QLD 4214 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Ashmore

Older, mortgage-heavy and slow growing, Ashmore sits between Southport, Benowa and Nerang as a residential Gold Coast middle ring suburb. Its 12,415 residents have a median age of 43, which is 3.0 years above the national benchmark, while 31.8% were born overseas, 10.2 percentage points above national. Growth is modest at 0.35% a year, because the area is established and household turnover is not being driven by new development. With 41.3% of homes mortgaged and 32.8% owned outright, Ashmore leans more settled than transient.

Ashmore urban fabric map

Population

12,415

Median Age

43.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$1,581/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

0

Median House

$557K

Estimated from rent (2025)

6.83 km²· 1,817.5 people/km²· Family income $2,007/wk

Homebuyers are mainly choosing established houses and townhouses rather than high-rise stock. Separate houses make up 68.6% of dwellings, well above apartments at 10.1%, while semi-detached homes add 21.2% for buyers wanting lower maintenance. A current median house price is not quoted, so repayment pressure matters: the typical mortgage is $1,950 a month and mortgage costs sit at 28.5% of income, below the common stress threshold. Families are supported by 41.5% 3-bedroom homes and 35.4% with 4 or more bedrooms.

For Buyers

Homebuyers are mainly choosing established houses and townhouses rather than high-rise stock. Separate houses make up 68.6% of dwellings, well above apartments at 10.1%, while semi-detached homes add 21.2% for buyers wanting lower maintenance. A current median house price is not quoted, so repayment pressure matters: the typical mortgage is $1,950 a month and mortgage costs sit at 28.5% of income, below the common stress threshold. Families are supported by 41.5% 3-bedroom homes and 35.4% with 4 or more bedrooms.

For Investors

Ashmore is a measured income play rather than a rapid build-out market. Renters account for 25.9% of households, lower than the 41.3% with mortgages, so the tenant pool is present but not dominant. Weekly rent is $450 and rent-to-income sits at 28.5%, below stress settings, which helps tenant durability. The 7.0% vacancy rate is the key risk because it points to more choice for renters. With 0 approvals in the past 12 months and overseas migration averaging 175 people a year, demand is steadier than speculative.

Schools in Ashmore iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Trinity Lutheran College

ICSEA 1086 Combined Independent

Prep-12 · 1322 students

Guardian Angels' Catholic Primary School

ICSEA 1074 Primary Catholic

Prep-6 · 815 students

Bellevue Park State School

ICSEA 1059 Primary Government

Prep-6 · 729 students

Aquinas College

ICSEA 1058 Secondary Catholic

7-12 · 805 students

Ashmore State School

ICSEA 1040 Primary Government

Prep-6 · 745 students

Demographics

Ashmore's 12,415 residents are older than average, with a median age of 43, or 3.0 years above national. The suburb is also more internationally sourced than many Australian suburbs: 31.8% were born overseas, 10.2 percentage points above national, while university attainment is 29.7%, just 0.4 points below national. English ancestry leads at 4,895 residents, followed by Irish at 1,319 and Scottish at 1,246. Household size is 2.5, equal to the national marker, which fits the mix of couples, families and older households.

Age Distribution

0-14
16.6%
15-24
11.3%
25-44
24.4%
45-64
25.2%
65+
22.5%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
4.4%
2 bed
18.7%
3 bed
41.5%
4+ bed
35.4%

Dwelling Structure

68.6%

Houses

21.2%

Townhouse

10.1%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 32.8% Mortgage 41.3% Rent 25.9%

The housing base is owner-occupier led and established. Outright owners are 32.8%, mortgage holders are higher at 41.3%, and renters are 25.9%, so price movements affect many households through repayments rather than rent alone. A quoted median house price is not available, making structure and affordability signals more useful: mortgages average $1,950 a month and rent averages $450 a week. Larger dwellings dominate, with 41.5% having 3 bedrooms and 35.4% having 4 or more, compared with only 4.4% in the 0 to 1 bedroom group.

Mortgage / mo

$1,950

Rent / wk

$450

HH Size

2.5

Personal Income / wk

$740

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

7.0%

Unoccupied

339

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

28.5%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

28.5%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Japan
100
Mandarin
96
Korean
38
Greek
35
Italian
35
French
33

Ancestry

English
4,895
Other
1,488
Irish
1,319
Scottish
1,246
Ancestry NS
1,097
German
577

Household Composition

26.5%

Couples, no children

9,264

Total families

Economy & Employment

Ashmore's workforce is anchored by population-serving sectors, which suits its established age profile. Healthcare is the largest industry at 20.1% or 787 workers, above construction at 11.8%, education at 11.5%, professional and tech at 8.7%, and retail at 7.2%. Professionals lead occupations with 1,239 workers, followed by clerical and admin at 799 and community and personal roles at 736. Participation is 53.2% and unemployment is 6.2%, partly because 3,264 residents are not in the labour force. SEIFA is consistently middle to above average: IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD all sit in decile 6.

Unemployment

3.1%

Labour Force

7,216

Unemployed

225

Quarterly Trend

Mar-24 Dec-25

Source: SALM Dec-25

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Overall advantage
6
Disadvantage
6
Economic resources
6
Education & occupation
6

Full-time

59.2%

Part-time

34.6%

Participation

53.2%

Employed

5,175

Occupations

Professionals 1,239
Clerical/Admin 799
Community/Personal 736
Managers 704
Sales 577
Labourers 522
Machinery/Drivers 278

Top Industries

Healthcare 20.1%
Construction 11.8%
Education 11.5%
Professional/Tech 8.7%
Retail 7.2%

University

29.7%

Postgraduate

7.0%

Born Overseas

31.8%

Dwellings

4,457

Transport to Work

Daily life in Ashmore is car-based, with 89.8% driving to work, far above public transport use at 1.7% and walking or cycling at 2.9%. School choice is a strength because 5 local schools cover Independent, Catholic and Government sectors, with ICSEA scores from 1040 to 1086. Trinity Lutheran College leads at 1086 with 1,322 enrolments, followed by Guardian Angels' Catholic Primary at 1074 and Bellevue Park State School at 1059. A suburb-level crime rate is not published, so livability rests more on schools, car access and decile 6 IRSAD advantage.

Drive

89.8%

Public Transport

1.7%

Walk / Cycle

2.9%

Work from Home

N/A

Population Forecast

+0.35%/yr

(+45 people/yr)

Established

Ashmore's growth outlook is slow and established rather than redevelopment-led. The trend forecast adds 0.35% a year, or about 45 people annually, taking the medium population path from 12,834 in 2026 to 13,057 in 2031. Migration is the main offset: overseas migration averages +175 people a year, above internal migration at -63, so new arrivals are replacing some local outflow. The shift profile shows an aging trajectory, with senior share up 4.8 points and young share down 1.5 points. Gentrification is scored 0 and labelled Not gentrifying.

Historical + Forecast

Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025

Age Cohort Forecast

Primary Driver

Overseas Migration

Net Overseas / yr

+175

Net Internal / yr

-63

0

Gentrification Signal

Not gentrifying

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Ashmore compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 3%
Household Income
Top 48%
Rent Level
Top 10%
Apartments
Top 30%
Renters
Top 36%
Uni Educated
Top 35%
Public Transport
Bottom 29%
Born Overseas
Top 12%
Density
Top 9%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ashmore a good suburb to live in?

Ashmore suits buyers wanting an established Gold Coast setting with family housing. It has 12,415 residents, a median age of 43, 5 local schools and 68.6% separate houses, but daily life is car-dependent with 89.8% driving to work.

What is the median house price in Ashmore?

Ashmore does not have a quoted median house price in these figures. Useful cost markers are the average mortgage payment of $1,950 a month, weekly rent of $450 and mortgage-to-income pressure of 28.5%.

What schools are in Ashmore?

Ashmore has 5 local schools across Independent, Catholic and Government sectors. Trinity Lutheran College has ICSEA 1086 and 1,322 enrolments, while Guardian Angels' Catholic Primary has ICSEA 1074 and 815 enrolments.

Is Ashmore safe?

A suburb-level crime rate is not available for Ashmore, so safety cannot be ranked from the provided crime figures. For context, the suburb has 12,415 residents, 5 local schools and a settled ownership base with 32.8% owning outright.

Is Ashmore good for property investment?

Ashmore can work for investors seeking steady rent rather than fast growth. Rent is $450 a week, renters make up 25.9% of households and vacancy is 7.0%, so tenant demand exists but competition needs watching.

How is Ashmore's population changing?

Ashmore is growing slowly, with the forecast trend at 0.35% a year or about 45 extra people annually. The medium path reaches 13,057 by 2031, supported by overseas migration of 175 people a year despite internal migration of -63.

What languages are spoken in Ashmore?

Ashmore has an overseas-born share of 31.8%, which is 10.2 percentage points above national. Non-English language counts are modest, led by Japan at 100 residents, Mandarin at 96, Korean at 38, Greek at 35 and Italian at 35.

How to read these comparisons

Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.

Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.

Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.

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