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Main Beach vs Southport
Suburb / Locality comparison ≈ 2.6 km apart · Main Beach profile · Southport profile
Main Beach Southport
Southport (Qld) and Main Beach are neighbouring areas with very different characters. Main Beach is an older and wealthier enclave, where the typical resident is 57 and 25.1% of households earn $3,000 or more a week. In contrast, Southport (Qld) is much younger, with a typical age of 37, and is far more diverse; 38.0% of its people were born overseas and 24.6% use another language at home. Housing also differs sharply, with 57.9% of Southport (Qld) homes being rented, compared to 46.4% owned outright in Main Beach.
Everyday life in both places shares a similar pace, with almost everyone living within a short walk of a park and both areas being very walkable. They also have a similar share of people living alone and the same typical number of people per bedroom. While Main Beach has a far higher share of homes owned outright, the gap in renting between the two areas has remained significant. Both areas sit well above the national figure for the share of residents who identify as having no religion.
Where they differ most
Demographics & Identity
- First area, 2011: 3,496
- First area, 2016: 3,883
- First area, 2021: 3,998
- Second area, 2011: 28,315
- Second area, 2016: 31,908
- Second area, 2021: 36,786
- First area, 2011: 47 yrs
- First area, 2016: 51 yrs
- First area, 2021: 57 yrs
- Second area, 2011: 36 yrs
- Second area, 2016: 37 yrs
- Second area, 2021: 37 yrs
Age structure
Marital status
Age & sex structure
Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.
- 85+ in Main Beach: 1.2% males, 1.2% females; 85+ in Southport: 1.2% males, 2.0% females
- 80–84 in Main Beach: 2.5% males, 2.0% females; 80–84 in Southport: 1.2% males, 1.6% females
- 75–79 in Main Beach: 4.2% males, 3.7% females; 75–79 in Southport: 1.8% males, 2.1% females
- 70–74 in Main Beach: 5.4% males, 4.6% females; 70–74 in Southport: 2.3% males, 2.5% females
- 65–69 in Main Beach: 4.6% males, 5.0% females; 65–69 in Southport: 2.2% males, 2.4% females
- 60–64 in Main Beach: 5.3% males, 5.1% females; 60–64 in Southport: 2.4% males, 2.7% females
- 55–59 in Main Beach: 3.7% males, 4.8% females; 55–59 in Southport: 2.6% males, 2.9% females
- 50–54 in Main Beach: 3.5% males, 4.4% females; 50–54 in Southport: 2.6% males, 3.0% females
- 45–49 in Main Beach: 2.5% males, 2.6% females; 45–49 in Southport: 2.9% males, 3.0% females
- 40–44 in Main Beach: 2.2% males, 1.9% females; 40–44 in Southport: 2.7% males, 2.8% females
- 35–39 in Main Beach: 2.2% males, 2.5% females; 35–39 in Southport: 3.1% males, 3.3% females
- 30–34 in Main Beach: 2.0% males, 2.7% females; 30–34 in Southport: 3.9% males, 4.3% females
- 25–29 in Main Beach: 2.9% males, 3.1% females; 25–29 in Southport: 5.5% males, 5.4% females
- 20–24 in Main Beach: 2.5% males, 2.7% females; 20–24 in Southport: 4.9% males, 5.6% females
- 15–19 in Main Beach: 1.5% males, 1.5% females; 15–19 in Southport: 2.8% males, 2.9% females
- 10–14 in Main Beach: 0.9% males, 1.1% females; 10–14 in Southport: 2.3% males, 1.9% females
- 5–9 in Main Beach: 1.3% males, 0.6% females; 5–9 in Southport: 2.0% males, 1.6% females
- 0–4 in Main Beach: 1.0% males, 0.8% females; 0–4 in Southport: 1.9% males, 1.7% females
Ancestry & Birthplace
Country of birth
Ancestry
Language
Language used at home
Religion
Religious affiliation
Education & Qualifications
Highest year of school
Highest qualification level
Field of qualification
Income
- First area, 2011: $803
- First area, 2016: $869
- First area, 2021: $938
- Second area, 2011: $468
- Second area, 2016: $544
- Second area, 2021: $666
- First area, 2011: $1,356
- First area, 2016: $1,534
- First area, 2021: $1,682
- Second area, 2011: $881
- Second area, 2016: $1,046
- Second area, 2021: $1,268
- First area, 2011: $1,732
- First area, 2016: $2,027
- First area, 2021: $2,269
- Second area, 2011: $1,113
- Second area, 2016: $1,292
- Second area, 2021: $1,569
Household income distribution
Personal income distribution
Health & Disability
Long-term health conditions reported
Number of long-term health conditions
Community Participation
First Nations
Family & Households
- First area, 2011: 1.8
- First area, 2016: 1.9
- First area, 2021: 1.9
- Second area, 2011: 2.1
- Second area, 2016: 2.2
- Second area, 2021: 2.1
Family composition
Household size
Housing & Dwellings
- First area, 2011: $430
- First area, 2016: $443
- First area, 2021: $500
- Second area, 2011: $320
- Second area, 2016: $350
- Second area, 2021: $410
- First area, 2011: $2,400
- First area, 2016: $2,000
- First area, 2021: $2,091
- Second area, 2011: $1,733
- Second area, 2016: $1,625
- Second area, 2021: $1,647
- First area, 2011: 1.10
- First area, 2016: 0.90
- First area, 2021: 0.90
- Second area, 2011: 1.20
- Second area, 2016: 1.00
- Second area, 2021: 0.90
How homes are owned or rented
Types of homes
Bedrooms per home
Weekly rent distribution
Monthly mortgage distribution
Transport & Vehicles
How people get to work
Motor vehicles per home
Migration & Movement
Jobs & Industry
Industries people work in
Occupations people work in
Walkability
Compare Main Beach with nearby areas
Compare Southport with nearby areas
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Main Beach vs Southport [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL31735/main-beach/vs/SAL32611/southport