Varsity Lakes
QLDVarsity Lakes is a growing suburb in QLD with 16,493 residents.
- SAL code
- 32931
- SA2
- 309081262
- Population
- 16,493
- LGA
- Gold Coast
Varsity Lakes, QLD had 16,493 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 7.0% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 36. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,842 a month. Around 54.4% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 43.3%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 42.7% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 55 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
Varsity Lakes, QLD at a glance
Varsity Lakes is a master-planned lakeside suburb on the central Gold Coast, ~85 km south of Brisbane and ~7 km inland from Burleigh beach, in the City of Gold Coast. Built around the 80 ha Lake Orr and anchored by Bond University and Varsity College, it mixes 2000s-era detached housing with newer apartment stock along the lake and rail line. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council context they don't.
For homebuyers
Varsity Lakes is built for people who want walkable lakeside living without giving up Gold Coast access. Stock skews 3- and 4-bedroom houses on standard Delfin-era lots, with a growing apartment band along Varsity Parade and Lakeview Promenade. Lake Orr's 8 km perimeter path is the backbone of weekend life; cafes and groceries cluster at Varsity Central Shopping Centre. Burleigh Heads beach is a ~10 minute drive east via Christine Avenue, Robina Town Centre is ~5 minutes north, and Varsity Lakes train station puts Brisbane Central inside ~75 minutes by Airtrain. Varsity College — a P-12 state school of ~3,370 students with consistently strong NAPLAN results — is the dominant catchment and one of the main drivers of family demand. Bond University adds a steady undergraduate and academic-staff renter pool. In short: a structured, lake-and-lifestyle suburb with a top state school and a usable train line into Brisbane.
For investors
Varsity Lakes is a premium-priced Gold Coast market with strong growth and tight rentals. Median house sale $1,250,500 against $950/week rent gives a ~4.11% gross yield; units sit at $830,000 / $800/week for ~4.86% (Your Investment Property May 2026, CoreLogic). 12-month house growth +13.68%, units +9.21%; quarterly +8.74% houses, +1.84% units. 206 house sales and 196 unit sales over the year — unusually deep stratified stock for the corridor. Days-on-market 14 for both segments; vacancy ~0.45%.
Strengths
- Strong recent capital growth (+13.68% YoY houses, +9.21% units per Your Investment Property May 2026).
- Genuine two-tier stock — 196 unit sales in 12 months gives investors a stratified entry point that most Gold Coast suburbs don't offer.
- Tight rental market: ~0.45% vacancy and 14 days-on-market across both segments.
- Bond University + Varsity College anchor a durable mix of student, staff, and family tenant demand.
Trade-offs
- Entry price is high — $1.25m median house puts the suburb at the upper end of the central Gold Coast and limits buyer depth if rates move.
- Yields are moderate (~4.1% houses, ~4.9% units) — capital-growth play, not a cashflow one.
- Light Rail Stage 4 (Burleigh-Coolangatta) was paused in September 2025 by the Queensland Government — no rail-uplift catalyst into the southern corridor pre-2032.
- Quarterly unit growth has cooled to +1.84% while houses ran +8.74% — the apartment band is digesting recent stock.
What's coming
The $1.5 billion Pacific Motorway Varsity Lakes to Tugun (VL2T) M1 upgrade is now complete, easing the southern Gold Coast bottleneck. The City of Gold Coast 2025/26 program continues local park, path, and drainage works across the central corridor, and the Varsity Lakes Community Resource Centre received $240,000 in the state 2025-26 budget. With Light Rail Stage 4 shelved, the next decade of transport uplift is bus-based plus the existing heavy-rail line.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a lakeside, school-anchored suburb with the M1 and Burleigh on the doorstep. For investors: a premium-priced growth play with deep stratified stock and very low vacancy — not a high-yield one.
Population
?16,493
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+7.0%
3yr: +6.4% · 10yr: +17.2%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,646/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
36
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?6/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?3.2%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
2
1 primary, 2 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?6
5 long day, 2 OSHC
Parks & green space
?55
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?60
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 — Varsity Lakes (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Varsity Lakes suburb alone is ~16,493 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 6,969 to 18,207 over 24 years, averaging 4.1% per year.
Schools
1 in suburbSector
1 public
Type
1 K-12
Total enrolment
3,279
Avg per school
3,279
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 3.6%Mostly detached houses (42.7%), mixed tenure (54.4% own or mortgage), built for families (46% are 3 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
13 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL | MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIALResidential | 23.9% | 1.41 km² |
| UNZONED | UNZONEDOther | 14.9% | 0.88 km² |
| LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL | LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIALResidential | 14.1% | 0.83 km² |
| OPEN SPACE | OPEN SPACEparks | 12.1% | 0.72 km² |
| SPECIAL PURPOSE | SPECIAL PURPOSESpecial use | 3.7% | 0.22 km² |
| CENTRE | CENTREBusiness | 3.6% | 0.21 km² |
| LOW IMPACT INDUSTRY | LOW IMPACT INDUSTRYIndustrial | 3.0% | 0.18 km² |
| COMMUNITY FACILITIES | COMMUNITY FACILITIESSpecial use | 1.1% | 0.07 km² |
| MIXED USE, BERMUDA POINT PRECINCT | MIXED USE, BERMUDA POINT PRECINCTmixed-use | 1.1% | 0.06 km² |
| NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE | NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTREBusiness | 0.6% | 0.04 km² |
| MIXED USE | MIXED USEmixed-use | 0.6% | 0.03 km² |
| SPORT AND RECREATION | SPORT AND RECREATIONRecreation | 0.2% | 0.01 km² |
| MIXED USE, FRINGE BUSINESS PRECINCT | MIXED USE, FRINGE BUSINESS PRECINCTmixed-use | 0.1% | 7,268 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.