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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
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Elanora has an estimated 13,260 residents, up from 12,539 at the 2021 Census — a change of 721 people, or 5.8%. Growth has averaged 0.8% a year over five years. Overseas migration accounts for 58.0% of that increase. That puts 1,465 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
Demographic assessments incorporating broader ABS figures alongside updated address records place the population of the suburb of Elanora at approximately 13,260 as of Aug 2026. This indicates an expansion of 721 people (5.8%) from the 12,539 people counted in the 2021 Census. AreaSearch established this 13,260 resident count by evaluating the ABS June 2025 ERP release in combination with 4 validated new addresses recorded post-Census. Consequently, the suburb of Elanora exhibits a population density of 1,465 persons per square kilometer, sitting above typical national levels assessed by AreaSearch. Inbound international migration served as the core growth engine, accounting for roughly 57.99999999999999% of all inbound demographic expansion in recent times.
Population modelling incorporates the 2024 ABS/Geoscience Australia SA2 series based on 2022 benchmarks, supplemented by 2023 Queensland State Government projections (based on 2021 data) for post-2032 horizons or uncovered zones. Because state datasets omit age breakdowns, age-group allocations are weighted using the 2023 ABS Greater Capital Region series (2022 base). Looking forward across the suburb of Elanora, future demographic momentum is tracking slightly beneath non-metropolitan Australian medians, with collective SA2 projections pointing to an additional 1,431 persons by 2041, representing a cumulative rise of 10.8% across the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
81 new dwellings have been approved in Elanora over the past five years, an average of 16 a year. That is 1.3 approvals per 1,000 residents. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 9, well below that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this Suburb (SAL) boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
Statistical evaluations of ABS building figures show that Elanora has maintained a modest delivery pipeline of approximately 16 residential dwellings authorized annually, culminating in 81 homes across the past 5 financial years. Within FY-25 to date, 9 approvals have been logged. With an influx of 6.2 new residents per year per residential build between FY-21 and FY-25, construction is significantly trailing population needs, which intensifies buyer demand and puts upward pressure on prices. Newly approved residential dwellings have an expected average construction cost of $442,000, which sits under regional averages and points to more accessible builds.
Concurrently, $9.1 million in commercial building approvals have been registered during this financial year, underscoring the area's predominantly residential character. Residential building approvals comprise 35.0% detached dwellings alongside 65.0% medium and high-density housing options. Emphasizing higher-density formats creates attainable purchase thresholds tailored to downsizers, property investors, and first-home purchasers. This marks an evolution from the existing structural landscape of 79.0% houses, pointing to constrained greenfield sites while responding to modern living preferences and the requirement for diverse, affordable dwelling options. A ratio of roughly 1553 people per approval highlights Elanora as an established, built-out residential community. Longer-term projections indicate that Elanora will expand by 1,431 residents up to 2041 based on recent AreaSearch quarterly metrics. Should the existing pace of residential building persist, new dwelling supply could lag incoming resident growth, heightening market competition and underpinning stronger property value escalation.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Elanora
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 5 current infrastructure and development projects inside Elanora, worth an estimated $464 million. A further 126 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $28 billion. 36 are already under construction and 59 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, communities and transport & logistics. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local capital works, major development initiatives, and planning schemes significantly shape regional performance. AreaSearch has tracked 56 key infrastructure projects expected to influence the local area, headlined by developments such as Ellandra Reserve Estate, Elanora Childcare Centre Development Site, Currumbin Eco-Parkland, and Treetops Plaza Redevelopment - Urbia Burleigh Masterplan.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Ellandra Reserve Estate
An exclusive gated community of 105 townhouse dwellings on a 10.98-hectare site in Elanora on the Gold Coast, delivered as a joint venture between Neumann Developments and Ritz Group. The development is designed to complement surrounding natural bushland, with significant rehabilitated environmental open space to be handed back to Council, forming part of the koala habitat corridor. A new Development Permit is being sought for the townhouses and community spaces, with the site's topographical challenges addressed through considered building form and earthworks.SCG Urban facilitated the JV agreement, pre-lodgement consultation with City of Gold Coast, and project management throughout the DA preparation process.
Elanora Childcare Centre Development Site
DA Approved 51-place dual-level childcare facility on a 755 sqm site directly adjoining Elanora State School. This development addresses a highly undersupplied catchment area with an estimated 3.9 children per place. The site currently includes a 5-bedroom modern home providing rental income while awaiting development commencement.
The Pines Elanora Shopping Centre
The Pines Elanora is a sub-regional shopping center on the southern Gold Coast, featuring major anchors including Coles, Woolworths, ALDI, and Kmart. The facility serves as a vital community hub with over 100 specialty stores, medical services, and a regional library. It underwent a significant 30 million AUD redevelopment in 2015 and features a major 636 kW rooftop solar installation.
Palm Beach Hotel
A $120 million luxury hotel development by Steer Developments on the former Centrelink building site at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast. The six-storey development will deliver 126 rooms with state-of-the-art amenities including a rooftop pool, gym, spa, and in-house dining. Designed by Plus Architecture, the project targets the undersupplied luxury hotel market on the southern Gold Coast. Construction was originally scheduled to commence in Q4 2023, however no evidence of works commencing has been confirmed as of April 2026.
Palm Beach Oceanway Extension
Extension of the beachfront cycling and walking path along Palm Beach, connecting to existing infrastructure to promote active transport and recreation. The project includes new pathways, lighting, and amenities to enhance community access.
Flourish Amargo on Sixth
Flourish Amargo on Sixth is an 18-storey residential development by Sherpa Property Group. It features 125 apartments, an 800sqm rooftop with heated lap pool and wellness centre, plus ground-floor cafe and commercial space.
Flourish Amargo
A 12-storey residential development comprising 125 one, two, and three-bedroom apartments (formerly known as Flourish on Sixth Ave), delivering world-class wellness and rooftop amenities including a heated lap pool, private cabanas, gym, yoga, steam and magnesium pools, and a pizza oven. Designed by HAL Architects and constructed by LPS Group, the project targets first-home buyers, downsizers, and families seeking quality coastal living in Palm Beach. The development is 84% sold with over $110 million in sales secured, and includes an on-site Community Sherpa to support residents post-settlement.
Philippine Parade Shopping Centre
A proposed two-storey shopping centre and dining precinct involving the demolition of up to 10 residential houses to create retail, dining, commercial, and office spaces. The development application (MCU/2024/177) includes provisions for office space, shops, and food and drink outlets to serve the growing Palm Beach community. As of early 2026, the project remains under assessment with the Gold Coast City Council.
7,031 residents of Elanora are employed, from a labour force of 7,233. Unemployment sits at 2.8%, with participation at 66.9%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.7% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 11,096, about 84% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Elanora features a qualified local labor pool with strong representation in core services, registering an unemployment rate of 2.8% and an estimated 3.3% rise in employment over the preceding year according to AreaSearch statistical area datasets. By March 2026, employed residents numbered 7,031, while the local jobless rate sits 1.1% lower than the 3.9% recorded for Regional Qld. Labor force participation remains standard at 66.9% compared with 64.2% across Regional Qld. Census records also identified 15.0% of local workers operating from home, an observation framed by prevailing Covid-19 restrictions. The primary employment sectors for local workers are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.
Construction shows notable local concentration, employing residents at a rate 1.3 times the Regional Qld benchmark. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing accounts for a minor 0.4% share of the workforce in Elanora, compared to 4.5% across Regional Qld. Comparing resident employee counts with local Census job locations highlights that this primarily residential area provides limited commercial employment capacity within its own boundary. According to AreaSearch evaluations combining SALM and ABS figures compiled from larger statistical regions, the period ending March 2026 saw employment rise by 3.3% alongside a 3.2% expansion in the labour force, which helped maintain the unemployment rate at a steady level. In contrast, Regional Qld experienced much slower growth with employment rising just 0.1%, the labour force growing by 0.3%, and the unemployment rate increasing by 0.1 percentage points. Insights regarding future job demand in Elanora may be obtained through Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts published for Mar-26. These forecasts span five and ten year intervals and have been aligned with Elanora's current employment structure to project likely trends. National employment is expected to grow by 6.6% across five years and by 13.7% across ten years, though these increases vary considerably across different industry sectors. When these sector specific forecasts are applied to Elanora's existing employment composition, the anticipated local employment growth stands at 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though it is important to note that this calculation represents a basic weighted extrapolation for illustrative purposes only and does not incorporate localized population projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Elanora is $1,744 a week (about $91,000 a year), with median personal income at $738 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $51,217 a year against an average of $72,345. The average runs 41% above the median, a wider spread than most areas and a sign of a concentrated group of high earners. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
ATO postcode data for financial year 2023 demonstrates that incomes in the suburb of Elanora exceed national benchmarks, recording a median of $51,217 and an average of $72,345. Across Regional Qld, median earnings stood at $53,146 while average income was $66,593. Factoring in Wage Price Index movement of 11.36% from financial year 2023 levels, updated earnings are estimated at $57,035 (median) and $80,563 (average) as of March 2026. The 2021 Census ranked Elanora's personal, family, and household incomes moderately between the 36th and 49th percentiles. In terms of earnings brackets, the largest group comprises 31.2% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (4,137 residents), matching the regional proportion of 31.7%.
Cost pressures are evident with 82.6% of income retained, ranking at the 48th percentile, while the SEIFA income index places the community in the 6th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Elanora had 4,390 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 79% detached houses and 4% apartments. 44% are owned with a mortgage, 17% rented and 39% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $525 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,100 a month. Rent absorbs 30.1% of household income here and mortgage repayments 27.8%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
At the latest Census, residential accommodation in Elanora was composed of 78.7% houses and 21.3% other dwellings (incorporating apartments, semi-detached properties, and 'other' dwellings), whereas Regional Qld recorded 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Outright home ownership reached 38.8%, noticeably outpacing Regional Qld, with remaining households paying off a mortgage (43.9%) or renting (17.3%). Monthly median mortgage commitments were $2,100, and weekly median rent was $525, both considerably higher than Regional Qld benchmarks of $1,655 and $345. On a countrywide scale, local mortgage servicing exceeds the Australian median of $1,863, and rental costs sit well above the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Elanora counted 4,390 households at the 2021 Census, an estimated 4,642 today, averaging 2.7 people each. 36% are couples with children, against 27% couples without children. 20% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.7 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Family units constitute the predominant living arrangement, making up 76.9% of households and comprising couples with children (35.6%), couples without children (26.5%), and single parent families (13.9%). Non-family living arrangements account for the remaining 23.1%, split between lone person households at 19.8% and group households at 3.3%. The typical household size stands at 2.7 people, exceeding the Regional Qld benchmark of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
22.5% of adults in Elanora hold a university qualification, including 16.2% with a bachelor degree and 4.1% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 28.8% hold a vocational qualification. 2 schools serve the area, with 1,895 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 1,040 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Tertiary attainment in Elanora sits beneath national benchmarks, with 22.5% of people aged 15+ holding higher education degrees compared to 30.4% across Australia. Within university qualifications, bachelor degrees represent 16.2%, postgraduate credentials comprise 4.1%, and graduate diplomas account for 2.2%. Vocational education is strongly represented, as 40.9% of residents aged 15+ hold technical qualifications, divided into certificates (28.8%) and advanced diplomas (12.1%). Active participation in study is prominent throughout the community, with 28.7% of residents attending educational institutions. This student population includes 10.0% attending primary school, 8.8% in secondary education, and 4.3% undertaking tertiary studies.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Getting around Elanora means driving: households keep an average of 1.7 vehicles, and no scheduled public transport appears in the current timetable feeds. Service data is built from operators' published GTFS timetables; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
70.4% of residents in Elanora report no long-term health condition. 5.6% need daily assistance with core activities, and 55.9% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 5.2 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health indicators for Elanora present favorable results, with AreaSearch evaluations of mortality and health metrics aligning with national standards. Rates of common chronic conditions remain subdued across younger and older demographics, while private health insurance adoption is elevated at approximately 56% of the population (~7,408 people), compared to 52.5% across Regional Qld. Arthritis and mental health challenges represent the most prevalent diagnosed conditions, affecting 8.3 and 7.3% of the community respectively, while 70.4% of residents reported having no long-term medical conditions, higher than the 67.6% recorded for Regional Qld. Below age 65, residents experience better than average health outcomes.
Older residents aged 65 and over total 2,598 people (19.6% of the population) and record positive health profiles that compare favorably against broader national trends.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Elanora is largely Australian-born, at 80.7% of residents, with 5.7% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (32.7%) and Australian (26.4%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity metrics in Elanora track beneath broader averages, with 80.7% of the population born in Australia, 89.4% holding Australian citizenship, and 94.3% using only English in the home. Christianity represents the primary religious affiliation, accounting for 50.1% of residents. Judaism represents 0.1% of the population, matching the 0.1% proportion seen across Regional Qld. The leading reported ancestries across Elanora are English (32.7%), Australian (26.4%), and Irish (9.5%). Notable variations emerge among other heritage backgrounds, including New Zealand ancestry at 1.3% (against 0.9% regionally), Maori ancestry at 1.0% (against 0.8%), and Scottish ancestry at 8.8% (against 7.8%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Elanora is 41. That is 1 year younger than at the 2021 Census. 23.3% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
Age distributions across the suburb of Elanora align closely with Regional Qld figures, showing a maximum variance of 2.8 percentage points across the broad age cohorts. The median age is an estimated 41 years, moderating from 42 at the 2021 Census and matching the 41 years recorded regionally at that time. Since the Census, the most notable shift occurred in the 45 - 64 age category of middle-aged residents and early retirees, declining from 25.5% to an estimated 23.8%. Looking to 2041, the 25 - 44 cohort is projected to drive demographic expansion, gaining 656 residents (20%) to total 3,891.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Elanora
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Oct 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Oct 2026 this month headline measures · Sep 2026 baseline |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Oct 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Apr 2026 6 months ago all 5 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Apr 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 7 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Sep 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Sep 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 4 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (12,539 at the 2021 Census → 13,260 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL30955). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.