West End vs Garbutt

In West End, about half of households rent and most households are people living alone. In Garbutt, most households rent, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in West End: a median of $680,000, against $565,000 in Garbutt, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Garbutt tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • West End has more parks and reserves (10 vs 4)
  • Garbutt has more separate houses rather than flats (65% vs 49%)

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

First-home buyers

Garbutt

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($565,000 vs $680,000)
  • has cheaper units ($395,000 vs $438,500)
  • But West End has cheaper land ($482,750 vs $1,100,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Garbutt

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $250/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

West End

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 32/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (925 min vs 930 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1352.4 km vs 1355.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

West End

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 32/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (51% vs 35%)

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

Investors

Garbutt

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (6.1% vs 5.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

West End Garbutt
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.

West End Garbutt
Walkability 79 / 32
West End — Walkability: 79/100 Garbutt — Walkability: 32/100
Safety 8 / 2
West End — Safety: 8/100 Garbutt — Safety: 2/100
Low fire risk 100 / 48
West End — Low fire risk: 100/100 Garbutt — Low fire risk: 48/100

Demographics

West End has more residents (3,891 vs 2,309); West End has higher household incomes ($72,904 vs $56,264).

West End Garbutt
Population 3,891
+41% vs other
 2,309
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.3% -3.6%
Median age 40 42
Median household income $72,904/yr
+23% vs other
 $56,264/yr
Median weekly rent $250/wk
+12% vs other
 $220/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

West End Garbutt
0-4 5.2% / 5.1%
West End — 0-4: 5.2% Garbutt — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 9.2% / 9.4%
West End — 5-14: 9.2% Garbutt — 5-14: 9.4%
15-19 4.6% / 5.6%
West End — 15-19: 4.6% Garbutt — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 7.4% / 8.0%
West End — 20-24: 7.4% Garbutt — 20-24: 8.0%
25-34 16.0% / 14.3%
West End — 25-34: 16.0% Garbutt — 25-34: 14.3%
35-44 14.0% / 10.9%
West End — 35-44: 14.0% Garbutt — 35-44: 10.9%
45-54 15.3% / 13.1%
West End — 45-54: 15.3% Garbutt — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 13.7% / 14.1%
West End — 55-64: 13.7% Garbutt — 55-64: 14.1%
65-74 9.1% / 11.4%
West End — 65-74: 9.1% Garbutt — 65-74: 11.4%
75-84 4.7% / 6.0%
West End — 75-84: 4.7% Garbutt — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 1.1% / 1.6%
West End — 85+: 1.1% Garbutt — 85+: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

West End 57.3% lone person
West End — Lone Person: 57.3% West End — Couple Families: 20.9% West End — One Parent Families: 13.7% West End — Group Household: 6.6% West End — Other Families: 1.6%
Garbutt 54.7% lone person
Garbutt — Lone Person: 54.7% Garbutt — Couple Families: 15.9% Garbutt — One Parent Families: 20.0% Garbutt — Group Household: 7.3% Garbutt — Other Families: 2.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

West End 52.3% renting
West End — Owned Outright: 19.5% West End — Mortgage: 28.2% West End — Renting: 52.3%
Garbutt 57.1% renting
Garbutt — Owned Outright: 18.1% Garbutt — Mortgage: 24.8% Garbutt — Renting: 57.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

West End Garbutt
Certificate III & IV 16.7% / 16.8%
West End — Certificate III & IV: 16.7% Garbutt — Certificate III & IV: 16.8%
Bachelor Degree 13.9% / 7.0%
West End — Bachelor Degree: 13.9% Garbutt — Bachelor Degree: 7.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.9% / 5.7%
West End — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9% Garbutt — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.7%
Postgraduate Degree 5.1% / 1.7%
West End — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1% Garbutt — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 0.7%
West End — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Garbutt — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

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.

West End Garbutt
New Zealand 2.5% / 3.4%
West End — New Zealand: 2.5% Garbutt — New Zealand: 3.4%
England 2.7% / 1.8%
West End — England: 2.7% Garbutt — England: 1.8%
Philippines 0.8% / 2.0%
West End — Philippines: 0.8% Garbutt — Philippines: 2.0%
India 0.9% / —
West End — India: 0.9% Garbutt — India: not among its largest
Germany 0.6% / 0.3%
West End — Germany: 0.6% Garbutt — Germany: 0.3%
Scotland — / 0.6%
West End — Scotland: not among its largest Garbutt — Scotland: 0.6%
Malaysia — / 0.4%
West End — Malaysia: not among its largest Garbutt — Malaysia: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

West End 48.7% houses
West End — Houses: 48.7% West End — Townhouses: 41.6% West End — Flats / Apartments: 9.7%
Garbutt 65.3% houses
Garbutt — Houses: 65.3% Garbutt — Townhouses: 31.6% Garbutt — Flats / Apartments: 3.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

West End Garbutt
Median house price $680,000 $565,000
Median unit price $438,500 $395,000
Median land price $482,750 $1,100,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 40 sales
 27 days
from 23 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

West End Garbutt
2 bed $589K / $465K
West End — 2 bed: $589K (16 sales) Garbutt — 2 bed: $465K (11 sales)

16 vs 11 sales

3 bed $670K / $562K
West End — 3 bed: $670K (48 sales) Garbutt — 3 bed: $562K (52 sales)

48 vs 52 sales

4 bed $800K / $650K
West End — 4 bed: $800K (29 sales) Garbutt — 4 bed: $650K (9 sales)

29 vs 9 sales

Development activity

West End Garbutt
New dwellings approved 1,096
across Townsville
same for both
Approvals change year on year -22%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

West End Garbutt
Houses 4.4%
$550/wk on $649K
 4.8%
$550/wk on $599K
Units 5.4%
$485/wk on $469K
 6.1%
$530/wk on $449K

Ranking within QLD

West End Garbutt
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 43% of QLD Higher than 19% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 95% of QLD Higher than 82% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 85% of QLD Higher than 73% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 99% of QLD Higher than 98% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 73% of QLD Higher than 85% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 79% of QLD Higher than 91% of QLD

Liveability

West End scores higher overall (41 vs 15); West End is more walkable (79 vs 32).

West End Garbutt
Grade C D
Score 41/100 15/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Garbutt carries more bushfire risk (52 vs 0).

West End Garbutt
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
52/100
Crime High
92/100
 High
98/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
 High
100/100
Industrial facilities nearby 10
within 5 km
 7
within 5 km

Schools

West End Garbutt
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
James Cook University - Townsville, 2.5 km
 1
James Cook University - Townsville, 5.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.7% 1.1%

Schools in West End

  • Townsville West State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Townsville Flexible School Catholic · Secondary · Special school

Schools in Garbutt

  • Garbutt State School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

West End Garbutt
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 3 9
Parks & reserves 10 4
Childcare 4 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 4
Banks & Bank@Post 1 3
Fuel stations 2
same for both
Waterways 6 12

Mobility

Garbutt sits further from the CBD (1355.6 km vs 1352.4 km).

West End Garbutt
Walkability score 79/100 32/100
Distance to Brisbane 1352.4 km 1355.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 925 min 930 min
Public transport score 76/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 45.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 63.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 4810
 0.7%
postcode 4814
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 34
postcode 4810
 63
postcode 4814

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.

West End Garbutt
Car (driver) 79.9% / 80.6%
West End — Car (driver): 79.9% Garbutt — Car (driver): 80.6%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / 9.4%
West End — Car (passenger): 6.0% Garbutt — Car (passenger): 9.4%
Worked from Home 7.2% / 3.6%
West End — Worked from Home: 7.2% Garbutt — Worked from Home: 3.6%
Walked Only 3.3% / 3.5%
West End — Walked Only: 3.3% Garbutt — Walked Only: 3.5%
Bicycle 2.6% / 1.8%
West End — Bicycle: 2.6% Garbutt — Bicycle: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.6%).

Setting

West End Garbutt
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.5 km
2.8 km to a named beach
 3.3 km
4.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

West End Garbutt
Connectivity score 99/100 97/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 96%
2,578 premises
 91%
3,077 premises

Climate

West End Garbutt
Annual rainfall 1,304 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 15.0°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

West End Garbutt
PM2.5 6.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 15.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.25 pphm
same for both

Council rates

West End Garbutt
Average residential rate $1,810/yr
same for both
Council Townsville
same for both

Federal electorate

West End Garbutt
Division Herbert
same for both
Member Phillip Thompson
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

West End Garbutt
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

West End

Coastal Parks Townhouses

Garbutt

Affordable Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with West End

West End vs Hermit Park West End vs Townsville City West End vs Railway Estate West End vs Pimlico West End vs Currajong West End vs Belgian Gardens

Other comparisons with Garbutt

Garbutt vs Mount Louisa Garbutt vs Heatley Garbutt vs Currajong Garbutt vs Vincent Garbutt vs Belgian Gardens Garbutt vs Rowes Bay
Full data on West End Full data on Garbutt
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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