Peregian Springs
Population grew 170.7% over the past decade, making Peregian Springs one of the fastest-expanding suburbs in the dataset, yet the formal DA count shows just 2 applications in 12 months, suggesting the bulk of new housing was pre-approved under master-planned community frameworks. Growth at 4.5% per year (536 persons) is driven by a balanced mix of internal (122/yr) and overseas (126/yr) migration, unusual in a Sunshine Coast suburb where domestic relocation usually dominates. Rents sit at $530/week, but mortgage-to-income at 26.4% and rent-to-income at 28.9% are both approaching stress territory relative to the 66.5 percentile income base.
Population
9,532
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,836/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$634K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $634,000 estimated median buys into a 78.3% detached-house suburb with 54.9% of homes having 4+ bedrooms. Semi-detached at 20.4% is above average, reflecting the master-planned mix. Mortgage-to-income at 26.4% is approaching the 30% stress boundary, driven by incomes at the 66.5 percentile. The 38.8% renter share is high for a Sunshine Coast suburb, indicating a large proportion of arrivals renting before purchasing. Turnover at 31.4% is among the highest in this batch, consistent with a rapidly expanding population where many residents are recent arrivals. Only 28.3% own outright.
For Buyers
The $634,000 estimated median buys into a 78.3% detached-house suburb with 54.9% of homes having 4+ bedrooms. Semi-detached at 20.4% is above average, reflecting the master-planned mix. Mortgage-to-income at 26.4% is approaching the 30% stress boundary, driven by incomes at the 66.5 percentile. The 38.8% renter share is high for a Sunshine Coast suburb, indicating a large proportion of arrivals renting before purchasing. Turnover at 31.4% is among the highest in this batch, consistent with a rapidly expanding population where many residents are recent arrivals. Only 28.3% own outright.
For Investors
Renters at 38.8% form a deep tenant pool for a regional suburb. Weekly rent of $530 against a $634,000 estimated median gives a gross yield around 4.3%, competitive nationally. Vacancy at 4.6% is slightly above balanced. Just 2 formal DAs in 12 months masks the master-planned release pipeline, so actual supply additions may be higher than this figure suggests. Population growth at 4.5% per year provides strong underlying demand. The Sunshine Coast's lifestyle migration trend supports continued rental demand, but the 28.9% rent-to-income ratio suggests tenants are already stretched at current rent levels.
Development Activity
Total DAs
8
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+100.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Peregian Springs iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Andrew's Anglican College
Prep-12 · 1459 students
Peregian Springs State School
Prep-6 · 1028 students
Demographics
English (4,359), Scottish (1,162) and Irish (1,127) lead ancestry, with German (521) ranking fourth, reflecting European heritage. The 27.8% overseas-born share is 6.2 points above national but low by capital city standards. University qualifications at 32.6% sit 2.5 points above national. The median age of 39 is 1 year below national, and the young share contracted 3.4 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 2.0 points. Average household size of 2.8 is above national, and couples with children (3,980) significantly outnumber couples without (1,959). Portuguese (48) leads non-English languages.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
78.3%
Houses
20.4%
Townhouse
1.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Owner-occupiers total 61.1% (28.3% outright + 32.8% mortgage), with renters at 38.8% forming a large minority. Stock is 78.3% detached houses, 20.4% semi-detached and 1.2% apartments. The 54.9% four-plus bedroom share indicates family-oriented housing. Three-bedroom homes at 33.0% provide mid-range options. The estimated $634,000 median is mid-range for the Sunshine Coast. Turnover at 31.4% is high, reflecting the suburb's rapid growth and population churn. The price-to-income ratio is approximately 6.6 times annual household income, moderate by east coast standards.
Mortgage / mo
$2,100
Rent / wk
$530
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$813
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.6%
Unoccupied
156
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.3%
Couples, no children
8,064
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads at 19.8% (597 workers), followed by Education at 13.1%, Construction at 10.3%, Professional/Tech at 9.1% and Retail at 8.6%. The healthcare and education concentration reflects the Sunshine Coast's service economy. Professionals (972) dominate occupations, with Community/Personal (618) and Managers (600) following. Full-time employment at 57.5% is below the national average, and participation at 56.8% is moderate, consistent with the regional lifestyle market where semi-retirement and part-time work are common. Unemployment at 4.5% is near the national average.
Unemployment
1.7%
Labour Force
6,097
Unemployed
102
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.5%
Part-time
38.0%
Participation
56.8%
Employed
3,898
Occupations
Top Industries
University
32.6%
Postgraduate
7.2%
Born Overseas
27.8%
Dwellings
3,249
Transport to Work
Car driving at 91.0% dominates, with public transport at just 0.7% and walking/cycling at 2.3%, reflecting the Sunshine Coast's limited transit infrastructure. The suburb hosts 2 schools: St Andrew's Anglican College (ICSEA 1,143, Independent, Combined, 1,459 students), well above the national benchmark, and Peregian Springs State School (ICSEA 1,059, Government primary, 1,028 students). This combination of a large independent college and a large government primary provides strong school options. The IRSAD decile 7 and IRSD decile 7 confirm above-average conditions.
Drive
91.0%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+4.5%/yr
(+536 people/yr)
High GrowthPopulation growth at 4.5% per year (536 persons) is among the highest in this dataset, built on a 170.7% ten-year change. Migration is balanced: 122 net internal arrivals and 126 net overseas arrivals per year, unusual for a Sunshine Coast location. The suburb's trajectory shows the young share declining 3.4 points and the working-age share declining 2.0 points, indicating that the first wave of family arrivals is aging in place. The gentrification stage is classified as 'New development' with a score of 0, consistent with a suburb built largely in the past decade rather than one undergoing demographic turnover. The 4.5% annual growth rate is well above the national average. Projections show continued strong growth from 13,022 in 2026 to 15,704 by 2031.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+126
Net Internal / yr
+122
Gentrification Signal
New development
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Peregian Springs compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Peregian Springs a good suburb to live in?
Peregian Springs suits Sunshine Coast lifestyle seekers and families. The IRSAD decile 7 indicates above-average advantage, and two well-regarded schools (St Andrew's ICSEA 1,143 and Peregian Springs State School ICSEA 1,059) serve the area. The tradeoff is near-zero public transport (0.7%) and a rent-to-income ratio at 28.9% approaching stress levels.
What is the median house price in Peregian Springs?
The estimated median is $634,000 (derived from 2025 rental data), with weekly rent at $530 and monthly mortgage repayments of $2,100. The mortgage-to-income ratio is 26.4%, approaching the 30% stress mark. This positions the suburb at a mid-range level for the Sunshine Coast.
What schools are in Peregian Springs?
Peregian Springs has 2 schools. St Andrew's Anglican College (ICSEA 1,143, Independent, 1,459 students) ranks well above the national benchmark, and Peregian Springs State School (ICSEA 1,059, Government, 1,028 students) also exceeds the 1,000 threshold.
Is Peregian Springs safe?
Crime data is not available for Peregian Springs. The IRSD decile 7 places it above average for socio-economic conditions. The 61.1% owner-occupier rate and 4.5% unemployment are moderate indicators. The master-planned community design typically correlates with lower crime rates compared to older unplanned suburbs.
Is Peregian Springs good for property investment?
The estimated gross yield of 4.3% ($530/week on $634,000) is competitive nationally. The 38.8% renter share provides a deep tenant pool, and population growth at 4.5% per year supports demand. However, the 28.9% rent-to-income ratio suggests tenants are near their ceiling, and actual housing supply may exceed the 2 formal DAs.
How is Peregian Springs's population changing?
Growth is rapid at 4.5% per year (536 people), with a remarkable 170.7% ten-year change. Migration is balanced: 122 internal and 126 overseas net arrivals per year. Projections show the population growing from 13,022 in 2026 to 15,704 by 2031, adding roughly 2,700 residents.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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