suburb.guide

QLD · Gold Coast Council

Main Beach, 4217

Est. population · Jun 2025

4,333

Growth (1 yr)

+4.8%

Growth (5 yr)

+9.3%

Median age

57

Median income

$1,682/wk

Employment rate

49.1%

University qualified

28%

Work from home

24.7%

Languages at home

10%non-English

Most common: Japanese, French, Portuguese

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

42.1/100
Average

Top 48% of Queensland's suburbs

Verified 90% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Beach
  • Excellent transport
  • Arts precinct
  • Green suburb
  • Marina
What Main Beach is known for: Beach, Excellent transport, Arts precinct, Green suburb, Marina

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Suburb Guide, “Main Beach, QLD Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/qld/main-beach

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Suburb profile

Main Beach is a coastal town in Queensland, in Gold Coast Council, with mainly denser housing than a typical suburban neighbourhood. It is close to the Main Beach.

Dining and cafés are a relative strength, placing it among the highest-ranked coastal towns. Open-space access is better than in most comparable places, with park access 84% above the peer median. Working from home is a very strong feature of the suburb, with working from home 73% above the peer median, and socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median. Trade-offs centre on higher rents and higher crime, with median rents 43% above the peer median.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising dining and socio-economic advantage over lower rents.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Coastal town · compared with coastal towns in Queensland (89)

Strengths

  • Dining and cafés are a relative strength
  • Working from home is a relative strength
  • Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median
  • Open-space access is better than in most comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Rents are among the highest in the peer group
  • Reported crime in the wider postcode 4217 is elevated relative to comparable places

What stands out

  • Main Beach
  • The Spit Beach
  • Overseas-born and multilingual community

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Main Beach compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$1,000/wk

Population (ERP)

4,333

+4.8% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

33.7%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#45

among Coastal & beach · Mature

Crime rate

92nd

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

95th

percentile in QLD

Rented dwellings

32%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

9/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

43rd

percentile among schools with ICSEA

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
42.1/100 — Average
State standing
Top 48% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
3868th in Australia
State rank
719th in QLD
Peer rank
#45 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#88 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence
90%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$1,000

Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

4,333(June 2025)

+4.8% annual · +9.3% over 5 years · 95th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+4.8%
5-year growth
+9.3%
Change in 1 year
+198
Change in 5 years
+369
Growth rank in QLD
95th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~4,600), extrapolated at +1.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
3,998
Median age
57
Median household income / week
$1,682
Dwelling vacancy
33.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
924 of 2,740
Median monthly mortgage
$2,091
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$500
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
47.7% / 20.7% / 31.6%
Employment rate
49.1%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
24.7% / 3.5% / 55%
Walked or cycled to work
4.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
62 / 88 / 1,624 (+ 29 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

28% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Queensland. 11.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified28% · 21.9% QLD
  • Diploma qualified11.3% · 9.4% QLD
  • Trade / vocational11.5% · 18.9% QLD
  • Year 12 or below49.3% · 49.8% QLD

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce29.1%
  • Health15.5%
  • Society and culture12.9%
  • Engineering and related technologies11.3%
  • Education8.9%
  • Architecture and building5.8%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$49,340

31st percentile in QLD · -16% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$51,655

13th percentile in QLD · -21% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
13.0%

73rd percentile in QLD · -6% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$32,795

8th percentile in QLD · -48% vs Australia

Residents with business income
15.0%

87th percentile in QLD · +44% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 4217 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
33,970
Taxpayers reporting net rent
4,462
Median net rent
$3,193
Taxpayers reporting business income
4,999
Taxable income vs state median
-11%
Salary / wages vs state median
-15%
Rental investment vs state median
+18%
Super vs state median
-53%
Business income vs state median
+50%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in QLD, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

10% speak a language other than English at home; 29.4% born overseas

Language at home
3,183 English only · 352 other
Non-English at home
10%
Born overseas
1,038 (29.4%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
40 (1%)
Australian citizens
3,144
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
13

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Japanese20 · 15.7%
  • French18 · 14.2%
  • Portuguese15 · 11.8%
  • Italian12 · 9.4%
  • Greek10 · 7.9%
  • Mandarin10 · 7.9%
  • Afrikaans9 · 7.1%
  • Polish8 · 6.3%

Religion

51.8%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 51.8%, while 33% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion33%40.7%
Christianity51.8%45.7%
Other / not stated15.2%13.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic22.1%18.6%
Anglican18.2%11.3%
Uniting Church3%3.6%
Presbyterian and Reformed2.7%2.1%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 4217, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences are running higher than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Sep 2026)
522
Against the person
139
Against property
200
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
161.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 29 residents
State crime-rate percentile
91.9th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+3.7%

Most common offence types

  • Assault38
  • Drug Offences110
  • Good Order Offences92
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)109
  • Traffic And Related Offences34

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Sep 2026; Jan 2026 to Sep 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
993
Median ICSEA percentile
43th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
2
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
  • Men of Business AcademySpecial · Independent · ICSEA 993 · 43th percentile · LBOTE 5% · 238 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Southport SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Southport SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Surfers Paradise SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

20 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Main Beach Pde at Breaker Street
  • Main Beach Pde at Main Beach Tourist Park
  • Main Beach Pde at Main Beach Tourist Park
  • Main Beach Pde at Woodroffe Avenue
  • Sea World

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

232 mapped amenities

19 restaurants · 3 cafes · 2 bars · 1 fast food · 1 food courts · 4 playgrounds · 1 sports centres · 29 swimming pools

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Reasonably walkable — many shops and services reachable on foot or by bus
  • Good local dining options — 26 food & drink venues nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 16 parks mapped in suburb, 4 playgrounds nearby
  • Well connected by public transport — 20 public transport stops
  • Strong local sport and recreation — 36 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
60/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.75
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
6.5
Parks per 1,000 residents
4
Food & drink(26)
  • Oasis Pool BarBar

    71 Sea World Drive

  • Pearls BarBar

    71 Sea World Drive

  • Jack’s Coffee RoastersCafe
  • Other People's MoneyCafe
  • Waterfall CafeCafe
  • Mariners Cove Fish & ChipsFast food
  • Plaza Food CourtFood court
  • Ace Wasabi's Sushi PlaceRestaurant
  • Dockside TavernRestaurant
  • Fisherman's Wharf TavernRestaurant
  • Glass Dining & Lounge BarRestaurant

    74 Sea World Drive

  • Gods of the SeaRestaurant
  • Hatsuhana Japanese RestaurantRestaurant
  • Hog's Breath CafeRestaurant
  • La Luna DiningRestaurant
  • Ladybird Restaurant & BarRestaurant
  • Le JardinRestaurant
  • Lobby Lounge High TeaRestaurant
  • Omeros Brothers Seafood RestaurantRestaurant

    74 Sea World Drive, Main Beach

  • Omeros Brothers Seafood RestaurantRestaurant

    Unit 55 74 Sea World Drive

  • Restaurant
  • Shoreline RestaurantRestaurant
  • Sunset Waterfront GrillRestaurant
  • Terraces RestaurantRestaurant

    71 Sea World Drive

  • The DeckRestaurant

    71 Sea World Drive

  • The Melrose RestaurantRestaurant
Shopping(1)
  • Fishermans Local Liquor Bottle ShopBottle shop
Everyday services(1)
  • Mariner's CovePetrol station
Health & services(1)
  • Veterinary Quarantine CentreVeterinary
Sport & outdoors(74)
  • BBQ
  • Beach (7)
  • Main BeachBeach
  • Narrowneck BeachBeach
  • The Spit BeachBeach
  • Boat ramp
  • Gold Coast OceanwayCycling route
  • Drinking fountainDrinking water
  • Fitness station
  • Milon 24/7 GymGym

    Unit 110 74 Sea World Drive, Main Beach

  • Imperial Hotel Gold Coast MarinaMarina
  • Marina MirageMarina
  • Marine Rescue SouthportMarina

    Muriel Henchman Drive

  • Mariner's Cove MarinaMarina
  • Nature reserve (15)
  • Muriel Henchman ParkPark
  • Philip ParkPark
  • Playground (4)
  • Public toilets
  • Village Roadshow Theme ParksPublic toilets
  • Sports centre
  • Sports field
  • Oasis PoolSwimming pool
  • Swimming pool (26)
  • Villa PoolSwimming pool
  • Village Roadshow Theme ParksSwimming pool
Camping & holiday parks(1)
  • Main Beach Caravan ParkCaravan park
Places to stay(1)
  • Sheraton Grand Mirage ResortHotel

    71 Sea World Drive

Entertainment(4)
  • Sea World TheatreCinema
  • Nickelodeon StageTheatre
  • Seal TheatreTheatre
  • Theatre
Transport(6)

3 bus stops · 3 ferry terminals

Other(37)
  • Games RoomAmusement Arcade
  • Artwork
  • Dora's Fiesta CarouselAttraction
  • Jet RescueAttraction
  • LeviathanAttraction
  • Nickelodeon LandAttraction
  • Pirates PhotoAttraction
  • Skydive Surfers ParadiseAttraction
  • Relaxation CorporationBeauty salon
  • Bleachers
  • Fountain (3)
  • Garden (34)
  • Davy Jones LockerLocker
  • LockersLocker
  • Outdoor Seating (2)
  • GCCCParking
  • Parking (15)
  • Sea World (overflow parking)Parking
  • Sea World (parking)Parking
  • Village Roadshow Theme ParksParking
  • Parking Entrance (3)
  • Parking Space (2)
  • Picnic Table
  • Peter's Fish MarketSeafood

    120 Sea World Drive, Main Beach

  • Shelter (25)
  • Shower (2)
  • Stadium (3)
  • MainStation
  • MidStation
  • Sea World ResortStation
  • Sea WorldTheme Park

    Sea World Drive

  • Waste Basket
  • Waste Disposal
  • Castaway BayWater Park
  • The ReefWater Park
  • Heli Scenic FlightsYes
  • Nickelodeon StoreYes

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Sporting clubs

4 named sporting clubs in this suburb

  • Seaworld Dr at Southport Yacht Club

    Sailing

  • Southport SLSC

    Surf Life Saving · +61 7 5665 3900

  • Southport Yacht Club

    Sailing · +61 7 5591 3500

  • Southport Yacht Club Marina

    Sailing · +61 7 5591 3500

Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap sporting clubs — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Geofabrik australia-latest.osm.pbf

Parks & reserves

28 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Cable ParkPark
  • Helen ParkPark
  • Hindle ReservePark
  • Hollindale ParkPark
  • Jack Gordon ParkPark
  • Main Beach PlacePark
  • Muriel Henchman ParkPark
  • Narrow Neck ReservePark
  • Naval Reserve Memorial ParkPark
  • Park or reserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
17.9%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
17
Parks (OSM)
16
Typical summer maximum
29°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
1
Nearest hospital
Emergency (4.3 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

  • Main Beach PharmacyPharmacy

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
35
Participants per 1,000 residents
8.1

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
29° / 20°
Rainfall
628 mm · ~78 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
26° / 17°
Rainfall
552 mm · ~69 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
21° / 10°
Rainfall
240 mm · ~30 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 15°
Rainfall
282 mm · ~35 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Heritage

2 heritage places

  • Main Beach Pavilion and Southport Surf Lifesaving ClubState heritage place
  • Southport Cable Hut (former)State heritage place

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping. Flood cover uses floodplain overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Moncrieff
Member of Parliament
Angie BELL (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
125,713
Turnout (2025)
85.7%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+2.4 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 58.8%Labor 41.2%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 4.8 km away).

Coalition 58.8%Labor 41.2%

Similar Labor lean to the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -0.9 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • Main BeachLabor 28.1% · Coalition 71.9% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
  • SouthportLabor 52.0% · Coalition 48.0% TPP (2025)1.9 km away
  • Special Hospital Team 4Labor 26.3% · Coalition 73.7% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
  • Southport North (Moncrieff)Labor 56.9% · Coalition 43.1% TPP (2025)2.5 km away
  • Southport CentralLabor 49.2% · Coalition 50.8% TPP (2025)2.9 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
9/10
IRSD decile (2021)
8/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

This suburb ranks highly for

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Gold Coast Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.