Noosa Heads
Statistical Area - sa2

Noosa Heads lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Noosa Heads' population is approximately 5,339 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 219 people, a 4.3% rise from the 2021 Census which reported a population of 5,120. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,298 in June 2024 and an additional 117 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 410 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Noosa Heads has shown growth with a compound annual growth rate of 1.6%, outperforming non-metro areas. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses 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 from 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. These state projections do not provide age category splits; thus, AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 and based on 2022 data for each age cohort. Future population dynamics anticipate a median increase similar to Australia's regional areas, with the area expected to grow by 620 persons to reach 5,959 by 2041, indicating a total gain of 10.7% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Noosa Heads recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Noosa Heads averaged approximately 38 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25190 homes were approved, with an additional 4 approved in FY-26 to date. Over these five years, there was an average of 1.1 new residents per year per dwelling constructed.

This suggests a balanced supply and demand dynamic, maintaining stable market conditions. The average construction cost value for new homes over this period was $756,000, indicating a focus on premium developments. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaled $16.2 million, reflecting moderate levels of commercial development activity. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Noosa Heads exhibited moderately higher construction activity, at 46.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. This balance supports current property values while offering buyer choice.

However, recent periods show a moderation in development activity. The new development composition consisted of 45.0% standalone homes and 55.0% medium to high-density housing, marking a shift from the area's existing housing profile, which is currently 72.0% houses. Noosa Heads has a low density characteristic, with around 240 people per dwelling approval. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 572 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth beyond projections.

Noosa Heads has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 30thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 18 projects that may affect the region. Notable projects include Noosa Business Centre Village Precinct, Tea Tree Residences, Bottlebrush Noosa Heads, and Noosa Junction Station - State Facilitated Mixed-Use Development. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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Noosa Heads ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Noosa Heads has a highly educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate is low at 1.7%.

As of June 2025, 2,590 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.3% lower than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Noosa Heads lags behind Rest of Qld at 50.7% compared to 59.1%. Employment is concentrated in accommodation & food, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. The area shows strong specialization in accommodation & food with an employment share of 2.1 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 0.9% compared to the regional average of 4.5%. The ratio of 0.9 workers per resident indicates substantial local employment opportunities. Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.2% and employment declined by 1.4%, resulting in a fall of 0.7 percentage points in unemployment rate. In contrast, Rest of Qld experienced employment growth of 1.8% and labour force growth of 2.0%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Noosa Heads's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Noosa Heads' median income among taxpayers is $48,704. The average income in Noosa Heads during this period was $88,732. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to the Rest of Qld's median of $50,780 and average of $64,844. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Noosa Heads would be approximately $55,518 (median) and $101,146 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Noosa Heads cluster around the 62nd percentile nationally. The earnings profile shows that 26.6% of locals (1,420 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category. After housing costs, 85.9% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Noosa Heads is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Noosa Heads' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 72.3% houses and 27.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). In comparison, Non-Metro Qld had 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Noosa Heads stood at 50.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.5% and rented ones at 24.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, exceeding Non-Metro Qld's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Noosa Heads was $550, higher than Non-Metro Qld's $500. Nationally, Noosa Heads' mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,167 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Noosa Heads features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 70.4% of all households, including 20.1% couples with children, 41.2% couples without children, and 8.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 29.6%, with lone person households at 24.6% and group households comprising 5.0%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.4.

Noosa Heads performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

Noosa Heads' residents aged 15+ have a higher proportion with university qualifications than broader benchmarks. Specifically, 36.6% of Noosa Heads' residents hold such qualifications compared to 20.6% in the rest of Queensland and 24.9% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 33.4% of residents holding them – advanced diplomas account for 15.0% and certificates for 18.4%.

A significant number, 22.4%, are actively pursuing formal education. This includes 8.4% in primary education, 7.3% in secondary education, and 2.6% pursuing tertiary education. Educational facilities appear to be located outside Noosa Heads' immediate boundaries, requiring families to access schools in neighboring areas.

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

Noosa Heads has 21 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totalling nine individual routes that facilitate 1,059 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents typically residing 339 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, service frequency across all routes amounts to 151 trips per day, equating to approximately 50 weekly trips per individual stop.

Noosa Heads's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Noosa Heads residents have relatively positive health outcomes with common conditions seen across both young and old age groups. Private health cover rate is exceptionally high at approximately 64% (3,416 people), compared to 57.2% in Rest of Qld and the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis (9.5%) and mental health issues (5.8%), while 68.8% report no medical ailments, similar to Rest of Qld's 68.8%.

Residents aged 65 and over comprise 30.9% (1,649 people), higher than Rest of Qld's 25.8%. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

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

Noosa Heads has a cultural diversity above average, with 8.8% speaking a language other than English at home and 30.3% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 46.4%. Judaism, however, is overrepresented in Noosa Heads at 0.6%, compared to 0.3% regionally.

The top three ancestry groups are English (33.4%), Australian (19.2%), and Scottish (11.2%). Notably, French (1.6%) South African (1.0%) and Irish (10.9%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 1.0%, 0.8% and 9.8% respectively.

Noosa Heads ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Noosa Heads has a median age of 53 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of Qld average of 41 years and considerably older than the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Qld average, the 75-84 cohort is notably over-represented at 12.3% locally, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 9.1%. This concentration in the 75-84 age group is well above the national average of 6.0%. Post-2021 Census data shows a rejuvenation with the median age falling from 54 to 53 years. Notable shifts include the 75-84 age group growing from 9.7% to 12.3%, and the 15-24 cohort increasing from 7.2% to 9.4%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has declined from 19.4% to 15.8%, and the 45-54 group dropped from 13.6% to 12.5%. Demographic modeling suggests Noosa Heads's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the strongest projected growth in the 25-34 cohort at 33%, adding 176 residents to reach 706. Conversely, both the 55-64 and 5-14 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.