Mooloolaba

Mooloolaba has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, as of Nov 2025, Mooloolaba's estimated population is around 8,777. This reflects a growth of 575 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,202. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 8,718 residents, based on June 2024 ABS ERP data release and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,239 persons per square kilometer, above national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Mooloolaba's growth rate of 7.0% since census is close to its SA3 area's 8.0%, indicating competitive fundamentals. Overseas migration primarily drove this population growth.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a 2022 base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are used, based on 2021 data released in 2023. These state projections lack age category splits; thus AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. Future trends suggest a population increase just below the median of locations outside capital cities, with Mooloolaba expected to gain 728 persons by 2041, reflecting a total growth of 6.5% over 17 years based on aggregated SA2-level projections.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Mooloolaba recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Mooloolaba has seen approximately 29 new homes approved annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 146 homes were approved, with another 17 approved so far in FY-26. On average, 2.1 people moved to the area per new home constructed over these years.

New homes are built at an average value of $1,120,000, targeting the premium market segment. This financial year, there have been $10.6 million in commercial approvals. Compared to Rest of Qld, Mooloolaba has significantly less development activity, being 57.0% below the regional average per person. Recent construction comprises 60.0% detached houses and 40.0% attached dwellings. At around 373 people per approval, Mooloolaba indicates a mature market.

Population forecasts suggest Mooloolaba will gain 574 residents by 2041. With current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 18 projects likely affecting the area. Notable projects include Mooloolaba Foreshore Revitalisation Project, Mooloolaba Transport Corridor Upgrade, Avani Hotel Mooloolaba, and Mooloolaba - Alexandra Headland Local Plan Area. The following list details those most 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.

Mooloolaba ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Mooloolaba has a well-educated workforce with diverse sector representation, and an unemployment rate of 2.1% as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, there are 4,763 residents employed, with the unemployment rate being 2.0% lower than Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%.

The workforce participation is similar to Rest of Qld's 59.1%. The dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and accommodation & food. Mooloolaba has a particular specialization in accommodation & food, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 1.4% of Mooloolaba's workforce compared to Rest of Qld's 4.5%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force decreased by 2.7%, with employment decreasing by 2.1%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.6 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Qld recorded employment growth of 1.7% and labour force growth of 2.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data up to 25-Nov-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.01% (losing 1,210 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, closely aligned with the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates varying significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Mooloolaba's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.0% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and not accounting for localized population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The suburb of Mooloolaba had a higher than average national income level according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers was $50,367 and the average income stood at $70,426. This compares to figures for Rest of Qld's of $53,146 and $66,593 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $55,358 (median) and $77,405 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows personal income ranks at the 58th percentile ($843 weekly), while household income sits at the 36th percentile. Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 32.0% of the community (2,808 individuals), mirroring the metropolitan region where 31.7% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 34th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

In Mooloolaba, as per the latest Census evaluation, 38.9% of dwellings were houses while 61.1% were other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 51.7% houses and 48.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mooloolaba stood at 33.5%, similar to Non-Metro Qld. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (23.9%) or rented (42.6%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,762, lower than the Non-Metro Qld average of $1,820. The median weekly rent figure in Mooloolaba was recorded at $400, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $420. Nationally, Mooloolaba's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 60.2% of all households, including 18.7% couples with children, 30.6% couples without children, and 10.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 39.8%, with lone person households at 33.1% and group households comprising 6.8%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.2.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 28.5%, exceeding the Rest of Qld average of 20.6% and the SA4 region's rate of 24.9%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are held by 38.1% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 12.4% and certificates at 25.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 25.8% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 7.6% in primary, 6.7% in secondary, and 5.6% in tertiary education.

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

Mooloolaba has 31 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by five different routes that combined provide 1007 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 183 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 143 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 32 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mooloolaba's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Mooloolaba's health metrics closely match national benchmarks. Common health conditions are seen at a standard level across both young and old age cohorts.

Private health cover is high, with approximately 55% of the total population (~4,837 people), compared to 53.0% in Rest of Qld. The most common medical conditions are arthritis (9.1%) and mental health issues (7.6%). About 69.4% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.2% in Rest of Qld. Around 21.7% of residents are aged 65 and over (1,904 people), lower than the 24.4% in Rest of Qld. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, even better than those of the general population.

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

Mooloolaba's cultural diversity was above average, with 9.8% speaking a language other than English at home and 27.0% born overseas. Christianity dominated Mooloolaba's religious landscape at 46.5%. Judaism, however, was overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to the Rest of Qld's 0.1%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (32.7%), Australian (22.8%), and Irish (10.0%). Notable divergences included New Zealand's overrepresentation at 1.4% vs regional 1.0%, French at 0.7% vs 0.7%, and Welsh at 0.7% vs 0.6%.

Mooloolaba hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Mooloolaba's median age is 43 years, which is higher than the Rest of Qld average of 41 and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age group has a strong representation at 16.3% compared to the Rest of Qld. However, the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 8.7%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 25-34 age group has grown from 14.3% to 16.3%, while the 45-54 cohort has declined from 13.0% to 11.9% and the 55-64 group dropped from 14.9% to 13.8%. Demographic modeling suggests that Mooloolaba's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 25-34 cohort projected to grow by 22%, adding 314 residents to reach 1,745. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 45-54 and 65-74 cohorts.