Robina - East

Population growth drivers in Robina - East are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Robina - East's population is around 18,124 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,263 people (7.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,861 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 18,119 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 5 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 2,175 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Robina - East's 7.5% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (7.2%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 86.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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. Regarding demographic trends, an above-median population growth for national regional areas is projected, with the area expected to grow by 3,455 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 19.0% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Robina - East among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Robina - East has averaged around 42 new dwelling approvals per year, totalling 212 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 22 approvals have been recorded. At an average of 5.3 new residents per year for every home built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), demand is significantly outpacing supply, which typically puts upward pressure on prices and increases competition among buyers, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $469,000—somewhat higher than regional norms—reflecting quality-focused development. Additionally, $14.5 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

Compared to the Rest of Qld, Robina - East has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person while it places among the 65th percentile of areas assessed nationally, though building activity has accelerated in recent years. This activity is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints. New building activity shows 6.0% detached dwellings and 94.0% townhouses or apartments. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This shows a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 70.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 2269 people per dwelling approval, Robina - East reflects a highly mature market.

Population forecasts indicate Robina - East will gain 3,450 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Robina - East has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 46 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Cienna Varsity Ridge, Robina Hospital Expansion, Varsity Lakes Coles Shopping Centre, and Robina Private Hospital Expansion, 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.

Robina - East ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Robina - East possesses a well-educated workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of just 2.4%, and 2.8% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 10,203 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 1.7% below Regional Qld's rate of 4.0%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (68.4% compared to Regional Qld's 65.4%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 17.2% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.6 times the regional average. Meanwhile, agriculture, forestry & fishing has a limited presence with 0.3% employment compared to 4.5% regionally. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 2.8% and the labour force increased by 2.6%, resulting in unemployment falling by 0.1 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional Qld, where employment rose by 0.7%, the labour force grew by 1.0%, and unemployment rose 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Robina - East. 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 Robina - East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.8% 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 Robina - East SA2's income level is below the national average according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Robina - East SA2's median income among taxpayers is $51,719 and the average income stands at $64,845, compared 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 $56,844 (median) and $71,271 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household income ranks at the 56th percentile ($1,851 weekly), while personal income sits at the 39th percentile. The data shows the predominant cohort spans 33.5% of locals (6,071 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, reflecting patterns seen in the surrounding region where 31.7% similarly occupy this range. High housing costs consume 17.7% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 54th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Robina - East displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure within Robina - East, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 69.5% houses and 30.5% 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 Robina - East was in line with that of Regional Qld, at 34.2%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (37.2%) or rented (28.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Regional Qld average at $2,006, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $540, compared to Regional Qld's $1,655 and $345. Nationally, Robina - East's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

Robina - East features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 76.9% of all households, comprising 35.5% couples with children, 28.2% couples without children, and 12.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 23.1%, with lone person households at 18.6% and group households comprising 4.4% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people is larger than the Regional Qld average of 2.5.

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

The area's educational profile stands out regionally, with university qualification rates (28.5% of residents aged 15+) exceeding the Rest of Qld average of 20.6% and that of the SA4 region (25.4%), reflecting the community's emphasis on higher education. Bachelor degrees lead at 19.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 35.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (13.2%) and certificates (22.0%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 31.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.5% in primary education, 8.7% in tertiary education, and 7.8% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 67 active transport stops operating within Robina - East, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 7 individual routes, collectively providing 1,429 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 205 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 92%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling. Some 17.2% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 204 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 21 weekly trips per individual stop.

Robina - East'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 Robina - East, 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 relatively low at approximately 51% of the total population (~9,279 people).

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.1% and 6.9% of residents, respectively, while 72.2% 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 17.8% of residents aged 65 and over (3,220 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 Robina - East was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Robina - East was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 17.5% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 34.7% born overseas. The main religion in Robina - East is Christianity, which makes up 49.4% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.3% 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 Robina - East are English, comprising 28.7% of the population, Australian, comprising 21.9% of the population, and Other, comprising 9.0% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: New Zealand is notably overrepresented at 1.6% of Robina - East (vs 0.9% regionally), South Australian at 1.1% (vs 0.5%) and Hungarian at 0.4% (vs 0.2%).

Robina - East's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The 38-year median age in Robina - East is marginally below Regional Qld's average of 41 while in line with Australia's 38 years. The 15 - 24 age group shows strong representation at 16.5% compared to Regional Qld, whereas the 55 - 64 cohort is less prevalent at 9.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows the area has become younger, with the median age dropping 1.0 years to 38 from 39. Specifically, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 12.0% to 14.7% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 14.5% to 16.5%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 12.7% to 10.6% and the 65 to 74 group dropped from 10.4% to 8.7%. By 2041, Robina - East is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to experience strong growth, expanding by 1,075 people (40%) from 2,666 to 3,742. Conversely, numbers in the 15 to 24 age range are expected to fall by 30.