Capel Sound
A 35.2% vacancy rate is the standout feature of Capel Sound, alongside a median age of 59 that sits 19 years above the national figure. The 5,246 residents live in a compact 4.64 sq km coastal suburb, with 71.0% separate houses and household income at the 11.0th percentile nationally. Compared with nearby Rosebud and Rye, its distinctive profile is an older, smaller-household market shaped by retirees and part-time living rather than large families.
Population
5,246
Median Age
59.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$950/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
16
Median House
$747K
October to December 2025
Buyers are mostly choosing three-bedroom homes at 49.4% or two-bedroom homes at 34.4%, while 71.0% of stock is separate houses and 24.0% is semi-detached. Mortgage repayments of $1,603 monthly and mortgage costs equal to 39.0% of income signal affordability pressure, even with 37.4% owning outright. Compared with apartment-led coastal options, the older 59-year median age supports downsizers and couples more than large families.
For Buyers
Buyers are mostly choosing three-bedroom homes at 49.4% or two-bedroom homes at 34.4%, while 71.0% of stock is separate houses and 24.0% is semi-detached. Mortgage repayments of $1,603 monthly and mortgage costs equal to 39.0% of income signal affordability pressure, even with 37.4% owning outright. Compared with apartment-led coastal options, the older 59-year median age supports downsizers and couples more than large families.
For Investors
Rental conditions need careful reading: weekly rent is $350, with 28.2% of dwellings rented, but vacancy is an unusually high 35.2%. That combination can limit rent reliability and increase reletting risk, even though rent has risen 32.0% across the wider area. Seventeen development applications in 12 months indicate ongoing planning activity, but not necessarily a large increase in supply. The 1.9-person average household size and 37.4% outright ownership point to a mature market. Compared with tighter rental markets, conservative vacancy assumptions are more important here because available stock can remain unoccupied.
Development Activity
Total DAs
41
Last 12 Months
16
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Capel Sound
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Eastbourne Primary School
Demographics
Capel Sound has a median age of 59, 19 years above the national figure, and an average household size of 1.9, which is 0.6 below national. Those figures align with 51.4% of families being couples without children and 22.5% being one-parent families, while 15.1% of residents need assistance. English ancestry is reported by 2,273 people, followed by Scottish at 578 and Irish at 524. Christianity at 2,371 and no religion at 2,258 are near-even. Compared with the broader Rosebud-Rye corridor, the 18.1% university share is 12 percentage points below national, reflecting a more locally rooted population.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
71.0%
Houses
24.0%
Townhouse
3.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Capel Sound's housing market is detached-led but financially mixed. Separate houses account for 71.0%, semi-detached homes 24.0%, and apartments 3.4%. Tenure is split between outright owners at 37.4%, mortgagors at 20.4%, and renters at 28.2%, while 14.0% sit in other arrangements. With household income at $950 weekly and mortgage-to-income at 39.0%, ownership costs are higher than comfortable for many buyers. Compared with apartment-heavy coastal precincts, the stock favours space because detached homes dominate, but that does not remove affordability pressure.
Mortgage / mo
$1,603
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$350
Census 2021
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$558
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
35.2%
Unoccupied
1,272
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
36.8% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
39.0% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.4%
Couples with children
51.4%
Couples, no children
22.5%
Single parent
1,297
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 22.8% with 230 workers, followed by construction at 13.7% and 138, education at 9.4% and 95, retail at 9.0% and 91, and hospitality at 7.7% and 78. Trades are the largest occupation group at 313, ahead of community and personal work at 239 and labourers at 223. The 4.8% unemployment rate sits below half of the employed workforce in full-time participation, which is 49.0%, while 2,454 people are outside the labour force. Compared with younger employment hubs, the economy is more service-and-trades oriented because the median age of 59 reduces full-time labour participation.
Unemployment
4.8%
Labour Force
1,706
Unemployed
82
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
49.0%
Part-time
40.1%
Participation
37.2%
Employed
1,624
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.1%
Postgraduate
2.6%
Born Overseas
19.2%
Dwellings
2,333
Transport to Work
Daily life is car dependent: 76.3% drive to work, only 0.2% use public transport and 2.9% walk or cycle, while 15.0% work from home. One local government primary school serves the suburb, so families should check enrolment zones and secondary-school access beyond Capel Sound before buying. Crime is 79.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 415 total offences and property and deception accounting for 218, making address-level checks sensible. SEIFA places the suburb in IRSAD decile 4 and IRSD decile 4, while education and occupation deciles diverge at IEO 2 versus IER 7. Compared with a transit-oriented suburb, the lifestyle suits residents with cars because work trips and services are not strongly public-transport based.
Drive
76.3%
Public Transport
0.2%
Walk / Cycle
2.9%
Work from Home
15.0%
Population Forecast
+1.36%/yr
(+82 people/yr)
EstablishedCapel Sound's growth outlook is established but not explosive: the forecast trend is 1.36% annually, with internal migration the primary driver. Across the wider area, population change is 16.3% over 10 years, while the trajectory is labelled Aging, including a 7.4 percentage-point rise in senior share and a 3.6-point fall in young share. Gentrification is at Early signs with a score of 32, while affordability is marked Stable at 44.5% in both 2011 and 2021. This mix suggests demand is being added by incoming households and lifestyle moves rather than a younger family surge, so growth should be steadier than in a major greenfield corridor.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+15
Net Internal / yr
+70
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +24% since 2011, Net internal migration +70/yr, Accelerating: 8% → 15%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
415
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
79.1
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Capel Sound compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Capel Sound a good suburb to live in?
Capel Sound can suit buyers seeking a coastal, older, low-density setting: the median age is 59, 71.0% of homes are separate houses and 76.3% of workers drive. The trade-off is a 35.2% vacancy rate and only 0.2% public-transport use, so inspect the exact street and plan around driving.
What schools are in Capel Sound?
One local school is listed: Eastbourne Primary School, a government primary school. Families should verify the exact enrolment zone and secondary options, because school access can cross suburb boundaries. Capel Sound's university-educated share is 18.1%, which is 12 percentage points below national.
Is Capel Sound safe?
The recorded crime rate is 79.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 415 total offences and 218 property and deception offences. Treat that as a reason to check recent street-level conditions, lighting and insurance rather than as a guarantee about any individual address.
Is Capel Sound good for property investment?
Investment conditions are mixed. Weekly rent is $350 and 28.2% of homes are rented, but vacancy is 35.2%, which can increase letting risk. Rent growth across the wider area is 32.0%, while 17 development applications in 12 months suggest some ongoing activity.
How is Capel Sound's population changing?
Population change across the wider area is forecast at 16.3% over 10 years, with a 1.36% annual trend driven by internal migration. The trajectory is Aging: senior share is up 7.4 points and young share is down 3.6 points, so change is more likely to reinforce the older profile than reverse it.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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