QLD · Sunshine Coast Council

Maroochy River, 4561

Est. population · Jun 2025

1,809

Growth (1 yr)

+1.4%

Growth (5 yr)

+12.9%

Median age

42

Median income

$2,152/wk

Employment rate

62.8%

University qualified

22.6%

Work from home

16.3%

Languages at home

2.4%non-English

Most common: German, Afrikaans

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

44.6/100
Average

Top 39% of Queensland's suburbs

Verified 81% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • River access
  • Holiday parks
  • Outer suburban
What Maroochy River is known for: River access, Holiday parks, Outer suburban

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Maroochy River, QLD suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Maroochy River, QLD Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/qld/maroochy-river

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Suburb profile

Maroochy River is an outer metropolitan suburb of Brisbane, in Sunshine Coast Council. It is mainly residential, with little in the way of a distinct commercial centre or landmark identity.

University qualifications are more common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 34% above the peer median, and household incomes sit well above the peer median, with household incomes 22% above the peer median, and working from home is more common than in comparable places, with working from home 25% above the peer median. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. The clearer weaknesses are higher rents and thinner park access.

Maroochy River's appeal is better explained by housing, access and location than by a strong standalone precinct or destination.

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

Outer metropolitan suburb · compared with outer metropolitan suburbs in Queensland (215)

Strengths

  • University qualifications are more common than in comparable places
  • Household incomes sit well above the peer median
  • Working from home is more common than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Rents run above those in comparable places
  • Park access is thinner than in comparable places

What stands out

  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Maroochy River compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$840/wk

Population (ERP)

1,809

+1.4% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

7.6%

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 Metro Brisbane · Emerging

Crime rate

20th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

60th

percentile in QLD

Rented dwellings

15%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

8/10

national SEIFA decile

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
44.6/100 — Average
State standing
Top 39% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
3217th in Australia
State rank
594th in QLD
Peer rank
#45 among Metro Brisbane · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#287 among Metro Brisbane suburbs
Data confidence
81%

Data sources & freshness

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

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$840

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

1,809(June 2025)

+1.4% annual · +12.9% over 5 years · 60th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.4%
5-year growth
+12.9%
Change in 1 year
+25
Change in 5 years
+207
Growth rank in QLD
60th 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 (~2,150), extrapolated at +3.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
1,667
Median age
42
Median household income / week
$2,152
Dwelling vacancy
7.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
44 of 582
Median monthly mortgage
$2,000
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$460
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
39.7% / 45% / 15.4%
Employment rate
62.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
16.3% / 0% / 66.4%
Walked or cycled to work
1.8%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
524 / 8 / 10

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

22.6% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Queensland. 24.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified22.6% · 21.9% QLD
  • Diploma qualified12.1% · 9.4% QLD
  • Trade / vocational24.4% · 18.9% QLD
  • Year 12 or below40.9% · 49.8% QLD

Highest qualification field

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

  • Management and commerce18.5%
  • Engineering and related technologies17.8%
  • Health13.6%
  • Education11.5%
  • Society and culture11.2%
  • Architecture and building10%
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)
$55,385

49th percentile in QLD · -6% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$58,893

41st percentile in QLD · -9% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
15.0%

86th percentile in QLD · +9% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$78,877

67th percentile in QLD · +25% vs Australia

Residents with business income
13.0%

75th percentile in QLD · +25% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 4561 — 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
6,303
Taxpayers reporting net rent
914
Median net rent
$1,776
Taxpayers reporting business income
833
Taxable income vs state median
0%
Salary / wages vs state median
-3%
Rental investment vs state median
+36%
Super vs state median
+14%
Business income vs state median
+30%

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

2.4% speak a language other than English at home; 18.1% born overseas

Language at home
1,557 English only · 38 other
Non-English at home
2.4%
Born overseas
291 (18.1%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
30 (1.8%)
Australian citizens
1,515
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
2

Top languages other than English

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

  • German5 · 55.6%
  • Afrikaans4 · 44.4%

Religion

47.8%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 47.8%, while 44% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion44%40.7%
Christianity47.8%45.7%
Other / not stated8.2%13.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic20.9%18.6%
Anglican10%11.3%
Christian (not further defined)3.9%3.1%
Uniting Church3.5%3.6%
Baptist2.1%1.7%
Presbyterian and Reformed2.1%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 4561, which is shared with other suburbs.

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

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Sep 2026)
60
Against the person
9
Against property
29
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
44.4
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 185 residents
State crime-rate percentile
20th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-11.8%

Most common offence types

  • Unlawful Entry5
  • Other Property Damage5
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)14
  • Good Order Offences4
  • Traffic And Related Offences15

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

School list
School catchments
  • Bli Bli SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Coolum SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Coolum SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Maroochydore SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Nambour State CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Nambour State College - Junior SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • North Arm SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Yandina 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

Amenities

13 mapped amenities

2 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.6
Sport & outdoors(8)
  • Boat ramp
  • Coolum Creek Environment ReserveNature reserve
  • Coolum Creek Nature RefugeNature reserve
  • Dunethin Rock Bushland Reserve NetworkNature reserve
  • Dunethin Rock Recreation AreaPark
  • Public toilets
  • Mount Ninderry Summit TrailWalking trail
  • Radar Hill LoopWalking trail
Camping & holiday parks(2)
  • Burnside Hill - Dunethin Rock Scout CampsiteCampground
  • Dunethin Rock Scout Campsite & Water Activity CentreCampground
Other(3)
  • Maroochy River Canoe TrailInformation
  • Shelter
  • Waste Basket

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

Parks & reserves

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Dunethin Rock Bushland Reserve NetworkNature reserve
  • Dunethin Rock Recreation AreaPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
3.8%
Woodland / forest cover
3.6%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
1
Parks (OSM)
1
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

Nearest hospital
Nambour Selangor Private Hospital (7.7 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
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).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
61
Participants per 1,000 residents
33.7

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° / 21°
Rainfall
508 mm · ~64 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
25° / 17°
Rainfall
453 mm · ~57 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
21° / 11°
Rainfall
235 mm · ~29 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 16°
Rainfall
250 mm · ~31 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

1 heritage place

  • Dunethin RockState 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
Fairfax
Member of Parliament
Ted O'BRIEN (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
130,658
Turnout (2025)
89.7%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+5.7 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 53.2%Labor 46.8%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 7.9 km away).

Coalition 52.9%Labor 47.1%

0.3 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +6.1 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Bli Bli NorthLabor 44.4% · Coalition 55.6% TPP (2025)2.2 km away
  • Bli BliLabor 49.4% · Coalition 50.6% TPP (2025)4.4 km away
  • YandinaLabor 50.8% · Coalition 49.2% TPP (2025)6.8 km away
  • Pacific ParadiseLabor 49.2% · Coalition 50.8% TPP (2025)7.1 km away
  • Coolum BeachLabor 56.1% · Coalition 43.9% TPP (2025)7.3 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)
8/10
IRSD decile (2021)
9/10

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

Compare with

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

More in Sunshine Coast Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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