Tallebudgera

Schools in Tallebudgera iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

The median age of 42 is 2 years above the national figure, and the aging trend is pronounced: the senior share rose 5.3 points while working-age share fell 2.8 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents at 18.7% sit 2.9 points below national, consistent with the Anglo-Celtic ancestry concentration: English (1,786), Irish (497) and Scottish (469) lead the heritage data. University qualifications reach 29.2%, which is 0.9 points below national, meaning the suburb is educated but not at the level seen in knowledge-economy suburbs. Average household size of 3.3 is 0.8 above national, driven by the high share of couples with children (1,451 families out of 3,182 total) and large-format four-plus bedroom homes.

Tenure divides into outright owners at 41.1% and mortgage holders at 50.8%, with only 8.1% renting. That 92% owner-occupier rate is well above national norms and reflects long-held, stable ownership rather than investor churn. Stock is 94.4% separate houses, with four-plus bedroom homes accounting for 67.4% of all dwellings, 3-bedroom at 24.0%, and only 6.1% two-bedroom. This size distribution is skewed large even compared to other detached-dominant suburbs. Mortgage-to-income at 24.3% and rent-to-income at 25.1% both sit below common stress thresholds, suggesting the current price level remains accessible for local income levels at the 89.7th percentile nationally.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare leads local employment at 16.9% (213 workers), followed closely by Construction at 16.3% (205) and Education at 12.1% (152). Professional/Tech accounts for 9.6% and Retail 8.2%. By occupation, Professionals (419) and Managers (270) dominate, aligning with SEIFA IRSAD and IEO scores at decile 8. The unemployment rate is 5.0% and the participation rate 58.8%, with 927 residents not in the labour force, partly explained by the aging median age of 42 and the high outright-ownership rate reducing financial pressure to work. Real income grew 14.9% over the decade, faster than inflation, indicating genuine earnings improvement. SEIFA IER scores at decile 10 signal strong physical and economic resources relative to national benchmarks.

Transport to Work

Car dependency is near-total, with 91.8% of workers driving and only 0.8% using public transport, the lowest public transport share typical of outer hinterland suburbs. Walking and cycling account for 2.0%. The suburb scores IRSAD decile 8, indicating low disadvantage relative to the national average. The SEIFA IER score of decile 10 reflects strong household resources. No schools are recorded within the Tallebudgera boundary in available data, so families depend on facilities in neighbouring suburbs such as Elanora, Currumbin and Palm Beach. Crime data is not available for this suburb. The volunteering rate of 15.9% and the 7.0% needing daily assistance (255 residents) point to a community with meaningful social engagement relative to its population size.

Population Forecast

Population grew 12.6% over the past decade and sits at 3,826 as of the Census, with historical area figures tracking 7,925 in 2023 to 8,112 in 2025 at the SA2 level. The medium forecast projects growth reaching around 8,573 by 2031, implying roughly 79 additional persons per year at a 0.97% annual rate. Migration is balanced: net overseas migration averages 68 annually and net internal migration 36. The gentrification score is only 5 and the stage reads not gentrifying, which makes sense given the suburb is already well-established with SEIFA IRSD at decile 8. Affordability was broadly stable at 65.3% in 2011 versus 64.2% in 2021, one of the more resilient affordability readings across Gold Coast fringe suburbs.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Tallebudgera compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions