Palm Beach, QLD: suburb profile

The population of Palm Beach QLD is 16,349 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Palm Beach is $873 per week ($45,396 per year). Median rent in Palm Beach is $445 per week ($1,928 per month). Palm Beach has a median age of 39 years, older than the national median of 38. Palm Beach has a population density of 2,582 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Palm Beach is New Zealand. The most common religion is No religion (47.1% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Portuguese. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Palm Beach is $2,093.

There were 4,778 recorded offences in Palm Beach in 2025-26, a rate of 292 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (1,719 offences).

Population
16,349
Census 2021
Median income
$873/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$445/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
39years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Queensland Police Service (data.qld.gov.au), 2025-26.

Palm Beach vs the typical QLD suburb

The median personal income in Palm Beach is $873 a week, 17% above the typical QLD suburb ($747). That ranks 397th of 1,527 QLD suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $445 a week, $125 more than the typical QLD suburb. Rent takes 25.9% of the median household income here, against 20.4% in the typical QLD suburb. The median resident is 39, 3 years younger than in the typical QLD suburb (42).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasurePalm BeachTypical QLDDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$873/wk$747/wk +17%$766/wk
Household income$1,721/wk$1,593/wk +8%$1,637/wk
Rent$445/wk$320/wk +39%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,093/mo$1,625/mo +29%$1,733/mo
Median age3942 −3 yrs42
Rent share of household income25.9%20.4% +5.4 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Palm Beach, the typical QLD suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Palm Beach Population

16,349 residents at the 2021 Census.

Palm Beach Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$873/wk
$45,396 per year
Ranked 2,461 of 14,663
Median Rent
$445/wk
$1,928 per month
Ranked 1,221 of 14,663
Median Age
39years
1 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,093/mo
Avg household size: 2.3 · 0.9 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Palm Beach Rent Prices & Affordability

26% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: moderate.

Household income $1,721/wk
Median rent $445/wk
Rent to income 25.9%

Rent is between 25% and 35% of household income: moderate housing costs.

Median rent in Palm Beach against your income

About $7,458 a month
Median rent $445/wk
Left after rent $1,276/wk
Rent share 25.9%

Palm Beach Schools

7
schools nearby
6
government
1048
avg ICSEA score
8,565
total students
St Andrews Lutheran College Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,377 students
1104
ICSEA
Elanora State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 924 students
1061
ICSEA
Palm Beach State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 894 students
1059
ICSEA
Burleigh Heads State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 458 students
1048
ICSEA
Elanora State High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 949 students
1023
ICSEA
Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 2,819 students
1022
ICSEA
Currumbin State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 1,144 students
1017
ICSEA

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Palm Beach, with a map

Palm Beach Map

Palm Beach, Queensland Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Palm Beach, Queensland: 28.1155°S, 153.4631°E

Palm Beach Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (7)

People in Palm Beach

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 47.6% (7,783) Female 52.4% (8,570)

Population Density

2,582
people per km²
16,349 people · 6.3 km²

Households

2.3
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$2,219
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

New Zealand
4.3%
England
3.8%
Brazil
1.3%
South Africa
0.8%
United States of America
0.6%
Canada
0.4%
Scotland
0.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Portuguese
1.3%
Japanese
0.6%
Spanish
0.5%
French
0.4%
German
0.3%
Italian
0.2%
Polish
0.2%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
44.2%
Australian
35.0%
Irish
13.6%
Scottish
12.4%
German
5.5%
Italian
4.0%
Australian Aboriginal
2.4%
Dutch
1.8%
New Zealander
1.4%
Polish
0.9%
French
0.9%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
47.1%
Catholic
19.6%
Anglican
12.0%
Not stated
7.0%
Uniting Church
3.1%
Christian (other)
2.2%
Presbyterian and Reformed
1.6%
Baptist
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

2.5%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
39.6% 5,437
Separated
3.3% 459
Divorced
11.8% 1,621
Widowed
4.6% 627
Never married
40.7% 5,599

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
40.0%
Couple: no children
31.8%
Couple: no children under 15
13.9%
One parent: no children under 15
7.5%
One parent: children under 15
6.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
29.8%
2 persons
36.5%
3 persons
14.9%
4 persons
12.9%
5 persons
4.4%
6+ persons
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Palm Beach

Housing Tenure

Of the 6,644 occupied private dwellings in Palm Beach at the 2021 Census, 37.0% were rented, 28.5% owned outright and 32.1% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.1% 74 dwellings
Owned outright
28.5% 1,894 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
32.1% 2,132 dwellings
Rented
37.0% 2,456 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.3% 88 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
67.5%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
20.9%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
11.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
7.0%
2 bedrooms
37.3%
3 bedrooms
33.9%
4 bedrooms
17.0%
5 bedrooms
3.8%
6+ bedrooms
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
4.6%
$300-$449/mo
1.7%
$450-$599/mo
1.3%
$600-$799/mo
2.5%
$800-$999/mo
3.6%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
13.0%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
16.7%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
25.5%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
14.0%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
17.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
5.7%
1 vehicle
37.6%
2 vehicles
39.7%
3 vehicles
11.5%
4+ vehicles
5.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Palm Beach

Employment

Employed full-time
38.8% 4,689 people
Employed part-time
25.6% 3,088 people
Unemployed
3.2% 382 people
Not in labour force
32.4% 3,914 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
32.5%
Technicians & Trade Workers
16.1%
Managers
15.4%
Community & Personal Service
12.7%
Clerical & Administrative
9.9%
Sales Workers
6.3%
Labourers
4.7%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.8%
$1-$149/wk
0.6%
$150-$299/wk
1.0%
$300-$399/wk
3.0%
$400-$499/wk
6.1%
$500-$649/wk
5.3%
$650-$799/wk
5.7%
$800-$999/wk
6.6%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.6%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.4%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.2%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.9%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
6.4%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.2%
$4,000+/wk
13.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
7.1%
$1-$149/wk
4.2%
$150-$299/wk
4.5%
$300-$399/wk
3.8%
$400-$499/wk
3.8%
$500-$649/wk
3.9%
$650-$799/wk
9.7%
$800-$999/wk
11.0%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
11.7%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.4%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.3%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.0%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
9.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
2.4%
$3,500+/wk
4.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
75.6%
Did not go to work
13.5%
Car (passenger)
3.5%
Walked only
2.1%
Bicycle
1.5%
Bus
1.3%
Other
0.7%
Truck
0.7%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.6%
Train
0.4%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
66.6%
Year 10 or equivalent
22.1%
Year 11 or equivalent
7.3%
Year 9 or equivalent
4.0%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
33.9%
Bachelor Degree
32.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
19.5%
Postgraduate Degree
8.2%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
4.2%
Certificate I/II
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
22.6%
Health
14.7%
Society & Culture
13.5%
Engineering
11.5%
Architecture & Building
10.8%
Education
9.6%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
6.6%
Creative Arts
5.7%
Agriculture & Environment
1.9%
Natural & Physical Sciences
1.6%
Information Technology
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
28.2%
Secondary: Government
20.6%
Vocational Education
14.8%
Pre-school
10.4%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
7.9%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
7.0%
Primary: Catholic
7.0%
Secondary: Catholic
4.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
89.9%
Has need for assistance
4.4%
Need for assistance not stated
5.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,260
Arthritis
553
Asthma
508
Heart disease
341
Lung condition
340
Diabetes
270
Cancer
270
Kidney disease
147
Stroke
141
Dementia
49

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
11.8% 1,512
Did not provide
88.2% 11,356

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
14.3% 1,845
Not a volunteer
85.7% 11,042

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.0% 4
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 15
Previously served
2.7% 344
Never served
97.2% 12,573

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
39.9%
1 child
12.8%
2 children
27.1%
3 children
14.1%
4 children
4.7%
5+ children
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
47
1951: 1960
134
1961: 1970
228
1971: 1980
296
1981: 1990
329
1991: 2000
345
2001: 2010
584
2011: 2015
335
2016
110
2017
91
2018
100
2019
96
2020
65
2021
36

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

20.1%
moved in the last year
52.0%
moved in the last 5 years
4.2%
unemployment rate (Census)
65.6%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
12,188
Moved from QLD
1,631
Moved: same area (SA2)
622
Moved from NSW
383
Moved from VIC
168
Moved from overseas
139
Moved from WA
27
Moved from SA
22
Moved from ACT
11
Moved from NT
7
Moved from TAS
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
24.8%
5: 14 hours
31.0%
15: 29 hours
12.3%
30+ hours
7.5%
Did not do domestic work
24.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
85.2%
Step family: no other children
10.7%
Blended family: no other children
3.0%
Intact family: other children present
0.6%
Other couple: children only
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Palm Beach Crime Statistics

4,778 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
1,719
Drug Offences
1,096
Break & Enter
551
Assault
460
Property Damage
213
Traffic
181
Fraud
166
Domestic Violence
160
Sexual Offences
138
Weapons
74
Robbery
20

Total offences by year

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Queensland Police Service (data.qld.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Longreach (Qld)
Income: $974/wk Rent: $200/wk $245/wk less rent
Mundubbera
Income: $742/wk Rent: $220/wk $225/wk less rent
South Gladstone
Income: $712/wk Rent: $240/wk $205/wk less rent
Pimlico (Qld)
Income: $738/wk Rent: $240/wk $205/wk less rent
Gladstone Central
Income: $786/wk Rent: $240/wk $205/wk less rent
Telina
Income: $825/wk Rent: $255/wk $190/wk less rent
Gulliver
Income: $728/wk Rent: $270/wk $175/wk less rent
Currajong
Income: $809/wk Rent: $270/wk $175/wk less rent

Suburbs near Palm Beach

The closest suburb to Palm Beach is Elanora, 2.8 km away.

Elanora
2.8 km away · income $738/wk · rent $525/wk
Currumbin
2.9 km away · income $909/wk · rent $490/wk
Burleigh Heads
3.5 km away · income $889/wk · rent $480/wk
Burleigh Waters
4.5 km away · income $803/wk · rent $500/wk
Tugun
4.6 km away · income $850/wk · rent $460/wk
Currumbin Waters
4.6 km away · income $743/wk · rent $468/wk

Compare Palm Beach (Qld)

Frequently Asked Questions About Palm Beach

What is the population of Palm Beach QLD?

The population of Palm Beach QLD is 16,349 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 2,582 people per km². Palm Beach is ranked #234 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Palm Beach?

The median personal income in Palm Beach QLD is $873 per week, or $45,396 per year. The median household income is $1,721 per week. Family income is $2,219 per week. Palm Beach is ranked #2,461 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Palm Beach?

Median rent in Palm Beach QLD is $445 per week ($1,928 per month). Rent represents 25.9% of household income, which is considered moderate. Palm Beach ranks #1,221 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Palm Beach?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Palm Beach QLD is $2,093. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Palm Beach?

The median age in Palm Beach QLD is 39 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Palm Beach a good suburb to live in?

Palm Beach is a suburb in Queensland with a population of 16,349. The median income is $873/wk, which is above the typical QLD suburb ($747/wk). Rent affordability is rated as moderate (25.9% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Brisbane Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 32257. All dollar figures in AUD.