Palm Beach
A dense coastal suburb with 16,349 residents, Palm Beach combines a 14.7% vacancy rate with 37.5% renting, creating a more fluid housing market than many established owner-occupier areas. The median age is 39, one year below the national comparison, while household income sits at the 60.5th percentile. Housing is mixed, with 41.1% separate houses, 38.6% apartments and 19.9% semi-detached dwellings. Palm Beach sits between Currumbin and Burleigh Heads, but its own profile is notably compact and rental-oriented. University qualification rates are 34.2%, 4.1 percentage points above national, while the overseas-born share is 18.7%, 2.9 points below national. These conditions support a mobile coastal community where apartment demand, rental turnover and development activity matter alongside traditional family housing.
Population
16,349
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,721/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
54
Palm Beach suits buyers who are comfortable choosing between apartments, townhouses and houses rather than focusing only on detached stock. Separate houses account for 41.1% of dwellings, compared with 38.6% apartments and 19.9% semi-detached homes. The largest bedroom groups are two-bedroom homes at 37.0% and three-bedroom homes at 33.6%, giving buyers several formats to compare. Mortgage repayments average $2,093 per month and mortgage costs equal 28.1% of household income, below the level generally associated with severe stress. Renting is more common than outright ownership, at 37.5% versus 28.9%, so buyers should assess body corporate costs, insurance and resale demand carefully. Compared with a conventional detached-home market, Palm Beach requires closer attention to tenure mix, vacancy and the exact condition of each property.
For Buyers
Palm Beach suits buyers who are comfortable choosing between apartments, townhouses and houses rather than focusing only on detached stock. Separate houses account for 41.1% of dwellings, compared with 38.6% apartments and 19.9% semi-detached homes. The largest bedroom groups are two-bedroom homes at 37.0% and three-bedroom homes at 33.6%, giving buyers several formats to compare. Mortgage repayments average $2,093 per month and mortgage costs equal 28.1% of household income, below the level generally associated with severe stress. Renting is more common than outright ownership, at 37.5% versus 28.9%, so buyers should assess body corporate costs, insurance and resale demand carefully. Compared with a conventional detached-home market, Palm Beach requires closer attention to tenure mix, vacancy and the exact condition of each property.
For Investors
Palm Beach has a substantial renter base, with 37.5% of households renting compared with 28.9% owning outright. Weekly rent is $445, while the 14.7% vacancy rate is high enough to signal both tenant choice and potential income volatility. That combination can suit investors seeking coastal rental exposure, but it makes property selection and pricing discipline more important than simply buying near the beach. Development activity is also elevated, with 45 applications recorded over 12 months, which may increase competition between newer and older dwellings. Compared with a tightly constrained rental market, the vacancy rate is a greater risk, even as rent growth has reached 48.3%. Annual growth is forecast at 1.4%, driven primarily by overseas migration, so investors should weigh population momentum against supply, maintenance and vacancy costs.
Development Activity
Total DAs
55
Last 12 Months
54
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+5300.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Palm Beach
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School
Palm Beach State School
Demographics
Palm Beach has a median age of 39, one year below the national comparison, and an average household size of 2.3 people, 0.2 below national. Couples without children represent 43.4% of families, while couples with children account for 38.7% and one-parent families 16.4%. The university-qualified share is 34.2%, 4.1 percentage points above national, indicating a stronger tertiary-educated component than the age profile alone might suggest. By contrast, 18.7% of residents were born overseas, 2.9 points below national. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts are 7,223, 2,224 and 2,021 respectively, giving the suburb an Anglo-leaning profile compared with more migrant-heavy parts of the Gold Coast. Turnover is 29.6%, while 70.4% stayed at the same address, so Palm Beach combines established residents with meaningful movement.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
41.1%
Houses
19.9%
Townhouse
38.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Palm Beach has a more varied housing structure than a suburb dominated by detached family homes. Separate houses make up 41.1% of dwellings, apartments 38.6% and semi-detached homes 19.9%. Two-bedroom properties are the largest bedroom category at 37.0%, followed by three-bedroom homes at 33.6%, while 21.7% have four or more bedrooms and 7.7% have zero or one bedroom. Tenure is similarly mixed, with 28.9% owned outright, 32.5% under mortgage and 37.5% rented. Compared with the 25.9% rent-to-income ratio, mortgage costs are higher at 28.1%, although neither measure is flagged as stressed. The absence of a current median house price makes like-for-like comparisons especially important, including land size, body corporate fees, flood exposure, renovation condition and the difference between apartment and house stock.
Mortgage / mo
$2,093
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $445.
$1,175
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $1,175 · units $850
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$873
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
14.7%
Unoccupied
1,147
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
38.7%
Couples with children
43.4%
Couples, no children
16.4%
Single parent
4,266
Total families
Economy & Employment
Palm Beach has an employment base led by healthcare at 18.9% of workers, followed by construction at 14.2%, education at 12.2%, professional and technical services at 9.3%, and retail at 7.4%. This mix supports both essential local services and trades linked to ongoing building activity. Occupations are headed by professionals at 2,177 people, trades at 1,261 and managers at 1,232, with community and personal service work at 1,122. The labour-force participation rate is 65.6% and unemployment is 4.2%, while personal income is $873 per week and household income is $1,721. Compared with the middle decile, Palm Beach ranks above it on education and occupation at decile 7, and on relative advantage and disadvantage at decile 7, but economic resources sit at decile 5. That gap suggests qualifications and occupations are stronger than household resource outcomes for some residents.
Unemployment
4.2%
Labour Force
9,011
Unemployed
381
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.3%
Part-time
35.7%
Participation
65.6%
Employed
8,630
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
34.2%
Postgraduate
6.9%
Born Overseas
18.7%
Dwellings
6,621
Transport to Work
Palm Beach is practical for residents who drive, work from home or use local services close to home. Car driving accounts for 73.8% of journeys, compared with just 1.6% using public transport and 3.5% walking or cycling, so it is more car-dependent than a transit-led inner suburb. A further 17.7% work from home, supporting demand for usable two and three-bedroom layouts. Families have access to 2 nearby government schools covering primary and secondary years, including Palm Beach State School and Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School; enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address. The IRSAD and IEO measures are both in decile 7, above the middle decile, which points to relatively solid area-level advantage in education, occupation and disadvantage measures. No suburb-wide crime rate is stated, so safety decisions should compare recent incidents, lighting, traffic and beach activity at street level.
Drive
73.8%
Public Transport
1.6%
Walk / Cycle
3.5%
Work from Home
17.7%
Population Forecast
+1.4%/yr
(+262 people/yr)
EstablishedPalm Beach is an established suburb with forecast annual growth of 1.4%, driven primarily by overseas migration. The wider-area population change measure is 17.2% over 10 years, while the forecast trajectory is Mixed rather than consistently upward. Gentrification is classified as Active, with a score of 54, indicating continuing change in housing demand, resident mix and investment attention. Rent growth of 48.3% is higher than real income growth of 28.1%, which can lift landlord returns but also reduce affordability for tenants. Affordability is recorded as improving from 54.2 in 2011 to 51.0 in 2021, so the direction should be read alongside the recent rental increase. Compared with a low-change established suburb, Palm Beach has stronger migration and development signals, but its high vacancy rate means growth may arrive through changing stock and turnover rather than uniform price pressure.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+230
Net Internal / yr
+158
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +29% since 2011, Net internal migration +158/yr, Strong overseas inflow +230/yr, Accelerating: 5% → 23%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Palm Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Palm Beach a good suburb to live in?
Palm Beach can suit residents seeking a coastal setting with mixed housing, 17.7% working from home and access to 2 government schools. It is more car-oriented than a transit-led suburb, with 73.8% driving, and the 14.7% vacancy rate suggests a changing local market. Compare streets and property types carefully.
What is the median house price in Palm Beach?
A current median house price is not available for Palm Beach. Weekly rent is $445 and average mortgage repayments are $2,093 per month. Separate houses account for 41.1% of dwellings, compared with 38.6% apartments, so buyers should compare like-for-like properties, land size, fees and condition.
What schools are in Palm Beach?
Palm Beach has 2 named government schools: Palm Beach State School and Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School. They cover primary and secondary years, but enrolment zones can vary by address. Families should confirm the current catchment, transport options and year-level availability before signing a lease or contract.
Is Palm Beach safe?
Palm Beach does not have a stated suburb-wide crime rate, so a simple safety ranking would be misleading. The suburb's IRSAD is in decile 7, but that measures relative social and economic conditions rather than crime. Compare recent incidents by street, check lighting and traffic, and inspect the area at different times before deciding.
Is Palm Beach good for property investment?
Palm Beach has investor appeal through 37.5% renting, weekly rent of $445, annual forecast growth of 1.4% and 45 development applications in 12 months. However, vacancy is 14.7%, higher than an especially tight rental market would be, so investors should stress-test vacancy, body corporate costs, maintenance and competition from newer dwellings.
How is Palm Beach's population changing?
Palm Beach has 16,349 residents today, with annual growth forecast at 1.4% and wider-area population change of 17.2% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the trajectory is Mixed. Gentrification is Active with a score of 54, indicating ongoing change rather than a settled, unchanging market.
What development is occurring in Palm Beach?
There were 45 development applications in the past 12 months, indicating a more active pipeline than a low-change suburb. Recent examples include operational works and vehicle access works, so the count should not be treated as 45 new homes. Compare each proposal's location, scale, traffic effects and relationship to existing housing.
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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