South Stradbroke vs Main Beach

South Stradbroke is the younger of the two, with a median age of 53 against 57 in Main Beach. In both, most households own their home and most households are people living alone. In South Stradbroke, about half of homes are flats or apartments. In Main Beach, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. Houses cost more in Main Beach: a median of $3.4 million, against $1.2 million in South Stradbroke, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, South Stradbroke tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Main Beach suits older residents.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • South Stradbroke has more separate houses rather than flats (50% vs 3%)
  • Main Beach has more parks and reserves (16 vs 1)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • South Stradbroke has cheaper houses ($1,200,000 vs $3,400,000)
  • Main Beach leaves households under less mortgage stress (29% vs 41%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

South Stradbroke

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $500/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • South Stradbroke sits closer to the CBD (69.5 km vs 79.4 km)
  • Main Beach is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Main Beach

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (97% vs 50%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

South Stradbroke

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (246.3% vs 3.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

South Stradbroke and Main Beach drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Walkability 0 / 22
South Stradbroke — Walkability: 0/100 Main Beach — Walkability: 22/100
Safety 20 / 16
South Stradbroke — Safety: 20/100 Main Beach — Safety: 16/100
Low fire risk 66 / 100
South Stradbroke — Low fire risk: 66/100 Main Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Main Beach has more residents (3,998 vs 142); Main Beach rents higher ($500/wk vs $300/wk).

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Population 142 3,998
+2715% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +246.3% +3.0%
Median age 53 57
Median household income $55,224/yr $87,464/yr
+58% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $500/wk
+67% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

South Stradbroke Main Beach
0-4 7.0% / 1.9%
South Stradbroke — 0-4: 7.0% Main Beach — 0-4: 1.9%
5-14 5.6% / 4.1%
South Stradbroke — 5-14: 5.6% Main Beach — 5-14: 4.1%
15-19 2.8% / 3.0%
South Stradbroke — 15-19: 2.8% Main Beach — 15-19: 3.0%
20-24 3.5% / 5.4%
South Stradbroke — 20-24: 3.5% Main Beach — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 8.5% / 10.7%
South Stradbroke — 25-34: 8.5% Main Beach — 25-34: 10.7%
35-44 8.5% / 8.7%
South Stradbroke — 35-44: 8.5% Main Beach — 35-44: 8.7%
45-54 20.4% / 12.8%
South Stradbroke — 45-54: 20.4% Main Beach — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 23.2% / 19.1%
South Stradbroke — 55-64: 23.2% Main Beach — 55-64: 19.1%
65-74 16.9% / 19.9%
South Stradbroke — 65-74: 16.9% Main Beach — 65-74: 19.9%
75-84 4.9% / 12.6%
South Stradbroke — 75-84: 4.9% Main Beach — 75-84: 12.6%
85+ — / 2.4%
South Stradbroke — 85+: not among its largest Main Beach — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

South Stradbroke 78.6% lone person
South Stradbroke — Lone Person: 78.6% South Stradbroke — Couple Families: 21.4% South Stradbroke — One Parent Families: 0.0% South Stradbroke — Group Household: 0.0% South Stradbroke — Other Families: 0.0%
Main Beach 60.1% lone person
Main Beach — Lone Person: 60.1% Main Beach — Couple Families: 18.9% Main Beach — One Parent Families: 10.1% Main Beach — Group Household: 9.6% Main Beach — Other Families: 1.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

South Stradbroke 25.0% renting
South Stradbroke — Owned Outright: 61.1% South Stradbroke — Mortgage: 13.9% South Stradbroke — Renting: 25.0%
Main Beach 31.6% renting
Main Beach — Owned Outright: 47.7% Main Beach — Mortgage: 20.7% Main Beach — Renting: 31.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

South Stradbroke Main Beach
New Zealand 9.2% / 6.0%
South Stradbroke — New Zealand: 9.2% Main Beach — New Zealand: 6.0%
England 6.3% / 4.8%
South Stradbroke — England: 6.3% Main Beach — England: 4.8%
South Africa — / 1.6%
South Stradbroke — South Africa: not among its largest Main Beach — South Africa: 1.6%
Brazil — / 0.9%
South Stradbroke — Brazil: not among its largest Main Beach — Brazil: 0.9%
Italy — / 0.8%
South Stradbroke — Italy: not among its largest Main Beach — Italy: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.2%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Bachelor Degree 18.3% / 18.0%
South Stradbroke — Bachelor Degree: 18.3% Main Beach — Bachelor Degree: 18.0%
Certificate III & IV 14.8% / 10.8%
South Stradbroke — Certificate III & IV: 14.8% Main Beach — Certificate III & IV: 10.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 2.1% / 10.6%
South Stradbroke — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.1% Main Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.6%
Postgraduate Degree 2.8% / 6.1%
South Stradbroke — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8% Main Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 6.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 2.3%
South Stradbroke — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Main Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

South Stradbroke 50.0% flats / apartments
South Stradbroke — Flats / Apartments: 50.0% South Stradbroke — Houses: 50.0% South Stradbroke — Townhouses: 0.0%
Main Beach 91.8% flats / apartments
Main Beach — Flats / Apartments: 91.8% Main Beach — Houses: 3.4% Main Beach — Townhouses: 4.8%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Median house price $1,200,000 $3,400,000
Median unit price — $1,577,000
Median land price $250,000 —

Development activity

South Stradbroke Main Beach
New dwellings approved 7,196
across Gold Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year -35%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Houses — 3.8%
$2,550/wk on $3.5M
Units — 3.7%
$1,200/wk on $1.69M

Ranking within QLD

South Stradbroke Main Beach
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 17% of QLD Higher than 61% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 28% of QLD Higher than 79% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 89% of QLD Higher than 94% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 34% of QLD Higher than 75% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 41% of QLD
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 20% of QLD

Liveability

Main Beach is more walkable (22 vs 0).

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Grade — B
Score — 55/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

South Stradbroke carries more bushfire risk (34 vs 0).

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Bushfire Low
34/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
80/100
 High
84/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion High
94/100
 High
92/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km None 1
Gold Coast, 3.2 km

Amenities in the suburb

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Cafes & restaurants 1 39
Parks & reserves 1 16
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Beaches 0 1
Waterways 0 4

Mobility

Main Beach sits further from the CBD (79.4 km vs 69.5 km).

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Walkability score 0/100 22/100
Distance to Brisbane 69.5 km 79.4 km
+14% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 64 min 68 min
Electric vehicle share 1.4%
postcode 4216
 2.1%
postcode 4217
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 4216
 19
postcode 4217

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Car (driver) 26.7% / 59.4%
South Stradbroke — Car (driver): 26.7% Main Beach — Car (driver): 59.4%
Worked from Home 33.3% / 28.3%
South Stradbroke — Worked from Home: 33.3% Main Beach — Worked from Home: 28.3%
Walked Only 40.0% / 3.5%
South Stradbroke — Walked Only: 40.0% Main Beach — Walked Only: 3.5%
Tram / Light Rail — / 2.5%
South Stradbroke — Tram / Light Rail: not among its largest Main Beach — Tram / Light Rail: 2.5%
Car (passenger) — / 2.5%
South Stradbroke — Car (passenger): not among its largest Main Beach — Car (passenger): 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (59.4%).

Setting

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 735 m 51 m
485 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Connectivity score 26/100 64/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
24 premises
 9%
3,724 premises

Climate

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Annual rainfall 1,351 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 12.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

South Stradbroke Main Beach
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³ 4.9 µg/m³
PM10 14.5 µg/m³ 14.3 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.42 pphm 0.43 pphm

Council rates

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Average residential rate $1,298/yr
same for both
Council Gold Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Division Fadden Moncrieff
Member Cameron Caldwell Angie Bell
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

South Stradbroke Main Beach
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

South Stradbroke

Coastal Rural

Main Beach

Apartments Beach Beachfront Coastal Luxury Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with South Stradbroke

South Stradbroke vs Biggera Waters South Stradbroke vs Runaway Bay South Stradbroke vs Paradise Point South Stradbroke vs Hollywell South Stradbroke vs North Stradbroke Island

Other comparisons with Main Beach

Main Beach vs Southport Main Beach vs Surfers Paradise Main Beach vs Labrador Main Beach vs Biggera Waters
Full data on South Stradbroke Full data on Main Beach
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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