West Prairie vs Formartin
Formartin is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 55 in West Prairie. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In West Prairie, most households are people living alone. In Formartin, most households are couple families. On these figures, West Prairie tends to suit people living alone, while Formartin suits 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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- West Prairie carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 65/100)
- Formartin is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 44%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Formartin
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has a shorter drive in (142 min vs 149 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
West Prairie
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 65/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
West Prairie
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-1.3% vs -6.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
West Prairie and Formartin 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
West Prairie skews older (55 vs 47).
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 78 | 89 +14% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -1.3% | -6.3% |
| Median age | 55 | 47 |
| Median household income | $107,224/yr +5% vs other | $101,816/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $150/wk same for both | |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).
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 (17.9%).
Development activity
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1,513 across Toowoomba same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -25% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 79% of QLD | Higher than 75% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 49% of QLD | Higher than 51% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 45% of QLD | Higher than 62% of QLD |
Liveability
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Formartin carries more crime risk (65 vs 36).
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 36/100 | Moderate 65/100 |
| 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
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
Mobility
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 193.6 km | 192.1 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 149 min | 142 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 4403 | 0.0% postcode 4404 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 64 postcode 4403 | 50 postcode 4404 |
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 (61.4%).
Setting
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 354 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 358 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 37 premises | 0% 35 premises |
Climate
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 577 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 31.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.9°C same for both | |
Council rates
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,618/yr same for both | |
| Council | Toowoomba same for both | |
Federal electorate
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Groom same for both | |
| Member | Garth Hamilton same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| West Prairie | Formartin | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
West Prairie
More comparisons
Other comparisons with West Prairie
Other comparisons with Formartin
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.