Gold Coast suburbs with the most apartments
Broadbeach tops the ranking, where 97.6% of occupied dwellings are flats or apartments (3,021 of them). Main Beach and Surfers Paradise follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 44 eligible Gold Coast suburbs.
This page ranks Gold Coast suburbs by the share of occupied private dwellings that are flats or apartments at the 2021 Census. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are ranked.
The median Australian suburb has almost no apartments at all — 1.3% of dwellings, measured across a 1,238-suburb sample in September 2026 — so this ranking separates its subjects rather than sorting noise: the top of the list runs past 90%. It counts dwellings, not buildings and not people, and it describes what is there rather than what may be built. The zoning that governs the latter is on each suburb page.
Gold Coast suburbs with the most apartments
Ranked by the share of occupied private dwellings that are flats or apartments at the 2021 Census, among suburbs with at least 2,000 residents.
Broadbeach
QLD 4218 · 6,786 residents97.6% of dwellings are apartments · 3,021 flats
Main Beach
QLD 4217 · 3,998 residents89.2% of dwellings are apartments · 1,624 flats
Surfers Paradise
QLD 4217 · 26,412 residents81.2% of dwellings are apartments · 9,277 flats
Coolangatta
QLD 4225 · 6,491 residents76.9% of dwellings are apartments · 2,263 flats
Mermaid Beach
QLD 4218 · 7,329 residents61.9% of dwellings are apartments · 1,964 flats
Biggera Waters
QLD 4216 · 9,973 residents59.9% of dwellings are apartments · 2,567 flats
Southport
QLD 4215 · 36,786 residents54.6% of dwellings are apartments · 8,437 flats
Burleigh Heads
QLD 4220 · 10,572 residents46.7% of dwellings are apartments · 1,982 flats
Tweed Heads
NSW 2485 · 9,176 residents44.2% of dwellings are apartments · 1,835 flats
Currumbin
QLD 4223 · 3,278 residents41.2% of dwellings are apartments · 536 flats
Palm Beach
QLD 4221 · 16,349 residents38.4% of dwellings are apartments · 2,554 flats
Miami
QLD 4220 · 7,445 residents36.6% of dwellings are apartments · 1,125 flats
Labrador
QLD 4215 · 18,643 residents31.4% of dwellings are apartments · 2,557 flats
Runaway Bay
QLD 4216 · 9,308 residents28.2% of dwellings are apartments · 1,121 flats
Varsity Lakes
QLD 4227 · 16,493 residents24.1% of dwellings are apartments · 1,496 flats
Ranked from 44 qualifying suburbs.
100% share of occupied private dwellings recorded as a flat or apartment in the 2021 Census, divided by all occupied private dwellings and percentile-ranked within Gold Coast's candidate pool. It counts dwellings, not buildings and not people, and it describes what stands there rather than what may be built — the planning zones that govern the latter are on each suburb page. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents qualify, and the larger absolute number of apartments breaks ties. Descriptive ABS Census data, not a recommendation. See how we calculate for the full methodology.
Common questions about this ranking
What are the gold Coast suburbs with the most apartments?
Broadbeach tops the ranking, where 97.6% of occupied dwellings are flats or apartments (3,021 of them). Main Beach and Surfers Paradise follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 44 eligible Gold Coast suburbs.
How is this ranking put together?
Each Gold Coast suburb is ranked by the share of its occupied private dwellings recorded as a flat or apartment in the 2021 Census, divided by all occupied private dwellings. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are included, and percentile ranks are computed within Gold Coast's pool.
Does this mean the suburb allows apartments?
No. This counts what stands there now. What may be built is set by the planning zones, which are a separate thing and are shown on each suburb page as a share of the suburb's area.
Is a townhouse an apartment here?
No. The Census separates flats and apartments from semi-detached, row, terrace and townhouse dwellings, and only the first group is counted. Separate houses are not counted either.
How current is it?
The figures are from the 2021 Census, the most recent available until results from the August 2026 Census are released in 2027. The top 15 is recomputed whenever we refresh the census data.
Same list in other cities
- Sydney suburbs with the most apartments
- Melbourne suburbs with the most apartments
- Brisbane suburbs with the most apartments
- Perth suburbs with the most apartments
- Adelaide suburbs with the most apartments
- Hobart suburbs with the most apartments
- Darwin suburbs with the most apartments
- Canberra suburbs with the most apartments
- Newcastle suburbs with the most apartments
- Central Coast suburbs with the most apartments
- Sunshine Coast suburbs with the most apartments
- Wollongong suburbs with the most apartments
- Geelong suburbs with the most apartments
- Townsville suburbs with the most apartments
- Toowoomba suburbs with the most apartments
- Busselton suburbs with the most apartments
- Ballarat suburbs with the most apartments
- Cairns suburbs with the most apartments
- Albany suburbs with the most apartments
- Ballina suburbs with the most apartments
- Geraldton suburbs with the most apartments
- Warragul suburbs with the most apartments
- Bundaberg suburbs with the most apartments
- Launceston suburbs with the most apartments
- Bendigo suburbs with the most apartments
- Rockhampton suburbs with the most apartments
- Mackay suburbs with the most apartments
- Albury – Wodonga suburbs with the most apartments
- Camden Haven suburbs with the most apartments
- Burnie suburbs with the most apartments
- Wagga Wagga suburbs with the most apartments
- Coffs Harbour suburbs with the most apartments
- Alice Springs suburbs with the most apartments
- Mount Isa suburbs with the most apartments
Related
Rankings last computed 12 October 2026. Recomputed after each ACARA schools data refresh.
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