QLD · Gold Coast Council
Varsity Lakes, QLD, 4227
Desirability index
#73 among Metro Brisbane suburbs
Suburb snapshot
Varsity Lakes is a mid-sized suburb in the Gold Coast area, home to around 16,493 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 495 offences in Jan 2026 to Dec 2026 with falling year-on-year trends (-47%), roughly 30.0 offences per 1,000 residents, median weekly rent around $800, 1 school and preschool site in the area, strong public transport coverage with many Translink stops, and a higher concentration of local shops, services, and recreation amenities. Snapshot data also shows parks or public open space within the suburb and hospitals or GP clinics within the suburb.
Population
- Population
- 16,493
- Median age
- 36
- Median household income / week
- $1,646
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 315 of 6,524
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,842
- Employment rate
- 63.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 518 / 2,057 / 1,496
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- All types (Mar 2026)
- $800
Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Data sources & freshness
- RTA bond statistics — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland) · Period: Mar 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Dec 2026)
- 495
- Against the person
- 62
- Against property
- 302
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 30
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 266 residents
- State safety percentile
- 3.5th (lower crime is better)
- Year-on-year change
- -46.9%
Most common offence types
- Assault32
- Drug Offences71
- Other Property Damage45
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)166
- Unlawful Entry48
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Period: Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Dec 2026; Jan 2026 to Dec 2026 · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,065
- Varsity CollegeCombined
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
44 public transport stops in this suburb
- Bermuda St at Lake Orr
- Christine Ave at Silvabank Drive
- Christine Ave at Silvabank Drive
- Christine Ave at Varsity College
- Varsity Lakes station, stop A
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Amenities
179 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- First Choice LiquorAlcohol
- Brumby's BakeriesBakery
- Bendigo BankBank
- Bbq (9)
- SkinovationsBeauty salon
- Waxing XpressBeauty salon
- Bench (18)
- Bicycle Parking (7)
- Christine Ave at Bermuda StreetBus stop
- Christine Ave at Pennsylvania AvenueBus stop
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
36 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Azzura Drive ParkPark
- Bayswater ReservePark
- Frascott ParkPark
- Janette Green ParkPark
- Jim Harris ParkPark
- Lake Orr Catchment ReservePark
- Lake Orr Foreshore ParkPark
- Lake Orr ParklandsPark
- Lake Orr ReservePark
- Lantau Crescent ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 13
- Emergency department
- On site
- Allied Connectphysiotherapist
- Atlas Chiropracticalternative
- Chemist Warehousepharmacy
- Chiro + Co.alternative
- Chistine Cnr Medical Centreclinic
- Christine Avenue Medical Centreclinic
- Gold Coast Medical Precinct - Varsity Lakesclinic
- Optimal Health Chiropracticclinic
- QML Varsity Lakeslaboratory
- TerryWhite Chemmartpharmacy
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 7/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 5/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Childcare
2 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Goodstart Early LearningSilvabank Drivechildcare
- Harmony Early EducationScottsdale Drivekindergarten
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping.
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 55
- Parks (OSM)
- 53
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability index
- Desirability score
- 89.0/100
- Cohort rank
- #73 among Metro Brisbane suburbs
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Goodstart Early LearningchildcareSilvabank Drivechildcare
- Harmony Early EducationchildcareScottsdale Drivekindergarten
- Allied Connecthealthphysiotherapist
- Atlas Chiropractichealthalternative
- Chemist Warehousehealthpharmacy
- Chiro + Co.healthalternative
- Chistine Cnr Medical Centrehealthclinic
- Christine Avenue Medical Centrehealthclinic
- Gold Coast Medical Precinct - Varsity Lakeshealthclinic
- Optimal Health Chiropractichealthclinic
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Updated on site
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