Palm Beach (Qld)
QLDPalm Beach (Qld) is a growing suburb in QLD with 16,349 residents.
- SAL code
- 32257
- SA2
- 309021234
- Population
- 16,349
- LGA
- Gold Coast
Palm Beach (Qld), QLD had 16,349 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 14.3% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 39. Households are most often couples without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,093 a month. Around 60.6% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 37.0%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 41.3% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 87 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
Palm Beach (Qld), QLD at a glance
Palm Beach is a coastal southern Gold Coast suburb in the City of Gold Coast LGA, bordered by Tallebudgera Creek to the north and Currumbin Creek to the south, with the Pacific Highway and Gold Coast Highway running through it. Originally a low-rise post-war beach village, it has been steadily reshaped by mid-rise apartment redevelopment over the past decade. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Palm Beach reads as a coastal village that has graduated into a dining + lifestyle precinct. The eastern strip is beach-adjacent — most homes sit within a short walk of the sand, and Queensland's awarded one of its cleanest beaches three times. The Saturday farmers market, Tallebudgera and Currumbin creek mouths, and a dense ribbon of cafes + restaurants along Jefferson Lane and the Gold Coast Highway anchor weekend life. Stock is a mix of original 1960s-70s beach houses (many on canal frontage), mid-rise apartments, and newer townhouse infill. The catchment school is Palm Beach Currumbin State High (~2,600 students); Palm Beach State School covers primary. Coolangatta Airport is ~15 min south; Burleigh Heads ~5 min north; Pacific Fair / Robina ~20 min by car. In short: a beach-village lifestyle with cafe + creek culture, well-positioned between Burleigh and the airport — but priced like premium southern Gold Coast.
For investors
Palm Beach is a premium coastal market — strong rents, tight vacancy, modest yields. Median house ~$1.78M with $1,100/week rent gives ~3.45% gross yield; units median ~$1.19M at $800/week ~3.98% (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month house growth ~+10% with units running hotter at ~+18-28%. Vacancy ~0.9% (SQM Research, well below the 3.0% REIA balance). 216 house + 266 unit sales over 12 months; days-on-market 28 (houses) / 23 (units).
Strengths
- Tight vacancy ~0.9% (SQM Research 2026) — well below the REIA 3% balanced market.
- Deep transaction market — ~482 combined house + unit sales in 12 months supports easy entry/exit.
- Unit segment running double-digit growth (~+18-28% YoY per Allhomes / propertyvalue.com.au) as mid-rise redevelopment continues.
- Beach-adjacent + dining-precinct positioning supports rental demand from short-stay-adjacent and lifestyle tenants.
Trade-offs
- Modest gross yield — ~3.45% (houses) and ~3.98% (units) per Your Investment Property May 2026; not a cashflow play at current entry prices.
- House entry above $1.7M raises the capital outlay bar and concentrates exposure to one premium-market cycle.
- Light Rail Stage 4 (Burleigh to Coolangatta via Palm Beach) was cancelled by the Queensland Government in September 2025 — a long-running infrastructure tailwind has been removed.
What's coming
City of Gold Coast's 2025-26 Annual Plan commits a record $543M to transport and infrastructure citywide under the 'Protecting our lifestyle, investing in the future' theme. The Palm Beach Aquatic Centre is being rebuilt as a regional facility ($50.1M program, originally locked in 2023-24). With Light Rail Stage 4 shelved, near-term mobility upgrades will rely on bus + Gold Coast Highway works rather than rail.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a premium beach-village lifestyle with mature dining and creek culture, priced accordingly. For investors: a tight, deep market with strong unit growth — but yields are modest and the rail tailwind is gone.
Population
?16,349
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+14.3%
3yr: +11.1% · 10yr: +23.7%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,721/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
39
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?7/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?2.8%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
2
1 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?4
2 long day, 2 OSHC
Parks & green space
?87
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?46
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?859
Gold Coast · Feb 2026
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 — Palm Beach (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Palm Beach (Qld) suburb alone is ~16,349 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 13,024 to 18,678 over 24 years, averaging 1.5% per year.
Schools
2 in suburbSector
2 public
Type
1 primary · 1 secondary
Total enrolment
3,063
Avg per school
1,532
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 3.1%Mostly detached houses (41.3%), mixed tenure (60.6% own or mortgage).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL | LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIALResidential | 22.7% | 1.44 km² |
| MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL | MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIALResidential | 19.1% | 1.21 km² |
| OPEN SPACE | OPEN SPACEparks | 10.8% | 0.68 km² |
| CONSERVATION | CONSERVATIONEnvironmental | 3.7% | 0.24 km² |
| COMMUNITY FACILITIES | COMMUNITY FACILITIESSpecial use | 2.4% | 0.15 km² |
| CENTRE | CENTREBusiness | 0.8% | 0.05 km² |
| SPORT AND RECREATION | SPORT AND RECREATIONRecreation | 0.2% | 0.01 km² |
| UNZONED | UNZONEDOther | 0.2% | 0.01 km² |
| NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE | NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTREBusiness | 0.2% | 0.01 km² |
| SPECIAL PURPOSE | SPECIAL PURPOSESpecial use | 0.1% | 7,843 m² |
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.