Caboolture
Sitting 50km north of Brisbane CBD on the Bruce Highway, Caboolture has grown 54.5% in a decade to 29,534 residents , a faster expansion than most established Brisbane suburbs, yet it ranks in SEIFA's bottom decile (IRSD 877) on every disadvantage index. The contradiction defines the place: a working-class regional service centre absorbing 308 overseas migrants and 79 internal movers annually, with healthcare employing 23.1% of the workforce (more than double the national share) thanks to Caboolture Hospital and surrounding aged care. Where Buderim trades on Sunshine Coast hinterland prestige and Southport on Gold Coast CBD density, Caboolture is the affordability gateway between them , Bribie Island access, 43.9% four-bedroom housing stock, and household income at the 31st percentile nationally. The 5.9% rental vacancy rate sits well above tight metro benchmarks, signalling supply abundance rather than scarcity.
Population
29,534
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,310/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
247
Median House
$409K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Caboolture's housing stock skews toward larger detached homes built for families , 43.9% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 77.5% are separate houses, well above Brisbane inner-suburb apartment-heavy mixes. Mortgage-to-income sits at a manageable 27.5%, below the 30% stress threshold and improving from 56.1% affordability pressure in 2011 to 48.1% in 2021 (a rare improving trajectory in SEQ). Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,561, materially lower than Buderim or Southport equivalents where Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast premiums apply. The trade-off is composition: SEIFA Education and Occupation decile 1 means buyers are entering a community where 15.5% hold university degrees (14.6 percentage points below the national average) and labourers are the largest occupation group at 2,071 workers. Owner-occupiers hold 56.4% combined (outright + mortgage), so the renter-heavy 43.6% share concentrates in specific estates rather than dominating.
For Buyers
Caboolture's housing stock skews toward larger detached homes built for families , 43.9% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 77.5% are separate houses, well above Brisbane inner-suburb apartment-heavy mixes. Mortgage-to-income sits at a manageable 27.5%, below the 30% stress threshold and improving from 56.1% affordability pressure in 2011 to 48.1% in 2021 (a rare improving trajectory in SEQ). Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,561, materially lower than Buderim or Southport equivalents where Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast premiums apply. The trade-off is composition: SEIFA Education and Occupation decile 1 means buyers are entering a community where 15.5% hold university degrees (14.6 percentage points below the national average) and labourers are the largest occupation group at 2,071 workers. Owner-occupiers hold 56.4% combined (outright + mortgage), so the renter-heavy 43.6% share concentrates in specific estates rather than dominating.
For Investors
The investor case rests on yield and growth, not capital prestige. With weekly rent at $310 and a renter share of 43.6%, Caboolture sits firmly in cashflow-positive territory at typical $500-600k entry points , a different proposition to Buderim or Southport where capital growth dominates total return. The 5.9% vacancy rate is the warning flag: it sits well above the sub-2% benchmark of tight Brisbane markets and signals that 228 development applications lodged in the past 12 months are adding stock faster than absorption. Migration mechanics favour holding power: overseas inflow averaging 308 persons annually drives the primary demand engine, with internal migration adding 79 more. Rent growth of 12.5% over the recent cycle plus an 8% gentrification score (early signs only) means investors should underwrite for steady yield rather than the rapid revaluation seen in better-ranked Moreton Bay LGA pockets.
Development Activity
Total DAs
465
Last 12 Months
247
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+49.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Caboolture iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Caboolture Montessori School
Prep-6 · 218 students
Australian Christian College - Moreton
Prep-12 · 2110 students
St Paul's Lutheran Primary School
Prep-6 · 339 students
St Michael's College
Prep-6 · 368 students
St Columban's College
7-12 · 1171 students
Demographics
Median age 36 runs four years below the national figure, but the suburb carries an aging trajectory , senior share has grown 5.2 percentage points over the decade while the young share has slipped 2.3pp, mirroring outer-ring SEQ pattern rather than the youthful churn of Southport's beachside renter base. Ancestry tilts sharply Anglo: 11,640 English, 2,661 Scottish, 2,609 Irish, with overseas-born share at just 19% (2.6pp below the national 21.6%). Top non-English languages are Mandarin (110 speakers), Malayalam (72) and Samoan (71) , small communities reflecting nursing and trades migration through Caboolture Hospital and Bribie Island construction rather than the Mandarin-heavy white-collar inflow seen in Brisbane northern middle-ring suburbs. Average household size 2.6 sits a hair above national (0.1 above); 24.3% of families are couples without children, consistent with the seniors-share growth.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
77.5%
Houses
19.7%
Townhouse
2.2%
Apartment
Tenure
The dwelling mix is characteristically outer-corridor: 77.5% separate houses, 19.7% semi-detached, and just 2.2% apartments , almost the inverse of Southport's apartment-led Gold Coast CBD profile. Tenure splits 21.5% owned outright, 34.9% with a mortgage, and 43.6% rented , the renter share runs roughly 12 percentage points higher than the national average, reflecting the volume of investor-owned three and four-bedroom stock. Bedrooms tell the family story: 43.9% have four or more, 37% have three, and only 5.6% are studios or one-bedroom. Mortgage stress doesn't trigger (27.5% mortgage-to-income, below the 30% threshold) and rent stress is similarly contained at 23.7%. The improving affordability trend from 2011 to 2021 is unusual in SEQ , most growth-corridor suburbs deteriorated over the same window , and reflects wage growth of 6.7% real income outpacing local price moves.
Mortgage / mo
$1,561
Rent / wk
$310
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$640
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.9%
Unoccupied
647
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.3%
Couples, no children
22,002
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare and social assistance employ 23.1% of Caboolture's workers (1,649 jobs), more than double the national 13% share , a direct function of Caboolture Hospital, the regional referral centre serving the wider Moreton Bay north corridor, plus aged care and disability services tied to the aging trajectory. Construction follows at 11.3% (804 workers), driven by the 228 lodged development applications and broader greenfield expansion. Education (9.2%), retail (8.2%) and manufacturing (6.7%) round out the top five. Occupations skew blue-collar: labourers lead at 2,071, ahead of community/personal services (1,776), clerical/admin (1,344), and professionals at just 1,280 , well below what Buderim or middle-ring Brisbane suburbs report. Unemployment runs 8.5% versus the national 4.3%, and SEIFA decile 1 across IRSD, IRSAD and IEO confirms structural disadvantage. Participation rate at 48.9% lags national norms by roughly 16 percentage points.
Unemployment
7.2%
Labour Force
12,719
Unemployed
913
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.2%
Part-time
30.3%
Participation
48.9%
Employed
10,455
Occupations
Top Industries
University
15.5%
Postgraduate
2.1%
Born Overseas
19.0%
Dwellings
10,276
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total: 85.8% drive to work, just 2.7% take public transport despite the Caboolture Line terminus, and 2.4% walk or cycle , a mobility profile typical of detached-dominant outer SEQ rather than Southport's beachside walk-share or inner-Brisbane PT take-up. The school slate is broad with ten institutions, ICSEA spanning 936 to 1069: Caboolture Montessori School leads at ICSEA 1069 (218 students, Independent primary), Australian Christian College Moreton at 1046 (2,110 students, Combined), and St Paul's Lutheran at 1042. Government secondaries Caboolture State High (ICSEA 942, 1,373 enrolled) and Tullawong State High (936, 897 enrolled) sit below the 1000 national mean , consistent with the SEIFA decile 1 catchment. Volunteering rate at 10.4% trails the national 14% benchmark. Bruce Highway access plus 50km separation from Brisbane CBD frames the trade-off: cheaper, larger lots than Buderim, but commute time and amenity density both run materially behind.
Drive
85.8%
Public Transport
2.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.72%/yr
(+542 people/yr)
EstablishedForecast trend places Caboolture at +2.72% annual population growth (542 persons/year) through 2031, taking the population to 23,546 on the medium scenario , sustaining the 54.5% decade gain that already outpaces most established Brisbane suburbs. The driver mix matters: overseas migration contributes 308 persons annually versus internal at 79, so growth is inflow-led rather than churn-led. Gentrification scores 20 with stage flagged 'Early signs' , well below tipping-point thresholds and a different trajectory to Buderim's amenity-driven repositioning. Rent has grown 12.5% recently, real income 6.7%, and affordability has moved from 56.1% mortgage-to-income in 2011 to 48.1% in 2021 (improving , rare in SEQ growth corridors). The 228 dev applications in the trailing 12 months, mostly low-rise residential and minor works, signal continued supply response rather than densification.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+308
Net Internal / yr
+79
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Net internal migration +79/yr, Strong overseas inflow +308/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Caboolture compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caboolture a good suburb to live in?
Caboolture suits buyers prioritising space and price over amenity density , 77.5% of homes are separate houses, 43.9% have 4+ bedrooms, and household income runs at the 31st percentile. SEIFA scores all rank in decile 1, so it's a working-class community rather than an aspirational catchment.
What is the median house price in Caboolture?
Public median price data isn't available in our brief, but rent at $310/week and average mortgage repayments of $1,561/month place Caboolture firmly below Brisbane metro and well below Buderim or Southport benchmarks. Mortgage-to-income sits at 27.5%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Caboolture?
Ten schools operate in the suburb. Top ICSEA scores: Caboolture Montessori (1069, 218 students), Australian Christian College Moreton (1046, 2,110), St Paul's Lutheran (1042). Government secondaries Caboolture State High (942) and Tullawong State High (936) both sit below the 1000 national mean.
Is Caboolture good for property investment?
Renter share is 43.6% and rent has grown 12.5% recently, supporting yield. The risk is supply: 228 development applications were lodged in 12 months and vacancy runs 5.9%, well above tight metro benchmarks under 2%. Migration adds 387 persons net annually (308 overseas + 79 internal).
How is Caboolture's population changing?
Population has grown 54.5% over the past decade to 29,534 residents and is forecast to add 542 persons annually through 2031 (+2.72%). Overseas migration drives 308 of that, internal 79. Senior share has risen 5.2pp while young share fell 2.3pp , an aging trajectory.
What is the main industry in Caboolture?
Healthcare and social assistance employs 23.1% of workers (1,649 jobs) , more than double the national 13% share, driven by Caboolture Hospital and aged care. Construction follows at 11.3% (804 workers), supported by 228 development applications lodged in the past year.
How long is the commute from Caboolture to Brisbane?
Caboolture sits 50km north of Brisbane CBD with Bruce Highway and the Caboolture rail line as the two corridors. Despite that, only 2.7% of workers use public transport while 85.8% drive , a car-dependence ratio typical of detached-dominant outer SEQ suburbs.
Is housing affordable in Caboolture?
Affordability has improved from 56.1% mortgage-to-income in 2011 to 48.1% in 2021 , unusual in SEQ where most growth corridors worsened. Current mortgage-to-income at 27.5% sits below the 30% stress threshold, and rent stress is also contained at 23.7%.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
Explore Caboolture on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map