suburb.guide

QLD · Gold Coast Council

Molendinar, 4214

Est. population · Jun 2025

6,520

Growth (1 yr)

+0.2%

Growth (5 yr)

+1.1%

Median age

37

Median income

$1,767/wk

Employment rate

60.4%

University qualified

22.2%

Work from home

9.6%

Languages at home

26.1%non-English

Most common: Mandarin, Korean, Cantonese

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

50.3/100
Average

Top 24% of Queensland's suburbs

Verified 91% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Outer suburban
What Molendinar is known for: Outer suburban

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Molendinar, QLD suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Molendinar, QLD Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/qld/molendinar

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Suburb profile

Molendinar is an outer metropolitan suburb of Brisbane, in Gold Coast Council. It is primarily residential, without a particularly distinct commercial centre or landmark identity.

Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group, placing it among the highest-ranked outer metropolitan suburbs, and open-space access is better than in most comparable places, with park access 62% above the peer median. Green cover is an exceptional strength, and university qualifications are more common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 32% above the peer median. The main trade-offs are weaker population growth and higher rents, with population growth 88% below the peer median.

Molendinar'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

  • Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group
  • Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
  • Open-space access is better than in most comparable places
  • University qualifications are more common than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Population growth is a relative weakness
  • Rents run above those in comparable places

What stands out

  • Overseas-born and multilingual community

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Molendinar compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$900/wk

Population (ERP)

6,520

+0.2% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

3.3%

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

#125

among Metro Brisbane · Established

Crime rate

44th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

24th

percentile in QLD

Rented dwellings

36%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

6/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

80th

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
50.3/100 — Average
State standing
Top 24% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
1939th in Australia
State rank
356th in QLD
Peer rank
#125 among Metro Brisbane · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#209 among Metro Brisbane suburbs
Data confidence
91%

Data sources & freshness

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

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$900

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

6,520(June 2025)

+0.2% annual · +1.1% over 5 years · 24th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.2%
5-year growth
+1.1%
Change in 1 year
+14
Change in 5 years
+72
Growth rank in QLD
24th 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 (~6,600), extrapolated at +0.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
6,450
Median age
37
Median household income / week
$1,767
Dwelling vacancy
3.3%
Unoccupied private dwellings
70 of 2,149
Median monthly mortgage
$1,850
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$450
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
23.1% / 41.4% / 35.5%
Employment rate
60.4%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
9.6% / 1.3% / 73.6%
Walked or cycled to work
1.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,753 / 320 / 9

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

22.2% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Queensland. 18.2% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified22.2% · 21.9% QLD
  • Diploma qualified10.3% · 9.4% QLD
  • Trade / vocational18.2% · 18.9% QLD
  • Year 12 or below49.2% · 49.8% QLD

Highest qualification field

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

  • Management and commerce22.5%
  • Society and culture14.5%
  • Engineering and related technologies13.7%
  • Health13.4%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services9.7%
  • Education7.7%
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)
$53,388

41st percentile in QLD · -9% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$59,092

42nd percentile in QLD · -9% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
11.0%

45th percentile in QLD · -20% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$48,460

18th percentile in QLD · -23% vs Australia

Residents with business income
12.0%

63rd percentile in QLD · +15% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 4214 — 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
25,998
Taxpayers reporting net rent
2,962
Median net rent
$282
Taxpayers reporting business income
3,149
Taxable income vs state median
-4%
Salary / wages vs state median
-3%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
-30%
Business income vs state median
+20%

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

26.1% speak a language other than English at home; 37% born overseas

Language at home
4,492 English only · 1,588 other
Non-English at home
26.1%
Born overseas
2,250 (37%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
172 (2.7%)
Australian citizens
5,063
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
34

Top languages other than English

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

  • Mandarin187 · 27.3%
  • Korean74 · 10.8%
  • Cantonese56 · 8.2%
  • Japanese47 · 6.9%
  • Malayalam41 · 6%
  • Tagalog21 · 3.1%
  • Croatian20 · 2.9%
  • Hindi18 · 2.6%

Religion

43.2%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 43.2%, while 42% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion42%40.7%
Christianity43.2%45.7%
Buddhism2.4%1.4%
Other / not stated12.4%12.1%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic20.1%18.6%
Anglican8.8%11.3%
Christian (not further defined)4%3.1%
Uniting Church2.5%3.6%

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 4214, 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)
325
Against the person
42
Against property
185
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
66.6
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 154 residents
State crime-rate percentile
44.4th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+3%

Most common offence types

  • Assault21
  • Drug Offences51
  • Other Property Damage20
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)120
  • 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
1,086
Median ICSEA percentile
80th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
3
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
4
School list
  • Trinity Lutheran CollegeCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1086 · 80th percentile · LBOTE 20% · 1,322 students · Top SEA quarter 30% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Arundel SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Ashmore SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Coombabah SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Keebra Park SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Nerang SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Nerang SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Pacific Pines SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_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

22 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Olsen Ave at Crestwood Plaza
  • Southport Nerang Rd at Ashmore Road
  • Southport Nerang Rd at BP Central Park
  • Southport Nerang Rd at Central Park Plaza
  • Southport Nerang Rd at Parkridge Drive

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

79 mapped amenities

2 fast food · 3 playgrounds · 12 swimming pools · 1 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily needs
  • Great for outdoor family life — 21 parks mapped in suburb, 3 playgrounds nearby
  • Well connected by public transport — 22 public transport stops
  • Strong local sport and recreation — 16 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
34/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.31
Parks per 1,000 residents
3.26
Food & drink(2)
  • Country Fried ChickenFast food
  • McDonald'sFast food
Shopping(2)
  • 7-ElevenConvenience store
  • Bunnings WarehouseHardware store

    500 Olsen Avenue

Everyday services(1)
  • 7-ElevenPetrol station

    579 Ashmore Road, Molendinar

Community(1)
  • Trinity Lutheran CollegeSchool

    641 Ashmore Road, Molendinar

Sport & outdoors(35)
  • Silver Bridle Neighbourhood GardenNature reserve
  • Activity Crescent ReservePark
  • Batchworth Road DrainPark
  • Cathedral ParkPark
  • Ernest Junction ReservePark
  • Geoff Walter Drive ReservePark
  • Kingsway ReservePark
  • Lynne Richardson Community CentrePark
  • Panache ParkPark
  • Park (8)
  • Silver Bridle ParkPark
  • Playground (3)
  • Public toilets
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool (12)
Transport(18)

18 bus stops

Other(12)
  • Apartment
  • Bench
  • A.O.LimoCar Rental
  • Austyre N AutomotiveCar repair

    447 Southport Nerang Road, Molendinar

  • BumperTech Gold CoastCar repair

    Unit 5

  • Coastwide Service CentreCar repair

    Unit Unit 4 8 Reichert Drive, Molendinar

  • SoftwashCar wash
  • RIGDUP AUSTRALIACaravan

    27 Export Drive

  • Ashmore Garden WorldGarden Centre

    Ashmore Road

  • Parking (9)
  • Molendinar Recycling CentreRecycling
  • Weighbridge

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

14 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Activity Crescent ReservePark
  • Batchworth Road DrainPark
  • Cathedral ParkPark
  • Ernest Junction ReservePark
  • Geoff Walter Drive ReservePark
  • Kingsway ReservePark
  • Lynne Richardson Community CentrePark
  • Panache ParkPark
  • Silver Bridle Neighbourhood GardenNature reserve
  • Silver Bridle ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
19.1%
Woodland / forest cover
12.8%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
35
Parks (OSM)
21
Typical summer maximum
28°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 (2.7 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).

  • Gold Coast Physio & Sports HealthPhysiotherapist

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
205
Participants per 1,000 residents
31.4

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
28° / 18°
Rainfall
493 mm · ~62 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
25° / 14°
Rainfall
343 mm · ~43 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
20° / 7°
Rainfall
144 mm · ~18 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 12°
Rainfall
249 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

  • Ernest Junction Railway TunnelState 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 4.1 km away).

Coalition 51.4%Labor 48.6%

7.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +3.5 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • MolendinarLabor 48.5% · Coalition 51.5% TPP (2025)1.2 km away
  • Southport WestLabor 51.3% · Coalition 48.7% TPP (2025)1.6 km away
  • Keebra ParkLabor 49.6% · Coalition 50.4% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
  • AshmoreLabor 42.7% · Coalition 57.3% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
  • Nerang EastLabor 40.3% · Coalition 59.7% TPP (2025)3.1 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)
6/10
IRSD decile (2021)
4/10

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 Gold Coast Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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