Sheldon - Mount Cotton
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Sheldon - Mount Cotton are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Sheldon - Mount Cotton's population is around 8,703 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 346 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,357 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,703 from the ABS as of June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 133 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Sheldon - Mount Cotton has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.3%, outpacing the SA4 region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth contributing approximately 69.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. These state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections are applied where utilized. Future population trends anticipate lower quartile growth across statistical areas, with the area expected to expand by 190 persons to 2041 based on latest population numbers, reflecting an increase of 2.2% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Sheldon - Mount Cotton according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Mount Cotton in Sheldon has averaged approximately 10 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, there have been 53 dwelling approvals. In FY26, two dwelling approvals have been recorded so far.

On average, 5.5 people per year moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five financial years. This demand significantly outpaces supply, typically putting upward pressure on prices and increasing competition among buyers. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $805,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY26, there have been $4.2 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Sheldon - Mount Cotton records markedly lower building activity, at 87.0% below the regional average per person.

This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing properties. The area's population density is estimated at 1051 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet, low activity development environment. Looking ahead, Sheldon - Mount Cotton is expected to grow by 190 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Sheldon - Mount Cotton has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 38thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects that may impact the area. Notable ones include Redlands Coast Regional Sport and Recreation Precinct, Birkdale Community Precinct, Edge 521 Townhouses, and Redland Whitewater Centre. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

The exceptional employment performance in Sheldon - Mount Cotton places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Sheldon - Mount Cotton's workforce is skilled with notable representation in the construction sector. Its unemployment rate was 1.4% as of June 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 4.7% over the past year.

As of that date, 5,437 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.7%, lower than Greater Brisbane's 4.1%. Workforce participation was higher at 74.8% compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Dominant employment sectors included construction, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Construction had a particularly high representation, being 1.7 times the regional level.

Conversely, health care & social assistance showed lower representation at 13.0% versus the regional average of 16.1%. Employment opportunities locally appeared limited based on Census data comparison of working population vs resident population. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 4.7%, labour force by 4.4%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane had an employment growth of 4.4% and a 0.4 percentage point drop in unemployment. State-level data to Sep-25 showed Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, comparing favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia projected growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Sheldon - Mount Cotton's employment mix suggested local growth of approximately 6.2% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2022 shows median income in Sheldon - Mount Cotton at $55,674 and average income at $66,350. This compares to Greater Brisbane's median income of $55,645 and average income of $70,520. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% from July 2022 to March 2025, estimated incomes are approximately $62,193 (median) and $74,120 (average). The 2021 Census figures place household, family, and personal incomes in Sheldon - Mount Cotton between the 83rd and 93rd percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that 36.3% of locals (3,159 people) earn $1,500 to $2,999 weekly, aligning with regional trends where this cohort represents 33.3%. Notably, 40.5% earn above $3,000 weekly. Housing accounts for 13.9% of income, and residents rank in the 93rd percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Sheldon - Mount Cotton is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Sheldon - Mount Cotton's dwelling structure, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 99.4% houses and 0.6% other dwellings. This differs from Brisbane metro's structure of 83.9% houses and 16.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Sheldon - Mount Cotton stood at 26.5%, with the remaining dwellings being mortgaged (62.7%) or rented (10.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent was $475, compared to Brisbane metro's $425. Nationally, Sheldon - Mount Cotton's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,167 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Sheldon - Mount Cotton features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 89.6 percent of all households, including 52.3 percent couples with children, 27.9 percent couples without children, and 8.9 percent single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 10.4 percent, with lone person households at 9.0 percent and group households comprising 1.5 percent of the total. The median household size is 3.1 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

Sheldon - Mount Cotton shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational qualifications in Sheldon-Mount Cotton trail regional benchmarks. As of 2021, 23.4% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees compared to 30.5% in Greater Brisbane. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 16.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%).

Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 42.8% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (13.8%) and certificates (29.0%). Educational participation is notably high, with 31.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of 2021. This includes 11.7% in primary education, 9.4% in secondary education, and 4.0% pursuing tertiary education. Educational provision includes Mount Cotton State School and Sheldon College, collectively serving 2,070 students while Sheldon-Mount Cotton demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1087) as of 2021. The educational mix includes 1 primary school and 1 K-12 school. The area functions as an education hub with 23.8 school places per 100 residents – significantly above the regional average of 14.4 – attracting students from surrounding communities as of 2021.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Transport analysis indicates 22 active stops operating within Sheldon - Mount Cotton, serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 6 individual routes, collectively facilitating 392 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is moderate, with residents typically situated 584 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 56 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 17 weekly trips per stop.

Sheldon - Mount Cotton's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population and nearer the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance in Sheldon - Mount Cotton.

Prevalence of common health conditions is low among the general population and nears the national average for older, at-risk cohorts. Private health cover rate is approximately 52% of the total population (~4,560 people), slightly higher than the average SA2 area. The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues (8.2%) and asthma (7.7%), with 72.9% of residents declaring no medical ailments, compared to 64.6% in Greater Brisbane. Residents aged 65 and over comprise 12.9% (1,126 people), lower than the 25.3% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention despite being above average.

Sheldon - Mount Cotton ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mount Cotton, Sheldon was found to have below average cultural diversity as of the 2016 Census. It had 80.2% of its population born in Australia, with 92.0% being citizens, and 94.2% speaking English only at home. The dominant religion was Christianity, accounting for 49.0% of Sheldon - Mount Cotton's population compared to 52.8% across Greater Brisbane.

Top ancestry groups were English (33.0%), Australian (27.6%), and Scottish (8.0%). Notably, South African (1.3%), New Zealand (1.1%), and Dutch (1.7%) ethnicities had higher representations than regional averages of 1.0%, 1.2%, and 1.6% respectively.

Sheldon - Mount Cotton's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Sheldon - Mount Cotton has a median age of 38, which is slightly older than Greater Brisbane's figure of 36 but equal to Australia's median age of 38 years. The age group of 5-14 years shows strong representation at 16.5%, compared to Greater Brisbane, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 8.5%. Since 2021, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 3.2% to 5.0% of the population. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 11.2% to 8.5%. By 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Sheldon - Mount Cotton's age structure. The 75 to 84 group is expected to grow by 57%, reaching 678 people from the current figure of 430. This growth reflects an aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising 58% of projected growth. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 25-34 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.