Southport - North

Southport - North lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Southport - North's population is around 20,535 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 2,644 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 17,891 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 20,057 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 478 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,663 persons per square kilometer. Southport - North's growth rate of 14.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (8.5%) and the non-metro area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 79.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted. Considering projected demographic shifts, exceptional growth is predicted over the period with the area expected to increase by 10,489 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 48.8% in total over the 17 years.

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

Southport - North has recorded approximately 120 residential properties granted approval annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 600 homes. As of FY-26211 approvals have been recorded. On average, about 4.8 people per year have moved to the area for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating demand significantly outpaces supply, which may put upward pressure on prices and increase competition among buyers. The average construction cost of new homes is around $207,000, below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options.

In FY-26, approximately $155.0 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity compared to the rest of Queensland. Southport - North records elevated construction levels, at 38.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years, balancing buyer choice while supporting property values. However, development activity has moderated in recent periods. New building activity primarily focuses on higher-density living, with 11.0% standalone homes and 89.0% townhouses or apartments.

This trend creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With around 2513 people per approval, Southport - North shows a mature, established area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Southport - North is expected to grow by approximately 10,011 residents through to 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 50 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Southport Supportive Housing Project, Four Residential Towers & Retail Clarke Street, Marine Quarter Scenic Tower, and Southport-Nerang Street Revitalisation. 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.

Employment performance in Southport - North has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Southport - North has a well-educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate is 6.4% with an estimated employment growth of 2.8% over the past year.

There are 11,084 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.3% above Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation stands at 57.0%, below Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade, with notable concentration in accommodation & food (1.9 times the regional average). Agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 0.4% compared to Rest of Qld's 4.5%.

The area functions as an employment hub with 1.5 workers per resident, hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 2.8%, labour force by 2.5%, resulting in a 0.3 percentage point decrease in unemployment. In contrast, Rest of Qld experienced employment growth of 1.7% and labour force growth of 2.1%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data to 25-Nov shows QLD employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, broadly in line with the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 14.0% over ten years when applied to Southport - North's employment mix, though these projections do not account for localised population changes.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

The Southport - North SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $44,862 and an average income of $56,668 in the financial year 2022, according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is lower than the Rest of Qld's median income of $50,780 and average income of $64,844. By September 2025, estimates based on a 13.99% Wage Price Index growth suggest the median income will be approximately $51,138 and the average income will be around $64,596. Census data shows that incomes in Southport - North fall between the 12th and 19th percentiles nationally for households, families, and individuals. Income analysis reveals that 30.7% of the population (6,304 individuals) earn within the $800 - $1,499 range, unlike surrounding regions where the $1,500 - $2,999 range dominates at 31.7%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 72.6% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 6th percentile nationally.

Southport - North features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Southport-North's dwelling structure at the latest Census showed 13.5% houses and 86.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Qld's 44.5% houses and 55.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Southport-North was at 16.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 13.2% and rented ones at 70.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,459, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,750. Median weekly rent in Southport-North was $400, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $420. Nationally, Southport-North's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,459 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher at $400 than the national figure of $375.

Southport - North features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 50.6% of all households, including 11.2% composed of couples with children, 26.1% consisting of couples without children, and 11.2% being single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 49.4%, with lone person households accounting for 38.6% and group households comprising 10.9%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.3.

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

Southport - North has a higher proportion of residents aged 15 and above with university qualifications compared to broader areas. Specifically, 30.9% of its residents have such qualifications, while the Rest of Queensland has 20.6%, and the SA4 region has 25.4%. This educational advantage is notable for its Bachelor degrees (21.1%), postgraduate qualifications (7.4%), and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent with 34.8% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (13.6%) and certificates (21.2%).

Educational participation is high in the area, with 34.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes tertiary education (15.8%), secondary education (4.9%), and primary education (4.8%).

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

Southport-North has 77 active public transport stops, serving a mix of lightrail and bus services. These stops are covered by 18 different routes, collectively facilitating 3,676 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 154 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency across all routes averages 525 trips per day, equating to approximately 47 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Southport - North is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts

Southport North faces significant health challenges with common health conditions being somewhat prevalent across all age groups but to a higher degree among older cohorts. Approximately 48% of its total population (~9,856 people) has private health cover, which is lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, affecting 10.2 and 7.5% of residents respectively. Conversely, 67.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.4% across the rest of Queensland. As of June 2021, 16.1% of residents are aged 65 and over (3,306 people), which is lower than the 17.1% in the rest of Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention due to presenting some challenges.

Southport - North is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Southport-North ranks high in linguistic diversity, with 28.6% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home. Born overseas, 43.3% of Southport-North's population contributes to its cultural richness. Christianity is the predominant religion, practiced by 41.6% of Southport-North's inhabitants.

Notably, the 'Other' religious category comprises 1.5%, slightly higher than the Rest of Qld average of 1%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (25.4%), Australian (18.8%), and Other (13.4%). Some ethnic groups show distinct representation patterns: Korean residents make up 2.3% in Southport-North compared to 1.6% regionally; New Zealanders constitute 1.3%, slightly below the regional average of 1.4%; Maori residents comprise 1.5%, nearly matching the regional average of 1.6%.

Southport - North's population is younger than the national pattern

The median age in Southport-North as of 2021 is 34 years, which is lower than the average for Rest of Qld at 41 and also lower than the Australian median of 38. Compared to Rest of Qld, Southport-North has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (25.7%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (4.9%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, Southport-North's median age decreased from 35 to 34 years. During this period, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 increased from 21.4% to 25.7%, while the proportions for those aged 45-54 and 5-14 decreased from 10.7% to 9.4% and 6.1% to 4.9% respectively. By 2041, Southport-North's age composition is projected to change significantly. The 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 74%, from 5,281 to 9,198 people.