Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach

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 is around 4,355 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 248 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,107 people. The change is 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 equates to a density ratio of 318 persons per square kilometer. Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach's growth of 6.0% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth of 5.9%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 80.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, based on 2021 data and released in 2023. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings from the ABS Greater Capital Region projections are applied for each age cohort. Considering projected demographic shifts, over this period, projections indicate a decline in overall population by 127 persons by 2041. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 65 to 74 age group, which is 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 over the past five financial years, from FY2021 to FY2025. A total of 96 homes were approved during this period, with an additional 8 approved in FY2026 so far. Each year, an average of 3 new residents per dwelling has been recorded since FY2021, indicating strong demand that supports property values.

The average construction cost value of new homes is $1,058,000, reflecting developers' focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This financial year has seen $1.3 million in commercial approvals, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. Compared to the rest of Queensland, Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach shows comparable new home approvals per capita, maintaining a balanced market consistent with the broader area.

New building activity consists of 65% detached dwellings and 35% townhouses or apartments, offering choices across price ranges 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 in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 47thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified 13 infrastructure projects that could impact the area. Notable ones include 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.

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.

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

Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 1.9% as of September 2025. There were 2,363 residents employed while the unemployment rate was 2.2% lower than Rest of Qld's 4.1%.

Workforce participation was equal to Rest of Qld's 65.7%. According to Census responses, 26.3% of residents worked from home. Leading employment industries were health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and retail trade. Professional & technical had notable concentration with levels at 2.2 times the regional average.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing employed just 0.6%, below Rest of Qld's 4.5%. The area may have limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census working population vs resident population comparison. Between September 2024 and September 2025, labour force decreased by 2.7% while employment declined by 1.8%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment rise by 1.7%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

The latest postcode level ATO data from AreaSearch for the financial year ending June 2023 shows that median income in Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach SA2 is $56,251, with an average income of $78,531. This compares to Rest of Qld's median income of $53,146 and average income of $66,593. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% from July 2023 to September 2025, estimated median income would be approximately $61,825 and average income around $86,313 by the latter date. The 2021 Census data indicates that incomes in Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach cluster around the 56th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that 30.5% of locals (1,328 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 income category, similar to the surrounding region at 31.7%. Housing costs consume 16.1% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 51st percentile nationally. 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 above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach, as per the latest Census, consisted of 75.7% houses and 24.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro Qld had 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach was at 40.1%, with the rest being mortgaged (33.4%) or rented (26.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,655. The median weekly rent figure was $455, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $345 and the national average of $375. Nationally, Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863.

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

Family households comprise 70.8% of all households, including 30.2% couples with children, 32.2% couples without children, and 7.7% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 29.2%, with lone person households at 25.0% and group households comprising 3.9%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

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 a significant advantage with 39.0% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 20.6% in the rest of Queensland and 24.9% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 8.3% and graduate diplomas at 4.2%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 33.6% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas at 13.2% and certificates at 20.4%. Educational participation is high, with 28.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.7% in secondary education, 9.4% in primary education, and 4.2% pursuing tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.7% in secondary education, 9.4% in primary education, and 4.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach has 14 active public transport stops. These are served by two bus routes, offering a combined total of 231 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents located an average of 286 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily, primarily using cars (91%). On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion (26.3%) work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 33 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 16 weekly trips per stop.

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

Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are very low across all age groups.

Private health cover is high at approximately 58% of the total population (~2,525 people), compared to 52.5% in the rest of Queensland. The most common conditions are arthritis (7.9%) and mental health issues (6.8%). A majority, 73.9%, report no medical ailments, higher than the rest of Queensland's 67.6%. The under-65 population has better-than-average health outcomes. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 21.4% (932 people), compared to Queensland's 20.4%. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, ranking even higher than the general population nationally.

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 had a cultural diversity profile roughly aligned with the wider region's average, with 75.4% of its population born in Australia, 87.6% being citizens, and 93.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 39.4% of Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach's population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented, making up 0.4% compared to the regional average of 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (33.1%), Australian (21.3%), and Irish (10.7%). However, Scottish ancestry was notably overrepresented at 10.3%, French at 1.0%, and German at 5.4% compared to regional averages of 7.8%, 0.5%, and 4.7% respectively.

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 the national average of 38 years. Compared to Rest of Qld, Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (17.5%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (8.3%). This 55-64 age group is well above the national average of 11.2%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the 65 to 74 age group has increased from 12.1% to 13.4% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group has decreased from 15.6% to 14.1%, and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 13.2% to 11.7%. By 2041, Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach is expected to see significant shifts in its age composition. The 65 to 74 age group is projected to grow by 9%, reaching 638 people from the current 584. This growth is led by residents aged 65 and older, who represent 83% of the anticipated demographic increase. Conversely, both the 45 to 54 and 55 to 64 age groups are expected to decrease in number.