Kings Beach

Development Activity

Demographics

The median age of 53 is 13.0 years above the national figure, the most distinctive single fact about the suburb. The aging trajectory has intensified over the decade, with the senior share rising 6.7 points while the working-age share fell 1.3 points. The participation rate is only 48.4%, consistent with a significant retired population: 1,123 residents are not in the labour force. University qualifications reach 33.8%, which is 3.7 points above the national average. Overseas-born residents make up 23.6%, which is 2.0 points above national. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,371), Irish (465) and Scottish (429). The average household size of 1.8 is 0.7 below the national figure, consistent with the predominance of couples without children (58.1% of families) and the absence of one-parent families in the recorded data.

The tenure split is unusual: 37.2% own outright, 16.2% hold a mortgage, and 46.6% rent. Outright ownership outpacing mortgage holders by more than two to one reflects an aging, debt-free cohort rather than recent buyers. Apartments constitute 92.6% of the dwelling stock, making this one of the most apartment-concentrated suburbs in QLD outside the inner-Brisbane core. Two-bedroom configurations are the norm at 56.1%, three-bedroom at 34.8%, and studio or one-bedroom at 5.5%. The estimated median house price of $448,000 sits below the wider Sunshine Coast median, partly because the market is almost entirely apartments. Mortgage-to-income at 27.7% and rent-to-income at 29.2% are both below the 30% stress threshold, meaning neither owners nor renters are under significant financial pressure relative to local incomes.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare is the dominant industry at 24.1% (232 workers), well above what a suburb of this size might typically support, likely driven by the older resident base requiring community and aged-care services. Education follows at 11.5%, Construction at 8.6%, Hospitality at 8.5%, and Professional/Tech at 8.2%. By occupation, Professionals (306) and Managers (196) are the top two groups, consistent with the above-national university qualification rate of 33.8%. The unemployment rate is 5.7% and the full-time employment rate is 60.8%. The SEIFA IRSD decile of 3 and IRSAD decile of 3 indicate moderate disadvantage nationally, though the IEO decile of 4 for education and occupation is slightly higher. Real income grew 14.1% over the decade, which is a meaningful lift but still leaves the suburb in the 28.4th income percentile.

Transport to Work

Car dependence is pronounced: 86.9% of residents drive to work, while only 1.5% use public transport and 5.5% walk or cycle. This is typical for a compact coastal suburb with limited bus routes. No schools are recorded within the 0.68 km2 boundary, so families depend on nearby Caloundra institutions, which is a practical constraint for households with school-age children. The IRSAD decile of 3 places Kings Beach in the lower-advantage tier nationally, meaning residents have fewer resources than the median Australian suburb. However, housing stress is low by both measures: rent-to-income at 29.2% and mortgage-to-income at 27.7% both sit below the 30% stress line. The volunteering rate is 19.2%, above average for a coastal suburb, and 5.7% of residents need daily assistance, in line with the elevated median age of 53.

Population Forecast

Population growth runs at 0.82% annually, adding roughly 58 residents per year, with the SA2 population tracking from 6,988 in 2023 to a projected 7,554 by 2031 under medium forecasts. Overseas migration is the primary growth engine at a net 128 per year, while internal migration loses 31 residents annually, a pattern typical of beach suburbs where locals eventually move elsewhere for employment. The 10-year population change was 14.6%, healthy for an established coastal area. The gentrification score is 4, classified as not gentrifying, because the suburb is already at a stable equilibrium with SEIFA decile 3 across multiple indexes and no strong income uplift pressure. Affordability improved from 60.9% in 2011 to 55.4% in 2021, a meaningful trend that indicates the suburb has become relatively more accessible compared to its own prior pricing.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Kings Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions