Currumbin Waters
Rents in Currumbin Waters grew 37.6% over the decade, the strongest rental growth in this batch, while real incomes rose 18.2%, creating a dual-pressure dynamic where both landlords and homebuyers face escalating costs. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.6% sits just below the 30% stress threshold, meaning any rate increase would push owners into financial strain. Despite this pricing pressure, the suburb retains a firmly Anglo-Australian character, with English ancestry at 4,537, Irish at 1,335, and just 18.3% born overseas (3.3 points below the national rate). The gentrification score of 37 (early signs from the shift analysis) suggests demographic change is underway but not yet producing displacement.
Population
9,797
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,636/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$587K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The estimated $587,000 median makes Currumbin Waters more affordable than most Gold Coast coastal suburbs. Detached houses at 71.4% dominate, but semi-detached at 27.6% provides significant alternative stock. Three-bedroom homes (46.8%) and four-plus bedrooms (36.3%) are the most common formats. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,100 produce a near-stress mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.6%, tight for a suburb at this price point because household incomes ($1,636/week, 56.6th percentile) are moderate by Gold Coast standards. Walking and cycling at 3.6% slightly exceeds the suburban norm. St Augustine's Parish Primary (ICSEA 1,086) sits well above the national benchmark.
For Buyers
The estimated $587,000 median makes Currumbin Waters more affordable than most Gold Coast coastal suburbs. Detached houses at 71.4% dominate, but semi-detached at 27.6% provides significant alternative stock. Three-bedroom homes (46.8%) and four-plus bedrooms (36.3%) are the most common formats. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,100 produce a near-stress mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.6%, tight for a suburb at this price point because household incomes ($1,636/week, 56.6th percentile) are moderate by Gold Coast standards. Walking and cycling at 3.6% slightly exceeds the suburban norm. St Augustine's Parish Primary (ICSEA 1,086) sits well above the national benchmark.
For Investors
Renters at 22.4% and median weekly rent of $468 against a $587,000 estimated median produce a gross yield around 4.1%, above the national average and competitive for the Gold Coast. The 4.4% vacancy rate is moderate. No development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, indicating no new supply pipeline to compete with existing stock. Population grows at 0.59% per year (60 persons), primarily driven by overseas migration averaging 73/year. Internal migration is nearly neutral at negative 4/year. The 10-year population growth of 10.3% is above the national average, providing a structural demand tailwind.
Schools in Currumbin Waters iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Augustine's Parish Primary School
Prep-6 · 482 students
Demographics
English ancestry dominates at 4,537, with Irish (1,335), Scottish (1,193), and German (530) forming a strongly Anglo-European profile. Only 18.3% were born overseas, 3.3 points below the national average. Portuguese (32) and Japanese (31) lead non-English languages at small absolute numbers, consistent with the Gold Coast's lifestyle-migration character rather than significant migrant community formation. The median age of 42 is 2 years above national. Couples with children (3,392) exceed couples without (1,963), and average household size of 2.6 sits near the national 2.5. University qualifications at 25.2% are 4.9 points below the national rate.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
71.4%
Houses
27.6%
Townhouse
1.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Mortgage holders lead at 42.4%, with outright owners at 35.3% and renters at 22.4%. Detached houses at 71.4% dominate, but semi-detached at 27.6% is a significant minority, higher than most comparable suburbs. Three-bedroom homes (46.8%) are the dominant format, with apartments nearly absent at 1.0%. The estimated $587,000 median is rent-derived. Rent-to-income at 28.6% is close to the stress line, while mortgage-to-income at 29.6% is tighter still. Affordability has been improving according to the trend analysis (66.5% to 63.0% affordability ratio), though the 37.6% rent growth over the decade counteracts this.
Mortgage / mo
$2,100
Rent / wk
$468
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$743
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.4%
Unoccupied
163
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.8%
Couples, no children
7,920
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads at 19.1% (612 workers), followed by Construction at 15.2% (487) and Education at 13.0% (416). Professional/Technical at 8.4% and Retail at 7.7% round out the top five. Professionals (974) lead occupations, with Community/Personal (596), Managers (571), and Clerical/Admin (570) closely clustered. Full-time employment at 58.2% is below the national average, consistent with the Gold Coast's higher part-time and casual employment patterns. Participation at 56.0% is moderate, and unemployment at 4.3% is near the national figure. The SEIFA IER decile 7 indicates above-average economic resources.
Unemployment
2.8%
Labour Force
5,525
Unemployed
154
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.2%
Part-time
37.5%
Participation
56.0%
Employed
4,240
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.2%
Postgraduate
5.1%
Born Overseas
18.3%
Dwellings
3,531
Transport to Work
St Augustine's Parish Primary School (Catholic, ICSEA 1,086, 482 students) is the only school within the suburb, sitting well above the national benchmark. Car dependence at 91.3% is high, with public transport at just 0.4%, the lowest in this batch. Walking and cycling at 3.6% is modest. The IRSAD decile 6 and IRSD decile 6 place Currumbin Waters in the middle band of advantage, neither disadvantaged nor affluent. Volunteering at 13.1% is near the national average, and 6.8% of residents need assistance with daily tasks.
Drive
91.3%
Public Transport
0.4%
Walk / Cycle
3.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.59%/yr
(+60 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grows at 0.59% per year (60 persons), reaching an estimated 10,220 in 2025. Overseas migration adds 73/year, while internal migration is nearly neutral at negative 4/year. The 10-year population change of 10.3% is above the national average, and the suburb did not experience a COVID dip. The trajectory is described as mixed: the senior share grew by 2.0 percentage points (moderate), while the young share contracted slightly at negative 0.4. Gentrification score from the forecast model is 3 (not gentrifying), though the broader shift analysis flags 37 (early signs), reflecting rising incomes.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+73
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 Currumbin Waters compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Currumbin Waters a good suburb to live in?
Currumbin Waters suits buyers wanting a Gold Coast lifestyle at an estimated $587,000 median, with 71.4% detached houses and a school (ICSEA 1,086) above the national benchmark. The IRSAD decile 6 indicates mid-range advantage. The key constraint is car dependence at 91.3%, with public transport at just 0.4%.
What is the median house price in Currumbin Waters?
The estimated median is $587,000, derived from rental data. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,100, and median weekly rent is $468. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.6% sits just below the 30% stress threshold, reflecting moderate household incomes at the 56.6th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Currumbin Waters?
One school operates within the suburb: St Augustine's Parish Primary School (Catholic, ICSEA 1,086, 482 students), sitting well above the national 1,000 ICSEA benchmark. Families requiring secondary options will need to access schools in neighbouring Currumbin or Elanora.
Is Currumbin Waters safe?
Crime-specific data is not available in the current dataset. The IRSD decile 6 indicates mid-range socioeconomic standing, and the 4.3% unemployment rate is near the national average. The 80.2% residential stability rate and 77.7% ownership (outright plus mortgage) are typically associated with moderate crime levels.
Is Currumbin Waters good for property investment?
Gross yield is approximately 4.1% ($468/week on $587,000), above the national median. The 4.4% vacancy rate is moderate, and no DAs were lodged in 12 months, so no new supply competes with existing stock. Population growth at 0.59% per year and 37.6% rent growth over the decade provide structural support, though the near-stress mortgage-to-income ratio signals pricing pressure.
How is Currumbin Waters's population changing?
Population grows at 0.59% per year (60 persons), reaching an estimated 10,220 in 2025. Overseas migration adds 73/year, while internal migration is nearly neutral. The 10-year growth of 10.3% exceeds the national average. The median age of 42 is 2 years above national, with the senior share growing by 2.0 percentage points.
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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