Capalaba
Capalaba is well served day-to-day, but far from a train.
Capalaba is well served for the everyday — 3 schools and 9 supermarkets. The trade-offs: the nearest train station is a fair way off (Birkdale, about 5.7 km).
Mostly free-standing houses, with a median age of 39 and households on a median $1,738 a week at the 2021 Census.
Compiled from ABS regional population (SA2), the 2021 Census, SEIFA 2021, RTA median rents, Queensland Police Service reported offences, Brisbane City Council flood awareness data, OpenStreetMap, TransLink timetables and Queensland Open Data.
What's good
- well served for the everyday — 3 schools and 9 supermarkets
What to weigh up
- the nearest train station is a fair way off (Birkdale, about 5.7 km)
Capalaba on the map
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area 2 outline for Capalaba, QLD.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Boundary: ABS SA2 (ASGS 2021), simplified — an SA2 can differ from the gazetted suburb, and detached parts such as islands may not all be shown.
How the population has changed
Capalaba against the Queensland average, both set to 100 in the first year shown so the growth rates compare.
Capalaba population grew from 18,271 in 2016 to 19,277 in 2025, a change of 5.5% over the period, against 17.0% for the Queensland average.
Show the data table
| Year | Capalaba | Queensland average |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 18,271 | 4,845,152 |
| 2017 | 18,663 | 4,926,380 |
| 2018 | 18,765 | 5,006,623 |
| 2019 | 18,820 | 5,088,847 |
| 2020 | 18,748 | 5,165,613 |
| 2021 | 18,577 | 5,215,814 |
| 2022 | 18,668 | 5,310,905 |
| 2023 | 18,968 | 5,450,235 |
| 2024 | 19,118 | 5,571,890 |
| 2025 | 19,277 | 5,669,764 |
Where the growth is coming from
Capalaba gained 1,691 residents from internal migration and 218 from overseas in the year to June 2025, while 1,825 people moved away — a net addition of 84 before natural increase.
- Internal migration in+1,691
- Internal migration out+1,735
- Overseas migration in+218
- Natural increase+75
Components of population change over the sample year. Natural increase is shown apart from migration so the two are not read as one figure.
How it has changed
Census · five-yearlyThe 2016 Census against 2021. Older figures are mapped onto today's boundaries via the ABS Time Series Profile, so comparisons are approximate where borders moved.
| Measure | 2016 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,593 | 18,254 | +3.8% |
| Median age | 38 | 39 | +1 yr |
| Median household income | $1,474/wk | $1,738/wk | +18% |
| Median weekly rent | $355/wk | $383/wk | +7.9% |
| Born overseas | 22.7% | 22.8% | +0.1 pts |
Who lives here
Census · five-yearlyFrom the 2021 Census — the most recent available; 2026 Census data isn't expected until mid-2027. Each figure carries its definition, so you know what is being counted.
People
Income
Housing
Work
Household
Country of birth
Language at home
How homes are held
- Owned outright 30.2%
- Mortgaged 42.1%
- Rented 25.9%
- Other / not stated 1.7%
What it costs to rent
Residential Tenancies Authority · 2026-Q2Median weekly rent for new tenancies, from the Residential Tenancies Authority's bond lodgements. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
Rent over time
All dwellings in Capalaba against the Greater Brisbane median.
Median weekly rent in Capalaba went from $590 in 2024-Q1 to $670 in 2026-Q2, up 14%, against $656 for Greater Brisbane now.
Show the data table
| Year | Capalaba | Greater Brisbane |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q1 | $590 | $562 |
| 2024-Q2 | $640 | $590 |
| 2024-Q3 | $620 | $574 |
| 2024-Q4 | $600 | $594 |
| 2025-Q1 | $620 | $585 |
| 2025-Q2 | $640 | $624 |
| 2025-Q3 | $645 | $612 |
| 2025-Q4 | $640 | $633 |
| 2026-Q1 | $650 | $625 |
| 2026-Q2 | $670 | $656 |
By dwelling type — 2026-Q2 quarter
| Type | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | — | — | $700n=22 | $800n=24 |
| Townhouse | — | — | $720n=11 | — |
| Unit / flat | $248n=22 | — | — | — |
n is the number of new bonds behind each median — treat a figure with a small n as indicative only.
The median weekly rent across all dwellings in Capalaba was $670 for the 2026-Q2 quarter, up 5% on a year earlier. That is $14 a week above the Greater Brisbane median. By type: a 3-bedroom house $700.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median rent | Year on year | Greater Brisbane |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-Q2 | $670 | +4.7% | $656 |
| 2026-Q1 | $650 | +4.8% | $625 |
| 2025-Q4 | $640 | +6.7% | $633 |
| 2025-Q3 | $645 | +4.0% | $612 |
| 2025-Q2 | $640 | +0.0% | $624 |
| 2025-Q1 | $620 | +5.1% | $585 |
| 2024-Q4 | $600 | +5.3% | $594 |
| 2024-Q3 | $620 | +10.7% | $574 |
| 2024-Q2 | $640 | +16.4% | $590 |
| 2024-Q1 | $590 | +12.4% | $562 |
| 2023-Q4 | $570 | +5.6% | $575 |
| 2023-Q3 | $560 | +12.0% | $536 |
| 2023-Q2 | $550 | +10.0% | $526 |
| 2023-Q1 | $525 | +10.5% | $496 |
| 2022-Q4 | $540 | +16.1% | $495 |
| 2022-Q3 | $500 | +13.6% | $455 |
| 2022-Q2 | $500 | +16.3% | $454 |
| 2022-Q1 | $475 | +15.9% | $428 |
| 2021-Q4 | $465 | +16.3% | $436 |
| 2021-Q3 | $440 | +7.3% | $416 |
| 2021-Q2 | $430 | +7.5% | $408 |
| 2021-Q1 | $410 | +2.5% | $405 |
| 2020-Q4 | $400 | −2.4% | $401 |
| 2020-Q3 | $410 | +5.1% | $392 |
| 2020-Q2 | $400 | +0.0% | $383 |
| 2020-Q1 | $400 | +0.0% | $394 |
| 2019-Q4 | $410 | +3.8% | $391 |
| 2019-Q3 | $390 | +2.6% | $384 |
| 2019-Q2 | $400 | +0.0% | $383 |
| 2019-Q1 | $400 | +5.3% | $387 |
| 2018-Q4 | $395 | +6.8% | $383 |
| 2018-Q3 | $380 | −3.8% | $381 |
| 2018-Q2 | $400 | — | $383 |
| 2018-Q1 | $380 | — | $386 |
| 2017-Q4 | $370 | — | $384 |
| 2017-Q3 | $395 | — | $381 |
Rent data © the State of Queensland (Residential Tenancies Authority), used under CC BY 4.0, June 2026 release. Figures are the median for new bonds lodged in the quarter, not all tenancies. The RTA suppresses a median where too few bonds were lodged.
How well-off the area is
Census · five-yearlyThe ABS SEIFA indexes rank every area by relative advantage and disadvantage. Decile 1 is the lowest tenth of Australia; decile 10 is the highest.
- Relative disadvantage (IRSD)Lower decile means more relative disadvantageDecile 5score 1,007
- Advantage & disadvantage (IRSAD)Higher decile means more relative advantageDecile 5score 978
- Economic resources (IER)Income and housing capacityDecile 6score 1,017
- Education & occupation (IEO)Education and occupational skill levelsDecile 4score 953
Safety context
Queensland Police Service · July 2026How much crime is reported where Capalaba sits — measured for its whole police division, because that is the finest area the Queensland Police Service publishes.
Capalaba is policed by the Queensland Police Service Capalaba Division, which also covers Alexandra Hills, Belmont - Gumdale, Birkdale and Thorneside. The reported-offence figures below are for the whole division, not Capalaba specifically.
Most-reported offences · Capalaba Division, last 12 months
- Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry)1,630 /100k−38% vs QLD↓ 11%
- Drug Offences1,215 /100k−27% vs QLD↓ 10%
- Assault558 /100k−47% vs QLD↓ 18%
- Unlawful Entry311 /100k−54% vs QLD↑ 2%
- Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle174 /100k−48% vs QLD↑ 20%
- Robbery23 /100k−49% vs QLD↓ 28%
Rate per 100,000 people across the whole Capalaba Division — not Capalaba on its own; the arrow compares the last 12 months with the 12 before.
Of these categories, other theft is reported most across the whole Capalaba Division over the last 12 months, running 38% below the Queensland rate and down on the year before. None of this is specific to Capalaba — a police division usually spans several suburbs, so treat it as area context, not a street-level read.
Show the data table
| Offence category | Division | Queensland | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry) | 1,630 per 100k | 2,632 per 100k | ↓ 11% vs prior year |
| Drug Offences | 1,215 per 100k | 1,666 per 100k | ↓ 10% vs prior year |
| Assault | 558 per 100k | 1,053 per 100k | ↓ 18% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Entry | 311 per 100k | 677 per 100k | ↑ 2% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle | 174 per 100k | 338 per 100k | ↑ 20% vs prior year |
| Robbery | 23 per 100k | 45 per 100k | ↓ 28% vs prior year |
Crime statistics © State of Queensland (Queensland Police Service), used under CC BY 4.0, updated July 2026. Reported offences are counted for the Capalaba Division; suburb-level detail is not published as open data. Monthly counts are volatile — the 12-month figures above smooth that noise, per QPS’s own guidance.
Flood risk
Brisbane City Council · updated August 2026Has this suburb flooded before, and how much of it does Brisbane City Council map as flood-liable? The historic extents are the ground truth; the likelihood bands are the council's modelling of how often flooding is expected.
Historic flood exposure
- 2022<1%
Share of the suburb inside each event’s mapped flood surface. These maps cover only the river and creek extents of those specific events — being outside them does not mean a property is flood-free.
Capalaba has been within a mapped flood extent before — in 2022.
A suburb rollup can’t tell you about an individual property. Check a specific address on Brisbane City Council’s FloodWise Property Report →
Show the data table
| Measure | Share |
|---|---|
| Within the 2022 flood extent | under 1% of the suburb |
| Council likelihood modelling, all bands | 0% of the suburb |
Flood data © Brisbane City Council, used under CC BY 4.0, updated August 2026. The Flood Awareness Maps are an awareness tool, not a substitute for a FloodWise Property Report or professional advice.
Getting around, and what's nearby
OpenStreetMap · quarterlyWhat OpenStreetMap records inside the suburb boundary. Counts reflect what is tagged in OSM and can undercount a real but less-mapped area. The park count here is OpenStreetMap green space of any kind, including privately held land — it is a different measure from the council parks below.
Within the Capalaba SA2, OpenStreetMap records 2 childcare and kindergarten centres, 12 GP or clinic locations, 9 supermarkets and 36 green spaces. For families: 1 library and 34 playgrounds. Eating out and socialising: 20 cafés, 13 restaurants and 4 pubs and bars. Staying active: 47 sports fields. Also 1 cinema and 6 shopping centres. The nearest train station, Birkdale, is about 5,650 m from the suburb centre. OpenStreetMap also maps 123 bus stops here.
Gyms are not well mapped in OpenStreetMap yet, so no count is shown for it here. See this area on OpenStreetMap →
List every mapped place
Schools
- Coolnwynpin State School
- St. Luke's Catholic Parish School
- Capalaba State College
Childcare & kindergartens
- Goodstart Early Learning
- Capalaba Kids Early Learning
Libraries
- Capalaba Library
Gyms & fitness
- 12RND Fitness
- Jetts Fitness
Cinemas
- BCC Cinemas Capalaba
Shopping centres
- Capalaba Central Shopping Centre
- Capalaba Park Shopping Centre
- Kmart
- Target
- Harvey Norman
- Big W
GPs & clinics
- Pandanus Medical Practice
- Meridale Park Medical Centre
- Capalaba General Practice
- Simantics Skin & Laser Pain Therapy
- Bayside Medical Precinct
- Medlab Pathology
- Cabalaba Central Doctors
- The Hub at CAPALABA
Supermarkets
- Friendly Grocer
- Woolworths
- Coles
- Sunlit Asian Supermarket
- Aldi
- Woolworths
- Golden Circle Factory Outlet
- Flavours of Asia
Green spaces
- Krimmer Place Park
- Silvara Circuit Park
- McTaggart Street Park
- Brosnan Drive Park
- Crighton Court Park
- Lawlor Reserve
- Jacaranda Road park
- Gundagai Drive Park
Parks and trails
Brisbane City Council · biannuallyCouncil park and trail data on this site is published by Brisbane City Council, and covers the Brisbane City Council area only. Capalaba is in Redland City, which does not publish an equivalent open dataset, so no council parks are listed here. The green spaces counted in the amenities section above come from OpenStreetMap and are unaffected.
Park locations © Brisbane City Council 2026; tracks and trails © Brisbane City Council 2025. Used under CC BY 4.0.
Getting to the CBD
TransLink timetablesHow to reach the city centre from Capalaba on public transport — the routes you'd catch here, how long they take and how often they run.
From Capalaba, route 279 runs to the Brisbane CBD in about 43 minutes — it joins the South East Busway at Eight Mile Plains. Times are scheduled and in-vehicle only — they exclude walking, waiting and any transfer.
Routes to the city from Capalaba
- 279Victoria Point Jetty - Brisbane City~43 min · peak only · via the busway at Eight Mile Plains
- 276Victoria Point - Brisbane City~45 min · peak only · via the busway at Eight Mile Plains
- 251Ormiston - Brisbane City~46 min · peak only · via the busway at Buranda
- 275Thornlands - Brisbane City via Finucane Rd~49 min · peak only · via the busway at Buranda
- 281Shoreline Ave Redland Bay - Brisbane City~51 min · peak only · via the busway at Eight Mile Plains
- 273Cleveland - Brisbane City via Redland Bay Rd~54 min · peak only · via the busway at Buranda
- 267Alexandra Hills - Brisbane City~57 min · peak only · via the busway at Buranda
- 243Capalaba - Brisbane City~60 min · peak only · via the busway at Buranda
These are timetabled figures for a typical weekday. Plan a door-to-door trip on the TransLink journey planner →
Show the data table
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Fastest scheduled trip to the Brisbane CBD | about 43 min |
| Typical trip (all services) | about 51 min |
| Best route, morning peak (7–9am) | about every 17 min |
| 279 — Victoria Point Jetty - Brisbane City | about 43 min, joins the busway at Eight Mile Plains |
| 276 — Victoria Point - Brisbane City | about 45 min, joins the busway at Eight Mile Plains |
| 251 — Ormiston - Brisbane City | about 46 min, joins the busway at Buranda |
| 275 — Thornlands - Brisbane City via Finucane Rd | about 49 min, joins the busway at Buranda |
| 281 — Shoreline Ave Redland Bay - Brisbane City | about 51 min, joins the busway at Eight Mile Plains |
| 273 — Cleveland - Brisbane City via Redland Bay Rd | about 54 min, joins the busway at Buranda |
| 267 — Alexandra Hills - Brisbane City | about 57 min, joins the busway at Buranda |
| 243 — Capalaba - Brisbane City | about 60 min, joins the busway at Buranda |
Timetable data © State of Queensland (Department of Transport and Main Roads, TransLink Division), used under CC BY 4.0. Scheduled in-vehicle times for a representative weekday, city-bound — they exclude walking, waiting and transfer time, and real running times vary with traffic.
Schools
Every open Queensland school whose campus sits inside the SA2 boundary, with the average ICSEA across them. Open a school for its own ICSEA, student background and a link to My School.
The Capalaba SA2 contains 3 schools — 2 primary schools and 1 combined school, of which 2 are government and 1 non-government. Its schools with a published ICSEA average 1009 (1000 is the national average); each school's own figure and student background are on its page. NAPLAN results for each school are on its My School profile (ACARA). For area context, Capalaba sits in decile 4 of the ABS SEIFA index of education and occupation nationally and 59% of adults here completed Year 12 (Census 2021).
The centre of this SA2 is zoned for Coolnwynpin State School (primary), Capalaba State College (junior secondary), Capalaba State College (senior secondary).
Parts of the SA2 also fall in the catchment of Vienna Woods State School (primary), Alexandra Hills State School (primary), Birkdale South State School (primary), Capalaba State College (primary), Hilliard State School (primary), Bay View State School (primary), Alexandra Hills State High School (junior secondary), Alexandra Hills State High School (senior secondary).
Catchments can divide a suburb — confirm your address on EdMap.
Show school list
- Coolnwynpin State School · State · Prep–6
- St Luke's Catholic Parish School (Capalaba) · Catholic · Prep–6
- Capalaba State College · State · Prep–12
School list & catchments: Queensland Government Open Data (Department of Education), licensed CC BY 4.0. ICSEA: ACARA School Profile. NAPLAN: myschool.edu.au (ACARA).
Nearby, in Capalaba
Others in the same ABS district, by population growth. If this one doesn't fit, one of these might.
- HereCapalaba+0.8%
- 01Birkdale+0.8%
- 02Alexandra Hills+0.8%
- 03Belmont - Gumdale+0.8%
- 04Wellington Point+0.7%
- 05Thorneside-0.1%
Dots place each suburb's growth on the same scale, slowest at left.
Capalaba: common questions
Is Capalaba a good place to live?
How much does it cost to rent in Capalaba?
Has Capalaba ever flooded?
Is Capalaba a safe suburb?
How long is the commute from Capalaba to the Brisbane CBD?
What schools are in Capalaba?
What amenities and public transport does Capalaba have?
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