Suburb report · QLD 4217
Surfers Paradise
Prepared by the property strategists at Chase Wealth Australia
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Population
31,884
Surfers Paradise suburb profile
Who lives in Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise is 70km from the Brisbane CBD, measured in a straight line. With 31,884 residents, Surfers Paradise is in the largest fifth of Queensland suburbs, well above the 4,480 of the median suburb. By population it is number 6 of 528 Queensland suburbs and towns more than 40km from the Brisbane CBD. Residents are older than the state norm, with a median age of 41 against 39. Against the 528 Queensland suburbs and towns more than 40km from the Brisbane CBD, it is older than 244 and younger than 250.
Income and home ownership
Median household income is $78,700, below the $98,100 of the median Queensland suburb. Among the 528 Queensland suburbs and towns more than 40km from the Brisbane CBD, 328 report a higher median household income. Renters are the majority: 53.2% of households rent and 46.8% own, one of the lowest ownership shares in Queensland. Among Queensland suburbs and towns more than 40km from the Brisbane CBD, 44 have a lower share of owner-occupiers than Surfers Paradise.
Household mix
At the 2021 Census, 11,420 households lived in Surfers Paradise, more than in 99% of Queensland suburbs. Lone-person households lead the mix: families with children 19.3%, couples without children 31.5%, people living alone 39.9% and group households 9.2%. Of the 526 Queensland suburbs and towns more than 40km from the Brisbane CBD, 510 have a higher share of families with children and 15 a lower one. The share of families with children, 19.3%, is lower than in 97% of Queensland suburbs. Couples without children make up 31.5%, above most Queensland suburbs.
Housing supply
27 new dwellings were approved across the Surfers Paradise-South statistical area in the year to June 2025, 78% below its 2020 to 2024 average of 124 a year. The Surfers Paradise-South statistical area had 17,410 residents in 2025 and covers only part of Surfers Paradise. That works out to 1.6 approvals per 1,000 residents of that area, below the 3.2 of the median Queensland statistical area. The busiest year for approvals since 2020 was 2022, with 279, and the quietest was 2020, with 18.
Population trend
From 2020 to 2025, the Surfers Paradise-South statistical area grew its population by 22.2%, well ahead of most areas, against 9.7% for Queensland as a whole. The median Queensland statistical area grew 6.3% over the same 5 years, 15.9 points slower than this one. It ranks at the 93rd percentile of Queensland statistical areas for population growth over the period. Year by year, the change ran from 1.2% in 2021 to 6.2% in 2023.
Against its neighbours
The sharpest contrast among the nearby suburbs is Benowa, where the share of families with children is 49.6% compared with 19.3% here. On the owner-occupied share, Southport comes closest to Surfers Paradise: 39.8% against 46.8%. At 4km, Ashmore counts 12,673 residents against 31,884 in Surfers Paradise.
Location
Demographics
ABS Data by Region to 2025, on ABS Census 2021 suburb baselineHousehold Mix Census 2021
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Reading this report
Every figure in the Surfers Paradise data table is dated at its source. Supply and population change cover the Surfers Paradise-South statistical area, whose boundary differs from Surfers Paradise's, and our guide to reading a suburb report explains how our buyers agents weigh them.
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This report is market intelligence prepared by Chase Wealth Australia for general information only. Figures are statistical estimates for the suburb, not valuations of any individual property, and do not constitute financial or credit advice. Consider your circumstances and seek professional advice before acting. Demographic figures are sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census 2021 (licensed CC BY 4.0) where available.