Elanora
At 12,539 residents across 8.89 square kilometres, Elanora combines a 42-year median age with a detached-home profile: 78.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 48.5% have 4 or more bedrooms. Age sits 2.0 years above the national comparison, while household income is at the 61.2 percentile. Compared with coastal Palm Beach, Elanora is more oriented to established family housing, with 43.3% of households paying a mortgage and only 4.2% of dwellings recorded as apartments. Its 19.6% turnover rate and 80.4% stay rate point to a relatively settled suburb, while the aging trajectory will matter for future services and resale demand.
Population
12,539
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,744/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
Elanora suits buyers prioritising space and established streets over apartment living. Separate houses account for 78.7% of dwellings, compared with 4.2% apartments, and 48.5% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms. Mortgage commitments average $2,100 monthly, equal to 27.8% of household income, below the 30.1% rent-to-income measure, although rent stress is flagged. The 43.3% mortgage tenure share is higher than the 38.3% owned-outright share, suggesting many buyers will compete for family stock with existing leveraged owners. With weekly rent at $525, purchasers should test repayments, insurance and commuting costs against their own budget, especially where a larger home creates higher ongoing expenses.
For Buyers
Elanora suits buyers prioritising space and established streets over apartment living. Separate houses account for 78.7% of dwellings, compared with 4.2% apartments, and 48.5% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms. Mortgage commitments average $2,100 monthly, equal to 27.8% of household income, below the 30.1% rent-to-income measure, although rent stress is flagged. The 43.3% mortgage tenure share is higher than the 38.3% owned-outright share, suggesting many buyers will compete for family stock with existing leveraged owners. With weekly rent at $525, purchasers should test repayments, insurance and commuting costs against their own budget, especially where a larger home creates higher ongoing expenses.
For Investors
Elanora presents a hold-oriented rental case rather than a high-density yield play. Rent is $525 a week, vacancy is 4.9%, and 17.1% of households rent, a lower share than the 43.3% paying a mortgage. That owner-heavy tenure can support steady demand for 3-bedroom and 4-or-more-bedroom stock, which makes up 43.3% and 48.5% of homes, because the suburb is dominated by family houses. The annual growth trend is 0.58% and overseas migration is the primary driver, while rents have risen 45.8% across the shift period. Only 5 development applications were recorded over 12 months, so investors should compare property-specific yield, maintenance and vacancy assumptions rather than expect a large new-supply pipeline.
Development Activity
Total DAs
6
Last 12 Months
6
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 Elanora
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Elanora State High School
Elanora State School
Demographics
Elanora has an older and more settled profile than the national comparison. The median age is 42, or 2.0 years above the national figure, while 28.3% of residents have a university qualification, 1.8 percentage points below national. Overseas-born residents account for 19.3%, 2.3 points below national, and the average household size is 2.7 people, 0.2 above national. English, Irish and Scottish are the leading reported ancestries at 5,739, 1,663 and 1,539 people. Christianity and no religion are both prominent at 5,858 and 5,611, suggesting local services should cater to established households as well as a smaller international cohort. The 80.4% stay rate is higher than the 19.6% turnover rate, reinforcing residential stability.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
78.7%
Houses
17.1%
Townhouse
4.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Elanora's tenure and dwelling mix point to a mortgage-led, detached housing market. Separate houses represent 78.7% of dwellings, semi-detached homes 17.1% and apartments 4.2%, so the detached share is far higher than the apartment share. Ownership is split between 38.3% owned outright and 43.3% with a mortgage, compared with 17.1% renting. The bedroom profile is similarly family-sized: 43.3% have 3 bedrooms and 48.5% have 4 or more. Mortgage costs equal 27.8% of household income, below the 30.1% rent-to-income measure, but rent stress is flagged. This structure supports longer tenure because households can stay as needs change, although larger homes carry more maintenance exposure than smaller dwellings.
Mortgage / mo
$2,100
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $525.
$1,175
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $1,175 · units $850
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$738
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.9%
Unoccupied
227
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.1% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
45.3%
Couples with children
35.6%
Couples, no children
18.1%
Single parent
3,499
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Elanora's largest employment industry at 20.3% and 826 workers, followed by construction at 14.4% and 586, education at 13.3% and 541, then retail and professional or technical services at 7.5% each, with 305 and 304 workers. The occupation mix is led by 1,293 professionals and 925 trades workers, with 796 clerical or administrative roles and 673 managers. Unemployment is 4.5% with a 62.4% participation rate, while 50.9% of workers are full time. Household income sits at the 61.2 percentile. The SEIFA pattern is uneven: economic resources rank in decile 8, compared with education and occupation in decile 5, while disadvantage is decile 7 and advantage decile 6. That gap suggests solid household resources without an equally high formal education profile.
Unemployment
4.5%
Labour Force
6,342
Unemployed
288
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
50.9%
Part-time
38.9%
Participation
62.4%
Employed
6,054
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.3%
Postgraduate
5.7%
Born Overseas
19.3%
Dwellings
4,386
Transport to Work
Daily life is strongly car-oriented: 77.1% travel as car drivers, compared with 1.1% using public transport and 1.9% walking or cycling. A further 15.6% work from home, which may reduce commuting pressure for some households but does not remove the need to plan around road access. Two government schools provide local primary and high-school options, so families should check enrolment zones against the exact address. The IRSAD decile is 6 and the IRSD decile is 7, placing Elanora above the midpoint on area advantage and disadvantage measures, though not in the top decile. With a median age of 42 and 2.7 people per household, services need to support both families and aging households.
Drive
77.1%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.9%
Work from Home
15.6%
Population Forecast
+0.58%/yr
(+78 people/yr)
EstablishedElanora's outlook is gradual rather than expansionary. The annual trend is 0.58%, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 7.6% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 3.4 percentage points and the working share has fallen 2.2 points, which may lift demand for accessible homes and health services. Gentrification signals are mixed, with a score of 3 and stage Not gentrifying alongside a shift score of 43 labelled Early signs. Compared with a fast-growth corridor, this points to established-suburb renewal 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
+99
Net Internal / yr
+12
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +10% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Elanora compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elanora a good suburb to live in?
Elanora suits households seeking established detached housing, with 78.7% separate houses, a median age of 42 and 80.4% of residents staying put. Its 77.1% car-driver share means transport planning matters more than in a transit-led suburb.
What is the median house price in Elanora?
A reliable current median should be confirmed through recent comparable sales. Elanora's $525 weekly rent, $2,100 monthly mortgage cost and 78.7% separate-house share help frame affordability, but property type and condition will affect any price comparison.
What schools are in Elanora?
Elanora has 2 local government schools: Elanora State School, a state primary school, and Elanora State High School. Compare enrolment zones and current requirements against the exact address before committing to a property.
Is Elanora safe?
Check current Queensland Police data and inspect street-level conditions before deciding. Elanora has 12,539 residents, so compare incident categories and locations around the exact address rather than relying on a single suburb-wide impression. Lighting, traffic and access can vary by street.
Is Elanora good for property investment?
Elanora can suit a long-term investor who values family-house demand: rent is $525 weekly, vacancy is 4.9% and 17.1% of households rent. Growth is forecast at 0.58% annually, with overseas migration the primary driver. Compare net yield, maintenance and vacancy assumptions for each property.
How is Elanora's population changing?
Elanora has an aging trajectory, with a median age of 42, a 3.4 percentage point rise in the senior share and a 2.2 point fall in the working share. Population change across the wider area is 7.6% over 10 years, and annual growth is 0.58%, driven primarily by overseas migration. Compared with a rapid-growth suburb, change is gradual.
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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