Queensland · Suburb Profile

Surfers Paradise QLD — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Surfers Paradise, Queensland. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Surfers Paradise QLD is 26,412 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Surfers Paradise is $775 per week ($40,300 per year). Median rent in Surfers Paradise is $410 per week ($1,777 per month). Surfers Paradise has a median age of 42 years, older than the national median of 38. Surfers Paradise has a population density of 4556.9 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Surfers Paradise is England. The most common religion is No Religion (40% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Portuguese. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Surfers Paradise is $1,606.

There were 8,513 recorded offences in Surfers Paradise in 2025-26, a rate of 322 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (2,635 offences).

Surfers Paradise Map

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Surfers Paradise Population

residents (Census 2021)

Surfers Paradise Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$775/wk

$40,300 per year

#4045 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$410/wk

$1,777 per month

#1715 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

42years

4 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,606/mo

Avg household size: 1.9 · 1 per bedroom

Surfers Paradise Demographics

Gender Split

Male 51.2% (13,515) Female 48.8% (12,902)

Population Density

4556.9

people per km²

26,412 people · 5.8 km²

Households

1.9

Avg household size

Persons per bedroom

$1,707

Family income/wk

Surfers Paradise Age Distribution

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Surfers Paradise Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

59.5% 3,060 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

40.5% 2,082 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Surfers Paradise Country of Birth

Australia

75.9%

England

6.9%

Brazil

6.0%

India

5.8%

China

1.4%

Germany

1.1%

Chile

0.8%

France

0.7%

Iran

0.7%

Canada

0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Surfers Paradise Religion

No Religion

40.2%

Catholic

21.9%

Not stated

16.4%

Anglican

11.1%

Hinduism

3.5%

Christian (other)

2.3%

Buddhism

2.3%

Uniting Church

2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Surfers Paradise Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

70.8%

Year 10 or equivalent

17.5%

Year 11 or equivalent

8.1%

Year 9 or equivalent

3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Surfers Paradise Languages Spoken at Home

Portuguese

23.4%

Spanish

19.7%

Other

14.7%

IAL Punjabi

9.8%

Mandarin

9.1%

IAL Nepali

8.3%

Italian

7.5%

Japan

7.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Surfers Paradise Employment

💼

Employed full-time

30.7% 5,980 people

⏰

Employed part-time

25.8% 5,018 people

🔍

Unemployed

4.9% 961 people

🏠

Not in labour force

38.6% 7,510 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Surfers Paradise Qualifications

Bachelor Degree

33.7%

Certificate III/IV

27.5%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

22.5%

Postgraduate Degree

10.8%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

3.8%

Certificate I/II

1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Surfers Paradise Occupation

Professionals

23.0%

Technicians & Trade Workers

14.7%

Community & Personal Service

14.5%

Managers

14.2%

Labourers

11.2%

Clerical & Administrative

9.5%

Sales Workers

8.9%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

4.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Surfers Paradise Field of Study

Management & Commerce

30.6%

Society & Culture

13.3%

Health

11.2%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

10.7%

Engineering

10.2%

Architecture & Building

6.4%

Education

5.5%

Creative Arts

5.4%

Information Technology

3.4%

Natural & Physical Sciences

2.2%

Agriculture & Environment

1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Surfers Paradise Dwelling Types

Separate house

57.6%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

35.5%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

7.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Surfers Paradise Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

3.1%

$1-$149/wk

0.9%

$150-$299/wk

1.4%

$300-$399/wk

3.1%

$400-$499/wk

6.3%

$500-$649/wk

6.4%

$650-$799/wk

7.2%

$800-$999/wk

8.8%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

9.9%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

9.4%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

6.8%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

6.2%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

10.9%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

5.0%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

4.0%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

1.9%

$4,000+/wk

8.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Surfers Paradise Marital Status

💍

Married

34.3% 8,357

↔️

Separated

4.1% 996

📋

Divorced

13.7% 3,340

🕊️

Widowed

4.4% 1,068

👤

Never married

43.5% 10,598

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Surfers Paradise Ancestry

English

28.9%

Australian

18.8%

Other

17.3%

Irish

8.5%

Scottish

7.8%

Italian

4.8%

German

4.2%

Chinese

2.9%

Indian

2.4%

Filipino

1.6%

Spanish

1.6%

Dutch

1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Surfers Paradise School & University Attendance

Vocational Education

47.5%

Primary — Government

14.8%

Secondary — Government

10.5%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

9.2%

Pre-school

7.0%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

6.5%

Primary — Catholic

2.8%

Secondary — Catholic

1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Surfers Paradise Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

4.8% 2,213

✅

No need for assistance

95.2% 43,636

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Surfers Paradise Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

10.4% 2,185

—

Not a volunteer

89.6% 18,774

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Surfers Paradise Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

8.5%

$300-$449/mo

2.3%

$450-$599/mo

1.8%

$600-$799/mo

4.5%

$800-$999/mo

7.5%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

21.5%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

18.3%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

19.3%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

7.6%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

8.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Surfers Paradise How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

60.1%

Did not go to work

13.4%

Walked only

10.2%

Car (passenger)

4.5%

Tram/Light Rail

4.5%

Bicycle

1.8%

Bus

1.5%

Motorbike/Scooter

1.1%

Other

1.0%

Train

1.0%

Taxi/Rideshare

0.6%

Truck

0.4%

Ferry

0.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Surfers Paradise Car Ownership

0 vehicles

13.3%

1 vehicle

54.0%

2 vehicles

24.8%

3 vehicles

5.0%

4+ vehicles

2.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Surfers Paradise Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

26.2%

2 bedrooms

48.6%

3 bedrooms

16.3%

4 bedrooms

6.0%

5 bedrooms

2.4%

6+ bedrooms

0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Surfers Paradise Population Mobility

31.9%

moved in the last year

66.7%

moved in the last 5 years

7.1%

unemployment rate (Census)

55.7%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Surfers Paradise Indigenous Population

1.3%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

617

Indigenous residents

45,624

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Surfers Paradise Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

1,857

Arthritis

853

Asthma

675

Heart disease

648

Diabetes

527

Cancer

445

Lung condition

430

Stroke

241

Kidney disease

192

Dementia

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Surfers Paradise Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

9.0%

$1-$149/wk

2.8%

$150-$299/wk

4.5%

$300-$399/wk

4.3%

$400-$499/wk

4.4%

$500-$649/wk

5.6%

$650-$799/wk

12.2%

$800-$999/wk

14.6%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

12.9%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

7.4%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.6%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

4.1%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

6.3%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

1.9%

$3,500+/wk

4.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Surfers Paradise Family Structure

Couple — no children

53.4%

Couple — children under 15

23.5%

Couple — no children under 15

9.3%

One parent — no children under 15

7.3%

One parent — children under 15

6.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Surfers Paradise Military Service

🎖️

Current ADF — Regular

0.1% 16

🛡️

Current ADF — Reserves

0.0% 6

🏅

Previously served

2.5% 517

👤

Never served

97.4% 20,517

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Surfers Paradise Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

9.0% 1,890

—

Did not provide

91.0% 19,021

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Surfers Paradise Children Ever Born

No children

49.1%

1 child

14.3%

2 children

21.9%

3 children

10.4%

4 children

3.2%

5+ children

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Surfers Paradise When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

108

1951–1960

365

1961–1970

601

1971–1980

672

1981–1990

897

1991–2000

871

2001–2010

1,617

2011–2015

1,376

2016

475

2017

635

2018

822

2019

1,239

2020

497

2021

111

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Surfers Paradise Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

22.7%

5–14 hours

25.8%

15–29 hours

9.2%

30+ hours

5.3%

Did not do domestic work

37.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Surfers Paradise Household Size

1 person

39.9%

2 persons

40.7%

3 persons

10.7%

4 persons

6.2%

5 persons

1.8%

6+ persons

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Surfers Paradise Where Residents Moved From

Same address

15,517

Moved from QLD

3,926

Moved — same area (SA2)

1,191

Moved from NSW

785

Moved from VIC

538

Moved from overseas

455

Moved from SA

Moved from TAS

Moved from WA

Moved from ACT

Moved from NT

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Surfers Paradise Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

82.9%

Step family — no other children

13.3%

Blended family — no other children

2.4%

Intact family — other children present

0.6%

Other couple — children only

0.6%

Step family — other children present

0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Surfers Paradise Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 8,513 total

Theft

2,635

Drug Offences

2,628

Assault

1,008

Break & Enter

650

Weapons

338

Domestic Violence

275

Fraud

272

Property Damage

266

Traffic

209

Sexual Offences

196

Robbery

Offence trend by year:

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: QLD Police Service — data.qld.gov.au

Surfers Paradise Schools

schools nearby

government

1038

avg ICSEA score

4,487

total students

The Southport School Independent

Combined · Prep-12 · 1,621 students

1118

ICSEA

Bellevue Park State School Government

Primary · Prep-6 · 729 students

1059

ICSEA

Surfers Paradise State School Government

Primary · Prep-6 · 598 students

1035

ICSEA

Southport State School Government

Primary · Prep-6 · 538 students

1012

ICSEA

Keebra Park State High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 1,001 students

968

ICSEA

The BUSY School - Southport Campus Independent

Secondary

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Surfers Paradise with map →

Surfers Paradise Rent Prices & Affordability

31%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $1,323/wk

Median Rent $410/wk

Rent-to-Income 31.0%

Rent is between 25–35% of household income — moderate housing costs.

If you earn X in Surfers Paradise

Your weekly income

≈ $5,733/month

Median rent $410/wk

Left after rent $913/wk

Rent share 31.0%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Hughenden

Income: $770/wk Rent: $160/wk Save: $250/wk

Charleville

Income: $822/wk Rent: $178/wk Save: $232/wk

Garbutt

Income: $643/wk Rent: $220/wk Save: $190/wk

Rockhampton City

Income: $635/wk Rent: $250/wk Save: $160/wk

Proserpine

Income: $668/wk Rent: $260/wk Save: $150/wk

Bowen

Income: $710/wk Rent: $270/wk Save: $140/wk

Wilsonton

Income: $638/wk Rent: $290/wk Save: $120/wk

Wulguru

Income: $747/wk Rent: $290/wk Save: $120/wk

Surfers Paradise vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in QLD

Ashgrove

Pop: 13,450 Income: $1,154/wk Rent: $440/wk

Eagleby

Pop: 13,594 Income: $586/wk Rent: $320/wk

Indooroopilly

Pop: 13,622 Income: $928/wk Rent: $440/wk

Wynnum

Pop: 14,036 Income: $914/wk Rent: $400/wk

Runcorn

Pop: 14,199 Income: $737/wk Rent: $400/wk

South Brisbane

Pop: 14,292 Income: $883/wk Rent: $470/wk

Compare Surfers Paradise

Surfers Paradise vs Ashgrove →Surfers Paradise vs Eagleby →Surfers Paradise vs Indooroopilly →Surfers Paradise vs Wynnum →

Frequently Asked Questions About Surfers Paradise

What is the population of Surfers Paradise QLD?

The population of Surfers Paradise QLD is 26,412 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 4556.9 people per km².Surfers Paradise is ranked #66 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Surfers Paradise?

The median personal income in Surfers Paradise QLD is $775 per week, or $40,300 per year.The median household income is $1,323 per week.Family income is $1,707 per week.Surfers Paradise is ranked #4,045 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Surfers Paradise?

Median rent in Surfers Paradise QLD is $410 per week ($1,777 per month).Rent represents 31.0% of household income, which is considered moderate.Surfers Paradise ranks #1,715 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Surfers Paradise?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Surfers Paradise QLD is $1,606. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Surfers Paradise?

The median age in Surfers Paradise QLD is 42 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Surfers Paradise a good suburb to live in?

Surfers Paradise is a suburb in Queensland with a population of 26,412.The median income is $775/wk, which is above the QLD average of $759/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (31.0% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Looking for schools, childcare centres, and playgrounds in this area? See kid.com.au for family facilities data.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 32702. All dollar figures in AUD.