The Ridgeway
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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