The Caves vs Barmoya
In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In The Caves, about half of households are couple families. In Barmoya, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Barmoya tends to suit families with children and couples.
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
Barmoya
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 43/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (77% vs 68%)
- But The Caves has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Too close to call
Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
The Caves
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (458 min vs 469 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (656 km vs 666.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- The Caves is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
- Barmoya carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 43/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Barmoya
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (6.2% vs -5.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
The Caves and Barmoya 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
The Caves has more residents (680 vs 85); Barmoya has higher household incomes ($133,224 vs $100,152).
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 680 +88% vs other | 85 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -5.3% | +6.2% |
| Median age | 40 same for both | |
| Median household income | $100,152/yr | $133,224/yr +33% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk same for both | |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).
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 (21.2%).
Property market
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $800,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 116 days from 4 sales | — |
Development activity
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 317 across Livingstone same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +97% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | — | Higher than 94% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 80% of QLD | Higher than 62% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 19% of QLD | Higher than 53% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 56% of QLD | Higher than 37% of QLD |
Liveability
The Caves is more walkable (23 vs 0).
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D | — |
| Score | 33/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
The Caves carries more crime risk (43 vs 25).
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 46/100 | Moderate 41/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 43/100 | Low 25/100 |
| 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
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in The Caves
- The Caves State School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Barmoya
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Barmoya sits further from the CBD (666.5 km vs 656 km).
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 23/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 656 km | 666.5 km +2% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 458 min | 469 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 4702 | 0.3% postcode 4703 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 58 postcode 4702 | 68 postcode 4703 |
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 (84.6%).
Setting
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 75 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 23 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 29.7 km | 21.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 27/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 269 premises | 0% 29 premises |
Climate
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 811 mm | 1,330 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 32.5°C | — |
| Winter min (Jul) | 11.6°C | — |
Air quality (annual mean)
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 4.3 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 8.6 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,445/yr same for both | |
| Council | Livingstone same for both | |
Federal electorate
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Capricornia same for both | |
| Member | Michelle Landry same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| The Caves | Barmoya | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 The Caves
Other comparisons with Barmoya
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.