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

The population of the Mermaid Beach statistical area (Lv2) is estimated at around 7,646 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 317 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,329. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 7,544 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 278 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 4,901 persons per square kilometer, placing Mermaid Beach (SA2) in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Mermaid Beach has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 2.7%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 70.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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. Exceptional growth is predicted over the period from 2025 to 2041 with the area expected to increase by 5,872 persons, reflecting an increase of 87.9% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Mermaid Beach among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Based on AreaSearch analysis, Mermaid Beach had approximately 86 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 431 homes. In FY-26 so far, 70 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling adds about 2.8 new residents per year between FY-21 and FY-25. The average construction cost value of new homes is approximately $2,313,000.

This financial year, Mermaid Beach has registered around $139.0 million in commercial approvals. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Mermaid Beach has 15.0% less new development per person, placing it at the 48th percentile nationally for development choices. New developments consist mainly of townhouses or apartments (92.0%), with a smaller proportion of detached dwellings (8.0%). The area has around 348 people per dwelling approval. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Mermaid Beach is projected to add approximately 6,722 residents by 2041.

If current construction levels continue, housing supply may lag behind population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and 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. The following details those 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% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.7%.

As of September 2025, 5,556 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.2%, below Rest of Qld's 4.1%. Workforce participation is high at 69.7% compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and accommodation & food services. Professional & technical employment is particularly notable, at 1.8 times the regional average.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence, with 0.3% employment compared to 4.5% regionally. Many residents commute elsewhere for work. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 2.7%, while labour force grew by 2.6%, reducing unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment rise by 1.7% and unemployment increase by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.01%, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. National forecasts suggest total employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary between sectors. Applying these projections to Mermaid Beach's employment mix indicates local employment could increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.1% over ten years.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

The suburb of Mermaid Beach had a median income among taxpayers of $59,865 and an average income of $144,410 in the financial year 2023, according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This compares to figures for Rest of Qld's of $53,146 and $66,593 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $65,798 (median) and $158,721 (average). Census data shows individual earnings at the 80th percentile nationally were $1,021 weekly. In Mermaid Beach, the largest income segment comprises 34.6% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, with 2,645 residents in this bracket. This is consistent with broader trends across the broader area showing 31.7% in the same category. High housing costs consume 17.7% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 57th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places 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). In comparison, Non-Metro Qld had 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. The median weekly rent figure was $460, slightly higher than Non-Metro Qld's $465. Nationally, Mermaid Beach's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,820 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially higher at $460 versus 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% that are couples with children, 31.7% that are couples without children, and 8.8% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 42.4%, comprising 31.1% lone person households and 11.3% group households. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is 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

Educational attainment in Mermaid Beach is notably high, with 37.4% of residents aged 15 and above holding 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 such qualifications – advanced diplomas comprise 12.5% and certificates make up 20.9%. Educational participation is high, with 25.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 8.5% in tertiary education, 5.4% in primary education, and 5.1% pursuing secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.5% in tertiary education, 5.4% in primary education, and 5.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Mermaid Beach has 14 active public transport stops. These are served by buses on two routes, offering a total of 1,340 weekly passenger trips. Residents' average distance to the nearest stop is 185 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

The services run an average of 191 trips per day across all routes, equating to around 95 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

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Mermaid Beach, with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 84% of the total population (6,453 people), compared to 59.4% across Rest of Qld and a national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are mental health issues affecting 7.2% of residents and asthma impacting 6.9%, while 75.6% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.7% across Rest of Qld.

The area has 13.0% of residents aged 65 and over (993 people), which is lower than the 18.4% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Mermaid Beach was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Mermaid Beach, surveyed in August 2016, showed higher linguistic diversity than most local areas, with 13.0% of residents speaking a language other than English at home. Birthplace diversity was also high, with 29.1% born overseas. Christianity dominated religious affiliation, comprising 45.4%.

Judaism was slightly overrepresented compared to the rest of Queensland, at 0.5%. Ancestry-wise, English (29.5%), Australian (21.7%), and Other (9.7%) were the top groups. Notable differences existed in French (1.0% vs regional 0.8%), Spanish (1.0% vs 0.7%), and New Zealand (1.2% vs 1.3%) ancestry representation.

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 the Australian median of 38. Compared to Rest of Qld, Mermaid Beach has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (27.6%) 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 residents aged 25 to 34 has increased from 25.6% to 27.6%, while the proportion of those aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 12.3% to 10.9%. By 2041, Mermaid Beach's age composition is expected to shift significantly, with the 25-34 age group projected to grow by 107%, reaching a total of 4,359 people from its current figure of 2,110.