Sheldon

Schools in Sheldon iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

The median age of 47 is 7.0 years above the national figure, and the senior share rose 3.7 points over the decade as the young-adult share fell 2.2 points. Average household size of 3.1 is 0.6 above national, driven by couples with children making up the dominant family type. Residents born overseas account for 19.4%, which is 2.2 points below the national rate, with ancestry led by English (758), Scottish (210) and Irish (204). University qualifications at 33.6% sit 3.5 points above the national average, consistent with the professional household profile. The volunteering rate of 17.5% points to a well-established community with stable long-term residents.

Sheldon's housing stock is unusually uniform: 99.3% separate houses, with 72.5% having 4 or more bedrooms. Tenure leans strongly toward ownership, with 49.3% owning outright and 45.5% on a mortgage, leaving renters at just 5.1%, far below state and national averages. The estimated median house price of $649,000 reflects a rent-derived estimate for 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,600, with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.5%, below the stress threshold. Outright ownership at nearly half of all dwellings, compared to the national figure closer to 31%, signals long-held properties and low forced-sale risk. Vacancy at 2.9% is in the moderate range.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare leads local employment at 16.2% of workers (101 people), followed by Construction at 15.3% (95) and Education at 11.1% (69). Professional/Technical services at 10.9% (68 workers) is the fourth sector. By occupation, Professionals (210) and Managers (148) dominate, consistent with the IRSAD decile 8 and IEO decile 7 scores. Full-time employment reaches 61.2% of the employed workforce. The unemployment rate of 4.2% sits slightly above the national average of around 4%, and participation at 58.7% is moderate, reflecting the older median age of 47 with 485 residents not in the labour force. Real incomes grew 7.0% over the decade.

Transport to Work

Sheldon is almost entirely car-dependent: 90.9% of residents drive to work, and only 1.0% use public transport, well below state and national averages. The 22.76 km2 area with just 1,762 people gives 77.4 residents per km2, so distances to services are real. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, requiring families to rely on surrounding areas. The IRSAD decile of 8 and IRSD decile of 10 mark Sheldon as advantaged nationally, with housing stress absent at a rent-to-income ratio of 18.5%. Only 4.6% of residents need daily assistance. The low turnover rate of 19.5%, with 80.5% of residents having stayed, indicates genuine long-term residential satisfaction.

Population Forecast

Population grew 28.7% over the past decade, from roughly 1,369 to 1,762, and the medium forecast puts the broader SA2 reaching 9,800 by 2030 at 1.77% annual growth. Overseas migration drives inflows at a net 34 per year, while internal migration produces a net outflow of 30 per year. The gentrification score of 23 registers as early signs, supported by population growth above 30% since 2011, though the suburb starts from an already-advantaged base at IRSD decile 10. Affordability improved from 50.1% in 2011 to 45.2% in 2021, suggesting housing costs have grown more slowly than incomes. No COVID population dip was recorded, pointing to consistent demand.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Sheldon compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

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