Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Main Beach
3 km²
Far older residents define Main Beach, where the typical age of 57 is nearly 20 years above the national figure. It is a wealthy, high-density community dominated by apartments and a large proportion of retirees, with about 35% of the population aged 65 or over. This age profile helps explain why the area has among the lowest proportions of children and unpaid childcare in the region. Most people live in small households, often as couples without children or individuals living alone.
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Seniors make up 34.7% of the population, which is far above the state and national figures. In contrast, only 5.9% of residents are children under 15, among the lowest rates for its level.
People born overseas make up 26.0% of the community, which is well above the Queensland average. The most common ancestries are English, Australian, and Irish.
While 8.8% of residents use a language other than English at home—much higher than most similar areas—this is still far below the national figure of 22.3%.
Over half of the community (51.8%) identifies as Christian, while 33.5% report no religion, which is well below the state and national figures.
The area is highly qualified, with 28.0% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, well above the state average. Year 12 completion is also slightly higher than the national figure at 59.4%.
Personal incomes are high, with the typical weekly pay of $938 being a little above the national figure. About 17.3% of people earn $2,000 or more a week, which is well above the national average.
Residents report fewer mental health conditions (5.6%) than most areas. Those needing help with daily activities (3.6%) are also slightly below the state and national figures.
Participation in unpaid care is very low, with only 10.0% providing unpaid care and 12.9% caring for children, which is far below the national average.
The First Nations community is small, but typical personal income ($1,062) and Year 12 completion (62.2%) are far above state and national figures.
Households are typically small, with only 1.9 people per home. A high number of people live alone (35.5%), which is far above the state figure of 24.7%.
Apartments make up 89.2% of homes, and very few separate houses exist. Typical weekly rent is $500, which is well above the state and national figures, while 46.4% of homes are owned outright.
Public transport use is higher than in most areas, with 18 stops serving the community. Working from home is also common, at 24.7%, which is far above the state average.
The population is highly mobile, with 50.9% of people moving in the last five years, far above the national figure of 40.7%.
Only 51.6% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the state average. Many professionals and managers work in health care, technical services, and education.
Described as a walker's paradise, 99.8% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport. Almost all residents can reach groceries, health services, and parks within 15 minutes.