QLD · Gold Coast Council
Main Beach, 4217
Current weather
17.2°CClear sky
87% humidity · 8.1 km/h wind · 21.9° / 15° today · 0.2 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Green suburb
- National parks
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Life in Main Beach revolves around the coast, with the feel of a mid-sized suburb that never strays far from the water. Sea and sand are the main draw, with neighbouring coastal communities easy to explore on a free afternoon. Salt air and open horizons give the suburb a relaxed, outdoor feel year-round.
An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with a healthy mix of renters and owner-occupiers. Coffee, casual meals and neighbourhood eateries give the suburb a lived-in social scene. Parks, reserves and open space make it genuinely outdoor-friendly for walks, sport and weekend downtime.
Strong public transport connections keep the wider area accessible. Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because housing affordability and safety lag similar coastal suburbs, despite relative strength in parks and green space. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 3,998
- Median age
- 57
- Median household income / week
- $1,682
- Dwelling vacancy
- 33.7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 924 of 2,740
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,091
- Employment rate
- 49.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 109 / 88 / 1,624
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)
- $1,000
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)
- 368
- Against the person
- 98
- Against property
- 145
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 92
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 41 residents
- State safety percentile
- 90.8th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate, partial year)
- +2.7%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Assault291
- Drug Offences865
- Good Order Offences753
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)874
- Unlawful Entry252
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
Public transport
20 public transport stops in this suburb
- Main Beach Pde at Breaker Street
- Main Beach Pde at Main Beach Tourist Park
- Main Beach Pde at Main Beach Tourist Park
- Main Beach Pde at Woodroffe Avenue
- Sea World
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
81 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Fishermans Local Liquor Bottle ShopAlcohol
- Games RoomAmusement Arcade
- Pearls BarBar
71 Sea World Drive
- Bbq
- Relaxation CorporationBeauty salon
- Sea WorldBus stop
- Seaworld Dr at Mariners CoveBus stop
- Seaworld Dr at Sheraton MirageBus stop
- Jack’s Coffee RoastersCafe
- Other People's MoneyCafe
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
28 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Cable ParkPark
- Helen ParkPark
- Hindle ReservePark
- Hollindale ParkPark
- Jack Gordon ParkPark
- Main Beach PlacePark
- Muriel Henchman ParkPark
- Narrow Neck ReservePark
- Naval Reserve Memorial ParkPark
- Park or reserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 1
- Emergency department
- Not in suburb
- Main Beach Pharmacypharmacy
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)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
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
Heritage
2 state heritage places
- Main Beach Pavilion and Southport Surf Lifesaving ClubState heritage place
- Southport Cable Hut (former)State heritage place
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · 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)
- 15
- Parks (OSM)
- 15
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
- 41.1/100 — Average
- National rank
- 3289th in Australia
- State rank
- 760th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #35 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #83 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 70%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Ace Wasabi's Sushi Placeamenitiesrestaurant
- Bbqamenitiesbbq
- Drinking fountainamenitiesdrinking_water
- Fisherman's Wharf Tavernamenitiesrestaurant
- Fishermans Local Liquor Bottle Shopamenitiesalcohol
- Fountainamenitiesfountain
- Fountainamenitiesfountain
- Fountainamenitiesfountain
- Games Roomamenitiesamusement_arcade
- Glass Dining & Lounge Baramenities74 Sea World Driverestaurant
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.