Southwood vs Westmar
Westmar is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 42 in Southwood. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Westmar 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
Westmar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 83/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Southwood
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $200/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Southwood
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (347.4 km vs 376 km)
- has a shorter drive in (266 min vs 280 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Westmar
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 83/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (17% vs 7%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Westmar
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-7.8% vs -32.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Southwood and Westmar 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
Westmar rents higher ($200/wk vs $0/wk); Southwood has higher household incomes ($94,224 vs $62,816).
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57 | 59 +4% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -32.1% | -7.8% |
| Median age | 42 | 32 |
| Median household income | $94,224/yr +33% vs other | $62,816/yr |
| Median weekly rent | — | $200/wk (not reported on the other side) |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.1%).
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 (14.0%).
Development activity
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 53 across Western Downs same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -40% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 67% of QLD | — |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 24% of QLD | Higher than 30% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 9% of QLD | Higher than 10% of QLD |
Liveability
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Southwood carries more bushfire risk (29 vs 0); Southwood carries more crime risk (83 vs 33).
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 29/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | High 83/100 | Low 33/100 |
| 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
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Southwood
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Westmar
- Westmar State School Government · Primary
Amenities in the suburb
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 1 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 8 | 7 |
Mobility
Westmar sits further from the CBD (376 km vs 347.4 km).
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 347.4 km | 376 km +8% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 266 min | 280 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 4406 | 0.0% postcode 4422 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 42 postcode 4406 | 52 postcode 4422 |
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 (53.3%).
Setting
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 248 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 231 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 19 premises | 0% 9 premises |
Council rates
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,238/yr same for both | |
| Council | Western Downs same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Maranoa same for both | |
| Member | David Littleproud same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Southwood | Westmar | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Southwood
Other comparisons with Westmar
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.