Toolburra vs Willowvale
Toolburra is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 51 in Willowvale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Willowvale, most households are couple families. On these figures, Toolburra tends to suit families with children, while Willowvale suits people living alone, couples, 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
Toolburra
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 68%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Toolburra
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 28%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Toolburra has cheaper rent ($196/wk vs $223/wk)
- Willowvale has a bigger rental market to choose from (25% vs 14%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Willowvale
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (123 min vs 131 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (151.6 km vs 160.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Willowvale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 12%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Toolburra
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (33.3% vs 14.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Toolburra and Willowvale 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
Willowvale has more residents (108 vs 56); Willowvale skews older (51 vs 40).
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 56 | 108 +93% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +33.3% | +14.9% |
| Median age | 40 | 51 |
| Median household income | $97,500/yr +17% vs other | $81,224/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $196/wk | $223/wk +14% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.2%).
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 (26.8%).
Development activity
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 291 across Southern Downs same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +63% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 72% of QLD | Higher than 52% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 65% of QLD | Higher than 34% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 29% of QLD | Higher than 28% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 66% of QLD | Higher than 57% of QLD |
Liveability
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 17/100 | Low 26/100 |
| 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
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 2 | 1 |
Mobility
Toolburra sits further from the CBD (160.5 km vs 151.6 km).
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 160.5 km +6% vs other | 151.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 131 min | 123 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 4370 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 57 postcode 4370 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.3%).
Setting
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 439 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 536 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 17 premises | 0% 37 premises |
Climate
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 760 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,627/yr same for both | |
| Council | Southern Downs same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Maranoa same for both | |
| Member | David Littleproud same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Toolburra | Willowvale | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Toolburra
Other comparisons with Willowvale
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.