Calwell vs Theodore

Comparing Calwell and Theodore, ACT: Calwell is more walkable (68 vs 45); Calwell has more residents (5,730 vs 3,798); and Calwell carries more crime risk (63 vs 44).

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

Calwell

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 2)
  • But Theodore carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 63/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

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

Calwell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (68/100 vs 45/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Calwell is more walkable (68/100 vs 45/100)
  • Theodore carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 63/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Calwell Theodore
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.

Calwell Theodore
Walkability 68 / 45
Calwell — Walkability: 68/100 Theodore — Walkability: 45/100
Safety 37 / 56
Calwell — Safety: 37/100 Theodore — Safety: 56/100
Low fire risk 18 / 16
Calwell — Low fire risk: 18/100 Theodore — Low fire risk: 16/100
Low flood risk 75 / 82
Calwell — Low flood risk: 75/100 Theodore — Low flood risk: 82/100

Demographics

Calwell has more residents (5,730 vs 3,798).

Calwell Theodore
Population 5,730
+34% vs other
 3,798
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.5% +0.0%
Median age 37 36
Median household income $127,920/yr $134,576/yr
+5% vs other
Median weekly rent $448/wk
+4% vs other
 $430/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Calwell Theodore
0-4 6.6% / 6.1%
Calwell — 0-4: 6.6% Theodore — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 13.0% / 13.2%
Calwell — 5-14: 13.0% Theodore — 5-14: 13.2%
15-19 5.8% / 7.4%
Calwell — 15-19: 5.8% Theodore — 15-19: 7.4%
20-24 6.5% / 6.7%
Calwell — 20-24: 6.5% Theodore — 20-24: 6.7%
25-34 14.1% / 14.9%
Calwell — 25-34: 14.1% Theodore — 25-34: 14.9%
35-44 12.8% / 13.2%
Calwell — 35-44: 12.8% Theodore — 35-44: 13.2%
45-54 13.2% / 14.2%
Calwell — 45-54: 13.2% Theodore — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 14.6% / 15.0%
Calwell — 55-64: 14.6% Theodore — 55-64: 15.0%
65-74 8.1% / 6.9%
Calwell — 65-74: 8.1% Theodore — 65-74: 6.9%
75-84 3.4% / 2.1%
Calwell — 75-84: 3.4% Theodore — 75-84: 2.1%
85+ 1.8% / 0.6%
Calwell — 85+: 1.8% Theodore — 85+: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Calwell 52.5% couple families
Calwell — Couple Families: 52.5% Calwell — Lone Person: 25.8% Calwell — One Parent Families: 16.9% Calwell — Group Household: 3.3% Calwell — Other Families: 1.5%
Theodore 53.9% couple families
Theodore — Couple Families: 53.9% Theodore — Lone Person: 24.4% Theodore — One Parent Families: 18.0% Theodore — Group Household: 2.6% Theodore — Other Families: 1.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Calwell 15.2% renting
Calwell — Owned Outright: 30.2% Calwell — Mortgage: 54.6% Calwell — Renting: 15.2%
Theodore 18.0% renting
Theodore — Owned Outright: 26.3% Theodore — Mortgage: 55.7% Theodore — Renting: 18.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Calwell Theodore
Certificate III & IV 14.3% / 14.8%
Calwell — Certificate III & IV: 14.3% Theodore — Certificate III & IV: 14.8%
Bachelor Degree 14.2% / 12.3%
Calwell — Bachelor Degree: 14.2% Theodore — Bachelor Degree: 12.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 9.9%
Calwell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Theodore — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.9%
Postgraduate Degree 4.6% / 4.4%
Calwell — Postgraduate Degree: 4.6% Theodore — Postgraduate Degree: 4.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.7% / 2.0%
Calwell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7% Theodore — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.8%).

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.

Calwell Theodore
England 3.1% / 2.7%
Calwell — England: 3.1% Theodore — England: 2.7%
India 2.1% / 1.6%
Calwell — India: 2.1% Theodore — India: 1.6%
New Zealand 1.0% / 1.2%
Calwell — New Zealand: 1.0% Theodore — New Zealand: 1.2%
Philippines 1.0% / 0.8%
Calwell — Philippines: 1.0% Theodore — Philippines: 0.8%
Vietnam 0.5% / 0.8%
Calwell — Vietnam: 0.5% Theodore — Vietnam: 0.8%
Scotland 0.5% / —
Calwell — Scotland: 0.5% Theodore — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Calwell 86.8% houses
Calwell — Houses: 86.8% Calwell — Townhouses: 10.6% Calwell — Flats / Apartments: 2.7%
Theodore 94.8% houses
Theodore — Houses: 94.8% Theodore — Townhouses: 4.8% Theodore — Flats / Apartments: 0.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Calwell Theodore
Median house price $900,000 $898,750
Median unit price $610,000 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 18 days
from 42 sales
 18 days
from 43 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.

Calwell Theodore
3 bed $805K / $840K
Calwell — 3 bed: $805K (53 sales) Theodore — 3 bed: $840K (43 sales)

53 vs 43 sales

4 bed $980K / $968K
Calwell — 4 bed: $980K (37 sales) Theodore — 4 bed: $968K (42 sales)

37 vs 42 sales

5 bed $1.24M / $1.1M
Calwell — 5 bed: $1.24M (15 sales) Theodore — 5 bed: $1.1M (8 sales)

15 vs 8 sales

Development activity

Calwell Theodore
New dwellings approved 3,750
across Unincorporated ACT
same for both
Approvals change year on year -48%
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.

Calwell Theodore
Houses 3.6%
$580/wk on $835K
 4.0%
$580/wk on $758K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within ACT

Calwell Theodore
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 58% of ACT Higher than 67% of ACT
Schools Higher than 41% of ACT —
Walkability Higher than 61% of ACT Higher than 29% of ACT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 6% of ACT Higher than 4% of ACT
NBN connectivity Higher than 47% of ACT Higher than 58% of ACT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 18% of ACT Higher than 30% of ACT

Liveability

Calwell is more walkable (68 vs 45); Calwell scores higher overall (25 vs 20).

Calwell Theodore
Grade D
same for both
Score 25/100 20/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Calwell carries more crime risk (63 vs 44).

Calwell Theodore
Bushfire High
82/100
 High
84/100
Crime Moderate
63/100
 Moderate
44/100
Flood Low
25/100
 Low
18/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Calwell Theodore
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Calwell

  • St Francis of Assisi Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Calwell Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Calwell High School Government · Secondary

Schools in Theodore

  • Theodore Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Calwell Theodore
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 2 1
Childcare 5 2
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 2 0

Mobility

Calwell Theodore
Walkability score 68/100 45/100
Distance to Canberra 26.8 km
+3% vs other
 26 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 32 min 30 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 117.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 36.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.4%
postcode 2905
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 2905
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.

Calwell Theodore
Car (driver) 79.8% / 81.0%
Calwell — Car (driver): 79.8% Theodore — Car (driver): 81.0%
Worked from Home 9.9% / 9.7%
Calwell — Worked from Home: 9.9% Theodore — Worked from Home: 9.7%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 6.4%
Calwell — Car (passenger): 5.3% Theodore — Car (passenger): 6.4%
Bus 4.0% / 2.0%
Calwell — Bus: 4.0% Theodore — Bus: 2.0%
Walked Only 0.6% / 0.4%
Calwell — Walked Only: 0.6% Theodore — Walked Only: 0.4%
Bicycle 0.4% / 0.5%
Calwell — Bicycle: 0.4% Theodore — Bicycle: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.0%).

Setting

Calwell Theodore
Elevation 687 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 654 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Calwell Theodore
Connectivity score 53/100 62/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 14%
2,264 premises
 24%
1,440 premises

Climate

Calwell Theodore
Annual rainfall 686 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.2°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 0.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Calwell Theodore
PM2.5 7.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.32 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Calwell Theodore
Average residential rate $3,105/yr
same for both
Council Unincorporated ACT
same for both

Federal electorate

Calwell Theodore
Division Bean
same for both
Member David Smith
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Calwell Theodore
Grant amount Not offered
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility None
same for both

Tags

Calwell

Affordable Large Blocks Middle-Ring Quiet

Theodore

Affordable Large Blocks Middle-Ring

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Calwell

Calwell vs Gordon Calwell vs Conder Calwell vs Isabella Plains Calwell vs Bonython Calwell vs Richardson

Other comparisons with Theodore

Theodore vs Conder Theodore vs Richardson
Full data on Calwell Full data on Theodore
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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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