Sandiford vs Palmyra

Sandiford is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 47 in Palmyra. In both, the large majority of households own their home. In Sandiford, most households are couple families. In Palmyra, the large majority of homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Sandiford: a median of $848,000, against $737,000 in Palmyra, though rent is higher in Palmyra. On these figures, Sandiford tends to suit families with children.

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

Palmyra

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (90% vs 48%)
  • carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 30/100)

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

First-home buyers

Palmyra

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper houses ($737,000 vs $848,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Sandiford

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $300/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 14%)

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

Commuting to the city

Sandiford

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (653 min vs 662 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (958.9 km vs 967.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Sandiford has more units and townhouses to downsize into (57% vs 10%)
  • Palmyra carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 30/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Sandiford Palmyra
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.

Sandiford Palmyra
Walkability 0 / 0
Sandiford — Walkability: 0/100 Palmyra — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 70 / 81
Sandiford — Safety: 70/100 Palmyra — Safety: 81/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Sandiford — Low fire risk: 100/100 Palmyra — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Palmyra rents higher ($300/wk vs $150/wk); Palmyra has more residents (250 vs 168).

Sandiford Palmyra
Population 168 250
+49% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.0% -5.3%
Median age 40 47
Median household income $92,248/yr $115,336/yr
+25% vs other
Median weekly rent $150/wk $300/wk
+100% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Sandiford Palmyra
0-4 11.9% / 4.8%
Sandiford — 0-4: 11.9% Palmyra — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 12.5% / 10.0%
Sandiford — 5-14: 12.5% Palmyra — 5-14: 10.0%
15-19 6.5% / 7.2%
Sandiford — 15-19: 6.5% Palmyra — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 4.2% / 8.4%
Sandiford — 20-24: 4.2% Palmyra — 20-24: 8.4%
25-34 13.1% / 7.2%
Sandiford — 25-34: 13.1% Palmyra — 25-34: 7.2%
35-44 13.7% / 9.6%
Sandiford — 35-44: 13.7% Palmyra — 35-44: 9.6%
45-54 11.9% / 16.4%
Sandiford — 45-54: 11.9% Palmyra — 45-54: 16.4%
55-64 13.1% / 20.4%
Sandiford — 55-64: 13.1% Palmyra — 55-64: 20.4%
65-74 12.5% / 10.4%
Sandiford — 65-74: 12.5% Palmyra — 65-74: 10.4%
75-84 3.6% / 2.4%
Sandiford — 75-84: 3.6% Palmyra — 75-84: 2.4%
85+ 1.8% / 1.6%
Sandiford — 85+: 1.8% Palmyra — 85+: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Sandiford 56.7% couple families
Sandiford — Couple Families: 56.7% Sandiford — Lone Person: 30.0% Sandiford — One Parent Families: 13.3%
Palmyra 52.1% couple families
Palmyra — Couple Families: 52.1% Palmyra — Lone Person: 27.1% Palmyra — One Parent Families: 20.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Sandiford 16.0% renting
Sandiford — Owned Outright: 54.0% Sandiford — Mortgage: 30.0% Sandiford — Renting: 16.0%
Palmyra 15.0% renting
Palmyra — Owned Outright: 40.0% Palmyra — Mortgage: 45.0% Palmyra — Renting: 15.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Sandiford 48.3% houses
Sandiford — Houses: 48.3% Sandiford — Townhouses: 56.9% Sandiford — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Palmyra 90.2% houses
Palmyra — Houses: 90.2% Palmyra — Townhouses: 3.7% Palmyra — Flats / Apartments: 6.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Sandiford Palmyra
Certificate III & IV 19.0% / 20.0%
Sandiford — Certificate III & IV: 19.0% Palmyra — Certificate III & IV: 20.0%
Bachelor Degree 9.5% / 2.8%
Sandiford — Bachelor Degree: 9.5% Palmyra — Bachelor Degree: 2.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.4% / 6.0%
Sandiford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.4% Palmyra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.2%
Sandiford — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Palmyra — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Property market

Sandiford Palmyra
Median house price $848,500 $737,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Development activity

Sandiford Palmyra
New dwellings approved 574
across Mackay
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Sandiford Palmyra
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 65% of QLD Higher than 85% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 33% of QLD Higher than 11% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 41% of QLD Higher than 2% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 56% of QLD Higher than 51% of QLD

Liveability

Sandiford Palmyra
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Sandiford carries more crime risk (30 vs 19).

Sandiford Palmyra
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
30/100
 Low
19/100
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 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Sandiford Palmyra
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

Sandiford Palmyra
Childcare 1
same for both
Waterways 3 2

Mobility

Palmyra sits further from the CBD (967.9 km vs 958.9 km).

Sandiford Palmyra
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 958.9 km 967.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 653 min 662 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 4740
 0.1%
postcode 4751
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 4740
 65
postcode 4751

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.

Sandiford Palmyra
Car (driver) 75.0% / 75.4%
Sandiford — Car (driver): 75.0% Palmyra — Car (driver): 75.4%
Worked from Home 13.8% / 14.3%
Sandiford — Worked from Home: 13.8% Palmyra — Worked from Home: 14.3%
Car (passenger) 5.0% / 7.1%
Sandiford — Car (passenger): 5.0% Palmyra — Car (passenger): 7.1%
Walked Only 6.2% / 3.2%
Sandiford — Walked Only: 6.2% Palmyra — Walked Only: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.4%).

Setting

Sandiford Palmyra
Elevation 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 15 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.3 km 10.8 km

NBN connectivity

Sandiford Palmyra
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
75 premises
 0%
114 premises

Climate

Sandiford Palmyra
Annual rainfall 1,517 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 12.4°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Sandiford Palmyra
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Sandiford Palmyra
Average residential rate $1,873/yr
same for both
Council Mackay
same for both

Federal electorate

Sandiford Palmyra
Division Capricornia
same for both
Member Michelle Landry
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Sandiford Palmyra
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Sandiford

Family Rural Townhouses Young Families

Palmyra

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Sandiford

Sandiford vs Bakers Creek Sandiford vs Balberra Sandiford vs Homebush Sandiford vs Te Kowai Sandiford vs Chelona Sandiford vs Rosella

Other comparisons with Palmyra

Palmyra vs Walkerston Palmyra vs Greenmount Palmyra vs Victoria Plains Palmyra vs Homebush Palmyra vs Te Kowai Palmyra vs Alexandra
Full data on Sandiford Full data on Palmyra
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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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