Mermaid Beach

Mermaid Beach lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of November 2025, the estimated population of Mermaid Beach is around 8,137. This figure reflects an increase of 808 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,329. The ABS ERP estimate for surrounding areas applied to Mermaid Beach by AreaSearch in June 2024 showed a resident population of 7,783. Since the Census date, an additional 278 validated new addresses have been identified. This results in a population density ratio of 5,216 persons per square kilometer, placing Mermaid Beach in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's population growth of 11.0% since the 2021 Census exceeded the non-metro area average of 8.8%.

Overseas migration contributed approximately 70.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all migration drivers being positive factors. For future projections until 2032, AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year. Post-2032 projections are based on Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections from 2023, using 2021 data. Exceptional growth is predicted for Mermaid Beach until 2041, with an expected increase of 5,871 persons, reflecting a total increase of 76.6% over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis shows Mermaid Beach had around 87 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years ending FY25. This totals an estimated 436 homes. As of FY26, 53 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling accommodated 2.7 new residents per year between FY21 and FY25.

The average construction cost was $2,325,000. In FY26, Mermaid Beach had $8.9 million in commercial approvals. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Mermaid Beach has 15.0% less new development per person but ranks at the 88th percentile nationally, indicating strong developer confidence. New development consists of 8.0% detached dwellings and 92.0% townhouses or apartments. The location has approximately 92 people per dwelling approval.

Future projections estimate Mermaid Beach will add 6,230 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

Mermaid Beach has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 28 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include The Alfred, Pacific Mermaid Beach, The Chevron, and Mermaid Beach Medical Precinct. Below is a list of projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Mermaid Beach performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Mermaid Beach has an educated workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 1.9% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.0%. This is lower than Rest of Qld's rate of 3.9%, but workforce participation is higher at 69.7% compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Major employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and accommodation & food services. The area has a notable concentration in professional & technical jobs, with levels at 1.8 times the regional average.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence, with only 0.3% employment compared to 4.5% regionally. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 2.0%, while labour force and unemployment remained relatively stable. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment rise by 1.8% and unemployment increase slightly. National employment forecasts from Sep-22 project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Mermaid Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though this is an illustrative extrapolation not accounting for local population changes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

Mermaid Beach had a median income of $59,865 and an average income of $144,410 among taxpayers in the financial year 2022, according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This compares with figures for 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 Mermaid Beach's median income could be approximately $68,240 and the average income around $164,613. Census data shows individual earnings at the 80th percentile nationally were $1,021 weekly in Mermaid Beach. Income brackets indicate that 34.6% of residents earned between $1,500 to $2,999 weekly (2,815 residents), which aligns with broader trends across the broader area showing 31.7% in the same category. High housing costs consumed 17.7% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 57th percentile nationally and the area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

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

Mermaid Beach's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 19.0% houses and 81.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 45.3% houses and 54.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mermaid Beach was at 24.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.5% and rented ones at 47.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,820, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $2,019. Median weekly rent in Mermaid Beach was $460, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $465. Nationally, Mermaid Beach's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,820 vs Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were higher at $460 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 57.6% of all households, including 16.1% couples with children, 31.7% couples without children, and 8.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 42.4%, with lone person households at 31.1% and group households comprising 11.3%. The median household size is 2.1 people, smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.3.

Mermaid Beach demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

In Mermaid Beach, 37.4% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 20.6% in the rest of Queensland and 25.4% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 27.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 33.4% of residents aged 15 and above holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.5%) and certificates (20.9%). Educational participation is high, with 25.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 8.5% in tertiary education, 5.4% in primary education, and 5.1% pursuing secondary education.

Educational facilities appear to be located outside the immediate catchment boundaries, requiring families to access schools in neighboring areas.

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

Mermaid Beach has 15 active public transport stops. These are served by buses operating along two routes, offering a total of 1,340 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 176 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility.

On average, there are 191 bus trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 89 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Mermaid Beach shows excellent health outcomes across all age groups, with a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 84% of the total population (6,868 people), compared to 68.9% in Rest of Qld and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, affecting 7.2 and 6.9% of residents respectively.

A total of 75.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.7% in Rest of Qld. The area has 13.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1,057 people), lower than the 18.4% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Mermaid Beach was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Mermaid Beach had a higher cultural diversity than most nearby areas, with 13.0% of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 29.1% born overseas. Christianity was the dominant religion in Mermaid Beach, accounting for 45.4% of its population. Notably, Judaism was more prevalent here compared to the rest of Queensland, making up 0.5% versus 0.4%.

The top three ancestry groups were English at 29.5%, Australian at 21.7%, and Other at 9.7%. Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: French was overrepresented at 1.0% compared to the regional average of 0.8%, Spanish at 1.0% versus 0.7%, and New Zealand at 1.2% versus 1.3%.

Mermaid Beach's population is younger than the national pattern

The median age in Mermaid Beach is 34 years, which is lower than Rest of Qld's average of 41 and also substantially below the Australian median of 38. Compared to Rest of Qld, Mermaid Beach has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (27.5%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.9%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. According to the 2021 Census, the proportion of Mermaid Beach's population aged 25 to 34 has increased from 25.6% to 27.5%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 45-54 has decreased from 12.3% to 10.9%, and the proportion of those aged 55-64 has dropped from 11.7% to 10.6%. By 2041, Mermaid Beach's age composition is expected to change significantly. Leading this demographic shift, the number of residents aged 25-34 is projected to grow by 95%, reaching 4,365 from an initial figure of 2,237.