Pacific Pines
QLDPacific Pines is a stable suburb in QLD with 16,664 residents.
- SAL code
- 32248
- SA2
- 309061249
- Population
- 16,664
- LGA
- Gold Coast
Pacific Pines, QLD had 16,664 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 1.0% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 5-14 years, and the median age sits at 34. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,980 a month. Around 66.3% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 49.3%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 76.0% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 76 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Pacific Pines, QLD at a glance
Pacific Pines is a master-planned northern Gold Coast suburb in the City of Gold Coast, ~12 km inland from Surfers Paradise and bounded by bushland on the western edge. Most homes were built between the late 1990s and mid-2010s on standard lots, with the suburb only formally gazetted in 2003. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market and council pipeline context.
For homebuyers
Pacific Pines reads as a settled commuter suburb with a strong family skew — predominantly 4-bedroom brick-and-tile houses on master-planned streets, with the Pacific Pines Town Centre (Woolworths-anchored) servicing day-to-day shops. Both Pacific Pines State School and Pacific Pines State High sit inside the suburb (the high school's ICSEA is around the national median), and Jubilee Primary is close by. Westfield Helensvale is a ~10-minute drive for full-line shopping, cinema and the Helensvale heavy-rail and G:link light-rail interchange. The M1 is ~5 minutes east; Surfers Paradise ~20 minutes; Coomera Connector Stage 1 North opened on 2 December 2025 between Coomera and Helensvale Road, taking pressure off the M1 squeeze through Helensvale. Bushland buffers the western edge, so weekend walking and mountain-biking trails are at the door. In short: a practical, school-anchored Gold Coast suburb that trades beach proximity for newer homes, quieter streets and an easier M1 run.
For investors
Tight, growth-led market with thin unit stock. Median house sale $1,166,500 against $870/week rent → 4.39% gross yield; units $785,000 / $730 rent → 5.13% (Your Investment Property, May 2026). 12-month house growth +18.43%, quarterly +7.14% — units +13.77% / +6.08%. Days-on-market just 15 (houses) and 8 (units); 194 house and 59 unit sales in 12 months. Vacancy ~0.9% (htag.com.au, Feb 2026).
Strengths
- Strong recent capital growth (+18.43% YoY houses; +13.77% units, YIP May 2026).
- Very tight rental market — vacancy ~0.9% and 8-15 days on market signal strong leasing velocity.
- Coomera Connector Stage 1 North (opened Dec 2025) materially shortens northern commutes and lifts catchment access.
- Reasonable unit yield (~5.13%) gives a lower-entry option in an otherwise house-dominated suburb.
Trade-offs
- House yields are moderate (~4.4%) on a $1.17M median — heavy capital outlay for cashflow buyers.
- Thin unit market (only 59 sales in 12 months) limits scalability and exit liquidity for strata strategies.
- After +18% YoY house growth, the price runway from current levels is harder to underwrite than corridors earlier in their cycle.
- No train station inside the suburb — Helensvale rail is ~3.4 km away, so transit-oriented tenants will look elsewhere.
What's coming
City of Gold Coast's 2025-26 Annual Plan commits a record $543 million to transport and infrastructure across the LGA. The state-funded Coomera Connector Stage 1 Central (Helensvale Rd to Smith St Motorway, Parkwood) is under construction with progressive openings through 2027, completing the Coomera–Nerang bypass that already touches Pacific Pines' eastern boundary.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a school-anchored, master-planned Gold Coast suburb with a meaningfully easier commute since the Coomera Connector opened. For investors: a tight, growth-led house market — strong recent appreciation, moderate yield, thin stock to buy into.
Population
?16,664
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+1.0%
3yr: +2.5% · 10yr: +2.3%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,090/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
34
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?6/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?3.3%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
4
3 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?8
5 long day, 2 OSHC
Parks & green space
?76
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?61
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?859
Gold Coast · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on rental bond lodgements recorded by the state government.
Median House Sale Price
state Valuer-General sale price data not yet loaded for QLD
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from QLD police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Pacific Pines - Gaven (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Pacific Pines suburb alone is ~16,664 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 5,137 to 19,143 over 24 years, averaging 5.6% per year.
Schools
4 in suburbSector
3 public · 1 private
Type
3 primary · 1 secondary
Total enrolment
3,659(3 of 4 reporting)
Avg per school
1,220
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for QLD.
Source when available: QLD Department of Education — QSpatial State School Catchment Areas.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 0.5%Almost entirely detached houses (76%), mixed tenure (66.3% own or mortgage), built for families (56% are 4 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
QLD 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: QLD QRA Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
Source: QLD Local Government Flood Planning Areas
As of May 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
10 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL | MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIALResidential | 39.7% | 3.66 km² |
| OPEN SPACE | OPEN SPACEparks | 20.8% | 1.91 km² |
| RURAL | RURALRural | 6.3% | 0.58 km² |
| RURAL, RURAL LANDSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENT PRECINCT | RURAL, RURAL LANDSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENT PRECINCTRural | 5.5% | 0.50 km² |
| COMMUNITY FACILITIES | COMMUNITY FACILITIESSpecial use | 3.1% | 0.28 km² |
| CONSERVATION | CONSERVATIONEnvironmental | 1.2% | 0.11 km² |
| RURAL RESIDENTIAL | RURAL RESIDENTIALRural | 1.0% | 0.09 km² |
| NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE | NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTREBusiness | 0.6% | 0.05 km² |
| MIXED USE, FRINGE BUSINESS PRECINCT | MIXED USE, FRINGE BUSINESS PRECINCTmixed-use | 0.2% | 0.02 km² |
| SPECIAL PURPOSE | SPECIAL PURPOSESpecial use | 0.1% | 0.01 km² |
Source: QLD DSDILGP Local Government Planning Scheme Zones (ZONE_QLD/2026-05-12/be11464ce5af1cd4) · As of May 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.