Southport (Qld)
QLDSouthport (Qld) is a growing suburb in QLD with 36,786 residents.
- SAL code
- 32611
- SA2
- 309091540
- Population
- 36,786
- LGA
- Gold Coast
Southport (Qld), QLD had 36,786 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 13.7% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 37. Households are most often couples without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,647 a month. Around 38.3% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 57.9%. Most dwellings are flats or apartments, making up 54.9% 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
Southport (Qld), QLD at a glance
Southport is the Gold Coast's central business district, sitting on the Broadwater ~70 km south of Brisbane in the City of Gold Coast LGA. The mix is dense and layered: highrise apartments along the Nerang River and Scarborough Street, older detached houses on the western fringe, and a CBD core under active vertical redevelopment. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Southport is unusually mixed for a suburb of its size. The CBD core carries highrise apartments, retail and offices around Australia Fair shopping centre and Nerang Street; the western and northern edges hold older houses, villas and small unit blocks on quieter streets. The Broadwater Parklands gives a sheltered foreshore precinct with playgrounds, swimming enclosures and a 2-minute drive to the patrolled surf at Main Beach. The G:link light rail runs through with four Southport stops linking Gold Coast University Hospital, Griffith University and Broadbeach in around 25 minutes; the Pacific Motorway is 5 minutes west. The Southport School (TSS) and St Hilda's are both based here and are among the Gold Coast's oldest private schools. In short: a CBD-plus-coast suburb with genuine walkability and rail access, where what you buy depends heavily on which pocket you choose.
For investors
Southport reads as a unit-led yield + growth market with a deep CBD-style transaction pool. Median house $1,121,000 against $828/week rent gives a 3.90% gross yield; units sit at $730,000 median and $710/week for a 4.94% yield (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month growth was +14.39% on houses and +8.96% on units; quarterly +1.91% and +3.99%. Sales volume is heavy: 349 houses and 682 units in 12 months. Days-on-market 26 (houses) and 23 (units).
Strengths
- Strong recent house growth (~+14.4% YoY, Your Investment Property May 2026) supported by CBD redevelopment.
- Deep, liquid market — ~1,031 combined house + unit sales over 12 months means easy entry and exit (htag.com.au May 2026).
- Unit yields ~4.9% with median $730K (May 2026) — competitive cashflow profile for a coastal CBD.
- G:link light rail + Gold Coast University Hospital + two large shopping centres in-suburb anchor long-run tenant demand.
Trade-offs
- House yields under 4% (3.90%, May 2026) — capital-growth play, not a cashflow one.
- Heavy unit pipeline: One Park Lane (101 + 60 storey towers, 197 apartments) and other CBD highrises in approval stage could compress unit yields if delivered together (The Urban Developer 2025).
- Mixed character — buyers trading houses west of the rail vs apartments in the CBD core are essentially buying two different markets, with different growth and tenant dynamics.
- Days-on-market sit above 3 weeks for both segments, longer than tighter Gold Coast pockets.
What's coming
The Southport Priority Development Area continues to drive vertical CBD growth: One Park Lane's 101-storey + 60-storey tower pair is approved with site works slated for early 2026, and a 32-storey CBD tower plus a 19-storey Welch Street highrise have also cleared approval. The City of Gold Coast's Nerang Street revitalisation upgrades the CBD spine. A proposed 12,000-seat Gold Coast Arena at Carey Park sits in the longer-term pipeline (City of Gold Coast).
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a layered CBD-plus-coast suburb where the pocket you pick matters as much as the postcode. For investors: a liquid growth + moderate-yield play, with unit pipeline risk to keep an eye on.
Population
?36,786
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+13.7%
3yr: +8.3% · 10yr: +37.3%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,268/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
37
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?2/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?6.0%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
9
4 primary, 6 secondary
Hospitals
?1
Within suburb
Childcare services
?19
18 long day, 5 OSHC
Parks & green space
?76
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?111
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 — Southport - North (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Southport (Qld) suburb alone is ~36,786 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 8,681 to 20,260 over 24 years, averaging 3.6% per year.
Schools
12 in suburbSector
6 public · 6 private
Type
3 primary · 6 secondary · 2 K-12 · 1 special
Total enrolment
4,463(6 of 12 reporting)
Avg per school
744
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 4.8%Predominantly apartments (54.9%), rental-heavy (57.9% renting), built for families (42% are 2 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
16 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL | LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIALResidential | 15.8% | 2.27 km² |
| MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL | MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIALResidential | 12.8% | 1.84 km² |
| COMMUNITY FACILITIES | COMMUNITY FACILITIESSpecial use | 12.3% | 1.77 km² |
| SPECIAL PURPOSE, SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS PRECINCT | SPECIAL PURPOSE, SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS PRECINCTSpecial use | 11.9% | 1.71 km² |
| OPEN SPACE | OPEN SPACEparks | 9.3% | 1.33 km² |
| SPORT AND RECREATION | SPORT AND RECREATIONRecreation | 4.3% | 0.62 km² |
| LOW IMPACT INDUSTRY | LOW IMPACT INDUSTRYIndustrial | 3.9% | 0.56 km² |
| INNOVATION | INNOVATIONOther | 3.2% | 0.46 km² |
| MIXED USE, FRINGE BUSINESS PRECINCT | MIXED USE, FRINGE BUSINESS PRECINCTmixed-use | 1.4% | 0.21 km² |
| LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL, LARGE LOT PRECINCT | LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL, LARGE LOT PRECINCTResidential | 1.0% | 0.14 km² |
| UNZONED | UNZONEDOther | 0.7% | 0.10 km² |
| SPECIAL PURPOSE | SPECIAL PURPOSESpecial use | 0.7% | 0.10 km² |
| CENTRE | CENTREBusiness | 0.5% | 0.07 km² |
| CONSERVATION | CONSERVATIONEnvironmental | 0.4% | 0.05 km² |
| MIXED USE | MIXED USEmixed-use | 0.3% | 0.04 km² |
| NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE | NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTREBusiness | 0.2% | 0.03 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.