QLD · Noosa Council
Sunshine Beach, 4567
Current weather
20.5°CClear sky
81% humidity · 14.7 km/h wind · 23.4° / 14.8° today · 0 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Coastal
- National parks
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Life in Sunshine Beach revolves around the coast, with the feel of a smaller community that never strays far from the water. Set on the coast at a distance from the capital, it trades city proximity for a slower, beach-led rhythm. Salt air and open horizons give the suburb a relaxed, outdoor feel year-round.
Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Reasonable public transport access helps with commuting and getting around locally. Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers.
This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
The desirability score is around average, weighed down by weaker housing affordability and transport and access against similar coastal suburbs, even with schools and education and safety holding up better.
Population
- Population
- 2,480
- Median age
- 49
- Median household income / week
- $1,735
- Dwelling vacancy
- 35.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 567 of 1,598
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Employment rate
- 53.5%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 71 / 176 / 268
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)
- $995
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)
- 66
- Against the person
- 16
- Against property
- 31
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 26.6
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 155 residents
- State safety percentile
- 23.5th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
- -15.6%
Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Drug Offences35
- Good Order Offences48
- Other Property Damage29
- Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)63
- Traffic And Related Offences41
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
- 5
- Median school ICSEA (5 schools)
- 1,057
- Montessori NoosaPrimary
- Noosa Flexible SchoolSpecial
- St Thomas More Primary SchoolPrimary
- Sunshine Beach State High SchoolSecondary
- Sunshine Beach 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
15 public transport stops in this suburb
- Belmore Tce near Stevens St
- Ben Lexcen Dr near Sarena Ct
- Ben Lexcen Dr near Sarena Ct
- Bryan St near Ferris St
- David Low Way at Sunshine Beach Primary
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
40 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Bbq (4)
- Belmore Tce near Stevens StBus stop
- Ben Lexcen Dr near Sarena CtBus stop
- Bryan St near Ferris StBus stop
- David Low Way at Sunshine Beach PrimaryBus stop
- Duke St at Ed Webb ParkBus stop
- Pacific Ave near Edwards StBus stop
- Pacific Ave near Elanda StBus stop
- Pacific Ave near Ferguson AveBus stop
- Pacific Ave near Ferguson StBus 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
3 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Dolphin Bay Drainage ReserveNature reserve
- Ed Webb ParkPark
- Ferris ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 7/10
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
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)
- 3
- Parks (OSM)
- 2
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
- 48.1/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 33% of Queensland's suburbs
- National rank
- 2181st in Australia
- State rank
- 498th in QLD
- Peer rank
- #26 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #62 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 74%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Bbqamenitiesbbq
- Bbqamenitiesbbq
- Bbqamenitiesbbq
- Bbqamenitiesbbq
- Belmore Tce near Stevens Stamenitiesbus_stop
- Ben Lexcen Dr near Sarena Ctamenitiesbus_stop
- Bryan St near Ferris Stamenitiesbus_stop
- Cafeamenitiescafe
- David Low Way at Sunshine Beach Primaryamenitiesbus_stop
- Drinking wateramenitiesdrinking_water
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Noosa Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.