Pelican Waters
Pelican Waters stands out for an older, settled profile: its median age is 55, or 15 years above the national figure, while 56.7% of homes are owned outright. The suburb has 7,393 residents across 8.34 square kilometres, and 88.0% of dwellings are separate houses. Compared with nearby Caloundra, its large-home, low-turnover pattern is more apparent, with 72.2% of homes containing four or more bedrooms and 74.8% of residents staying at the same address. That combination supports downsizer and established-household demand, but it also points to an aging trajectory rather than a strongly youthful market.
Population
7,393
Median Age
55.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,552/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
63
Pelican Waters is geared towards buyers seeking space, privacy and established housing. Four or more bedrooms account for 72.2% of homes, while 88.0% are separate houses and only 5.5% are apartments. The separate-house share is therefore higher than the apartment share, which helps explain the suburb's appeal to families, home-based workers and buyers planning for long-term occupancy. A monthly mortgage figure of $2,200 and mortgage-to-income pressure of 32.7% call for careful budgeting, especially as the typical rent is $540 per week. With 24.2% working from home, buyers should also assess internet, workspace and car access rather than focusing only on floor area.
For Buyers
Pelican Waters is geared towards buyers seeking space, privacy and established housing. Four or more bedrooms account for 72.2% of homes, while 88.0% are separate houses and only 5.5% are apartments. The separate-house share is therefore higher than the apartment share, which helps explain the suburb's appeal to families, home-based workers and buyers planning for long-term occupancy. A monthly mortgage figure of $2,200 and mortgage-to-income pressure of 32.7% call for careful budgeting, especially as the typical rent is $540 per week. With 24.2% working from home, buyers should also assess internet, workspace and car access rather than focusing only on floor area.
For Investors
Pelican Waters has a small rental pool, with 12.7% of households renting compared with 56.7% owning outright. That lower rental share can limit available stock, while the 6.4% vacancy rate and $540 weekly rent provide useful signals for tenant-demand research. Rent growth has reached 33.3% across the measured period, but investors should test whether current asking rents justify the purchase price and ongoing costs. Development activity totalled 56 applications over 12 months, creating both renewal potential and competition from new supply. The wider growth trend is 1.9% annually and is driven by internal migration, which supports demand, although the aging trajectory may favour low-maintenance homes over highly specialised family stock.
Development Activity
Total DAs
85
Last 12 Months
63
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+800.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Pelican Waters
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Caloundra City Private School (Pelican Waters)
Demographics
Pelican Waters has a median age of 55, which is 15 years above the national figure, and its household structure reflects that older profile. Couples without children make up 58.3% of households, compared with 32.5% for couples with children, while average household size is 2.5. University qualification levels are 28.0%, or 2.1 percentage points below the national figure, whereas the overseas-born share is 25.6%, 4.0 points above national levels. English, Scottish and Irish ancestry counts are 3,539, 933 and 923 respectively. Compared with nearby Caloundra, Pelican Waters has a more settled housing and resident pattern, reinforced by 74.8% of people staying at the same address and a 25.2% turnover rate.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.0%
Houses
6.4%
Townhouse
5.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Detached housing dominates Pelican Waters, with 88.0% of dwellings classified as separate houses, 6.4% semi-detached and 5.5% apartments. The bedroom profile is similarly spacious: 72.2% of homes have four or more bedrooms, compared with 23.8% with three bedrooms and 3.5% with two. The 56.7% outright-ownership rate is higher than the 29.5% mortgage rate and the 12.7% rental rate, indicating a substantial established-owner base. Mortgage pressure is still material at 32.7% of income, while rent pressure reaches 34.8%. Buyers comparing Pelican Waters with nearby Golden Beach should pay close attention to maintenance, insurance and waterfront exposure because these costs can materially change the value of larger homes.
Mortgage / mo
$2,200
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $540.
$745
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $745 · units $650
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$671
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.4%
Unoccupied
189
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
34.8% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.7% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
32.5%
Couples with children
58.3%
Couples, no children
8.4%
Single parent
2,415
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employment industry in Pelican Waters at 20.3%, or 395 workers, followed by construction at 12.1% with 236, education at 10.7% with 209, retail at 8.7% with 169, and professional and technical services at 8.2% with 159. The main occupations are professionals at 594, clerical and administration workers at 459, managers at 448, trades workers at 358 and sales workers at 344. Household income is $1,552 per week, close to the 49.5 household-income percentile, while unemployment is 4.8% among a labour force of 3,045. SEIFA results are mixed: education and occupation sits at decile 5, economic resources at decile 7, disadvantage at decile 6 and advantage and disadvantage at decile 6. The higher resources result suggests household finances are stronger than the education and occupation measure alone would imply.
Unemployment
4.8%
Labour Force
3,045
Unemployed
146
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.0%
Part-time
37.6%
Participation
47.8%
Employed
2,899
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.0%
Postgraduate
6.7%
Born Overseas
25.6%
Dwellings
2,778
Transport to Work
Daily life in Pelican Waters is strongly car-oriented. A total of 68.6% of residents drive to work, far higher than the 0.3% using public transport and 1.8% walking or cycling, while 24.2% work from home. This pattern makes parking, road connections and access to nearby services more important than rail proximity. One school is identified within the suburb, Caloundra City Private School, an independent non-state school. Families should confirm enrolment requirements and catchments against the exact address and compare nearby options before buying. Socioeconomic conditions sit around the middle, with an IRSAD decile of 6, while the suburb's 7,393 residents are spread across 8.34 square kilometres. The combination suits residents comfortable with driving and lower-density living.
Drive
68.6%
Public Transport
0.3%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
24.2%
Population Forecast
+1.9%/yr
(+272 people/yr)
EstablishedPelican Waters is growing, but the direction is clearly aging. The annual trend is 1.9%, with internal migration identified as the primary driver, while population change across the wider area reaches 27.5% over 10 years. The shift is labelled Aging, supported by a 7.2 percentage-point rise in the senior share, a 3.5-point fall in the young share and a 4.2-point fall in the working share. Compared with the stable affordability trend, which moved from 66.1 in 2011 to 66.3 in 2021, the growth story is more about continued demand than rapidly improving access. Gentrification remains at the Early signs stage with a score of 37, alongside rent growth of 33.3%, so gradual change is more likely than a sudden transformation.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+128
Net Internal / yr
+236
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +35% since 2011, Net internal migration +236/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Pelican Waters compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pelican Waters a good suburb to live in?
Pelican Waters suits residents who value larger detached homes, quieter streets and established ownership. The median age is 55, 88.0% of dwellings are separate houses and 24.2% of workers work from home. It is less suitable for households seeking strong public transport, as only 0.3% commute by that mode.
What is the median house price in Pelican Waters?
A current median house price should be checked against live sales records and recent listings. Useful market context includes a $540 weekly rent, an 88.0% separate-house share and 72.2% of homes with four or more bedrooms. These figures describe the housing market but do not replace a current sale-price measure.
What schools are in Pelican Waters?
One school is identified within Pelican Waters: Caloundra City Private School, an independent non-state school. Families should confirm enrolment requirements and catchments for the exact address, then compare nearby choices across the wider 8.34 square kilometre area before committing to a property.
Is Pelican Waters safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available, so a risk-free conclusion should not be assumed. Check recent Queensland Police information and inspect the exact streets at different times of day. Pelican Waters has an IRSAD decile of 6, which provides socioeconomic context but is not a direct measure of crime or personal safety.
Is Pelican Waters good for property investment?
Pelican Waters has investment positives including $540 weekly rent, 6.4% vacancy and 33.3% rent growth across the measured period. However, only 12.7% of households rent, development activity reached 56 applications in 12 months and the aging profile may favour low-maintenance homes. Check current prices, insurance, body corporate costs and yield carefully.
How is Pelican Waters's population changing?
Pelican Waters has 7,393 residents today. Population change across the wider area is 27.5% over 10 years, with an annual growth trend of 1.9% driven primarily by internal migration. The trajectory is labelled Aging, with the senior share up 7.2 percentage points and the young share down 3.5 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 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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