Gold Coast suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
Molendinar has the highest share, at 1.6% of residents. Varsity Lakes and Merrimac follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 21 eligible Gold Coast suburbs.
This page ranks Gold Coast suburbs by the share of residents who speak Cantonese at home in the 2021 Census — where the Cantonese-speaking community is most concentrated. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are ranked.
Shares are the count of Gold Coast residents who speak Cantonese at home divided by the suburb's total population, from the ABS 2021 Census language table — the same source as each suburb page's language breakdown. Percentile ranks are computed within Gold Coast's pool. Language spoken at home understates a community's full size — it misses Cantonese-heritage residents who speak mainly English at home — but it's the cleanest signal of an active community. Descriptive demographic information, not a recommendation.
Gold Coast suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
Ranked by the share of residents who speak Cantonese at home in the 2021 Census, among suburbs with at least 2,000 residents — where the Cantonese-speaking community is most established.
Molendinar
QLD 4214 · 6,450 residents1.6% of residents · 102 speakers
Varsity Lakes
QLD 4227 · 16,493 residents1.5% of residents · 254 speakers
Merrimac
QLD 4226 · 7,212 residents1.5% of residents · 109 speakers
Clear Island Waters
QLD 4226 · 4,395 residents1.5% of residents · 64 speakers
Benowa
QLD 4217 · 9,889 residents1.5% of residents · 144 speakers
Robina
QLD 4226 · 25,659 residents1.3% of residents · 326 speakers
Southport
QLD 4215 · 36,786 residents1.1% of residents · 396 speakers
Mermaid Waters
QLD 4218 · 13,088 residents1.0% of residents · 131 speakers
Parkwood
QLD 4214 · 8,837 residents0.9% of residents · 79 speakers
Arundel
QLD 4214 · 11,171 residents0.8% of residents · 90 speakers
Biggera Waters
QLD 4216 · 9,973 residents0.8% of residents · 78 speakers
Carrara
QLD 4211 · 13,138 residents0.7% of residents · 90 speakers
Coombabah
QLD 4216 · 10,298 residents0.6% of residents · 63 speakers
Coomera
QLD 4209 · 20,225 residents0.6% of residents · 121 speakers
Helensvale
QLD 4212 · 18,949 residents0.6% of residents · 106 speakers
Ranked from 21 qualifying suburbs.
100% share of residents who speak this language at home in the 2021 Census (speakers divided by the suburb's total population), percentile-ranked within Gold Coast's candidate pool. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents qualify, and the larger absolute number of speakers breaks ties. Language spoken at home understates a community's full size but is the cleanest signal of an active community. Descriptive ABS Census data, not a recommendation. See how we calculate for the full methodology.
Common questions about this ranking
Which Gold Coast suburbs have the most Cantonese spoken at home?
Molendinar has the highest share, at 1.6% of residents. Varsity Lakes and Merrimac follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 21 eligible Gold Coast suburbs.
How is this ranking put together?
Each Gold Coast suburb is ranked by the share of its residents who speak Cantonese at home in the 2021 Census — that count divided by the suburb's total population. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are included, and percentile ranks are computed within Gold Coast's pool, so the list reflects concentration relative to other metro suburbs.
Where does the data come from?
The Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census 'language used at home' question — the same source as the language breakdown on each suburb page. Nothing is estimated or inferred about any individual.
Does this capture everyone of Cantonese heritage?
No — it counts people who speak Cantonese at home, which understates the full community: Cantonese-heritage residents who speak mainly English at home aren't counted. It's the cleanest available signal of an active language community, not a complete ancestry measure, and it isn't a recommendation to seek out or avoid anywhere.
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 where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Melbourne suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Brisbane suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Perth suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Adelaide suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Hobart suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Darwin suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Canberra suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Newcastle suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Central Coast suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Sunshine Coast suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Wollongong suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Geelong suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Townsville suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Toowoomba suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Busselton suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Ballarat suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Cairns suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Albany suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Ballina suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Geraldton suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Warragul suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Bundaberg suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Launceston suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Bendigo suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Rockhampton suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Mackay suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Albury – Wodonga suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Camden Haven suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Burnie suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Wagga Wagga suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Coffs Harbour suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Alice Springs suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- Mount Isa suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
Related
Rankings last computed 28 September 2026. Recomputed after each ACARA schools data refresh.
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