Chelmer vs Indooroopilly

Indooroopilly is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 41 in Chelmer. In Chelmer, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. In Indooroopilly, about half of households rent and about half of homes are flats or apartments. Houses cost more in Indooroopilly: a median of $1.91 million, against $1.75 million in Chelmer, though rent is higher in Chelmer. On these figures, Chelmer tends to suit families with children and couples, while Indooroopilly suits renters, young adults, and people living alone.

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

  • Chelmer carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 83/100)
  • Indooroopilly has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Chelmer

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($635,000 vs $850,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Indooroopilly

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (45% vs 16%)
  • has cheaper rent ($440/wk vs $490/wk)
  • But Chelmer leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 21%)

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

Commuting to the city

Indooroopilly

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 61/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Indooroopilly

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (53% vs 6%)
  • has more GPs (6 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 61/100)
  • But Chelmer carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 83/100)

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

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

Chelmer Indooroopilly
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.

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Walkability 61 / 89
Chelmer — Walkability: 61/100 Indooroopilly — Walkability: 89/100
Safety 70 / 17
Chelmer — Safety: 70/100 Indooroopilly — Safety: 17/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Chelmer — Low fire risk: 100/100 Indooroopilly — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Indooroopilly has more residents (13,622 vs 3,325); Chelmer has higher household incomes ($176,904 vs $108,056).

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Population 3,325 13,622
+310% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.9% +11.3%
Median age 41 33
Median household income $176,904/yr
+39% vs other
 $108,056/yr
Median weekly rent $490/wk
+10% vs other
 $440/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Chelmer Indooroopilly
0-4 4.9% / 4.2%
Chelmer — 0-4: 4.9% Indooroopilly — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 17.1% / 13.6%
Chelmer — 5-14: 17.1% Indooroopilly — 5-14: 13.6%
15-19 8.1% / 7.2%
Chelmer — 15-19: 8.1% Indooroopilly — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 6.6% / 11.7%
Chelmer — 20-24: 6.6% Indooroopilly — 20-24: 11.7%
25-34 5.7% / 14.9%
Chelmer — 25-34: 5.7% Indooroopilly — 25-34: 14.9%
35-44 13.5% / 15.3%
Chelmer — 35-44: 13.5% Indooroopilly — 35-44: 15.3%
45-54 15.4% / 12.5%
Chelmer — 45-54: 15.4% Indooroopilly — 45-54: 12.5%
55-64 11.8% / 8.4%
Chelmer — 55-64: 11.8% Indooroopilly — 55-64: 8.4%
65-74 8.7% / 7.2%
Chelmer — 65-74: 8.7% Indooroopilly — 65-74: 7.2%
75-84 4.8% / 3.8%
Chelmer — 75-84: 4.8% Indooroopilly — 75-84: 3.8%
85+ 3.5% / 1.2%
Chelmer — 85+: 3.5% Indooroopilly — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Chelmer 64.5% couple families
Chelmer — Couple Families: 64.5% Chelmer — Lone Person: 20.2% Chelmer — One Parent Families: 10.6% Chelmer — Group Household: 3.2% Chelmer — Other Families: 1.5%
Indooroopilly 41.1% couple families
Indooroopilly — Couple Families: 41.1% Indooroopilly — Lone Person: 30.0% Indooroopilly — One Parent Families: 12.5% Indooroopilly — Group Household: 13.5% Indooroopilly — Other Families: 2.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Chelmer 16.4% renting
Chelmer — Owned Outright: 39.2% Chelmer — Mortgage: 44.5% Chelmer — Renting: 16.4%
Indooroopilly 45.2% renting
Indooroopilly — Owned Outright: 28.9% Indooroopilly — Mortgage: 25.9% Indooroopilly — Renting: 45.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Bachelor Degree 25.0% / 26.2%
Chelmer — Bachelor Degree: 25.0% Indooroopilly — Bachelor Degree: 26.2%
Postgraduate Degree 11.3% / 15.1%
Chelmer — Postgraduate Degree: 11.3% Indooroopilly — Postgraduate Degree: 15.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.3% / 6.1%
Chelmer — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3% Indooroopilly — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Certificate III & IV 4.9% / 5.5%
Chelmer — Certificate III & IV: 4.9% Indooroopilly — Certificate III & IV: 5.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.8% / 3.3%
Chelmer — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8% Indooroopilly — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.2%).

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.

Chelmer Indooroopilly
England 5.7% / 3.2%
Chelmer — England: 5.7% Indooroopilly — England: 3.2%
China 1.6% / 7.0%
Chelmer — China: 1.6% Indooroopilly — China: 7.0%
India 1.2% / 5.3%
Chelmer — India: 1.2% Indooroopilly — India: 5.3%
New Zealand 2.3% / 2.2%
Chelmer — New Zealand: 2.3% Indooroopilly — New Zealand: 2.2%
South Africa 1.5% / 1.3%
Chelmer — South Africa: 1.5% Indooroopilly — South Africa: 1.3%
Malaysia 0.7% / 1.4%
Chelmer — Malaysia: 0.7% Indooroopilly — Malaysia: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Chelmer 94.5% houses
Chelmer — Houses: 94.5% Chelmer — Flats / Apartments: 5.5% Chelmer — Townhouses: 0.0%
Indooroopilly 46.7% houses
Indooroopilly — Houses: 46.7% Indooroopilly — Flats / Apartments: 45.4% Indooroopilly — Townhouses: 7.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Median house price $1,745,000 $1,910,000
Median unit price $635,000 $850,000
Median land price — $2,650,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 31 days
from 57 sales
 23 days
from 115 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.

Chelmer Indooroopilly
3 bed $1.28M / $1.39M
Chelmer — 3 bed: $1.28M (33 sales) Indooroopilly — 3 bed: $1.39M (52 sales)

33 vs 52 sales

4 bed $2.23M / $2.04M
Chelmer — 4 bed: $2.23M (31 sales) Indooroopilly — 4 bed: $2.04M (48 sales)

31 vs 48 sales

5 bed $2.2M / $2.75M
Chelmer — 5 bed: $2.2M (23 sales) Indooroopilly — 5 bed: $2.75M (33 sales)

23 vs 33 sales

Development activity

Chelmer Indooroopilly
New dwellings approved 9,382
across Brisbane
same for both
Approvals change year on year +9%
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.

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Houses — 1.9%
$875/wk on $2.42M
Units — 3.9%
$650/wk on $872K

Ranking within QLD

Chelmer Indooroopilly
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 98% of QLD Higher than 80% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 93% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 89% of QLD Higher than 98% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 99% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of QLD Higher than 90% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 1% of QLD
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 26% of QLD

Liveability

Indooroopilly is more walkable (89 vs 61); Chelmer scores higher overall (89 vs 79).

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Grade A+ A
Score 89/100 79/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Indooroopilly carries more crime risk (83 vs 30).

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
30/100
 High
83/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 7
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Inside the suburb 1 6
Rated above peers 0 4
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
St Lucia Campus, 3.3 km
 3
St Lucia Campus, 2.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.7% 7.5%

Schools in Chelmer

  • Milpera State High School Government · Secondary

Schools in Indooroopilly

  • Brigidine College Catholic · Combined above peers
  • Indooroopilly State High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Indooroopilly State School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Peters Lutheran College Independent · Combined above peers
  • Ambrose Treacy College Catholic · Combined at peers
  • Holy Family Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Supermarkets 0 6
Cafes & restaurants 1 36
Parks & reserves 5 22
Childcare 2 10
GPs 0 6
Pharmacies 0 3
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 7
Fuel stations 0 3
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 0 14

Mobility

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Walkability score 61/100 89/100
Distance to Brisbane 8.9 km
+8% vs other
 8.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 18 min 17 min
Public transport score 88/100
Rail · Bus
 91/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 23.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 328.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.4%
postcode 4068
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 30
postcode 4068
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.

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Car (driver) 46.0% / 43.4%
Chelmer — Car (driver): 46.0% Indooroopilly — Car (driver): 43.4%
Worked from Home 38.8% / 34.4%
Chelmer — Worked from Home: 38.8% Indooroopilly — Worked from Home: 34.4%
Train 8.1% / 8.7%
Chelmer — Train: 8.1% Indooroopilly — Train: 8.7%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 3.0%
Chelmer — Car (passenger): 3.3% Indooroopilly — Car (passenger): 3.0%
Walked Only 1.6% / 3.9%
Chelmer — Walked Only: 1.6% Indooroopilly — Walked Only: 3.9%
Bus 0.3% / 4.9%
Chelmer — Bus: 0.3% Indooroopilly — Bus: 4.9%
Bicycle 1.9% / 1.8%
Chelmer — Bicycle: 1.9% Indooroopilly — Bicycle: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (46.0%).

Setting

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Elevation 12 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.1 km 16.4 km

NBN connectivity

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Connectivity score 75/100 78/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
1,178 premises
 14%
6,905 premises

Climate

Chelmer Indooroopilly
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)

Chelmer Indooroopilly
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.99 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Average residential rate $1,519/yr
same for both
Council Brisbane
same for both

Federal electorate

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Division Moreton Ryan
Member Julie-Ann Campbell Elizabeth Watson-Brown
Party Australian Labor Party The Greens

First Home Owner Grant

Chelmer Indooroopilly
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Chelmer

Easy Commute Family Inner Parks Premium Professionals Quiet Trains Transport Hub

Indooroopilly

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Chelmer

Chelmer vs Graceville Chelmer vs Fig Tree Pocket

Other comparisons with Indooroopilly

Indooroopilly vs St Lucia Indooroopilly vs Chapel Hill Indooroopilly vs Kenmore Indooroopilly vs Taringa Indooroopilly vs Yeronga Indooroopilly vs Graceville
Full data on Chelmer Full data on Indooroopilly
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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