# Caloundra vs Nicklin — 2021 Census comparison

State Electorate comparison · about 34 km apart

Caloundra and Nicklin are two nearby Sunshine Coast areas with very different layouts. Caloundra is more urban and accessible, with a walkability score of 5.0 (somewhat walkable), while Nicklin is mostly car-dependent with a score of 3.9. This difference is clear in the housing and amenities; Caloundra has far more flats and apartments and significantly more homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries (61.0%) and parks (91.2%). In contrast, Nicklin is dominated by separate houses, which are far higher there at 84.1% compared to 69.8% in Caloundra.

While the two areas share a typical resident age of 44, the gap in how many people rent has narrowed since 2011, now sitting at 29.5% in Caloundra and 23.4% in Nicklin. Both areas have similar proportions of children under 15 and nearly identical typical weekly household incomes. Caloundra has seen a higher number of people moving in recently, with 52.9% arriving in the last five years compared to 43.7% in Nicklin.

## Where they differ most

- Separate houses: 14.2 pts higher in Nicklin
- Recent movers: 9.2 pts higher in Caloundra
- Recent arrivals: 5.5 pts higher in Caloundra
- Rent: $60 higher in Caloundra
- Renting: 6.1 pts higher in Caloundra

## Demographics & Identity

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 56,213 | 49,746 | 6,467 larger in Caloundra | gap narrowing |
| Median age | 44 yrs | 44 yrs |  | gap narrowing |
| First Nations | 2.7% | 3.2% | 0.5 pts higher in Nicklin | gap narrowing |
| Aged 65+ | 22.8% | 21.5% | 1.3 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |
| Under 15 | 17.4% | 17.9% | 0.5 pts higher in Nicklin | gap steady |
| De facto | 12.1% | 13.0% | 0.9 pts higher in Nicklin | gap narrowing |

### Age structure

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Older adults (45–64) | 26.4% | 27.4% | -1.1 |
| Young adults (25–44) | 23.0% | 22.6% | +0.4 |
| Seniors (65+) | 22.8% | 21.5% | +1.3 |
| Children (0–14) | 17.4% | 17.9% | -0.5 |
| Youth (15–24) | 10.4% | 10.6% | -0.2 |

### Marital status

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Married | 49.2% | 46.8% | +2.4 |
| Never married | 30.5% | 32.4% | -1.9 |
| Divorced | 11.1% | 11.7% | -0.7 |
| Widowed | 5.6% | 5.4% | +0.2 |
| Separated | 3.7% | 3.7% | +0.0 |

### Age profile

Share of each region's population by age band and sex.

| Age band | Caloundra male | Caloundra female | Nicklin male | Nicklin female |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0–4 | 2.8% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.6% |
| 5–9 | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| 10–14 | 3.2% | 3.0% | 3.6% | 3.2% |
| 15–19 | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| 20–24 | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| 25–29 | 2.5% | 3.0% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| 30–34 | 2.7% | 3.0% | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| 35–39 | 2.8% | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.2% |
| 40–44 | 2.7% | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| 45–49 | 3.1% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3.6% |
| 50–54 | 3.1% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.6% |
| 55–59 | 2.9% | 3.5% | 3.2% | 3.7% |
| 60–64 | 3.3% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 3.6% |
| 65–69 | 3.0% | 3.4% | 3.0% | 3.3% |
| 70–74 | 3.0% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 2.9% |
| 75–79 | 2.3% | 2.4% | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| 80–84 | 1.3% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| 85+ | 1.1% | 1.4% | 1.0% | 1.5% |

## Ancestry & Birthplace

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born overseas | 20.2% | 17.0% | 3.2 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |

### Country of birth

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 75.1% | 77.6% | -2.5 |
| England | 5.7% | 5.3% | +0.4 |
| New Zealand | 4.7% | 3.6% | +1.1 |
| South Africa | 1.1% | 0.9% | +0.2 |
| India | 0.9% | 0.3% | +0.6 |
| Philippines | 0.4% | 0.5% | -0.1 |
| Nepal | 0.3% | 0.1% | +0.3 |
| Italy | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| China | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Vietnam | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0 |

### Ancestry

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English | 45.6% | 46.2% | -0.6 |
| Australian | 36.3% | 38.2% | -1.8 |
| Scottish | 11.8% | 12.4% | -0.6 |
| Irish | 12.2% | 12.4% | -0.2 |
| German | 6.4% | 7.1% | -0.7 |
| Italian | 2.6% | 2.1% | +0.5 |
| Dutch | 1.8% | 2.2% | -0.4 |
| Indian | 1.1% | 0.5% | +0.6 |
| Chinese | 0.8% | 0.8% | +0.0 |
| Filipino | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.0 |
| Greek | 0.5% | 0.3% | +0.2 |
| Vietnamese | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0 |

## Language

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Other language | 6.2% | 4.4% | 1.7 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |
| Limited English | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.1 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |

### Language used at home

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English only | 89.1% | 90.3% | -1.2 |
| Punjabi | 0.4% | 0.1% | +0.3 |
| Mandarin | 0.3% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Italian | 0.3% | 0.2% | +0.1 |
| Tagalog | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.0 |
| Hindi | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.1 |
| Vietnamese | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0 |
| Cantonese | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0 |
| Greek | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.0 |
| Arabic | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1 |

## Religion

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 44.7% | 48.1% | 3.4 pts higher in Nicklin | gap narrowing |

### Religious affiliation

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 44.7% | 48.1% | -3.4 |
| Christianity | 46.2% | 42.0% | +4.2 |
| Not stated | 6.5% | 7.8% | -1.3 |
| Buddhism | 0.9% | 1.1% | -0.3 |
| Hinduism | 0.7% | 0.3% | +0.5 |
| Other religions | 0.7% | 0.4% | +0.2 |
| Islam | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.0 |
| Judaism | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0 |

## Education & Qualifications

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 53.2% | 51.2% | 2.0 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |
| Bachelor+ | 19.0% | 17.4% | 1.6 pts higher in Caloundra | gap steady |
| Schools/1k kids | 1.74 | 2.14 | 0.40 more in Nicklin |  |
| Schools ≤3 km | 17 | 19 | 2 more in Nicklin |  |
| Students | 10,269 | 10,300 | 31 more in Nicklin |  |
| Avg size | 604 | 542 | 62 larger in Caloundra |  |
| ICSEA | 1,028 | 1,031 | 4 higher in Nicklin |  |

### Highest year of school

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 53.2% | 51.2% | +2.0 |
| Year 10 | 25.2% | 25.2% | 0.0 |
| Year 9 or below | 8.3% | 8.5% | -0.2 |
| Year 11 | 7.5% | 8.2% | -0.7 |

### Highest qualification level

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate III / IV | 34.6% | 36.1% | -1.4 |
| Bachelor degree | 21.2% | 19.5% | +1.8 |
| Advanced diploma / diploma | 17.2% | 16.7% | +0.5 |
| Postgraduate degree | 5.5% | 4.7% | +0.8 |
| Graduate diploma / certificate | 3.5% | 3.3% | +0.2 |
| Certificate I / II | 2.1% | 2.5% | -0.4 |

### Field of qualification

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Management & commerce | 16.9% | 14.2% | +2.7 |
| Engineering & related | 14.1% | 14.1% | 0.0 |
| Health | 12.7% | 12.4% | +0.4 |
| Society & culture | 11.9% | 11.8% | +0.0 |
| Education | 9.4% | 8.9% | +0.5 |
| Architecture & building | 7.6% | 7.6% | +0.0 |
| Food, hospitality & personal services | 6.4% | 6.3% | +0.1 |
| Creative arts | 2.8% | 3.9% | -1.0 |
| Agriculture & environment | 1.9% | 3.2% | -1.3 |
| Natural & physical sciences | 1.9% | 2.0% | -0.1 |
| Information technology | 1.6% | 1.4% | +0.3 |

## Income

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income | $737 | $682 | $55 higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |
| Household income | $1,507 | $1,432 | $75 higher in Caloundra | gap widening |
| Family income | $1,827 | $1,742 | $85 higher in Caloundra | gap steady |
| High earners | 8.9% | 6.6% | 2.4 pts higher in Caloundra | gap widening |
| High-income homes | 16.8% | 13.9% | 2.9 pts higher in Caloundra | gap widening |

### Household income distribution

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $650–$1,499 | 29.6% | 30.9% | -1.3 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 29.7% | 29.8% | -0.1 |
| Under $650 | 16.6% | 17.5% | -0.9 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 8.8% | 8.0% | +0.8 |
| $4,000 or more | 8.0% | 5.9% | +2.1 |

### Personal income distribution

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $650 | 42.0% | 44.6% | -2.7 |
| $650–$1,499 | 33.6% | 33.4% | +0.2 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 15.0% | 12.9% | +2.2 |
| $3,000 or more | 3.3% | 2.0% | +1.2 |

## Health & Disability

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health condition | 31.8% | 32.4% | 0.6 pts higher in Nicklin |  |
| Mental health | 9.8% | 11.2% | 1.3 pts higher in Nicklin |  |
| Needs assistance | 6.5% | 7.2% | 0.7 pts higher in Nicklin | gap steady |

### Long-term health conditions reported

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mental health | 9.8% | 11.2% | -1.3 |
| Arthritis | 11.2% | 11.1% | +0.0 |
| Other condition | 8.8% | 10.0% | -1.3 |
| Asthma | 8.5% | 9.1% | -0.5 |
| Heart disease | 4.9% | 4.7% | +0.2 |
| Diabetes | 4.2% | 4.0% | +0.2 |
| Cancer | 3.9% | 3.7% | +0.2 |
| Lung condition | 2.4% | 2.5% | -0.1 |
| Stroke | 1.2% | 1.3% | -0.1 |
| Dementia | 0.9% | 0.9% | -0.1 |

### Number of long-term health conditions

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| None | 60.5% | 59.1% | +1.4 |
| One condition | 21.0% | 21.2% | -0.2 |
| Two conditions | 7.0% | 7.2% | -0.1 |
| Three or more | 3.7% | 4.0% | -0.3 |

## Community Participation

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteering | 14.2% | 16.4% | 2.2 pts higher in Nicklin | gap narrowing |
| Unpaid carers | 12.1% | 13.3% | 1.2 pts higher in Nicklin | gap narrowing |
| Unpaid child care | 26.1% | 25.9% | 0.2 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |
| Defence service | 4.4% | 3.8% | 0.6 pts higher in Caloundra |  |
| Housework 15h+ | 22.9% | 25.2% | 2.3 pts higher in Nicklin | gap narrowing |

## Family & Households

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Household size | 2.5 | 2.5 |  | gap narrowing |
| One-parent | 14.3% | 15.0% | 0.7 pts higher in Nicklin | gap narrowing |
| Living alone | 24.3% | 24.1% | 0.2 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |

### Family composition

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Couples with children | 51.6% | 53.3% | -1.7 |
| Couples without children | 33.2% | 30.9% | +2.3 |
| One-parent families | 14.3% | 15.0% | -0.7 |
| Other families | 0.9% | 0.9% | +0.1 |

### Household size

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 people | 39.2% | 36.9% | +2.4 |
| 1 person | 24.3% | 24.1% | +0.2 |
| 3 people | 14.3% | 15.2% | -0.9 |
| 4 people | 14.0% | 14.0% | 0.0 |
| 5 people | 5.5% | 6.4% | -0.9 |
| 6 or more | 2.7% | 3.5% | -0.8 |

## Housing & Dwellings

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $430 | $370 | $60 higher in Caloundra | gap steady |
| Mortgage | $1,900 | $1,733 | $167 higher in Caloundra | gap widening |
| People / bedroom | 0.80 | 0.80 |  | gap steady |
| Renting | 29.5% | 23.4% | 6.1 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |
| Owned outright | 35.7% | 33.0% | 2.7 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |
| Separate houses | 69.8% | 84.1% | 14.2 pts higher in Nicklin | gap narrowing |
| 3+ bedrooms | 77.8% | 76.9% | 0.9 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |

### How homes are owned or rented

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Owned with a mortgage | 32.1% | 39.2% | -7.1 |
| Owned outright | 35.7% | 33.0% | +2.7 |
| Rented | 29.5% | 23.4% | +6.1 |
| Other tenure | 1.3% | 2.8% | -1.5 |
| Not stated | 1.3% | 1.6% | -0.3 |

### Types of homes

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Separate house | 69.8% | 84.1% | -14.2 |
| Flat or apartment | 17.3% | 5.2% | +12.1 |
| Townhouse / semi-detached | 11.3% | 9.1% | +2.2 |
| Other dwelling | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.0 |

### Bedrooms per home

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 bedrooms | 37.6% | 38.7% | -1.1 |
| 4 bedrooms | 33.8% | 30.2% | +3.5 |
| 2 bedrooms | 16.8% | 16.1% | +0.6 |
| 5 or more | 6.5% | 8.0% | -1.5 |
| 1 bedroom | 3.6% | 4.4% | -0.9 |
| Studio / none | 0.5% | 0.8% | -0.3 |

### Weekly rent distribution

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $350–$549 | 61.2% | 47.4% | +13.8 |
| $200–$349 | 14.6% | 29.8% | -15.1 |
| $550–$749 | 11.1% | 7.4% | +3.8 |
| Under $200 | 8.3% | 10.5% | -2.1 |
| $750 or more | 1.9% | 1.0% | +0.9 |

### Monthly mortgage distribution

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $1,800–$2,999 | 38.7% | 34.0% | +4.8 |
| $1,000–$1,799 | 29.2% | 35.6% | -6.4 |
| Under $1,000 | 13.1% | 15.2% | -2.1 |
| $3,000 or more | 12.4% | 8.7% | +3.7 |

## Transport & Vehicles

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No car | 4.6% | 4.4% | 0.2 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |
| Work from home | 13.7% | 12.2% | 1.4 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |
| PT commute | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.2 pts higher in Caloundra | gap steady |
| PT stops | 146 | 113 | 33 more in Caloundra |  |
| Stops/1k | 2.60 | 2.27 | 0.33 more in Caloundra |  |
| Departures/1k | 550.8 | 303.0 | 247.8 more in Caloundra |  |
| PT routes | 35 | 34 | 1 more in Caloundra |  |

### How people get to work

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Car (driver) | 63.3% | 65.1% | -1.8 |
| Worked at home | 13.7% | 12.2% | +1.4 |
| Car (passenger) | 4.0% | 4.0% | +0.0 |
| Walked | 1.9% | 2.2% | -0.3 |
| Bicycle | 0.7% | 0.2% | +0.5 |
| Bus | 0.6% | 0.5% | +0.1 |
| Train | 0.3% | 0.2% | +0.1 |

### Motor vehicles per home

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 vehicles | 39.3% | 38.9% | +0.4 |
| 1 vehicle | 37.0% | 31.6% | +5.4 |
| 3 vehicles | 12.2% | 14.8% | -2.7 |
| 4 or more | 6.9% | 10.4% | -3.4 |
| No vehicle | 4.6% | 4.4% | +0.2 |

## Migration & Movement

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recent movers | 52.9% | 43.7% | 9.2 pts higher in Caloundra | gap widening |
| Recent arrivals | 11.5% | 6.1% | 5.5 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |

## Jobs & Industry

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment | 4.8% | 4.8% |  | gap narrowing |
| Participation | 57.5% | 57.9% | 0.4 pts higher in Nicklin | gap narrowing |
| Full-time | 53.4% | 51.3% | 2.1 pts higher in Caloundra | gap narrowing |

### Industries people work in

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health care & social assistance | 18.5% | 17.8% | +0.7 |
| Construction | 12.3% | 12.4% | -0.1 |
| Retail trade | 9.9% | 10.1% | -0.2 |
| Education & training | 8.2% | 8.5% | -0.3 |
| Accommodation & food | 8.3% | 7.0% | +1.3 |
| Manufacturing | 5.0% | 5.6% | -0.6 |
| Professional & technical | 5.4% | 5.0% | +0.4 |
| Other services | 3.8% | 4.4% | -0.6 |
| Public administration & safety | 4.2% | 3.7% | +0.4 |
| Administrative & support | 3.5% | 3.7% | -0.3 |
| Transport & warehousing | 3.6% | 3.6% | 0.0 |
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 1.2% | 2.9% | -1.7 |

### Occupations people work in

| Category | Caloundra % | Nicklin % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Professionals | 19.6% | 17.3% | +2.2 |
| Technicians & trades | 15.4% | 16.6% | -1.3 |
| Community & personal service | 13.8% | 13.4% | +0.4 |
| Clerical & administrative | 12.4% | 11.9% | +0.5 |
| Labourers | 10.3% | 12.3% | -2.0 |
| Managers | 11.5% | 11.3% | +0.2 |
| Sales workers | 9.6% | 8.8% | +0.8 |
| Machinery operators & drivers | 5.7% | 6.3% | -0.6 |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Caloundra | Nicklin | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 5.0 | 3.9 | 1.1 higher in Caloundra |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 4.7 | 3.9 | 0.9 more in Caloundra |  |
| 15-min city | 55.1% | 44.1% | 11.0 pts higher in Caloundra |  |
| Walk to shops | 61.0% | 45.9% | 15.1 pts higher in Caloundra |  |
| Walk to transit | 64.8% | 49.8% | 15.1 pts higher in Caloundra |  |
| Walk to school | 64.2% | 45.0% | 19.2 pts higher in Caloundra |  |
| Walk to a park | 91.2% | 72.1% | 19.1 pts higher in Caloundra |  |
| Walk to health | 41.1% | 41.8% | 0.7 pts higher in Nicklin |  |
| Amenities/1k | 12.3 | 18.7 | 6.4 more in Nicklin |  |
| Intersections/km² | 37 | 8 | 29 higher in Caloundra |  |
| Mean slope | 5.2% | 10.1% | 4.9 pts higher in Nicklin |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/sed/SED30016/caloundra/vs/SED30064/nicklin