Sunnybank Hills vs Calamvale

Calamvale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 37 in Sunnybank Hills. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Sunnybank Hills, about half of households are couple families. In Calamvale, most households are couple families. Sunnybank Hills is closer to the city centre: 16.9 km, against 19.9 km.

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

Sunnybank Hills

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (85% vs 64%)
  • has more parks and reserves (31 vs 28)
  • But Calamvale has more childcare (11 vs 6)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, unit 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

Sunnybank Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (16.9 km vs 19.9 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Calamvale

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (36% vs 15%)
  • carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 70/100)
  • But Sunnybank Hills has more residents already 65 and over (18% vs 11%)

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

Investors

Calamvale

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (5.1% vs 0.0%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.1% vs 3.4%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
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.

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Walkability 72 / 75
Sunnybank Hills — Walkability: 72/100 Calamvale — Walkability: 75/100
Safety 30 / 43
Sunnybank Hills — Safety: 30/100 Calamvale — Safety: 43/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Sunnybank Hills — Low fire risk: 100/100 Calamvale — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Sunnybank Hills skews older (37 vs 34).

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Population 18,085 17,994
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.0% +5.1%
Median age 37 34
Median household income $89,700/yr $97,448/yr
+9% vs other
Median weekly rent $410/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
0-4 5.8% / 7.1%
Sunnybank Hills — 0-4: 5.8% Calamvale — 0-4: 7.1%
5-14 12.4% / 14.6%
Sunnybank Hills — 5-14: 12.4% Calamvale — 5-14: 14.6%
15-19 5.1% / 5.8%
Sunnybank Hills — 15-19: 5.1% Calamvale — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 6.8% / 6.0%
Sunnybank Hills — 20-24: 6.8% Calamvale — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 15.5% / 16.8%
Sunnybank Hills — 25-34: 15.5% Calamvale — 25-34: 16.8%
35-44 15.4% / 18.1%
Sunnybank Hills — 35-44: 15.4% Calamvale — 35-44: 18.1%
45-54 10.6% / 11.4%
Sunnybank Hills — 45-54: 10.6% Calamvale — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 10.9% / 9.1%
Sunnybank Hills — 55-64: 10.9% Calamvale — 55-64: 9.1%
65-74 9.9% / 7.4%
Sunnybank Hills — 65-74: 9.9% Calamvale — 65-74: 7.4%
75-84 5.4% / 2.8%
Sunnybank Hills — 75-84: 5.4% Calamvale — 75-84: 2.8%
85+ 2.2% / 0.9%
Sunnybank Hills — 85+: 2.2% Calamvale — 85+: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Sunnybank Hills 51.7% couple families
Sunnybank Hills — Couple Families: 51.7% Sunnybank Hills — Lone Person: 22.2% Sunnybank Hills — One Parent Families: 17.3% Sunnybank Hills — Group Household: 6.7% Sunnybank Hills — Other Families: 2.1%
Calamvale 57.5% couple families
Calamvale — Couple Families: 57.5% Calamvale — Lone Person: 18.1% Calamvale — One Parent Families: 18.3% Calamvale — Group Household: 4.6% Calamvale — Other Families: 1.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Sunnybank Hills 31.3% renting
Sunnybank Hills — Owned Outright: 36.8% Sunnybank Hills — Mortgage: 31.9% Sunnybank Hills — Renting: 31.3%
Calamvale 35.1% renting
Calamvale — Owned Outright: 25.2% Calamvale — Mortgage: 39.6% Calamvale — Renting: 35.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Bachelor Degree 17.2% / 18.7%
Sunnybank Hills — Bachelor Degree: 17.2% Calamvale — Bachelor Degree: 18.7%
Certificate III & IV 9.1% / 8.3%
Sunnybank Hills — Certificate III & IV: 9.1% Calamvale — Certificate III & IV: 8.3%
Postgraduate Degree 7.8% / 8.4%
Sunnybank Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 7.8% Calamvale — Postgraduate Degree: 8.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 8.1%
Sunnybank Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Calamvale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 1.7%
Sunnybank Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Calamvale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

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.

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
China 15.1% / 13.6%
Sunnybank Hills — China: 15.1% Calamvale — China: 13.6%
Taiwan 6.0% / 4.1%
Sunnybank Hills — Taiwan: 6.0% Calamvale — Taiwan: 4.1%
India 4.0% / 5.9%
Sunnybank Hills — India: 4.0% Calamvale — India: 5.9%
New Zealand 3.3% / 3.8%
Sunnybank Hills — New Zealand: 3.3% Calamvale — New Zealand: 3.8%
Philippines 1.6% / 2.2%
Sunnybank Hills — Philippines: 1.6% Calamvale — Philippines: 2.2%
Vietnam 2.0% / 1.5%
Sunnybank Hills — Vietnam: 2.0% Calamvale — Vietnam: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Sunnybank Hills 84.7% houses
Sunnybank Hills — Houses: 84.7% Sunnybank Hills — Townhouses: 13.6% Sunnybank Hills — Flats / Apartments: 1.7%
Calamvale 63.8% houses
Calamvale — Houses: 63.8% Calamvale — Townhouses: 35.9% Calamvale — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Median house price $1,350,000 $1,357,500
Median unit price $695,000 $708,000
Median land price — $1,391,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 132 sales
 24 days
from 142 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.

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
3 bed $1.11M / $961K
Sunnybank Hills — 3 bed: $1.11M (71 sales) Calamvale — 3 bed: $961K (32 sales)

71 vs 32 sales

4 bed $1.4M / $1.35M
Sunnybank Hills — 4 bed: $1.4M (76 sales) Calamvale — 4 bed: $1.35M (98 sales)

76 vs 98 sales

5 bed $1.77M / $1.62M
Sunnybank Hills — 5 bed: $1.77M (37 sales) Calamvale — 5 bed: $1.62M (38 sales)

37 vs 38 sales

Development activity

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
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.

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Houses 3.4%
$750/wk on $1.15M
 4.1%
$750/wk on $950K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
House price —
same for both
Income — Higher than 71% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 44% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 93% of QLD Higher than 94% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 97% of QLD Higher than 98% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 91% of QLD Higher than 98% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 20% of QLD Higher than 61% of QLD

Liveability

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Grade B
same for both
Score 65/100 61/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Sunnybank Hills carries more crime risk (70 vs 57).

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
70/100
 Moderate
57/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Moderate
50/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 12
within 5 km
 7
within 5 km

Schools

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Inside the suburb 2 3
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 1
Brisbane South (Nathan), 5.3 km
 1
Brisbane South (Nathan), 8.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.4% 2.8%

Schools in Sunnybank Hills

  • Sunnybank Hills State School Government · Primary above peers
  • Autism Queensland Education & Therapy Centre Independent · Combined · Special school

Schools in Calamvale

  • Calamvale Community College Government · Combined below peers
  • Wisdom College Independent · Combined below peers
  • Calamvale Special School Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Supermarkets 6 4
Cafes & restaurants 13 11
Parks & reserves 31 28
Childcare 6 11
GPs 7 6
Pharmacies 4 5
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 5 2
Fuel stations 2
same for both
Waterways 5 0

Mobility

Calamvale sits further from the CBD (19.9 km vs 16.9 km).

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Walkability score 72/100 75/100
Distance to Brisbane 16.9 km 19.9 km
+18% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 22 min 26 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 359.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 203.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.5%
postcode 4109
 2.9%
postcode 4116
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 69
postcode 4109
 74
postcode 4116

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.

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Car (driver) 67.4% / 69.2%
Sunnybank Hills — Car (driver): 67.4% Calamvale — Car (driver): 69.2%
Worked from Home 16.0% / 15.6%
Sunnybank Hills — Worked from Home: 16.0% Calamvale — Worked from Home: 15.6%
Bus 6.6% / 7.2%
Sunnybank Hills — Bus: 6.6% Calamvale — Bus: 7.2%
Car (passenger) 5.6% / 6.1%
Sunnybank Hills — Car (passenger): 5.6% Calamvale — Car (passenger): 6.1%
Train 2.7% / 1.1%
Sunnybank Hills — Train: 2.7% Calamvale — Train: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.2%).

Setting

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Elevation 68 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 58 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 19.4 km 21.8 km

NBN connectivity

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Connectivity score 79/100 97/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 40%
7,208 premises
 87%
6,828 premises

Climate

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
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)

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³ 5.3 µg/m³
PM10 17.3 µg/m³ 14.6 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.99 pphm 0.48 pphm

Council rates

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Average residential rate $1,519/yr
same for both
Council Brisbane
same for both

Federal electorate

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Division Moreton Rankin
Member Julie-Ann Campbell Jim Chalmers
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Sunnybank Hills Calamvale
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Sunnybank Hills

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks River

Calamvale

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Sunnybank Hills

Sunnybank Hills vs Runcorn Sunnybank Hills vs Algester Sunnybank Hills vs Sunnybank Sunnybank Hills vs Acacia Ridge Sunnybank Hills vs Stretton

Other comparisons with Calamvale

Calamvale vs Runcorn Calamvale vs Parkinson Calamvale vs Algester Calamvale vs Drewvale Calamvale vs Stretton
Full data on Sunnybank Hills Full data on Calamvale
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or