Capalaba vs Sheldon

Capalaba is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 47 in Sheldon. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Sheldon, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Sheldon: a median of $1.81 million, against $1.05 million in Capalaba, and rent is higher there too. Capalaba is closer to the city centre: 22.8 km, against 27.7 km. On these figures, Capalaba tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Sheldon 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

  • Capalaba has more parks and reserves (45 vs 5)
  • Sheldon carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 72/100)

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

First-home buyers

Capalaba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,050,000 vs $1,811,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Capalaba

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (26% vs 5%)
  • has cheaper rent ($385/wk vs $473/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Capalaba

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 12/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (22.8 km vs 27.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Capalaba

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (22% vs 1%)
  • has more GPs (10 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 12/100)
  • But Sheldon carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 72/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Capalaba Sheldon
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.

Capalaba Sheldon
Walkability 80 / 12
Capalaba — Walkability: 80/100 Sheldon — Walkability: 12/100
Safety 28 / 65
Capalaba — Safety: 28/100 Sheldon — Safety: 65/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Capalaba — Low fire risk: 100/100 Sheldon — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Capalaba has more residents (18,002 vs 1,762); Sheldon has higher household incomes ($133,016 vs $90,844).

Capalaba Sheldon
Population 18,002
+90% vs other
 1,762
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.9% +3.4%
Median age 39 47
Median household income $90,844/yr $133,016/yr
+46% vs other
Median weekly rent $385/wk $473/wk
+23% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Capalaba Sheldon
0-4 5.9% / 4.0%
Capalaba — 0-4: 5.9% Sheldon — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 12.5% / 11.5%
Capalaba — 5-14: 12.5% Sheldon — 5-14: 11.5%
15-19 5.7% / 8.3%
Capalaba — 15-19: 5.7% Sheldon — 15-19: 8.3%
20-24 5.6% / 5.9%
Capalaba — 20-24: 5.6% Sheldon — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 13.2% / 6.9%
Capalaba — 25-34: 13.2% Sheldon — 25-34: 6.9%
35-44 13.8% / 9.6%
Capalaba — 35-44: 13.8% Sheldon — 35-44: 9.6%
45-54 12.5% / 16.5%
Capalaba — 45-54: 12.5% Sheldon — 45-54: 16.5%
55-64 13.2% / 15.4%
Capalaba — 55-64: 13.2% Sheldon — 55-64: 15.4%
65-74 10.9% / 13.3%
Capalaba — 65-74: 10.9% Sheldon — 65-74: 13.3%
75-84 5.0% / 7.8%
Capalaba — 75-84: 5.0% Sheldon — 75-84: 7.8%
85+ 1.7% / 1.6%
Capalaba — 85+: 1.7% Sheldon — 85+: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Capalaba 43.7% couple families
Capalaba — Couple Families: 43.7% Capalaba — Lone Person: 32.2% Capalaba — One Parent Families: 18.8% Capalaba — Group Household: 4.0% Capalaba — Other Families: 1.3%
Sheldon 68.9% couple families
Sheldon — Couple Families: 68.9% Sheldon — Lone Person: 14.3% Sheldon — One Parent Families: 12.7% Sheldon — Group Household: 3.0% Sheldon — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Capalaba 26.4% renting
Capalaba — Owned Outright: 30.5% Capalaba — Mortgage: 43.1% Capalaba — Renting: 26.4%
Sheldon 5.1% renting
Sheldon — Owned Outright: 49.3% Sheldon — Mortgage: 45.5% Sheldon — Renting: 5.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Capalaba Sheldon
Certificate III & IV 19.4% / 17.4%
Capalaba — Certificate III & IV: 19.4% Sheldon — Certificate III & IV: 17.4%
Bachelor Degree 10.1% / 14.4%
Capalaba — Bachelor Degree: 10.1% Sheldon — Bachelor Degree: 14.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 9.0%
Capalaba — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% Sheldon — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / 4.0%
Capalaba — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Sheldon — Postgraduate Degree: 4.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 1.8%
Capalaba — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Sheldon — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).

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.

Capalaba Sheldon
England 4.2% / 4.8%
Capalaba — England: 4.2% Sheldon — England: 4.8%
New Zealand 5.6% / 3.0%
Capalaba — New Zealand: 5.6% Sheldon — New Zealand: 3.0%
South Africa 1.3% / 2.3%
Capalaba — South Africa: 1.3% Sheldon — South Africa: 2.3%
China 0.6% / 1.0%
Capalaba — China: 0.6% Sheldon — China: 1.0%
Philippines 1.2% / —
Capalaba — Philippines: 1.2% Sheldon — Philippines: not among its largest
India 1.1% / —
Capalaba — India: 1.1% Sheldon — India: not among its largest
Ireland — / 0.9%
Capalaba — Ireland: not among its largest Sheldon — Ireland: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Capalaba 77.7% houses
Capalaba — Houses: 77.7% Capalaba — Townhouses: 18.6% Capalaba — Flats / Apartments: 3.7%
Sheldon 99.1% houses
Sheldon — Houses: 99.1% Sheldon — Townhouses: 0.0% Sheldon — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Capalaba Sheldon
Median house price $1,050,000 $1,811,500
Median unit price $716,250 —
Median land price $1,970,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 13 days
from 123 sales
 64 days
from 6 sales

Development activity

Capalaba Sheldon
New dwellings approved 1,598
across Redland
same for both
Approvals change year on year -26%
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.

Capalaba Sheldon
Houses 3.9%
$750/wk on $990K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Capalaba Sheldon
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 64% of QLD Higher than 94% of QLD
Schools Higher than 1% of QLD —
Walkability Higher than 95% of QLD Higher than 73% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 80% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of QLD Higher than 71% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 51% of QLD —

Liveability

Capalaba is more walkable (80 vs 12); Sheldon scores higher overall (75 vs 52).

Capalaba Sheldon
Grade B A
Score 52/100 75/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Capalaba carries more crime risk (72 vs 35).

Capalaba Sheldon
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
72/100
 Low
35/100
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 3
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Capalaba Sheldon
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 2 0

Schools in Capalaba

  • St Luke's Catholic Parish School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Capalaba State College Government · Combined below peers
  • Coolnwynpin State School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Sheldon

  • Sheldon College Independent · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Capalaba Sheldon
Supermarkets 9 0
Cafes & restaurants 32 0
Parks & reserves 45 5
Childcare 13 3
GPs 10 0
Pharmacies 9 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 9 0
Fuel stations 6 0
Waterways 44 32

Mobility

Sheldon sits further from the CBD (27.7 km vs 22.8 km).

Capalaba Sheldon
Walkability score 80/100 12/100
Distance to Brisbane 22.8 km 27.7 km
+21% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 32 min 33 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 43/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 223.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 13.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 4157
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 74
postcode 4157
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.

Capalaba Sheldon
Car (driver) 75.1% / 68.9%
Capalaba — Car (driver): 75.1% Sheldon — Car (driver): 68.9%
Worked from Home 15.4% / 23.6%
Capalaba — Worked from Home: 15.4% Sheldon — Worked from Home: 23.6%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 4.4%
Capalaba — Car (passenger): 4.5% Sheldon — Car (passenger): 4.4%
Bus 2.6% / 1.4%
Capalaba — Bus: 2.6% Sheldon — Bus: 1.4%
Walked Only 1.3% / 1.3%
Capalaba — Walked Only: 1.3% Sheldon — Walked Only: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.1%).

Setting

Capalaba Sheldon
Elevation 26 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 40 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.6 km 8.9 km

NBN connectivity

Capalaba Sheldon
Connectivity score 74/100 56/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 15%
8,970 premises
 22%
588 premises

Climate

Capalaba Sheldon
Annual rainfall 1,032 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Capalaba Sheldon
PM2.5 5.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.6 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.48 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Capalaba Sheldon
Average residential rate $1,879/yr
same for both
Council Redland
same for both

Federal electorate

Capalaba Sheldon
Division Bowman
same for both
Member Henry Pike
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Capalaba Sheldon
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Capalaba

Middle-Ring Parks River

Sheldon

Acreage Outer Premium

More comparisons

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Capalaba vs Thornlands Capalaba vs Alexandra Hills Capalaba vs Birkdale Capalaba vs Chandler Capalaba vs Burbank

Other comparisons with Sheldon

Sheldon vs Thornlands Sheldon vs Alexandra Hills Sheldon vs Mount Cotton Sheldon vs Burbank Sheldon vs Priestdale
Full data on Capalaba Full data on Sheldon
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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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