Palm Beach
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Palm Beach's population was approximately 18,270 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 1,921 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,349. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 18,151 in June 2024 and an additional 640 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,886 persons per square kilometer, placing Palm Beach in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 11.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the non-metro area average of 8.8%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 47.6% of overall population gains during recent periods, though all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors.

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 released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. These state projections do not provide age category splits; thus, AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings using ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data for each age cohort. Future population dynamics anticipate a significant increase in the top quartile of non-metropolitan areas nationally, with Palm Beach expected to increase by 5,479 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, representing a total increase of 29.3% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Palm Beach was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Palm Beach has received approximately 269 dwelling approvals annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, 1,347 homes were approved, with an additional 73 approved in FY-26 so far. Each year, about 1.7 new residents have arrived per new home over these five years.

This suggests a balance between supply and demand, maintaining stable market conditions. The average construction cost of new properties is $633,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment with high-end properties. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaled $23.8 million, showing steady commercial investment activity. Comparatively, Palm Beach has 64.0% higher new home approvals per person than the Rest of Qld, offering greater choice for buyers and reflecting robust developer interest in the area. Recent construction comprises 11.0% standalone homes and 89.0% townhouses or apartments, providing affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This shift from the existing housing composition of 41.0% houses suggests decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyles requiring diverse, affordable housing options. The location has approximately 65 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market.

By 2041, Palm Beach is projected to gain 5,360 residents. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favorable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Palm Beach has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 65 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include La Belle Palm Beach, Palm Beach Oceanway Extension, Sophia by Mosaic - Palm Beach, and Flourish Ovana Palm Beach. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Palm Beach demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Palm Beach has a highly educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.0%, having seen an estimated employment growth of 2.2% over the past year as of June 2025.

In this month, 10,359 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.9% lower than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Palm Beach was 65.6%, compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction stands out with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing has a limited presence at 0.4% compared to the regional 4.5%.

Despite being predominantly residential, Palm Beach offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.2%, labour force grew by 2.0%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate of 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld recorded employment growth of 1.8%, labour force growth of 2.0%, and an unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Palm Beach's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9%% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

Palm Beach's median income among taxpayers was $51,221 in financial year 2022, with an average income of $72,295. This compares to figures for the Rest of Qld's median income of $50,780 and average income of $64,844. Based on a Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $58,387 (median) and $82,409 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Palm Beach cluster around the 55th percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate that 31.2% of individuals (5,700 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band. This aligns with broader trends across the metropolitan region where 31.7% are in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 81.0% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 46th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Palm Beach displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

As per the latest Census evaluation in Palm Beach, 41.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 59.0% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other dwelling types. In comparison, Non-Metro Qld had 49.8% houses and 50.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Palm Beach stood at 29.3%, with mortgaged properties at 33.0% and rented dwellings at 37.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,093, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $2,000. Weekly rent figures were recorded at $445 in Palm Beach, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $450. Nationally, Palm Beach's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while weekly rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 63.2% of all households, including 24.7% couples with children, 27.2% couples without children, and 10.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 36.8%, with lone person households at 29.8% and group households comprising 7.0%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Palm Beach exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 29.5% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Rest of Qld average of 20.6% and the SA4 region's rate of 25.4%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 21.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 38.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 12.8% and certificates at 25.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.0% in primary, 6.9% in secondary, and 5.4% pursuing tertiary education. The area's educational provision includes Palm Beach State School and Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School, serving a total of 3,601 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1041) indicating balanced educational opportunities. Educational provision is conventional, split between one primary and one secondary institution. The area functions as an education hub, with 19.5 school places per 100 residents – significantly higher than the regional average of 12.1 – attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Palm Beach has 46 active public transport stops operating within it. These comprise a mix of train and bus services. There are 11 individual routes serving these stops, collectively providing 2,304 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of the transport is rated as good, with residents typically located 216 meters from their nearest stop. On average, there are 329 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 50 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Palm Beach is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Palm Beach shows above-average health outcomes for both younger and older age groups.

The prevalence of common health conditions is low among residents. Approximately 55% of Palm Beach's total population (~10,103 people) has private health cover, which is quite high. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (7.5%) and mental health issues (7.3%). Around 72.0% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 70.3% in the rest of Queensland. In Palm Beach, 17.5% of residents are aged 65 or older (3,193 people), lower than the 19.2% figure for the rest of Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors in Palm Beach are notably strong and surpass those of the general population in health metrics.

Palm Beach ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Palm Beach's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 86.8% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (81.3%), speaking English only at home (93.4%). Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 47.1% of Palm Beach's population. However, Judaism was overrepresented compared to the Rest of Qld, with 0.1% versus 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (32.1%), Australian (25.4%), and Irish (9.9%). Notably, New Zealanders were slightly overrepresented at 1.0%, Scottish at 9.0%, and French at 0.6%, compared to regional averages.

Palm Beach's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Palm Beach is 38 years, which is slightly below Rest of Queensland's average of 41 but aligns with Australia's median age of 38. The 25-34 age group comprises 18.8% of Palm Beach's population, higher than Rest of Queensland's percentage, while the 5-14 age group makes up 9.8%. Post-2021 Census data indicates a decrease in median age from 39 to 38 years, with the 25-34 age group growing from 16.1% to 18.8% of the population. Conversely, the 45-54 age cohort declined from 13.0% to 11.4%, and the 55-64 age group dropped from 12.3% to 10.8%. By 2041, Palm Beach's age composition is expected to shift significantly, with the 25-34 age cohort projected to grow by 1,403 people (41%), from 3,431 to 4,835. In contrast, the 15-24 age cohort shows minimal growth of just 6% (110 people).