Southern Cross vs Towers Hill

Southern Cross is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 51 in Towers Hill. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Southern Cross, most households are couple families. In Towers Hill, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Southern Cross tends to suit families with children and couples, while Towers Hill suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Southern Cross

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 41%)
  • carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 64/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 69%)

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

First-home buyers

Southern Cross

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 26%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Towers Hill

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (35% vs 12%)
  • has cheaper rent ($190/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Towers Hill

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (920 min vs 935 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1356.5 km vs 1367.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Towers Hill

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (32% vs 3%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 20%)
  • But Southern Cross carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 64/100)

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

Investors

Southern Cross

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.1% vs -12.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Southern Cross Towers Hill
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.

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Walkability 0 / 17
Southern Cross — Walkability: 0/100 Towers Hill — Walkability: 17/100
Safety 62 / 36
Southern Cross — Safety: 62/100 Towers Hill — Safety: 36/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Southern Cross — Low fire risk: 100/100 Towers Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Southern Cross has more residents (575 vs 190); Southern Cross has higher household incomes ($92,300 vs $49,348).

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Population 575
+67% vs other
 190
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.1% -12.8%
Median age 43 51
Median household income $92,300/yr
+47% vs other
 $49,348/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+37% vs other
 $190/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Southern Cross Towers Hill
0-4 4.7% / 4.7%
Southern Cross — 0-4: 4.7% Towers Hill — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 17.0% / 9.5%
Southern Cross — 5-14: 17.0% Towers Hill — 5-14: 9.5%
15-19 8.2% / 7.4%
Southern Cross — 15-19: 8.2% Towers Hill — 15-19: 7.4%
20-24 3.1% / 3.2%
Southern Cross — 20-24: 3.1% Towers Hill — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 6.4% / 11.1%
Southern Cross — 25-34: 6.4% Towers Hill — 25-34: 11.1%
35-44 14.1% / 7.4%
Southern Cross — 35-44: 14.1% Towers Hill — 35-44: 7.4%
45-54 15.0% / 13.2%
Southern Cross — 45-54: 15.0% Towers Hill — 45-54: 13.2%
55-64 13.0% / 15.8%
Southern Cross — 55-64: 13.0% Towers Hill — 55-64: 15.8%
65-74 12.0% / 21.1%
Southern Cross — 65-74: 12.0% Towers Hill — 65-74: 21.1%
75-84 5.9% / 6.8%
Southern Cross — 75-84: 5.9% Towers Hill — 75-84: 6.8%
85+ 1.9% / 1.6%
Southern Cross — 85+: 1.9% Towers Hill — 85+: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Southern Cross 27.3% lone person
Southern Cross — Lone Person: 27.3% Southern Cross — Couple Families: 55.5% Southern Cross — One Parent Families: 14.8% Southern Cross — Group Household: 2.3%
Towers Hill 58.8% lone person
Towers Hill — Lone Person: 58.8% Towers Hill — Couple Families: 21.6% Towers Hill — One Parent Families: 19.6% Towers Hill — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Southern Cross 12.0% renting
Southern Cross — Owned Outright: 41.7% Southern Cross — Mortgage: 46.4% Southern Cross — Renting: 12.0%
Towers Hill 34.6% renting
Towers Hill — Owned Outright: 44.9% Towers Hill — Mortgage: 20.5% Towers Hill — Renting: 34.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Southern Cross Towers Hill
England 0.9% / 2.1%
Southern Cross — England: 0.9% Towers Hill — England: 2.1%
New Zealand 1.4% / —
Southern Cross — New Zealand: 1.4% Towers Hill — New Zealand: not among its largest
Scotland 0.5% / —
Southern Cross — Scotland: 0.5% Towers Hill — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.1%).

Qualifications

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

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Certificate III & IV 20.2% / 17.9%
Southern Cross — Certificate III & IV: 20.2% Towers Hill — Certificate III & IV: 17.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.0% / 7.9%
Southern Cross — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0% Towers Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9%
Bachelor Degree 3.7% / 3.2%
Southern Cross — Bachelor Degree: 3.7% Towers Hill — Bachelor Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 2.1%
Southern Cross — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Towers Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Southern Cross 97.0% houses
Southern Cross — Houses: 97.0% Southern Cross — Townhouses: 0.0% Southern Cross — Flats / Apartments: 3.0%
Towers Hill 69.0% houses
Towers Hill — Houses: 69.0% Towers Hill — Townhouses: 32.1% Towers Hill — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Development activity

Southern Cross Towers Hill
New dwellings approved 24
across Charters Towers
same for both
Approvals change year on year -67%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Southern Cross Towers Hill
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 65% of QLD Higher than 12% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 45% of QLD Higher than 77% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 23% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 45% of QLD Higher than 68% of QLD

Liveability

Towers Hill is more walkable (17 vs 0).

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Grade C —
Score 43/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Towers Hill carries more crime risk (64 vs 38).

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
38/100
 Moderate
64/100
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

Southern Cross Towers Hill
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

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Waterways 7 0

Mobility

Southern Cross sits further from the CBD (1367.1 km vs 1356.5 km).

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Walkability score 0/100 17/100
Distance to Brisbane 1367.1 km 1356.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 935 min 920 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 4820
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 4820
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.

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Car (driver) 73.3% / 71.2%
Southern Cross — Car (driver): 73.3% Towers Hill — Car (driver): 71.2%
Car (passenger) 6.7% / 12.1%
Southern Cross — Car (passenger): 6.7% Towers Hill — Car (passenger): 12.1%
Bus 8.3% / 4.5%
Southern Cross — Bus: 8.3% Towers Hill — Bus: 4.5%
Worked from Home 10.0% / —
Southern Cross — Worked from Home: 10.0% Towers Hill — Worked from Home: not among its largest
Walked Only 1.7% / 7.6%
Southern Cross — Walked Only: 1.7% Towers Hill — Walked Only: 7.6%
Bicycle — / 4.5%
Southern Cross — Bicycle: not among its largest Towers Hill — Bicycle: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.3%).

Setting

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Elevation 299 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 403 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Connectivity score 29/100 41/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
210 premises
 0%
122 premises

Climate

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Annual rainfall 690 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 33.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 12.0°C
same for both

Council rates

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Average residential rate $1,328/yr
same for both
Council Charters Towers
same for both

Federal electorate

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Division Kennedy
same for both
Member Bob Katter
same for both
Party Katter's Australian Party (KAP)
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Southern Cross Towers Hill
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Southern Cross

Rural

Towers Hill

Retirees Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Southern Cross

Southern Cross vs Toll Southern Cross vs Breddan Southern Cross vs Basalt Southern Cross vs Black Jack Southern Cross vs Grand Secret Southern Cross vs Alabama Hill

Other comparisons with Towers Hill

Towers Hill vs Charters Towers City Towers Hill vs Queenton Towers Hill vs Mosman Park Towers Hill vs Black Jack Towers Hill vs Alabama Hill
Full data on Southern Cross Full data on Towers Hill
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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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