Sunshine Beach
A 35.5% vacancy rate alongside a 42.6% outright ownership rate tells you most of what you need to know about Sunshine Beach. This compact 1.9 km2 coastal suburb of 2,480 people holds substantial established wealth, with SEIFA scores in decile 8 on all four indexes, yet a large share of dwellings sit empty for much of the year because they function as holiday properties rather than primary residences. The median age of 49 is 9 years above the national figure, university qualifications reach 42.3%, which is 12.2 points above national, and 29.3% of residents were born overseas, 7.7 points above average.
Population
2,480
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,735/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$615K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $615,000 is estimated from 2025 rental data, placing Sunshine Beach in the higher range for the Noosa LGA. Separate houses make up 56.9% of dwellings, with apartments at 26.0% and semi-detached at 17.1%, giving buyers a reasonable spread of stock types. Three-bedroom homes lead at 37.0% of dwellings, followed by two-bedroom at 31.8% and four-plus at 28.7%, so family-sized homes are well represented. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8%, below the 30% stress threshold. At 42.6% of households owning outright compared to 25.8% with mortgages, many owner-occupiers are long-term residents who bought well before the recent coastal price surge.
For Buyers
The median house price of $615,000 is estimated from 2025 rental data, placing Sunshine Beach in the higher range for the Noosa LGA. Separate houses make up 56.9% of dwellings, with apartments at 26.0% and semi-detached at 17.1%, giving buyers a reasonable spread of stock types. Three-bedroom homes lead at 37.0% of dwellings, followed by two-bedroom at 31.8% and four-plus at 28.7%, so family-sized homes are well represented. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8%, below the 30% stress threshold. At 42.6% of households owning outright compared to 25.8% with mortgages, many owner-occupiers are long-term residents who bought well before the recent coastal price surge.
For Investors
The 35.5% vacancy rate is the defining investor risk here: it sits far above typical residential thresholds and signals that a large portion of the stock functions as short-term holiday letting rather than permanent rental. Weekly rent of $495 against a $615,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.2%, reasonable on paper but distorted by seasonal occupancy swings. The renter share is 31.6%, and overseas migration adds a net 144 residents annually, providing steady demand support compared to net internal migration of -10 per year. Development activity is very low at 2 applications in the past 12 months, meaning new supply is not a near-term dilution risk. Rent growth of 42.9% over the decade outpaced real income growth of 19.2%, signalling that the rental market has repriced substantially.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Sunshine Beach iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Thomas More Primary School
Prep-6 · 578 students
Sunshine Beach State School
Prep-6 · 706 students
Montessori Noosa
Prep-6 · 58 students
Sunshine Beach State High School
7-12 · 1405 students
Demographics
The median age of 49 is 9 years above the national figure, and the demographic trajectory is firmly aging: the senior share rose 7.3 points while the working-age share fell 3.5 points over the decade. Couples without children represent 45.4% of families, above the national average, which aligns with the older, post-child-rearing profile. University qualifications at 42.3% run 12.2 points above national, and 29.3% of residents were born overseas, which is 7.7 points above the national average. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,154), Irish (402) and Scottish (347) residents. The participation rate of 50.2% is lower than national norms because 809 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with a substantial retiree and semi-retiree cohort.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
56.9%
Houses
17.1%
Townhouse
26.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is distinctive: 42.6% of households own outright, 25.8% carry a mortgage and 31.6% rent. Outright owners substantially outnumber mortgage holders, pointing to long-held wealth rather than recent highly leveraged purchases. The stock is majority separate houses at 56.9%, with apartments at 26.0% and semi-detached at 17.1%. Three-bedroom dwellings lead at 37.0%, with two-bedroom at 31.8% and larger four-plus bedroom homes at 28.7%, indicating a mix of downsizer and family properties. The 35.5% vacancy rate is the most unusual feature, well above typical suburban norms, because holiday and investment properties routinely sit empty for extended periods. Rent-to-income at 28.5% stays below the 30% stress threshold despite the coastal premium.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$495
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$902
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
35.5%
Unoccupied
567
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
45.4%
Couples, no children
1,760
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 15.8% of workers (136 people), followed by Hospitality at 11.9% (102), Professional and Technical services at 10.8% (93), Construction at 10.6% (91) and Education at 10.1% (87). This mix reflects the dual economy of a coastal tourism town anchored by health and professional services. By occupation, Professionals lead at 302, Managers at 199 and Community and Personal Service workers at 153. The unemployment rate is 4.9%, slightly above recent national norms, and the full-time employment rate is 51.2%, with part-time work (505 workers) nearly matching full-time (529), consistent with a hospitality and tourism workforce that operates heavily on part-time hours. Household income sits at the 60.8th percentile nationally, above median despite the significant retiree share.
Unemployment
7.3%
Labour Force
5,993
Unemployed
435
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.2%
Part-time
43.9%
Participation
50.2%
Employed
1,034
Occupations
Top Industries
University
42.3%
Postgraduate
10.9%
Born Overseas
29.3%
Dwellings
1,031
Transport to Work
Sunshine Beach is car-dependent: 80.7% of residents drive to work, compared to 11.2% who walk or cycle and only 2.5% who use public transport, lower than the national average. The walk and cycle share is high for a coastal suburb and reflects compact local geography across 1.9 km2. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on nearby institutions in the Noosa LGA. Crime data is not available for this suburb. The IRSAD decile of 8 places Sunshine Beach in the upper advantage tier nationally, and the volunteering rate of 19.4% indicates active civic participation. Residents needing daily assistance account for 3.1% of the population (71 people), low relative to the older median age of 49 years.
Drive
80.7%
Public Transport
2.5%
Walk / Cycle
11.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.65%/yr
(+49 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grew 8.0% over the decade to reach 2,480, with annual growth of 0.65% or roughly 49 additional residents per year. Medium forecasts project the broader SA2 population rising from 7,524 in 2025 to 7,625 by 2031, a modest but steady trajectory. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver at a net 144 arrivals annually, compared to an internal migration deficit of 10 per year, suggesting the suburb attracts international movers rather than Australians relocating from other states. The gentrification score of 19 places Sunshine Beach in the not gentrifying category, which makes sense for a market already at SEIFA decile 8. Affordability has been broadly stable, moving from 59.1% in 2011 to 57.6% in 2021, while rent growth of 42.9% over the decade has outpaced real income gains of 19.2%.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+144
Net Internal / yr
-10
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +12% since 2011, Accelerating: 2% → 10%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Sunshine Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sunshine Beach a good suburb to live in?
Sunshine Beach scores decile 8 on all four SEIFA indexes, placing it in the upper advantage tier nationally. The median age of 49 is 9 years above national, and 42.3% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 12.2 points above the national figure. The main trade-offs are limited public transport at 2.5% and no schools recorded within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Sunshine Beach?
The median house price is approximately $615,000, estimated from 2025 rental data. Weekly rent averages $495 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,167, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8%, which is below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Sunshine Beach?
No schools are recorded inside the Sunshine Beach suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs within the Noosa LGA. The local adult population is highly educated, with 42.3% holding university qualifications, which is 12.2 points above the national average.
Is Sunshine Beach safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Sunshine Beach in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 8 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, an above-average tier nationally, and only 3.1% of its 2,480 residents (71 people) need daily assistance, consistent with a low-disadvantage coastal community.
Is Sunshine Beach good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $495 against a $615,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.2%, but the 35.5% vacancy rate signals substantial holiday-property stock that can leave dwellings empty for extended periods. Rent growth of 42.9% over the decade is a strong signal, though investors should model seasonal occupancy carefully. Development activity is very low at 2 applications in the past 12 months, so new supply is not an immediate risk.
How is Sunshine Beach's population changing?
Population grew 8.0% over the past decade to reach 2,480, with annual growth of 0.65% or around 49 people per year. Overseas migration is the primary driver at a net 144 arrivals annually, while internal migration is slightly negative at -10 per year. Medium forecasts project the broader area reaching 7,625 residents by 2031.
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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