Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach's population was around 4,343 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 236 people (5.7%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,107 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,355 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 22 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 317 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach's 5.7% growth since census positioned it within 0.8 percentage points of the SA3 area (6.5%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 80.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 were adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. It should be noted that these state projections did not provide age category splits; hence where utilised, AreaSearch applied proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Considering the projected demographic shifts, over this period, projections indicated a decline in overall population, with the area's population expected to contract by 127 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts was anticipated, led by the 65 to 74 age group, which was projected to grow by 100 people.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach when compared nationally

Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach has averaged approximately 19 new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, showing 96 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-2021 to FY-2025, with one recorded so far in FY-2026. On average, about three people have moved to the area per new home constructed annually during these years, reflecting strong demand that supports property values. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $1,744,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments.

This financial year has seen approximately $1.3 million in commercial approvals, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach demonstrates comparable new home approvals per capita, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area. New building activity comprises 65% detached dwellings and 35% townhouses or apartments, offering a range of housing types catering to different price points, from spacious family homes to more affordable compact options.

With around 282 people per dwelling approval, Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach exhibits characteristics of a low-density area. Given stable or declining population forecasts, the area may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 34thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified 13 projects that could impact the area, with key ones being Peregian Beach Reservoir Upgrade, Peregian Beach Park Upgrade, SEQ Liveability Fund - Peregian Beach Pathways, and Essence of Peregian Beach. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach has an educated workforce with a low unemployment rate of 1.7% as of June 2025. There are 2,427 residents employed, which is 2.2% below the Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation is at 63.0%, slightly higher than Rest of Qld's 59.1%. The leading employment industries among residents are health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and retail trade. Notably, professional & technical services employ 2.2 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.6% of local workers, lower than Rest of Qld's 4.5%.

Analysis of SALM and ABS data shows that from June 2024 to June 2025, the labour force decreased by 2.2%, while employment declined by 1.1%, causing unemployment to fall by 1.1 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment rise by 1.8% and unemployment increase by 0.2 percentage points during this period. State-level data from Sep-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% (losing 8,070 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.5%, and employment grew by 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach is among the highest in Australia. The median income was $53,144 while the average income stood at $77,530. This contrasts with Rest of Qld's figures of a median income of $50,780 and an average income of $64,844. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $59,367 (median) and $86,609 (average) as of March 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach cluster around the 56th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that the predominant cohort spans 30.5% of locals (1,324 people) in the $1,500 - $2,999 category, aligning with the surrounding region where this cohort likewise represents 31.7%. High housing costs consume 16.1% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 51st percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

In Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach, as per the latest Census evaluation, 75.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 24.3% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. This is comparable to Non-Metro Qld's figures of 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach stood at 40.1%, similar to Non-Metro Qld, with mortgaged dwellings making up 33.4% and rented dwellings 26.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,100, exceeding Non-Metro Qld's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure for Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach was $455, higher than Non-Metro Qld's $500. Nationally, mortgage repayments in the area were significantly higher at $2,100 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 70.8% of all households, comprising 30.2% couples with children, 32.2% couples without children, and 7.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 29.2%, with lone person households at 25.0% and group households comprising 3.9% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which matches the average for the Rest of Queensland.

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

Educational attainment in Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach shows 39.0% of residents aged 15 and over have university qualifications, exceeding the Rest of Qld's 20.6% and SA4 region's 24.9%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.2%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 33.6% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (13.2%) and certificates (20.4%). Current educational participation is high at 28.2%, comprising secondary education (9.7%), primary education (9.4%), and tertiary education (4.2%).

Educational facilities seem to be located outside the immediate area, requiring families to access schools in neighboring regions.

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

Transport analysis indicates 14 active stops in Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach area, served by buses. Two routes operate, offering 260 weekly passenger trips combined. Residential accessibility to transport is rated good, with average distance to nearest stop being 286 meters.

Service frequency averages 37 daily trips across all routes, equating to approximately 18 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance across Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach for both young and elderly age cohorts, with low prevalence of common health conditions reported.

Approximately 59% (2,553 people) of the total population has private health cover, which is exceptionally high. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 7.9 and 6.8% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 73.9%, claim to be completely free from medical ailments compared to 68.8% across Rest of Qld. As of 2021, the area has 20.8% (905 people) of residents aged 65 and over, which is lower than the 25.8% in Rest of Qld. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming the general population in various health metrics.

In terms of cultural diversity, Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Peregian Beach-Marcus Beach, in terms of cultural diversity, had a population where approximately 75.4% were born in Australia, 87.6% were citizens, and 93.1% spoke English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, making up 39.4% of the population. While Judaism made up 0.4%, which is slightly higher than the regional average of 0.3%.

The top three ancestry groups based on parental country of birth were English (33.1%), Australian (21.3%), and Irish (10.7%). Notable differences included Scottish, at 10.3% compared to the regional 9.7%, French at 1.0% matching the region, and German at 5.4% higher than the regional average of 4.5%.

Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach has a median age of 46 years, which is significantly higher than Rest of Qld's 41 years and well above the national average of 38 years. Compared to Rest of Qld, Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (17.3%), but fewer residents aged 25-34 (8.3%). This concentration of 55-64 year-olds is well above the national average of 11.2%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 65 to 74 has grown from 12.1% to 12.9%, while the proportion of residents aged 5 to 14 has declined from 13.2% to 12.1%. The proportion of residents aged 45 to 54 has also decreased, from 15.6% to 14.6%. By 2041, Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach is expected to see significant changes in its age composition. Notably, the number of residents aged 65 to 74 is projected to grow by 14%, reaching 638 from 561. This growth will be led by demographic aging, with residents aged 65 and older representing 78% of anticipated population growth. Conversely, both the 45 to 54 and 55 to 64 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.