QLD · Gold Coast Council
Highland Park, 4211
Current weather
14.9°CClear sky
91% humidity · 5.2 km/h wind · 21.6° / 13.7° today · 0.8 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Highland Park is a well-connected mid-sized suburb in Gold Coast with everyday amenities close at hand. The metro area remains accessible without feeling caught up in the inner-city rush. Generous greenery runs through the area, from street trees to tucked-away reserves.
Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with plenty of young families in the mix. Everyday errands and local outings are straightforward, with the wider metro area adding variety. Parks, reserves and open space make it genuinely outdoor-friendly for walks, sport and weekend downtime.
Transport options are solid enough for daily errands and regular trips further afield. Housing carries a premium, but residents tend to feel the lifestyle justifies the commitment.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and transport and access lag similar metro suburbs, despite relative strength in parks and green space and housing affordability.
Population
- Population
- 6,576
- Median age
- 42
- Median household income / week
- $1,609
- Dwelling vacancy
- 3.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 94 of 2,466
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,800
- Employment rate
- 59.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 189 / 111 / 242
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- All types (Mar 2026)
- $850
Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- RTA bond statistics — Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland) · Period: Mar 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2026 to Jul 2026)
- 207
- Against the person
- 30
- Against property
- 108
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 31.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 219 residents
- State safety percentile
- 32.1th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +14.1%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Assault144
- Drug Offences396
- Other Property Damage157
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)594
- Traffic And Related Offences194
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Period: Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Jul 2026; Jan 2026 to Jul 2026 · Updated on site · Calendar-year aggregates
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 975
- William Duncan State SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
12 public transport stops in this suburb
- Alexander Dr at Kahlua Court
- Alexander Dr at Sue Court
- Explorers Way at Garvie Place
- William Duncan Primary School
- William Duncan Primary School
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Amenities
29 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Liquor LegendsAlcohol
- Pagliacci Cucina & BarBar
- Alexander Dr at Kahlua CourtBus stop
- Alexander Dr at Sue CourtBus stop
- Alexander Dr near Richard CrBus stop
- Explorers Way at Cozens WayBus stop
- Explorers Way at Garvie PlaceBus stop
- Explorers Way near Garvie PlBus stop
- McKenzie Dr at Monopoly BoulevardBus stop
- McLeod St at Aberdeen CourtBus stop
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
8 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Explorers Way Northern Linear ParkPark
- Fred Cass Family ParkPark
- HIghland Park ReservePark
- Kincaid ParkPark
- Natural Bushland ParkPark
- Waterbird HabitatPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 2
- Emergency department
- Not in suburb
- ChemproAlexander Drivepharmacy
- Coolangatta Dental GroupBarossa Streetdentist
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 6/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 6/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Childcare
3 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Goodstart Early Learning NerangAlexander Drivechildcare
- Little School Highland Parkkindergarten
- kindergartenkindergarten
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 13
- Parks (OSM)
- 13
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 53.4/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 24% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 1559th in Australia
- State rank
- 352nd in QLD
- Peer rank
- #192 among Metro Brisbane · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #197 among Metro Brisbane suburbs
- Data confidence
- 85%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Alexander Dr at Kahlua Courtamenitiesbus_stop
- Alexander Dr at Sue Courtamenitiesbus_stop
- Alexander Dr near Richard Cramenitiesbus_stop
- BP Highland Parkamenitiesfuel
- ChemproamenitiesUnit 304 106 Alexander Drivepharmacy
- Coolangatta Dental Groupamenities1 Barossa Street, Highland Parkdentist
- Explorers Way at Cozens Wayamenitiesbus_stop
- Explorers Way at Garvie Placeamenitiesbus_stop
- Explorers Way near Garvie Plamenitiesbus_stop
- Goodstart Early Learning Nerangamenities91-93 Alexander Drive, Highland Parkchildcare
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Gold Coast Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.