Broadbeach
Almost the entire dwelling stock here is apartments, 98.8% of homes, with separate houses at just 0.3%, and that single fact drives most of what follows. The median house price of $495,000 sits well below typical capital city levels, yet the vacancy rate reaches 40.4%, a sign of how many holiday and second homes stay empty. The median age of 46 runs 6.0 years above the national figure, and average household size is 1.8 people, 0.7 below national, consistent with a renter-majority base where 51.4% lease their homes. University qualifications reach 34.6%, which is 4.5 points above national, and 37.7% of residents were born overseas.
Population
6,786
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,419/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Median House
$495K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $495,000 median is affordable by capital city standards, but buyers are almost always purchasing an apartment rather than a house, since 98.8% of dwellings are units and separate houses account for just 0.3%. Two-bedroom apartments dominate at 62.7%, with one-bedroom and studio stock at 20.6% and three-bedroom homes only 15.3%, so family-sized housing is scarce. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,600, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite household income sitting in the 41.7th percentile nationally. Outright owners (30.7%) outnumber mortgage holders (17.9%), which points to a base of established, debt-free residents rather than recent first home buyers, a pattern typical of a coastal apartment market.
For Buyers
The $495,000 median is affordable by capital city standards, but buyers are almost always purchasing an apartment rather than a house, since 98.8% of dwellings are units and separate houses account for just 0.3%. Two-bedroom apartments dominate at 62.7%, with one-bedroom and studio stock at 20.6% and three-bedroom homes only 15.3%, so family-sized housing is scarce. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,600, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite household income sitting in the 41.7th percentile nationally. Outright owners (30.7%) outnumber mortgage holders (17.9%), which points to a base of established, debt-free residents rather than recent first home buyers, a pattern typical of a coastal apartment market.
For Investors
A 51.4% renter share and weekly rent of $420 give landlords a deep tenant pool, and rent has grown 31.3% over the period, but the 40.4% vacancy rate is the headline risk. Against the $495,000 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 4.4%, healthier than most premium markets, yet the high vacancy reflects how much stock sits empty as holiday lets and second homes rather than permanent tenancies. Demand support leans on migration: net overseas migration adds about 408 residents a year while internal migration adds only 9, so growth depends heavily on overseas arrivals. Development is quiet, with just 1 application lodged in the past 12 months, which limits new supply and supports existing values. The investment case rests on yield and rent growth more than capital appreciation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1
Last 12 Months
1
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Broadbeach iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Broadbeach State School
Prep-6 · 1204 students
Demographics
The median age of 46 is 6.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 4.6 points over the decade while the working-age share barely moved at 0.5 points. Overseas-born residents reach 37.7%, which is 16.1 points above national, one of the more international profiles you will find outside the big city cores. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,311), Irish (730) and Scottish (611), while the top non-English languages are Portuguese (74 speakers), Mandarin (37) and Italian (35). Average household size of 1.8 is 0.7 below national, and couples without children make up 58.2% of families, far above the share with children, consistent with the older, downsizer-heavy population. Christianity (2,786) is the main religion, with Buddhism (111) second.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
0.3%
Houses
1.0%
Townhouse
98.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward renters: 51.4% lease, 30.7% own outright and only 17.9% carry a mortgage. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free ownership rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is overwhelmingly apartments at 98.8%, leaving separate houses at just 0.3% and semi-detached homes at 1.0%, so the suburb functions as a near-pure high-density market. Two-bedroom units account for 62.7% of dwellings and studios or one-bedroom homes 20.6%, while three-bedroom stock is only 15.3%. The median house price of $495,000 is affordable relative to most capital city markets, and with mortgage-to-income at 26.0% and rent-to-income at 29.6%, both sit below the 30% stress line, a rare combination of affordability on both tenure paths.
Mortgage / mo
$1,600
Rent / wk
$420
HH Size
1.8
Personal Income / wk
$871
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
40.4%
Unoccupied
2,102
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
58.2%
Couples, no children
3,591
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in services tied to the coastal economy: Healthcare leads at 17.4% (403 workers), Hospitality follows at 12.1% (281) and Professional/Tech at 10.2% (237), with Education at 9.0% and Construction at 8.3%. By occupation, Professionals (780) and Managers (478) are the largest groups, which aligns with university qualifications running 4.5 points above national. Unemployment sits at 6.2%, higher than many advantaged suburbs, and participation is low at 49.8% because the aging profile leaves 1,917 residents out of the labour force. The SEIFA picture is mixed: IEO reads decile 8 for education and occupation, IRSAD and IRSD both decile 7, but IER drops to decile 3, because the 51.4% renter base and small household sizes depress aggregate economic-resource measures.
Unemployment
2.2%
Labour Force
5,167
Unemployed
114
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.7%
Part-time
35.1%
Participation
49.8%
Employed
2,949
Occupations
Top Industries
University
34.6%
Postgraduate
8.3%
Born Overseas
37.7%
Dwellings
3,059
Transport to Work
Car reliance is high, with 75.5% driving to work, while public transport use is low at 3.1% and active travel reaches 16.5% who walk or cycle, above what the low transit share alone would suggest, reflecting the compact 1.48 km2 coastal footprint. The suburb earns decile 7 on IRSAD and decile 8 on IEO, both above the midpoint nationally, indicating relative advantage in education and occupation. Detailed crime statistics are not available in this dataset, so safety cannot be quantified directly. Volunteering runs at 12.2% and 4.3% of residents (253 people) need daily assistance, modest for a population with a median age of 46. No schools are recorded inside the boundary, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for a high-density, apartment-dominated beachside setting.
Drive
75.5%
Public Transport
3.1%
Walk / Cycle
16.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.02%/yr
(+326 people/yr)
EstablishedBroadbeach is growing steadily rather than explosively: the trend forecast points to about 2.02% annual growth, or roughly 326 additional residents a year, and the population has risen 35.4% over the past decade. Overseas migration is the primary driver, adding around 408 residents annually against just 9 from internal movement, so the suburb's expansion is tied almost entirely to international arrivals. Gentrification scores 40 and reads as active, with signals including a 46% population rise since 2011 and an accelerating overseas-born share moving from 14% toward 28%. Affordability improved from 48.6% in 2011 to 46.3% in 2021, a modest gain, while rents climbed 31.3% over the period, so the area is densifying and internationalising at the same time.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+408
Net Internal / yr
+9
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +46% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +408/yr, Accelerating: 14% → 28%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Broadbeach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Broadbeach a good suburb to live in?
Broadbeach scores decile 8 on IEO and decile 7 on IRSAD, both above the national midpoint. The median house price of $495,000 is affordable and mortgage-to-income sits at 26.0%, below the 30% stress line. The main trade-offs are an apartment-only stock at 98.8% and a high 40.4% vacancy rate.
What is the median house price in Broadbeach?
The median house price is $495,000, affordable relative to most capital city markets. Weekly rent averages $420 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,600, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.0%. Note that 98.8% of dwellings are apartments, so most sales are units rather than houses.
What schools are in Broadbeach?
No schools are recorded inside the Broadbeach boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is well educated, with university qualifications at 34.6%, which is 4.5 points above the national figure.
Is Broadbeach safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Broadbeach in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 7 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, above the national midpoint, and only 4.3% of its residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a moderate-advantage area.
Is Broadbeach good for property investment?
Rent of $420 a week against a $495,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.4%, healthier than most premium markets, and rent grew 31.3% over the period. The catch is a 40.4% vacancy rate from holiday and second homes, so income depends on securing permanent tenancies.
How is Broadbeach's population changing?
The population has grown 35.4% over the past decade and the trend forecast points to about 2.02% annual growth, roughly 326 more residents a year. Overseas migration drives this, adding around 408 residents annually versus just 9 from internal movement. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 4.6 points.
What languages are spoken in Broadbeach?
About 37.7% of residents were born overseas, 16.1 points above the national figure. English is the dominant language, with Portuguese (74 speakers), Mandarin (37), Italian (35) and Japanese (33) the most common non-English languages, reflecting an internationally diverse resident mix.
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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