Gladstone vs Caltowie

Caltowie is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 51 in Gladstone. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Gladstone, about half of households are people living alone. In Caltowie, most households are couple families. On these figures, Gladstone tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Caltowie suits families with children and 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

Caltowie

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 35/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 38%)
  • But Gladstone has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Gladstone

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (18% vs 8%)
  • has cheaper rent ($160/wk vs $190/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Gladstone

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (44/100 vs 16/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (149 min vs 161 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (221.5 km vs 237 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Gladstone

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (44/100 vs 16/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 16%)
  • But Caltowie carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 35/100)

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

Investors

Gladstone

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-1.3% vs -6.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Gladstone Caltowie
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.

Gladstone Caltowie
Walkability 44 / 16
Gladstone — Walkability: 44/100 Caltowie — Walkability: 16/100
Safety 65 / 86
Gladstone — Safety: 65/100 Caltowie — Safety: 86/100
Low fire risk 67 / 100
Gladstone — Low fire risk: 67/100 Caltowie — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Gladstone has more residents (745 vs 122); Caltowie has higher household incomes ($75,816 vs $48,620).

Gladstone Caltowie
Population 745
+84% vs other
 122
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.3% -6.9%
Median age 51 40
Median household income $48,620/yr $75,816/yr
+56% vs other
Median weekly rent $160/wk $190/wk
+19% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gladstone Caltowie
0-4 5.4% / 12.3%
Gladstone — 0-4: 5.4% Caltowie — 0-4: 12.3%
5-14 10.7% / 11.5%
Gladstone — 5-14: 10.7% Caltowie — 5-14: 11.5%
15-19 6.6% / 5.7%
Gladstone — 15-19: 6.6% Caltowie — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 3.5% / 4.1%
Gladstone — 20-24: 3.5% Caltowie — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 8.9% / 4.1%
Gladstone — 25-34: 8.9% Caltowie — 25-34: 4.1%
35-44 8.7% / 15.6%
Gladstone — 35-44: 8.7% Caltowie — 35-44: 15.6%
45-54 11.0% / 9.0%
Gladstone — 45-54: 11.0% Caltowie — 45-54: 9.0%
55-64 17.0% / 23.0%
Gladstone — 55-64: 17.0% Caltowie — 55-64: 23.0%
65-74 18.4% / 6.6%
Gladstone — 65-74: 18.4% Caltowie — 65-74: 6.6%
75-84 8.5% / 9.8%
Gladstone — 75-84: 8.5% Caltowie — 75-84: 9.8%
85+ 1.3% / —
Gladstone — 85+: 1.3% Caltowie — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gladstone 23.4% couple families
Gladstone — Couple Families: 23.4% Gladstone — Lone Person: 54.7% Gladstone — One Parent Families: 14.5% Gladstone — Group Household: 5.6% Gladstone — Other Families: 1.9%
Caltowie 66.7% couple families
Caltowie — Couple Families: 66.7% Caltowie — Lone Person: 33.3% Caltowie — One Parent Families: 0.0% Caltowie — Group Household: 0.0% Caltowie — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gladstone 18.5% renting
Gladstone — Owned Outright: 50.7% Gladstone — Mortgage: 30.8% Gladstone — Renting: 18.5%
Caltowie 7.9% renting
Caltowie — Owned Outright: 65.8% Caltowie — Mortgage: 26.3% Caltowie — Renting: 7.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Gladstone Caltowie
England 2.7% / 2.5%
Gladstone — England: 2.7% Caltowie — England: 2.5%
New Zealand 1.2% / —
Gladstone — New Zealand: 1.2% Caltowie — New Zealand: not among its largest
China 0.7% / —
Gladstone — China: 0.7% Caltowie — China: not among its largest
Germany 0.7% / —
Gladstone — Germany: 0.7% Caltowie — Germany: not among its largest
India 0.4% / —
Gladstone — India: 0.4% Caltowie — India: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.7%).

Qualifications

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

Gladstone Caltowie
Certificate III & IV 16.4% / 9.0%
Gladstone — Certificate III & IV: 16.4% Caltowie — Certificate III & IV: 9.0%
Bachelor Degree 6.8% / 11.5%
Gladstone — Bachelor Degree: 6.8% Caltowie — Bachelor Degree: 11.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.7% / 4.1%
Gladstone — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7% Caltowie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.1%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / —
Gladstone — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Caltowie — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / —
Gladstone — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Caltowie — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gladstone 96.2% houses
Gladstone — Houses: 96.2% Gladstone — Townhouses: 3.8%
Caltowie 100.0% houses
Caltowie — Houses: 100.0% Caltowie — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Gladstone Caltowie
Median house price $275,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $75,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 89 days
from 5 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Gladstone Caltowie
Rural and farming 99%
same for both
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Gladstone Caltowie
New dwellings approved 11
across Northern Areas
same for both
Approvals change year on year -100%
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.

Gladstone Caltowie
Houses 11.7%
$850/wk on $378K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Gladstone Caltowie
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 14% of SA Higher than 50% of SA
Schools Higher than 81% of SA —
Walkability Higher than 79% of SA Higher than 69% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 67% of SA Higher than 30% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 100% of SA —

Liveability

Gladstone is more walkable (44 vs 16).

Gladstone Caltowie
Grade C —
Score 44/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Gladstone carries more bushfire risk (33 vs 0); Gladstone carries more crime risk (35 vs 14).

Gladstone Caltowie
Bushfire Low
33/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
35/100
 Low
14/100
Flood —
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

Gladstone Caltowie
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Gladstone

  • Gladstone Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Gladstone High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Joseph's Parish School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in Caltowie

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Gladstone Caltowie
Supermarkets 1 0
Childcare 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 1 4

Mobility

Caltowie sits further from the CBD (237 km vs 221.5 km).

Gladstone Caltowie
Walkability score 44/100 16/100
Distance to Adelaide 221.5 km 237 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 149 min 161 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 5473
 0.0%
postcode 5490
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 5473
 —

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.

Gladstone Caltowie
Car (driver) 70.4% / 44.9%
Gladstone — Car (driver): 70.4% Caltowie — Car (driver): 44.9%
Worked from Home 13.6% / 32.7%
Gladstone — Worked from Home: 13.6% Caltowie — Worked from Home: 32.7%
Walked Only 8.4% / 14.3%
Gladstone — Walked Only: 8.4% Caltowie — Walked Only: 14.3%
Car (passenger) 7.6% / 8.2%
Gladstone — Car (passenger): 7.6% Caltowie — Car (passenger): 8.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.4%).

Setting

Gladstone Caltowie
Elevation 229 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 379 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 32.9 km 41.2 km

NBN connectivity

Gladstone Caltowie
Connectivity score 30/100 19/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
414 premises
 0%
14 premises

Climate

Gladstone Caltowie
Annual rainfall 472 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Gladstone Caltowie
Average residential rate $1,809/yr
same for both
Council Northern Areas
same for both

Federal electorate

Gladstone Caltowie
Division Grey
same for both
Member Tom Venning
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gladstone Caltowie
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gladstone

Affordable Retirees Rural

Caltowie

Family Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gladstone

Gladstone vs Laura Gladstone vs Georgetown Gladstone vs Beetaloo Valley

Other comparisons with Caltowie

Caltowie vs Jamestown
Full data on Gladstone Full data on Caltowie
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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