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Suburb Insights · QLD 4551

Caloundra West, QLD 4551 Property Profile

ABS 2021 Census · Updated 21 May 2026

Suburb Overview

Caloundra West is a coastal suburb in Queensland, Australia, with a population of approximately 7,270, making it a smaller community. Located approximately 75 km from the Brisbane CBD, Caloundra West is a coastal area in Queensland. The median household income is $81,692 per year.

Investment Score

54 / 100 Moderate

Moderate income levels in Caloundra West indicate steady rental demand from working households. The coastal setting provides a lifestyle factor that underpins property values.

Location

Brisbane
Caloundra West
Queensland · 4551
75 km from Brisbane CBD
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Key Indicators

Postcode
4551

Official Australia Post postcode for Caloundra West. A postcode may cover multiple suburbs.

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Population
7,270

Usual resident population at the most recent census.

Median weekly rent
$465/wk

Weekly median rent for occupied homes. Live rental data integration coming soon.

Median household income
$81,692/yr

Annual median household income (before tax) across all households.

Distance to CBD
75 km

Straight-line distance from the suburb centroid to the nearest capital city CBD. Actual driving distance will be longer.

Lifestyle & Amenities

Schools nearby
2

Estimated 2 schools within or near this suburb.

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Parks & green spaces
3

Estimated 3 parks and green spaces near this suburb.

Median monthly mortgage
$1,842/mo

Monthly median mortgage repayment for households currently paying off a mortgage.

Home type
80% houses

Proportion of separate houses versus units, townhouses, and other home types. Useful for investors assessing rental demand mix.

Why People Like Living in Caloundra West

Who Caloundra West Suits

👨‍👩‍👧FamiliesSchool count or dwelling mix is lighter here.
📊InvestorsRent covers a solid share of the median mortgage.
🏡First-home buyersPrices sit above the Queensland median — stretch goal.
💼ProfessionalsLonger commute to the CBD.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Local parks and reserves (around 3) add to liveability.
  • Solid transport links into employment hubs.
  • Coastal lifestyle attracts renters and owner-occupiers alike.

Cons

  • Long distance to the CBD (75 km) — plan for commute time or local employment.
  • Traffic can build during peak hours, especially on arterial roads.

Investment Insight

Caloundra West's population of 7,270 sits 33% above the Queensland suburb median of 5,474, giving it a wider tenant and buyer catchment than the average QLD locality. Household income of $81,692/year is 10% below the Queensland median of $90,298, typically translating into lower entry prices and a tenant base more sensitive to rent increases. Median weekly rent of $465 equates to $2,015/month — about 109% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,842/month — meaning rental income covers most of a typical owner's repayment and this is a genuine cash-flow suburb before tax benefits. Caloundra West is 75 km from Brisbane, so the local market tracks regional employment and lifestyle drivers more than CBD-driven commuter demand.

Investment Tip

This suburb can suit investors targeting renter demand driven by lifestyle. Insurance, climate risk, and seasonal rental patterns all warrant a close look. Local rents consume roughly 30% of household income — a useful sanity check on tenant affordability.

Caloundra West vs Queensland Median

How Caloundra West stacks up against the median of all Queensland suburbs in our dataset. Positive values mean Caloundra West sits above the state median; negative means below.

MetricCaloundra WestQLD medianΔ vs state
Population7,2705,474+33%
Median household income$81,692/yr$90,298/yr-10%
Median rent (weekly)$465$385+21%
Median mortgage (monthly)$1,842$1,733+6%
Distance to CBD75 km62 km+21%
Separate houses80%77%+3pp

Investor Checklist

Pre-inspection briefing for Caloundra West — every item is derived from public datasets, with full citations in our data sources page.

Investment Strategy

⚠️
Buy & Hold

Moderate buy-and-hold potential: Caloundra West's 7,270-person market and $81,692 median household income work for investors who are selective on street location and property quality rather than counting on a suburb-wide rerating.

Rental Yield

Strong rental coverage: $465/week (~$2,015/month) covers 109% of the $1,842/month median mortgage repayment, so the shortfall sits at just $0/month. Investors targeting positive cash flow should shortlist this suburb.

⚠️
Renovation / Flip

With 80% houses in a 7,270-person market, renovation margins depend on individual street and aspect rather than any suburb-wide story — do comparable-sales analysis before committing capital.

Risk Factors

Run the numbers on a Caloundra West property

Full Property Analysis

30-year projections for Caloundra West

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2026 Outlook

Growth: Moderate Rental Demand: Moderate Investor Sentiment: Moderate

Property values in Caloundra West should track the wider Queensland market through 2026, with the $81,692/year median household income (10% below the $90,298 state median) keeping the suburb firmly mid-pack. Rental coverage runs at ~109% of the typical mortgage ($2,015/month rent vs $1,842/month repayment), keeping cash flow in positive or near-neutral territory. The EquitySight investment score of 54/100 places Caloundra West in the mid tier of Australian suburbs we profile, and overall investor sentiment is balanced heading into the second half of 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Caloundra West a good suburb for investment?

Caloundra West scores 54/100 on our EquitySight investment framework — a moderate rating. That score is driven by a population of 7,270, median household income of $81,692/year and median weekly rent of $465. Whether it fits your portfolio depends on whether you are targeting cash flow, capital growth, or a value-add renovation — all three are scored with suburb-specific numbers elsewhere on this page.

What drives property demand in Caloundra West?

The main demand drivers in Caloundra West are a median household income of $81,692/year, a dwelling mix that is 80% separate houses, roughly 2 schools and 3 parks within the catchment. Together these shape both owner-occupier and tenant demand and are the factors we weight most heavily in the suburb's investment score.

What is the population of Caloundra West?

Caloundra West has a usual resident population of approximately 7,270, compared with a Queensland suburb median of 5,474 — placing it in the upper half of the state's suburbs by size. Population is the clearest proxy for market depth: more residents mean more transactions and typically a shorter average days-on-market on resale.

How far is Caloundra West from the Brisbane CBD?

Caloundra West sits 75 km straight-line from the Brisbane CBD. This is a regional market where CBD distance is only indicative — local industry diversity and commute alternatives matter more.

What is the median rent in Caloundra West?

The most recent census recorded a median weekly rent of $465 in Caloundra West, equating to approximately $24,180/year in gross rental income (state median $385/week). Market rents have typically drifted above the recorded figure — verify against current listings on realestate.com.au and Domain before making an offer.

What is the typical mortgage repayment in Caloundra West?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Caloundra West is $1,842, or approximately $22,104/year (vs $1,733/month state median). Stress-test your own borrowing at rates 1–2 percentage points above today's to make sure you can still service the loan through an RBA tightening cycle.

Is Caloundra West cash-flow positive for investors?

A median weekly rent of $465 works out to $2,015/month, covering 109% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,842/month. That means rent exceeds the median repayment by roughly $173/month, so on these numbers Caloundra West leans cash-flow-positive before accounting for strata, council rates, insurance and maintenance. Actual cash flow depends on your deposit, loan terms, ownership costs and marginal tax rate — run the full numbers in our rental yield calculator.

What are the main risks of investing in Caloundra West?

The main risks are interest-rate sensitivity on the $1,842 median mortgage, the broader Queensland market cycle. Each of these is covered in the Risk Factors section above with suburb-specific numbers rather than generic warnings.

How we built this Caloundra West profile

Every number on this page comes from the ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing, Australia Post postcode reference data, and OpenStreetMap amenity tiles. The investment score, strategy verdicts, and comparison table are computed deterministically from those inputs — no opinion, no estimation. See our full methodology and the data sources and licences for the formulas we use.

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Queensland Property Resources