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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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Mermaid Waters has an estimated 14,316 residents, up from 13,088 at the 2021 Census — a change of 1,228 people, or 9.4%. Growth has averaged 1.9% a year over five years. 300 new addresses have been validated here since Census night. Overseas migration accounts for 65.0% of that increase. That puts 2,034 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
According to ABS demographic updates and quarterly validated address files, the suburb of Mermaid Waters has an estimated residency of 14,316 individuals as of May 2026. This marks a gain of 1,228 people (9.4%) since the 2021 Census, when the population was recorded at 13,088. This growth is derived from the June 2025 ABS ERP release and 300 additional address validations. The resulting density ratio is 2,033 persons per square kilometer, which exceeds the national benchmark. This expansion rate of 9.4% outpaced the Rest of Qld (9.2%) and the national standard, leading the regional market.
Overseas migration was the primary driver, accounting for 65.0% of the gains, although interstate moves and natural increase also recorded positive contributions. Projections for each SA2 region are drawn from ABS and Geoscience Australia figures published in 2024 with a 2022 baseline. For areas where this is unavailable, or for periods past 2032, state government forecasts from 2023 using 2021 data are used. Since state projections omit age-specific details, age cohort growth weightings are adjusted using the 2023 ABS Greater Capital Region forecasts based on 2022 data. Over the next 16 years to 2041, local projections suggest the suburb of Mermaid Waters will rank in the top national quartile for regional growth, expanding by 3,643 residents, which represents a total increase of 25.3%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
269 new dwellings have been approved in Mermaid Waters over the past five years, an average of 53 a year. That places the area in the 65th percentile for residential development activity nationally, about 4 approvals per 1,000 residents a year. Of the 58 dwellings approved in the latest reporting year, 34% were detached houses and the rest townhouses or apartments. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 1,168, running ahead of 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
Building approval trends reveal that the suburb of Mermaid Waters averages 53 residential approvals annually, with 269 homes approved between FY-21 and FY-25, and 1,071 in FY-26. With an average of 4.7 new residents arriving per finished dwelling over the FY-21 to FY-25 period, construction is falling behind local demand, heightening buyer competition and price levels. Approved dwellings carry an average estimated value of $1,370,000, pointing to a focus on premium residential builds. Non-residential development approvals totaled $7.0 million this financial year, underscoring the suburb's residential orientation. Building approvals in the suburb of Mermaid Waters are quiet compared to the Rest of Qld, sitting 70.0% below the regional average per capita.
This restrained pipeline supports demand and pricing for existing properties. The new pipeline comprises 34.0% houses and 66.0% multi-unit dwellings or apartments. This represents a distinct shift from the current breakdown of 60.0% houses, reflecting a scarcity of vacant land and evolving lifestyle preferences. With 516 people per approval, the suburb of Mermaid Waters displays characteristics of an established property market. Long-term forecasts indicate the suburb of Mermaid Waters will add 3,628 residents by 2041, based on the latest quarterly calculations. Should current building velocities persist, the supply of dwellings may lag population growth, which could increase buyer competition and support upward price trends.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Mermaid Waters
Loading development applications…
| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 13 current infrastructure and development projects inside Mermaid Waters, worth an estimated $1.74 billion. A further 147 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $51.4 billion. 49 are already under construction and 64 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 infrastructure projects and planning changes affect property performance. There are 54 projects identified by AreaSearch that could influence the area, including The Chevron, Lakeview Boulevard Townhouses, Mermaid Waters Sewer Pump Station Upgrade, and Miami State School Upgrade.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Miami State School Upgrade
Upgrade of Miami State School including a new general learning area building, refurbishment of the administration building, and earlier completed campus improvements including new classrooms, site renewal and administration facilities. The project supports enrolment growth and delivery of contemporary learning environments.
Mermaid Waters Sewer Pump Station Upgrade
Comprehensive upgrade and mechanical overhaul of the existing sewage pump station facility to improve network capacity, enhance wastewater reliability, and service the growing local Mermaid Waters community.
The Chevron
A premium residential development by Lifestyle Property Group comprising a 40-storey tower with 185 apartments. Features resort-style amenities including pools, spa, gym, and rooftop gardens. Located on Broadbeach Waters with canal frontage.
Lakeview Boulevard Townhouses
A boutique townhouse development comprising 57 contemporary two-storey townhouses on Lakeview Boulevard within The Lakes master-planned community in Mermaid Waters. The development features modern design and is located near The Lanes Residences apartment towers and the approved Lanes Retail Village, offering residents access to Gold Coast lifestyle, beaches, and major retail precincts at Broadbeach.
The Landmark
A 2 billion AUD mixed-use masterplanned precinct by Aniko Group located on a 1.13-hectare site. The development features four towers comprising up to 891 apartments, a 5-star international hotel, 11,000sqm of A-grade office space, a state-of-the-art medical centre, and a ground-level retail and dining plaza.
17 Le Mans Drive Residential Development
Proposed residential development of 7 townhouses at Lot 145 RP119349, 17 Le Mans Drive, Mermaid Waters. This project contributes to housing supply in the sought-after Mermaid Waters area on the Gold Coast.
Sailfish Cove Resort Complex
Established resort-style residential complex featuring 226 townhouses and apartments with resort facilities including swimming pools, spa, BBQ areas, and tropical landscaping. Built in 1994, this gated community offers waterfront lifestyle amenities with direct access to Lake Wonderland.
The Landmark
The Landmark is a 3 billion dollar masterplanned mixed-use precinct by Aniko Group located on a 1.13-hectare site in Mermaid Beach. The development features four architecturally striking towers reaching up to 53 storeys. It includes approximately 900 luxury residences, a 5-star international hotel with branded residences, and over 10,000sqm of A-grade office and medical space. The project offers extensive resort-style amenities on a one-hectare recreation podium, including a lagoon pool, lap pool, pickleball court, and a ground-level dining and retail plaza.Construction is being delivered in stages by Anikos in-house construction arm, with the first two towers comprising 440 residences.
8,013 residents of Mermaid Waters are employed, from a labour force of 8,204. Unemployment sits at 2.3%, with participation at 68.5%. 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 11,822, about 83% 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
Workforce metrics show a well-qualified resident base across diverse industries, an unemployment rate of 2.3%, and employment growth of 3.5% over the past year. In March 2026, working residents numbered 8,013, with unemployment sitting 1.6 percentage points below the Regional Qld rate of 3.9%. Participation is recorded at 68.5%, compared to 64.3% in Regional Qld. Census records show 17.5% of locals worked from home, though this was influenced by pandemic lockdowns. Resident employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and accommodation & food services. The local workforce is specialized in professional & technical services, representing 1.6 times the regional proportion.
Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing comprises only 0.3% of employment, compared to 4.5% across the region. The imbalance between local jobs and resident workers highlights the area's primary role as a commuter suburb. Based on statistical compilations from SALM and ABS sources, the year ending March 2026 saw employment expand by 3.5% and the labour force grow by 3.3%, which lowered the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. Over the same timeframe, Regional Qld experienced employment growth of 0.1%, labour force expansion of 0.3%, and a rise in unemployment of 0.1 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest total jobs will grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Mapping these national sectoral trajectories onto the local job mix indicates employment for residents of the suburb of Mermaid Waters should rise by 6.7% over five years and 13.7% over ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Mermaid Waters is $1,766 a week (about $92,000 a year), with median personal income at $816 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $47,845 a year against an average of $115,415. The average runs 141% 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 records for the 2023 financial year show that taxpayer incomes are high, with a median of $47,845 and an average of $115,415, compared to Regional Qld medians of $53,146 and averages of $66,593. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 11.36% since the 2023 financial year, current figures would be approximately $53,280 median and $128,526 average as of March 2026. The 2021 Census placed household and individual earnings at the 51st percentile nationally. The most common bracket is the $1,500 - 2,999 range, which accounts for 28.7% of locals (4,108 people) compared to 31.7% across the wider metropolitan region.
Housing costs absorb 17.4% of income, leaving disposable earnings at the 50th percentile, and the SEIFA score places the area in the 7th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Mermaid Waters had 4,965 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 60% detached houses and 7% apartments. 35% are owned with a mortgage, 30% rented and 36% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $450 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month. Rent absorbs 25.5% of household income here and mortgage repayments 28.3%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
At the last Census, the housing stock consisted of 59.6% houses and 40.5% semi-detached dwellings, apartments, or other structures, contrasting with Regional Qld's breakdown of 76.4% and 23.6% respectively. Fully owned properties comprised 35.5% of the total, with mortgaged homes at 35.0% and rented properties at 29.5%. Typical monthly mortgage repayments were $2,167, and median weekly rents were $450, compared to Regional Qld benchmarks of $1,655 and $345. Locally, mortgage costs exceed the national average of $1,863, and rent payments are also above the Australian median of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Mermaid Waters counted 4,965 households at the 2021 Census, an estimated 5,431 today, averaging 2.5 people each. 29% are couples with children, against 28% couples without children. 24% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.4 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families make up 69.5% of households, consisting of couples with children at 28.9%, couples without children at 27.6%, and single parents at 11.7%. Non-family households account for 30.5%, comprising single person households at 24.3% and group households at 6.3%. The typical household size is 2.5 people, matching the Regional Qld average.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
28.4% of adults in Mermaid Waters hold a university qualification, including 20.1% with a bachelor degree and 6.2% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 23.8% hold a vocational qualification. 2 schools serve the area, with 1,871 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 1,044 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
Educational attainment is high, with university qualification levels (28.4% of residents aged 15+) higher than the Rest of Qld average of 20.6% and the SA4 region level of 25.4%. Bachelor degrees are held by 20.1% of residents, postgraduate degrees by 6.2%, and graduate diplomas by 2.1%. Vocational education is also common, with 36.6% of residents aged 15+ holding trade credentials, comprising 12.8% with advanced diplomas and 23.8% with certificates. Enrolment rates are high, with 28.9% of the population participating in formal studies. This includes 9.3% in primary schools, 7.7% in secondary schools, and 5.0% enrolled in tertiary institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Mermaid Waters reaches 50 stops on 12 routes, timetabled for about 1,500 services a week. The typical home sits about 190 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 1.4 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Public transport services include 50 active bus stops in the area, operating across 12 routes that provide 1,496 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to a transit stop is 192 meters. Private cars remain the primary commuting mode at 90%, and average vehicle ownership stands at 1.4 cars per dwelling. Census data from 2021 indicates 17.5% of residents worked from home, which was affected by pandemic conditions. Daily services average 213 trips across all routes, which translates to approximately 29 weekly trips at each stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
73.8% of residents in Mermaid Waters report no long-term health condition, a healthier profile than 81% of areas nationally. 4.5% need daily assistance with core activities, and 72.9% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 4.5 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health outcomes are strong, with low mortality and chronic disease rates across all age brackets. Private health insurance coverage is high at approximately 73% of residents (10,440 people), compared to 52.5% in Regional Qld and a national average of 55.7%. Arthritis and mental health conditions are the most prevalent health concerns, reported by 7.3 and 6.4% of residents. Conversely, 73.8% of the population reported no long-term medical issues, compared to 67.6% across Regional Qld. Working-age residents show high health standards. Residents aged 65 and over account for 18.6% of the population (2,662 people), below the Regional Qld level of 20.4%.
Seniors in the area record favorable health outcomes, aligning with national rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
29.9% of Mermaid Waters residents were born overseas and 15.6% speak a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (29.0%) and Australian (22.4%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity is high compared to most regional property markets, with 15.6% of residents speaking non-English languages at home and 29.9% born outside Australia. Christianity is the dominant religion at 49.5%, while Judaism represents 0.4% of the population, compared to 0.1% across Regional Qld. Ancestry records show English ancestry at 29.0%, Australian at 22.4%, and Other at 8.9%. Variations from regional norms include New Zealand ancestry at 1.4% (compared to 0.9% regionally), Hungarian at 0.4% (compared to 0.2%), and French at 0.7% (compared to 0.5%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Mermaid Waters is 39. That is 1 year younger than at the 2021 Census. 27.2% 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
The median age of 39 is slightly younger than the Regional Qld average of 41, and close to the national average of 38. Residents aged 25 - 34 make up 15.5% of the population, while the 55 - 64 bracket is smaller at 9.7% than in Regional Qld. Since 2021, the 25 to 34 group has risen from 13.7% to 15.5%, and the 35 to 44 cohort has grown from 14.2% to 15.4%. In contrast, the 65 to 74 group fell from 10.7% to 9.0%, and the 55 to 64 group decreased from 11.2% to 9.7%.
By 2041, the 25 to 34 cohort is projected to expand by 848 people (38%) from 2,218 to 3,067, while the 15 to 24 age bracket is expected to grow by 7% (117 people).
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Mermaid Waters
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Aug 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) | May 2026 3 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 May 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to May 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Jun 2026 2 months ago headline measures · May 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Aug 2026 this month all 21 measures |
| 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 Aug 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Aug 2026 this month all 13 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 Aug 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 5 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) | Aug 2026 this month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 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 — 300 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for May 2026, not a 2021 count (13,088 at the 2021 Census → 14,316 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 May 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 (SAL31812). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.