Clear Island Waters
With a median age of 50 and 47.4% of homes owned outright, Clear Island Waters reads as one of the Gold Coast's most settled wealth pockets. The suburb sits in SEIFA decile 8 across three of four indexes, placing it well above average nationally, while overseas-born residents at 39.5% run 17.9 percentage points above the national figure. The 4.4 km2 footprint holds 4,395 residents, and 52.4% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms, signalling a predominantly family-and-retiree housing stock in a low-turnover neighbourhood where 75% of residents stayed put between census periods.
Population
4,395
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,617/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$649K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price sits at $649,000, estimated from 2025 rental data, and 63.6% of dwellings are separate houses, giving buyers genuine choice in a freestanding-house market. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 52.4% of the stock, making this a suburb where large family homes dominate over units. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.0%, just above the 30% stress threshold. Outright owners make up 47.4% compared with 31.3% on a mortgage, reflecting decades of held wealth rather than a first-home-buyer market. Semi-detached dwellings at 25.5% add a mid-price tier, while apartments are only 11% of stock.
For Buyers
The median house price sits at $649,000, estimated from 2025 rental data, and 63.6% of dwellings are separate houses, giving buyers genuine choice in a freestanding-house market. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 52.4% of the stock, making this a suburb where large family homes dominate over units. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.0%, just above the 30% stress threshold. Outright owners make up 47.4% compared with 31.3% on a mortgage, reflecting decades of held wealth rather than a first-home-buyer market. Semi-detached dwellings at 25.5% add a mid-price tier, while apartments are only 11% of stock.
For Investors
Clear Island Waters offers a weekly rent of $540 against a $649,000 median, implying a gross yield near 4.3%, reasonable for a Gold Coast canal suburb. The renter share is 21.3%, below the national average, so tenant turnover is limited but demand is stable. The vacancy rate of 6.6% is elevated and warrants attention, suggesting supply exceeds current tenant demand in this postcode. Population growth runs at 0.59% annually, with overseas migration driving a net 68 arrivals per year compared with only 4 from internal migration. Medium forecasts project the population rising from 4,395 toward 4,699 by 2031, providing a gentle demand tail-wind rather than rapid rental market growth.
Schools in Clear Island Waters iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Vincent's Primary School
Prep-6 · 794 students
Demographics
The median age of 50 is 10 years above the national figure, the most distinctive demographic signal. The aging trajectory is confirmed by a 5.5-point rise in the senior share over the decade while the working-age share fell 3.5 points. Overseas-born residents reach 39.5%, which is 17.9 percentage points above national, with English (1,494), Chinese (496) and Irish (441) the leading ancestries. Mandarin is spoken by 189 residents, the largest non-English language group. University qualifications reach 40.4%, which is 10.3 percentage points above the national figure. Average household size is 2.5, matching the national average, yet 31.3% of families are couples without children, consistent with a post-family life stage.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
63.6%
Houses
25.5%
Townhouse
11.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is strongly skewed toward ownership: 47.4% own outright and 31.3% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at only 21.3%, well below the national share. The outright-owner rate, nearly one in two dwellings, reflects a resident base that has held property for many years rather than cycling through it. Separate houses represent 63.6% of the stock, with semi-detached at 25.5% and apartments at just 11.0%. Bedroom size skews large: 52.4% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 34.0% have three, so two-bedroom and smaller options are scarce at 13.6% combined. Rent stress is present, with rent-to-income at 33.4% above the 30% threshold, and mortgage-to-income at 31.0% also flags mild stress for those still paying down debt.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$540
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$732
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.6%
Unoccupied
115
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
33.4% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.0% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.3%
Couples, no children
3,458
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates the local employment base at 20.8% of workers (274 residents), well ahead of Professional/Tech at 11.5% and Education at 10.4%. Construction accounts for 9.6% and Retail 8.4%. By occupation, Professionals (504) and Managers (318) form the largest groups, aligning with the SEIFA IEO decile 8 score for education and occupation advantage. The unemployment rate is 5.4% and full-time employment runs at 58.6% of those employed. Participation at 46.6% is below average because 1,630 residents are not in the labour force, which is consistent with the high median age of 50. Real income growth of 8.2% over the decade was positive, and household income sits at the 53.1st percentile nationally.
Unemployment
2.2%
Labour Force
2,176
Unemployed
47
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.6%
Part-time
36.0%
Participation
46.6%
Employed
1,668
Occupations
Top Industries
University
40.4%
Postgraduate
10.9%
Born Overseas
39.5%
Dwellings
1,616
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 90.2% of residents drive to work, compared with only 1.0% using public transport, reflecting the suburb's low-density canal layout where bus services are limited. Walkers and cyclists account for 1.8% of commuters. The SEIFA IRSAD sits at decile 8, meaning Clear Island Waters ranks in the upper tier of advantage nationally, with limited signs of disadvantage. The need-for-assistance rate is 7.9% (330 residents), slightly elevated relative to the aging profile, and the volunteering rate of 12.1% suggests moderate community participation. No schools are recorded in the suburb dataset, so families rely on nearby schools in the broader Gold Coast corridor. Crime data is not available for this postcode, but the IRSD decile 8 score is an indirect indicator of a lower-disadvantage environment.
Drive
90.2%
Public Transport
1.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.59%/yr
(+27 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth runs at 0.59% per year, adding roughly 27 residents annually, and has climbed 10.3% over 10 years. The primary driver is overseas migration, averaging 68 net arrivals per year, with minimal internal migration of only 4 net per year. Medium forecasts show the population reaching approximately 4,699 by 2031 from the current 4,395, a modest 7% rise over five years. The gentrification score of 27 places the suburb at the early-signs stage rather than an active gentrification trajectory, and the SEIFA IRSAD at decile 8 leaves some room for advantage to grow. Rent grew 33.3% over the period, outpacing real income growth of 8.2%, compressing affordability for new renters despite the overall stable affordability trend.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+68
Net Internal / yr
+4
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +10% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Clear Island Waters compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Clear Island Waters a good suburb to live in?
Clear Island Waters ranks in SEIFA decile 8 on three of four indexes, placing it in the upper tier of advantage nationally. The median age of 50 reflects a settled, long-term resident base, with 47.4% of homes owned outright. Car access is essential as only 1.0% of residents use public transport, but the large-home stock and low rental turnover signal a stable, owner-occupier community.
What is the median house price in Clear Island Waters?
The median house price is estimated at $649,000, based on 2025 rental data. Weekly rent averages $540 and monthly mortgage repayments run approximately $2,167, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.0%. With 47.4% of homes owned outright, the market is dominated by long-held properties rather than frequent resales.
What schools are in Clear Island Waters?
No schools are recorded inside the Clear Island Waters boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in the surrounding Gold Coast corridor. Despite the absence of local schools, 40.4% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 10.3 percentage points above the national figure, reflecting the suburb's high educational attainment.
Is Clear Island Waters safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Clear Island Waters in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores SEIFA IRSD decile 8, placing it in the upper tier of low disadvantage nationally. Only 7.9% of residents (330 people) need daily assistance, and the high proportion of long-term owner-occupiers at 47.4% outright is consistent with a low-transient, stable environment.
Is Clear Island Waters good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $540 against a $649,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.3%, reasonable for a Gold Coast canal suburb. The vacancy rate of 6.6% is elevated and should be monitored. Overseas migration adds 68 net residents per year, supporting steady demand, and medium forecasts project population growth toward 4,699 by 2031. Returns are more likely to come from moderate capital growth than yield compression.
How is Clear Island Waters's population changing?
The population is growing slowly at 0.59% per year, adding about 27 residents annually. Over 10 years the population rose 10.3%, driven mainly by overseas migration at 68 net arrivals per year. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 5.5 points and the working-age share down 3.5 points over the decade. Medium forecasts project the population reaching around 4,699 by 2031.
What languages are spoken in Clear Island Waters?
About 39.5% of residents were born overseas, which is 17.9 percentage points above the national figure. English dominates, with Mandarin the leading non-English language at 189 speakers, followed by Cantonese (24), Japanese (20) and Portuguese (19). Chinese ancestry is the third-largest group at 496 residents, reflecting a significant Asian-born community within the suburb's 4,395 population.
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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