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

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach's population is approximately 16,143 as of February 2026. This figure represents a growth of 2,146 people, an increase of 15.3% since the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 13,997. This change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,864 in June 2024 and an additional 1,847 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 5,381 persons per square kilometer, placing it within the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach's growth of 15.3% since the 2021 Census exceeds both the Rest of Qld (9.1%) and the national average, positioning it as a growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 70.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are used, with proportional growth weightings applied where necessary. Exceptional growth is predicted over the period to 2041, with the area expected to increase by 11,313 persons, reflecting an overall increase of 68.3%.

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. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 2,839 homes received approval, with another 344 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, each new home attracted about 0.8 new residents yearly during these five years.

This suggests that new construction is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering buyers more choices and potentially driving population growth beyond current projections. The average expected construction cost of new properties has been around $610,000, indicating developers are targeting the premium market segment. In FY-26 alone, there have been $176.9 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Mermaid Beach-Broadbeach shows 196.0% higher new home approvals per capita, suggesting strong developer confidence in the location. Recent construction has comprised approximately 2.0% detached houses and 98.0% medium to high-density housing, creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. The area has around 73 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market.

AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate projects Mermaid Beach-Broadbeach to add approximately 11,033 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 very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Area infrastructure performance is significantly influenced by local changes. AreaSearch identified 60 potential impact projects. Notable ones are Victoria & Albert Broadbeach, Pacific Mermaid Beach, The Alfred, and Amaya Broadbeach. Below is a detailed list of most relevant projects.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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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 well-educated workforce. Tourism and hospitality sectors are prominent. The unemployment rate is 2.7%.

Employment growth over the past year is estimated at 2.8%. As of September 2025, there are 10,124 residents in work. The unemployment rate is 1.4% below Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation is high at 72.1%, compared to Rest of Qld's 65.7%.

According to Census responses, 19.0% of residents work from home. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and construction. Professional & technical services have a strong presence, with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 0.4%. The ratio of workers to residents is 0.8, indicating ample local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.8% and labour force grew by 2.7%, maintaining a stable unemployment rate. In comparison, Rest of Qld recorded employment growth of 1.7%, labour force growth of 2.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released in May-25, project national employment growth at 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.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

The Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach SA2 had an extremely high national income level according to AreaSearch aggregated ATO data for financial year 2023. Its median taxpayer income was $58,039 and average income stood at $89,819, compared to Rest of Qld's figures of $53,146 and $66,593 respectively. Based on a 9.91% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $63,791 (median) and $98,720 (average). Census data shows personal income ranked at the 73rd percentile with a weekly income of $950, while household income was at the 43rd percentile. Income brackets indicate that 33.2% of individuals earned between $1,500 and $2,999 annually (5,359 individuals), consistent with metropolitan trends showing 31.7% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 81.1% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 41st percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th 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

Mermaid Beach-Broadbeach's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 9.9% houses and 90.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro Qld had 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mermaid Beach-Broadbeach was 27.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 22.9% and rented ones at 49.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,655. Weekly rent in Mermaid Beach-Broadbeach was $440, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $345. Nationally, mortgage repayments were lower at $1,863 and rents higher at $375.

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

Family households account for 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 constitute 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 2.5.

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 is notably high, with 36.1% of residents aged 15 years and above holding university qualifications as of the latest data point, 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 years and above holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas account for 13.3% while certificates make up 20.9%. Educational participation is notably high, with 26.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as per the latest figures available.

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

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

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach has 30 active public transport stops serving a mix of lightrail and buses. These stops are covered by 18 routes that facilitate 5,365 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is excellent, with residents located an average of 176 meters from the nearest stop. The area is predominantly residential, with most commuters traveling outward. Car remains the primary mode of transport at 79%, followed by walking at 8% and cycling at 2%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.9 per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 19.0% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 766 trips per day, resulting in approximately 178 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data for Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach shows excellent results based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 66% of the total population (10,638 people), compared to 52.5% in the rest of Queensland and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and arthritis, affecting 6.9% and 6.7% of residents respectively. 72.9% of residents claim to be completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.6% in the rest of Queensland. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 18.2% of residents aged 65 and over (2,938 people), lower than the 20.4% in the rest of Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with national rankings for the general population.

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 in June 2016, had a higher linguistic diversity than most local areas, with 15.9% speaking languages other than English at home. Born overseas, 33.0% of the population resided there. Christianity was the predominant religion (47.0%), but Judaism stood out at 0.6%, compared to Rest of Qld's 0.1%.

For ancestry, the top groups were English (29.0%), Australian (20.7%), and Other (10.1%). Notably, Spanish (0.9%) and French (0.9%) residents exceeded regional averages, as did New Zealanders at 1.2%.

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 26.1%, while the 5-14 age group is smaller at 5.5% compared to Rest of Qld. This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between 2021 and present, the median age has decreased by 1.3 years from 40 to 39, indicating a shift towards a younger demographic. The 25-34 age group grew from 22.7% to 26.1%, while the 45-54 cohort declined from 11.6% to 9.9% and the 55-64 group dropped from 14.0% to 12.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes, with the 25-34 age group expected to grow by 80%, reaching 7,596 people from 4,214.