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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach's population is around 16,143 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 2,146 people (15.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,997 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,864 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 1,847 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 5,381 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area a highly sought-after resource. Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach's 15.3% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the Rest of Qld (9.1%) and the national average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 70.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, are adopted. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence where utilised, AreaSearch is applying proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Anticipating future population dynamics, exceptional growth, placing it in the top 10 percent of non-metropolitan areas nationally, is predicted over the period, with the area expected to increase by 11,313 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 68.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach has experienced around 567 dwellings receiving development approval each year, with 2,839 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 399 so far in FY-26. At an average of just 0.8 new residents per year arriving per new home over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new construction is matching or outpacing demand, offering buyers more options and enabling population growth that could exceed current expectations, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $610,000, revealing that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. There have also been $176.9 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating strong commercial development momentum.

When measured against the Rest of Qld, Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach shows 196.0% higher new home approvals (per person), creating greater choice for buyers, though building activity has slowed in recent years. This level is substantially higher than nationally, suggesting strong developer confidence in the location. Recent construction comprises 2.0% detached houses and 98.0% medium and high-density housing. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. The location has approximately 73 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market.

Future projections show Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach adding 11,033 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good 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

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 60 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Victoria & Albert Broadbeach, Pacific Mermaid Beach, The Alfred, and Amaya Broadbeach, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

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

Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach possesses a well-educated workforce, with tourism and hospitality sectors prominently featured, an unemployment rate of just 2.5%, and 3.0% estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 10,234 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 1.5% below Regional Qld's rate of 4.0%, and workforce participation is well beyond standard (72.8% compared to Regional Qld's 65.4%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 19.0% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and construction. The area shows particularly strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.8 times the regional level. Meanwhile, agriculture, forestry & fishing has a limited presence with 0.4% employment compared to 4.5% regionally. The ratio of 0.8 workers for each resident, as at the Census, indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 3.0% and the labour force increased by 2.7%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.3 percentage points. By comparison, Regional Qld recorded employment growth of 0.7%, labour force growth of 1.0%, with unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific 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 (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach SA2's income level is extremely high nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach SA2's median income among taxpayers is $58,039 and the average income stands at $89,819, which compares to figures for Regional Qld's of $53,146 and $66,593 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $63,791 (median) and $98,720 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals personal income ranks at the 73rd percentile ($950 weekly), while household income sits at the 43rd percentile. Income brackets indicate the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 33.2% of the community (5,359 individuals), consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 31.7% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 81.1% of income remaining, ranking at the 41st percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places 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

Dwelling structure within Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 9.9% houses and 90.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional Qld's 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach was lagging that of Regional Qld, at 27.7%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (22.9%) or rented (49.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was above the Regional Qld average at $1,733, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $440, compared to Regional Qld's $1,655 and $345. Nationally, Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach's mortgage repayments are lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are 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 dominate at 54.4% of all households, comprising 12.5% couples with children, 32.7% couples without children, and 8.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 45.6%, with lone person households at 35.6% and group households comprising 10.0% of the total. The median household size of 1.9 people is smaller than the Regional 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 significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 36.1% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 20.6% in Rest of Qld and 25.4% in SA4 region. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 26.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 34.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (13.3%) and certificates (20.9%).

Educational participation is notably 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 good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Public transport analysis reveals 30 active transport stops operating within Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach, comprising a mix of light rail and buses. These stops are serviced by 18 individual routes, collectively providing 5,365 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 176 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 79%, with 8% walking and 2% cycling. Vehicle ownership averages 0.9 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. Some 19.0% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 766 trips per day across all routes, equating to 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 demonstrates outstanding results across Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 66% of the total population (10,638 people). This compares to 52.5% across Regional Qld. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 6.9% and 6.7% of residents, respectively, while 72.9% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 67.6% across Regional Qld. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 18.2% of residents aged 65 and over (2,938 people), which is lower than the 20.4% in Regional Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with 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 was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 15.9% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 33.0% born overseas. The main religion in Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach is Christianity, which makes up 47.0% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.6% of the population, compared to 0.1% across Regional Qld.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach are English, comprising 29.0% of the population, Australian, comprising 20.7% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 26.5%, and Other, comprising 10.1% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Spanish is notably overrepresented at 0.9% of Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach (vs 0.3% regionally), French at 0.9% (vs 0.5%) and New Zealand at 1.2% (vs 0.9%).

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

The 39-year median age in Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach is somewhat lower than Regional Qld's average of 41 though very close to the 38-year national average. The age profile shows 25 - 34 year-olds are particularly prominent (26.1%), while the 5 - 14 group is comparatively smaller (5.5%) than in Regional Qld. This 25 - 34 concentration is well above the national 14.4%. In the period since 2021, the median age has decreased by 1.3 years from 40 to 39, indicating a younger demographic shift. Key changes show the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 22.7% to 26.1% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 11.6% to 9.9% and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 14.0% to 12.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Mermaid Beach - Broadbeach. Leading the demographic shift, the 25 to 34 group will grow by 80% (3,381 people), reaching 7,596 from 4,214.