Pacific Paradise
With a median age of 46, Pacific Paradise runs 6 years older than the national figure, and that gap explains much of what the data shows. Household income sits at the 34.1st percentile nationally, meaningfully below average, yet mortgage stress is absent: mortgage-to-income at 27.6% and rent-to-income at 29.9% both sit below the 30% stress threshold. The suburb covers just 2.65 square kilometres with a population of 2,675, giving a density of 1,011 residents per square kilometre. Separate houses dominate at 74.7% of stock. The workforce skews toward healthcare (20.3%) and construction (14.1%), and 88.8% of residents drive to work, higher than the national average.
Local council: Sunshine Coast
Population
2,675
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,340/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
12
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,600, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.6%, which stays comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Three-bedroom homes are the dominant stock at 50.8% of dwellings, followed by two-bedroom at 29.4% and four-plus at 18.5%. Separate houses make up 74.7% of all dwellings, with semi-detached at 17.4% and apartments at just 7.9%. Outright owners (35.6%) and mortgage holders (37.3%) are roughly balanced, suggesting a mix of long-settled residents and active buyers rather than a purely rental or equity-rich market.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,600, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.6%, which stays comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Three-bedroom homes are the dominant stock at 50.8% of dwellings, followed by two-bedroom at 29.4% and four-plus at 18.5%. Separate houses make up 74.7% of all dwellings, with semi-detached at 17.4% and apartments at just 7.9%. Outright owners (35.6%) and mortgage holders (37.3%) are roughly balanced, suggesting a mix of long-settled residents and active buyers rather than a purely rental or equity-rich market.
For Investors
Renters account for 27.1% of households, and weekly rent sits at $400. However, the vacancy rate of 4.5% is elevated compared to the national norm, signalling softer rental demand than the yield figure alone suggests. Development activity is thin: only 4 applications lodged in the past 12 months, all small-scale, indicating little new supply pressure but also little development-driven upside. The employment participation rate is just 47.4%, lower than state and national averages, because the aging resident base includes a large proportion not in the labour force (934 people). Investors should weigh the reasonable yield against the vacancy rate and the limited population growth signal.
Development Activity
Total DAs
16
Last 12 Months
12
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+500.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Pacific Paradise
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Pacific Paradise State School
Demographics
The median age of 46 sits 6 years above the national figure, making this one of the older resident profiles on the Sunshine Coast. Overseas-born residents make up 19.7% of the population, 1.9 points below the national average, consistent with the predominantly Anglo-Celtic ancestry mix: English (1,220), Scottish (344) and Irish (307) are the top ancestries. Average household size is 2.3, slightly below the national figure, and the household composition reflects the older profile, with 36.3% of families being couples without children. University qualifications reach 20.0%, which is 10.1 points below the national figure, and the workforce leans toward community, clerical and trade roles rather than professional or managerial occupations.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
74.7%
Houses
17.4%
Townhouse
7.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses account for 74.7% of dwellings, well above the national share, and apartments sit at just 7.9%, limiting the high-density rental stock that creates vacancy problems elsewhere. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 50.8%, with two-bedroom at 29.4% giving buyers strong mid-range options. Tenure is relatively balanced: 35.6% own outright, 37.3% hold a mortgage and 27.1% rent. The outright ownership share is meaningful for a suburb at the 34.1st income percentile nationally, suggesting many residents purchased before recent price growth. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,600 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.6% indicate the market remains accessible relative to local incomes, even if the income base itself is below average.
Mortgage / mo
$1,600
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $400.
$950
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $950 · units $650
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$654
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.5%
Unoccupied
49
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.0%
Couples with children
47.9%
Couples, no children
19.7%
Single parent
755
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest industry at 20.3% of employed residents (153 workers), consistent with the older age profile creating local demand for health services. Construction follows at 14.1% (106 workers), which aligns with ongoing residential development in the broader Sunshine Coast corridor. Education accounts for 11.2% and manufacturing 7.3%, while hospitality employs 6.8%. By occupation, community and personal service workers (173) narrowly edge out clerical and admin (172), with professionals third at 156. The unemployment rate is 5.7%, higher than the national average, and the participation rate of 47.4% is lower than state norms because 934 residents are not in the labour force, driven by the suburb's older demographic profile.
Unemployment
5.1%
Labour Force
1,214
Unemployed
62
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
52.4%
Part-time
36.0%
Participation
53.3%
Employed
1,152
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.0%
Postgraduate
2.3%
Born Overseas
19.7%
Dwellings
1,036
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high at 88.8% of residents driving to work, higher than the national average, and public transport use sits at just 1.8%, reflecting the suburban road network of the Sunshine Coast region. Walking and cycling account for 3.7% of commutes. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families depend on institutions in nearby Coolum Beach, Marcoola and Mudjimba. Volunteering runs at 13.7% and 9.5% of residents need daily assistance (239 people), a share that is elevated relative to younger-median suburbs because of the older age profile. Rent-to-income at 29.9% and mortgage-to-income at 27.6% both sit just below the 30% stress threshold, meaning housing costs are manageable but leave limited buffer for most households.
Drive
79.7%
Public Transport
1.7%
Walk / Cycle
3.3%
Work from Home
10.3%
Growth Outlook
Pacific Paradise is a small, stable suburb of 2,675 people with limited data on formal population forecasts. The identity signals from the census point to an aging resident base, which typically produces slow natural population growth. The resident turnover rate of 28.4% means roughly 71.6% of residents stayed in place over the census period, indicating moderate but not extreme churn compared to higher-mobility coastal suburbs. Development applications in the past 12 months total only 4, well below what growth-phase suburbs typically register.
Population trend: Sunshine Coast council area
Pacific Paradise sits in the Sunshine Coast council area. These are the council area's residents, not Pacific Paradise's.
Residents 2025
381,957
Growth, 5 yr average
+2.5%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+2.0%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Pacific Paradise compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pacific Paradise a good suburb to live in?
Pacific Paradise suits residents who prefer a quieter, car-dependent coastal suburb with a predominantly older community. The median age is 46, which is 6 years above the national figure. Housing costs are manageable, with mortgage-to-income at 27.6% and rent-to-income at 29.9%, both below the 30% stress threshold. However, public transport is minimal at 1.8% usage, and there are no recorded schools within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Pacific Paradise?
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,600, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.6%, which is below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $400, implying a gross yield near 4.3% against the median price.
What schools are in Pacific Paradise?
No schools are recorded within the Pacific Paradise suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs such as Coolum Beach and Marcoola. The suburb's university qualification rate is 20.0%, which is 10.1 points below the national average, reflecting the older, trade and service-oriented workforce profile.
Is Pacific Paradise safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Pacific Paradise in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb has a volunteering rate of 13.7% and a resident mobility rate where 71.6% of people stayed in place over the census period, suggesting a degree of community stability. The housing stress measures are low, with mortgage-to-income at 27.6% and rent-to-income at 29.9%.
Is Pacific Paradise good for property investment?
However, the vacancy rate of 4.5% is above average, indicating softer rental demand. Only 4 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, so new supply is not a short-term pressure. Investors should weigh the yield against the elevated vacancy and the low employment participation rate of 47.4%.
How is Pacific Paradise's population changing?
Pacific Paradise has a population of 2,675 across 2.65 square kilometres. The resident base skews older, with a median age of 46 compared to 40 nationally. The turnover rate is 28.4%, meaning 71.6% of residents stayed in place over the census period. Development activity is minimal at 4 applications in the past 12 months, suggesting slow organic growth rather than rapid expansion.
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).
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