Surfers Paradise

Demographics & education

People tables are based on a person's place of usual residence on Census night

In the 2016 Census, there were 23,689 people in Surfers Paradise. Of these 51.1% were male and 48.9% were female. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 0.8% of the population.

The median age of people in Surfers Paradise was 37 years. Children aged 0 - 14 years made up 8.3% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 17.4% of the population.

Of people in Surfers Paradise aged 15 years and over, 34.9% were married and 16.0% were either divorced or separated.

In Surfers Paradise, of people aged 15 years and over, 32.8% of people were in a registered marriage and 14.1% were in a de facto marriage.

In Surfers Paradise 33.7% of people were attending an educational institution. Of these, 8.1% were in primary school, 7.2% in secondary school and 28.1% in a tertiary or technical institution.

Of people aged 15 and over in Surfers Paradise, 19.4% reported having completed Year 12 as their highest level of educational attainment, 12.9% had completed a Certificate III or IV and 10.0% had completed an Advanced Diploma or Diploma.

Cultural & language diversity

The most common ancestries in Surfers Paradise were English 23.1%, Australian 14.6%, Irish 7.5%, Scottish 6.2% and Italian 3.3%.

Respondents had the option of reporting up to two ancestries on their Census form, and this is captured by the Ancestry Multi Response (ANCP) variable used in this table. Therefore, the total responses count will not equal the persons count for this area. Calculated percentages represent a proportion of all responses from people in Surfers Paradise (including those who did not state an ancestry).

In Surfers Paradise, 44.6% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were New Zealand 7.1%, England 3.7%, India 3.6%, Brazil 2.4% and Japan 2.1%.

In Surfers Paradise, 31.1% of people had both parents born in Australia and 43.8% of people had both parents born overseas.

In Surfers Paradise, the most common countries of birth for male parents were Australia 35.6%, New Zealand 6.9%, England 5.2%, India 4.4% and Brazil 2.4%.

In Surfers Paradise, the most common countries of birth for female parents were Australia 36.6%, New Zealand 7.2%, England 5.0%, India 4.4% and Brazil 2.5%.

The most common responses for religion in Surfers Paradise were No Religion, so described 29.2%, Catholic 19.3%, Not stated 18.0%, Anglican 11.9% and Hinduism 3.2%. In Surfers Paradise, Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (51.0%) (this figure excludes not stated responses).

In Surfers Paradise 59.3% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 2.5%, Portuguese 2.4%, Japanese 2.3%, Punjabi 1.8% and Spanish 1.6%.

Employment

There were 12,356 people who reported being in the labour force in the week before Census night in Surfers Paradise. Of these 50.5% were employed full time, 36.2% were employed part-time and 9.1% were unemployed.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Of employed people in Surfers Paradise, 10.6% worked 1 to 15 hours, 15.8% worked 16 to 24 hours and 38.1% worked 40 hours or more.

The most common occupations in Surfers Paradise included Professionals 15.8%, Community and Personal Service Workers 14.7%, Sales Workers 14.0%, Managers 13.2%, Labourers 13.1%, Technicians and Trades Workers 12.4%, Clerical and Administrative Workers 10.5% and Machinery Operators and Drivers 4.3%.

Of the employed people in Surfers Paradise, the most common responses for industry of employment included Cafes and Restaurants 8.9%, Accommodation 7.7%, Building and Other Industrial Cleaning Services 3.5%, Real Estate Services 2.9% and Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals) 2.5%.

The median weekly personal income for people aged 15 years and over in Surfers Paradise was $637.

View the data quality statements for: Total personal income (INCP) Total family income (FINF) Total household income (HIND)

In Surfers Paradise, on the day of the Census, the most common methods of travel to work for employed people included Car, as driver 50.5%, Walked only 12.5%, Worked at home 5.9%, Tram 5.6% and Car, as passenger 4.1%. On the day, 12.0% of employed people used public transport (train, bus, ferry, tram/light rail) as at least one of their methods of travel to work and 56.0% used car (either as driver or as passenger).

In Surfers Paradise, of people aged 15 years and over, 55.6% did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census. During the two weeks before the Census, 13.5% provided care for children and 7.0% assisted family members or others due to a disability, long term illness or problems related to old age. In the year before the Census, 10.6% of people did voluntary work through an organisation or a group.

View the data quality statements for: Unpaid domestic work (DOMP) Unpaid child care (CHCAREP) Unpaid assistance (UNCAREP) Voluntary work (VOLWP)

Of people who did unpaid domestic work in the week before the Census in Surfers Paradise, 20.8% worked 5 to 14 hours, 6.9% worked 15 to 29 hours and 4.5% worked 30 hours or more.

Family composition

Of the families in Surfers Paradise, 23.2% were couple families with children, 59.8% were couple families without children and 14.3% were one parent families.

In Surfers Paradise, 23.7% of single parents were male and 76.3% were female.

Employment status of couple families

In Surfers Paradise, of couple families with children, 19.3% had both partners employed full-time, 9.1% had both employed part-time and 17.3% had one employed full-time and the other part-time.

The ABS Labour Force Survey provides the official estimates of Australia's unemployment rate. More information about Census and labour force status is provided in Understanding the Census and Census Data.

Dwelling structure

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households

In Surfers Paradise, 73.9% of private dwellings were occupied and 26.1% were unoccupied.

View the data quality statements for: Dwelling type (DWTD) Dwelling Structure (STRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Surfers Paradise, 11.7% were separate houses, 7.5% were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses etc, 80.2% were flats or apartments and 0.0% were other dwellings.

In Surfers Paradise, of occupied private dwellings 25.1% had 1 bedroom, 45.3% had 2 bedrooms and 16.5% had 3 bedrooms. The average number of bedrooms per occupied private dwelling was 2.1. The average household size was 2 people.

View the data quality statements for: Number of bedrooms in a private dwelling (BEDD) Number of persons usually resident in dwelling (NPRD)

Of occupied private dwellings in Surfers Paradise, 23.0% were owned outright, 16.9% were owned with a mortgage and 56.1% were rented.

Household composition

In Surfers Paradise, of all households, 50.2% were family households, 38.2% were single person households and 11.6% were group households.

In Surfers Paradise, 25.1% of households had a weekly household income of less than $650 and 9.7% of households had a weekly income of more than $3000.

Mortgage & rent

Proportions are calculated using all tenure types for occupied private dwellings. This excludes visitor only and other non-classifiable households.

The number of households where rent payments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were not renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

The number of households where mortgage repayments were 30% or more of an imputed income measure are expressed in this table as a proportion of the total number of households in an area (including those households which were renting, and excluding the small proportion of visitor only and other non-classifiable households). The nature of the income imputation means that the reported proportion may significantly overstate the true proportion.

Number of motor vehicles

In Surfers Paradise, 50.5% of occupied private dwellings had one registered motor vehicle garaged or parked at their address, 24.2% had two registered motor vehicles and 6.9% had three or more registered motor vehicles.

Internet connection

In Surfers Paradise, 81.0% of households had at least one person access the internet from the dwelling. This could have been through a desktop/laptop computer, mobile or smart phone, tablet, music or video player, gaming console, smart TV or any other device.

People characteristics

In Surfers Paradise, 48.2% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were male and 51.8% were female. The median age was 29 years.

View the data quality statements for: Place of Usual Residence (PURP) Indigenous status (INGP)

Dwelling characteristics

Dwelling tables exclude visitor only and other non-classifiable households. These tables represent occupied private dwellings where at least one Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander person was present.

In Surfers Paradise, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the average household size was 2.2 persons, with 1.1 persons per bedroom. The median household income was $1,226.

View the data quality statements for: Number of Bedrooms in Private Dwelling (BEDD) Household composition (HHCD) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)

In Surfers Paradise, for dwellings occupied by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, the median weekly rent was $358 and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,604.

View the data quality statements for: Rent weekly payments (RNTD) Mortgage monthly repayments (MRED) Indigenous household Indicator (INGDWTD)