Best Sunshine Coast suburbs for property investors

Birtinya tops the list, with 63.7% of its occupied dwellings rented. Across the ranking, rental shares run from 26.9% to 63.7%. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 75 eligible Sunshine Coast suburbs.

This ranking scores every eligible Sunshine Coast suburb on the share of occupied dwellings that are rented, from the ABS 2021 census, blended with population and dwelling growth and a composite safety score. A deep rental market means a wider tenant pool and easier re-letting — what a buy-to-let investor weighs before yield.

Rental share leads the score but doesn't rule it: a raw sort on percent-rented would surface high-density CBD cores and student pockets, so growth (2016→2021 population and dwelling change) and safety are blended in to keep the list to genuinely investable neighbourhoods. The percentile that drives the score is computed within Sunshine Coast, so each suburb ranks against its own metro. For the return side of the equation, see the companion rental-yield ranking — a deep rental market and a strong gross yield together are the classic buy-to-let signal.

Sunshine Coast suburbs with the deepest rental markets

Ranked on the share of occupied dwellings that are rented (ABS 2021 census tenure), blended with population and dwelling growth and a composite safety score. A deep rental market means a larger tenant pool and easier re-letting — the signal a buy-to-let investor scans for.

1

Birtinya

QLD 4575 · 4,378 residents

64% renting · 36% owner-occupied · 62/100 safety

B 91.8
2

Baringa

QLD 4551 · 4,604 residents

43% renting · 57% owner-occupied · 68/100 safety

B 90.0
3

Kings Beach

QLD 4551 · 3,042 residents

47% renting · 53% owner-occupied · 70/100 safety

B 84.6
4

Meridan Plains

QLD 4551 · 4,589 residents

45% renting · 55% owner-occupied · 48/100 safety

C 84.5
5

Maroochydore

QLD 4558 · 20,629 residents

44% renting · 56% owner-occupied · 56/100 safety

C 82.5
6

Peregian Springs

QLD 4573 · 9,532 residents

39% renting · 61% owner-occupied · 46/100 safety

C 80.5
7

Caloundra West

QLD 4551 · 7,270 residents

33% renting · 67% owner-occupied · 79/100 safety

B 77.2
8

Alexandra Headland

QLD 4572 · 4,235 residents

39% renting · 61% owner-occupied · 69/100 safety

B 74.8
9

Nambour

QLD 4560 · 12,145 residents

40% renting · 60% owner-occupied · 58/100 safety

C 74.3
10

Sippy Downs

QLD 4556 · 11,544 residents

39% renting · 61% owner-occupied · 44/100 safety

D 73.0
11

Mooloolaba

QLD 4557 · 8,202 residents

42% renting · 58% owner-occupied · 60/100 safety

B 72.9
12

Pacific Paradise

QLD 4564 · 2,675 residents

27% renting · 73% owner-occupied · 78/100 safety

B 69.6
13

Woombye

QLD 4559 · 3,944 residents

27% renting · 73% owner-occupied · 76/100 safety

B 68.2
14

Mountain Creek

QLD 4557 · 11,950 residents

37% renting · 63% owner-occupied · 64/100 safety

C 67.9
15

Caloundra

QLD 4551 · 3,932 residents

44% renting · 56% owner-occupied · 54/100 safety

C 67.5

Ranked from 75 qualifying suburbs.

How we ranked these

55% rental share (percentile within Sunshine Coast) · 25% growth (2016→2021 population + dwelling change) · 20% safety (bushfire, crime, flood combined). Rental share comes from ABS 2021 census tenure — the share of occupied dwellings that are rented. Percentiles are computed within Sunshine Coast's candidate pool. A raw percent-rented sort would surface high-density cores, so growth and safety keep the list investable. See how we calculate for the full methodology.

Common questions about this ranking

What are the best Sunshine Coast suburbs for property investors?

Birtinya tops the list, with 63.7% of its occupied dwellings rented. Across the ranking, rental shares run from 26.9% to 63.7%. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 75 eligible Sunshine Coast suburbs.

How is this ranking scored?

Each eligible Sunshine Coast suburb is scored on three factors: 55% rental share (the share of occupied dwellings that are rented, from the ABS 2021 census, ranked as a percentile within Sunshine Coast), 25% growth (2016→2021 population and dwelling change combined), and 20% safety (bushfire, crime and flood risks combined).

Does a deep rental market mean a good investment?

Not on its own. A high rental share means the tenant pool is large and re-letting is easier — a genuine convenience — but it says nothing about the return. Pair this with the gross rental yield ranking for the return side, and bear in mind that the highest-rental suburbs are often high-density areas where capital growth can lag detached housing.

Which suburbs are eligible?

A suburb needs a resident population of at least 1,000 and a 2021 census tenure record. Suburbs below the threshold or missing census tenure data are excluded, not penalised, so the ranking isn't dominated by tiny outliers.

How often is this list updated?

The top 15 is recomputed whenever the underlying data refreshes. Tenure comes from the ABS census (every five years); the growth and safety inputs refresh alongside their own datasets.

Same list in other cities

Related

Rankings last computed 12 October 2026. Recomputed after each ACARA schools data refresh.

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