Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

As of November 2025, Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach's population is approximately 16,915. This figure represents an increase of 2,918 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,997. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,867 in June 2024 and an additional 1,834 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 5,638 persons per square kilometer, placing Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 20.8% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the non-metro area average (8.8%) and the national average, indicating significant population growth. Overseas migration contributed approximately 70.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with interstate migration and natural growth also being positive factors.

AreaSearch's projections for Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year, with Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections used for years post-2032 where applicable. Exceptional growth is predicted over the period to 2041, with an expected increase of 11,313 persons, reflecting a total increase of 60.7% over the 17-year period based on the latest annual ERP population numbers.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach has seen approximately 567 dwelling approvals annually. In the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 2,839 homes were approved, with another 279 approved so far in FY26. On average, about 0.8 new residents have arrived per new home each year during these five years.

This pace of construction has matched or exceeded demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially exceeding current population growth expectations. The average construction value of new properties is approximately $610,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment. This financial year has seen around $176.9 million in commercial approvals, suggesting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach shows 196.0% higher new home approvals per person, offering greater choice for buyers. However, building activity has slowed in recent years. This high level of approvals is significantly above the national average, indicating strong developer confidence in the location.

Recent construction has comprised approximately 2.0% detached houses and 98.0% medium to high-density housing. This focus on higher-density living provides more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. The area currently has around 73 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach is projected to add approximately 10,261 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, creating favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 60 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are Victoria & Albert Broadbeach, Pacific Mermaid Beach, The Alfred, and Amaya Broadbeach. The following details projects likely to be most relevant.

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Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach has a highly educated workforce with prominent tourism and hospitality sectors. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate is 2.7%, with an estimated employment growth of 2.8% over the past year.

There are 10,124 residents in work, with an unemployment rate of 1.4% below Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation is 62.8%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and construction. The area specializes in professional & technical services with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 0.4% compared to the regional 4.5%. There are 0.8 workers per resident, indicating above-average local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.8%, and labour force grew by 2.7%, keeping unemployment relatively stable at 3.1%. Rest of Qld recorded employment growth of 1.7% and labour force growth of 2.1%, with unemployment rising to 4.4%. State-level data as of 25-Nov-2025 shows Queensland employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, closely aligned with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 indicate an expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

The Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach SA2 had an exceptionally high national income level according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers was $55,702 and the average income stood at $134,368, compared to figures for Rest of Qld's of $50,780 and $64,844 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $63,495 (median) and $153,166 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals personal income ranks at the 73rd percentile ($950 weekly), while household income sits at the 41st percentile. Income brackets indicate the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 33.2% of the community (5,615 individuals). Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 81.1% of income remaining, ranking at the 41st percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach, as per the latest Census, consisted of 9.9% houses and 90.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Non-Metro Qld's figures of 45.3% houses and 54.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach stood at 27.7%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (22.9%) or rented (49.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $2,019 and the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure was $440, higher than Non-Metro Qld's $465 and substantially above the national figure of $375.

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 54.4% of all households, including 12.5% couples with children, 32.7% couples without children, and 8.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 45.6%, with lone person households at 35.6% and group households comprising 10.0%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.3.

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Mermaid Beach-Broadbeach shows a significant advantage with 36.1% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 20.6% in the rest of Queensland and 25.4% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 26.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 34.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 13.3% and certificates at 20.9%. Educational participation is high, with 26.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 8.4% in tertiary education, 5.4% in primary education, and 4.7% pursuing secondary education.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

The analysis of public transport in the area between Mermaid Beach and Broadbeach shows that there are currently 38 active transport stops. These include a mix of light rail and bus services. The area is served by 18 individual routes which together provide a total of 5629 weekly passenger trips.

Residents have excellent access to public transport, with an average distance of just 170 meters from their homes to the nearest stop. On average, there are 804 trips per day across all routes, which works out at approximately 148 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach performed strongly on health metrics. Both young and old age groups had low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 82% of the total population (13,921 people) had private health cover, compared to 68.9% across Rest of Qld and a national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues impacted 6.9% of residents, while arthritis affected 6.7%. 72.9% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to the 72.7% in Rest of Qld. The area had 18.2% of residents aged 65 and over (3,070 people). Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, outperforming the general population on health metrics.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mermaid Beach-Broadbeach, surveyed between 2016-2021, had 15.9% speaking a language other than English at home and 33.0% born overseas, higher than most local areas. Christianity was the dominant religion at 47.0%. Judaism showed an overrepresentation of 0.6%, compared to 0.4% regionally.

Top ancestral groups were English (29.0%), Australian (20.7%), and Other (10.1%). Spanish (0.9%) was notably overrepresented, as were French (0.9%) and New Zealand (1.2%) residents.

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach is 39 years, which is lower than Rest of Qld's average of 41 but close to the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are prominent at 25.5%, while those aged 5-14 are smaller at 5.6% compared to Rest of Qld. This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between 2021 and the present, the median age has decreased by 1.1 years from 40 to 39, indicating a younger demographic shift. Key changes include the growth of the 25-34 age group from 22.7% to 25.5%, while the 45-54 cohort declined from 11.6% to 10.1% and the 55-64 group dropped from 14.0% to 12.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes, with the 25-34 age group expected to grow by 76%, reaching 7,596 people from 4,315.