Clifton Beach
A 17.1% vacancy rate is the most distinctive feature of Clifton Beach, alongside a median age of 48 that sits 8 years above the national figure. The suburb has 3,192 residents across 5.73 square kilometres, with 72.3% of homes being separate houses and 32.4% of residents born overseas, 10.8 percentage points above national. Compared with nearby Palm Cove and Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach presents a quieter, older residential profile with a sizeable rental component. Its density of 556.8 people per square kilometre and 18.9% work-from-home rate support a less intensive daily pattern, while 35.2% renting points to more tenure movement than a strongly owner-occupied market.
Population
3,192
Median Age
48.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,480/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
10
Homebuyers face a mixed housing format, although separate houses dominate at 72.3%, compared with 23.3% apartments and 4.4% semi-detached dwellings. Larger households can target the 39.0% share with 4 or more bedrooms, while 33.5% of homes have 3 bedrooms. A median house price is unavailable, so buyers should test asking prices against the $365 weekly rent and $1,820 monthly mortgage benchmark. Ownership is split between 34.7% owned outright and 29.2% mortgaged. Mortgage repayments equal 28.4% of household income and are not flagged as mortgage stress, but the 17.1% vacancy rate makes careful checking of building costs, maintenance and resale assumptions important for apartments.
For Buyers
Homebuyers face a mixed housing format, although separate houses dominate at 72.3%, compared with 23.3% apartments and 4.4% semi-detached dwellings. Larger households can target the 39.0% share with 4 or more bedrooms, while 33.5% of homes have 3 bedrooms. A median house price is unavailable, so buyers should test asking prices against the $365 weekly rent and $1,820 monthly mortgage benchmark. Ownership is split between 34.7% owned outright and 29.2% mortgaged. Mortgage repayments equal 28.4% of household income and are not flagged as mortgage stress, but the 17.1% vacancy rate makes careful checking of building costs, maintenance and resale assumptions important for apartments.
For Investors
For investors, the 35.2% rental share provides a meaningful tenant base, but the 17.1% vacancy rate is the central risk because longer letting periods can weaken income certainty. Weekly rent is $365, while mortgage repayments are $1,820 monthly, so a purchase case needs allowance for outgoings rather than relying on gross rent alone. Compared with owner-occupied stock, the rental proportion is close to the 34.7% owned-outright share, indicating a mixed tenure market. Development activity is modest at 8 applications in 12 months. The wider growth trend is 1.62% annually and overseas migration is the primary driver, although the aging trajectory and median age of 48 call for careful tenant and exit-market selection.
Development Activity
Total DAs
10
Last 12 Months
10
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
Demographics
Clifton Beach has an older age profile than the nation: the median age is 48, or 8 years above national. The 32.4% overseas-born share is 10.8 percentage points above national, while university attainment at 31.8% is 1.7 points higher. English ancestry is reported by 1,322 people, followed by Irish at 373 and Scottish at 359. No religion is the largest stated affiliation at 1,518, ahead of Christianity at 1,293. Average household size is 2.3 people, 0.2 below national, and couples without children account for 51.5% of families. Compared with a younger, larger-household suburb, this profile helps explain demand for lower-maintenance homes and age-related services. Turnover is 31.0%, with 69.0% staying at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
72.3%
Houses
4.4%
Townhouse
23.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing in Clifton Beach is detached-dominant but not exclusively low-density: separate houses make up 72.3% of dwellings, higher than apartments at 23.3% and semi-detached homes at 4.4%. The bedroom mix leans larger, with 39.0% of dwellings containing 4 or more bedrooms, compared with 33.5% containing 3 bedrooms and 24.1% containing 2 bedrooms. Tenure is broadly balanced, with 34.7% owned outright, 29.2% mortgaged and 35.2% rented. That rental share, together with a 17.1% vacancy rate, means occupancy and income consistency should be assessed by property type. Compared with the 2.3-person average household size, the large-home share may create underused-space risk for some owners. Weekly rent of $365 is the clearest available market benchmark because no median sale price is available.
Mortgage / mo
$1,820
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $365.
$700
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $700 · units $620
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$808
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
17.1%
Unoccupied
263
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.6%
Couples with children
51.5%
Couples, no children
16.6%
Single parent
927
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Clifton Beach's largest industry at 20.4% or 219 workers, followed by education at 14.0% or 150, hospitality at 9.7% or 104, construction at 9.1% or 98, and professional and technical work at 7.8% or 84. The occupation mix is led by professionals at 352, community and personal service workers at 220, managers at 218, trades at 197 and clerical or administration workers at 181. Unemployment is 5.0%, participation is 59.4%, and full-time employment is 845 compared with 577 part-time. Household income sits at the 46th percentile. SEIFA results show IEO at decile 6, IER at 7, IRSD at 7 and IRSAD at 6. The higher IER and IRSD results compared with IEO and IRSAD suggest economic resources and lower disadvantage are somewhat stronger than the education and occupation profile alone would imply.
Unemployment
5.0%
Labour Force
1,612
Unemployed
81
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.2%
Part-time
37.7%
Participation
59.4%
Employed
1,531
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
31.8%
Postgraduate
10.4%
Born Overseas
32.4%
Dwellings
1,177
Transport to Work
Clifton Beach is strongly car-oriented: 71.5% of commuters drive, compared with 1.4% using public transport and 3.5% walking or cycling. That pattern matters because the suburb covers 5.73 square kilometres at 556.8 people per square kilometre, making daily errands and regional access more dependent on road connections than transit. The 18.9% work-from-home share supports flexible routines, while the 2.3-person average household size suits couples and smaller households. Families should check the exact address, nearby campuses and enrolment zones before buying, because school access depends on travel patterns beyond the suburb boundary. Socioeconomic measures sit in the middle to upper-middle range, with IRSAD at decile 6 and IRSD at decile 7. Compared with a transit-rich inner suburb, Clifton Beach is better suited to residents comfortable with driving and planning trips.
Drive
71.5%
Public Transport
1.4%
Walk / Cycle
3.5%
Work from Home
18.9%
Population Forecast
+1.62%/yr
(+207 people/yr)
EstablishedClifton Beach's wider-area growth trend is 1.62% a year, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 18.4% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share rose 10.5 percentage points and the young share fell 5.1 points. Compared with the young-share movement, the senior increase is the stronger directional signal for services, downsizer housing and local care demand. Affordability is worsening, moving from 46.3 in 2011 to 48.9 in 2021, while real income growth was negative at -0.7%. The dedicated gentrification measure is score 8 and staged Not gentrifying, although the shift measure records score 23 and Early signs. Together, these signals point to established growth rather than a rapid redevelopment cycle.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+145
Net Internal / yr
+40
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +24% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Clifton Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Clifton Beach a good suburb to live in?
Clifton Beach can suit residents seeking an established coastal setting, larger homes and a quieter pace. It has 3,192 residents, a median age of 48 and an 18.9% work-from-home rate. Compared with a transit-focused suburb, daily life is more car dependent because 71.5% of commuters drive.
What is the median house price in Clifton Beach?
No median house price is available for Clifton Beach. Buyers can use the $365 weekly rent, 72.3% separate-house share and $1,820 monthly mortgage benchmark to frame inspections, then compare current listings with recent settled sales before making an offer.
What schools are in Clifton Beach?
For school planning, check nearby campuses and enrolment zones against the exact address rather than assuming suburb boundaries determine access. Clifton Beach covers 5.73 square kilometres and has 3,192 residents, so travel time, catchment rules and transport arrangements should be confirmed before choosing a home.
Is Clifton Beach safe?
A suburb-specific crime rate is unavailable for Clifton Beach, so no evidence-based safety ranking should be assigned. Check recent Queensland Police updates and inspect the exact street at different times. The suburb has 3,192 residents, making address-level checks more useful than a broad assumption.
Is Clifton Beach good for property investment?
Clifton Beach may suit investors who can manage vacancy risk. Weekly rent is $365, but vacancy is 17.1%, so gross yield assumptions should allow for gaps and property-specific costs. Renters represent 35.2% of households, 8 development applications were recorded over 12 months, and the wider growth trend is 1.62% annually.
How is Clifton Beach's population changing?
Clifton Beach has 3,192 residents today. The wider-area trend indicates 1.62% annual growth, with overseas migration the primary driver, while population change across 10 years is 18.4%. The age mix is moving older: the senior share rose 10.5 points and the young share fell 5.1 points.
What languages are spoken in Clifton Beach?
The overseas-born share is 32.4%, which is 10.8 percentage points above national. German is recorded for 26 residents and Italian for 14, indicating some language needs beyond English. Families and service providers should confirm preferred language support directly, especially for health, education or housing advice.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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