Gold Coast suburbs to watch in 2025

Having risen an astounding 80.7% since 2019, the Gold Coast is now Australia’s second most expensive city market behind Sydney.

In fact, its five-year property price growth rate has far outstripped any other capital city, according to CoreLogic data, with that of Brisbane a distant second at 71.2%.

CoreLogic’s head of research Eliza Owen said one reason for the Gold Coast’s performance is its high concentration of luxury properties, pushing the city’s median house price up to $1.02 million as at October 2024.

That’s still behind other regional hot spots including Byron Bay and the Sunshine Coast, but the Gold Coast comes with a blooming city economy – the fastest growing in Australia according to the Gold Coast City Council.

The traditional tourist hotspot has long been luring lifestyle relocators from southern states, and recent years haven't been any different.

The Gold Coast is estimated to have gained up to another 100,000 residents since the pandemic.

However, its geography, spanning rivers, creeks, manmade canals, and wetlands, also contributes to a scarcity of new land suitable for development, which helps keep home prices elevated.

And according to the experts, many pockets in the city are set to go ahead even further in 2025.

Median price data is sourced from realestate.com.au and is accurate as at December 2024.

Southport, 4215

• Median price: $1,066,250 for houses, $678,000 for units

• Median rent: $780 pw for houses, $650 pw for units

Badged as the Gold Coast’s CBD, Southport is the number one pick of Gold Coast property expert Andrew Bell, chair of Ray White Surfers Paradise.

Situated on the still waters of the Broadwater where the Nerang River meets the ocean, Southport is one of the Gold Coast’s oldest suburbs. It is now intersected by the Gold Coast light rail service, which started running in 2014.

“It’s among a cluster of suburbs that have been poorly regarded for a number of years,” Mr Bell said. “While being named our CBD some years ago, it was seen as both a commercial location but also one where a lot of our homeless tend to congregate.”

The suburb accommodates many older residential properties on slightly smaller blocks of land than in surrounding suburbs, all of which made it an overlooked suburb, according to Mr Bell.

“Through the pandemic, so much attention was focused on beachside locations,” he said. “Now, all of a sudden, it's being identified as one of the most affordable central markets in the entire Gold Coast so there's been a flurry of activity.”

Indeed, Southport house prices have risen 16% in the past 12 months while unit prices have jumped 18%.

Mr Bell said small scale developers have been buying up sites and building small townhouse or unit developments of between 8 to 16 lots in recent times, which are ideal for first home buyers, lower-income purchasers, and investors.

“Increasingly, home buyers who want to build a brand-new home are seeing Southport as an area with a range of older homes ideal for demolishing,” he said.

“It is a billion dollar-plus suburb and now ranks as one of the highest volumes of turnover in dollar value in the country,” he said. “But it's still not fully on the radar of most potential buyers. It is my number one pick for 2025.” 

Labrador, 4215

Median price: $1,125,000 for houses, $675,000 for units

Median rent: $750 pw for houses, $605 pw for units

Mr Bell is staying in the Southport neighbourhood with his next pick, Labrador – a predominantly residential suburb located just north of Southport.

“Again, it's an area peppered with older homes and many with beautiful character,” Mr Bell said.

The suburb fronting the Broadwater has already seen significant growth, with its median house price jumping almost 27% and median unit price more than 15% in the past 12 months.

“It’s viewed as an area in a central location where buyers can renovate existing homes or demolish and build new,” Mr Bell said.

“We are now increasingly seeing million dollar-plus sales occurring for new and completed homes, but there are still plenty of homes that are ideal for either renovations or new builds.”

Mr Bell said Labrador is a suburb he would label a "transformation” suburb.

“By that, I mean transforming from an older, lower value suburb to a suburb that's now become extremely trendy and will become a premier residential suburb over a number of years.”

Pacific Pines, 4211

• Median price: $975,000 for houses, $680,000 for units

• Median rent: $800 pw for houses, $650 pw for units

National quantity surveying company MCG Quantity Surveyors nominated just one non-capital city suburb in its ‘Suburbs to Watch in 2025’ report, and that was the northern Gold Coast suburb of Pacific Pines.

MCG managing director Mike Mortlock said, according to the company’s metrics, Pacific Pines emerged as a “standout location” that balances affordability, strong market indicators, and family-friendly amenities.

“The median listing price has risen over the past three months, signalling a positive trajectory in property values [while] inventory levels have slightly decreased, reinforcing the presence of a seller’s market where demand continues to outstrip supply,” he said.

Mr Mortlock said prices still remain accessible to a wide range of buyers, including first homeowners and families looking to upgrade.

“Pacific Pines has witnessed significant [price] growth, with the region experiencing a robust 13.2% increase over the past 12 months and an impressive 134% over the past decade,” he said. “These figures highlight the suburb’s strong investment potential and long-term appeal.”

Pacific Pines' household mix is 87% families and 76% of its housing stock is detached houses. Only 17% of home are fully owned, indicating a dynamic market with opportunities for both owner occupiers and investors, the report found.

Pacific Pines is about 66 kilometres from the Brisbane CBD and is situated along the major M1 motorway which may appeal to city commuters. MCG also noted its close proximity to the Gold Coast’s major theme parks and other lifestyle amenities as contributing to its family-friendly appeal.

Ashmore, 4214

• Median price: $1,090,000 for houses, $673,000 for units

• Median rent: $850 pw for houses, $690 pw for units

Ashmore, located about four kilometres from Southport, “is slowly getting the recognition that it deserves”, according to Mr Bell.

Just a couple of suburbs inland from the beachfront, it is one of the few central Gold Coast suburbs with some elevation to provide not only views but also breezes.

Developed as a suburb in the 1960s-70s, Ashmore features “excellent”-sized blocks of land with plenty of opportunity to add value through renovation, Mr Bell said.

“Ashmore adjoins a number of suburbs that are all now highly priced residential areas,” he said.

“So, it's just natural with the overflow effect that many of those who can’t find homes they can afford or that suit their needs, will continue to step into the Ashmore marketplace.”

Surfers Paradise, 4217

• Median price: $3,550,000 for houses, $740,000 for units

• Median rent: $1,495 pw for houses, $677 pw for units

Maybe it’s no surprise that Mr Bell nominates his patch, the tourist mecca of Surfers Paradise, but he said the beachside suburb continues to undergo a major transformation that’s seeing far more owner-occupiers moving in.

During the pandemic, the Gold Coast saw significant interstate migration and, at the same time, many holidaymakers were prevented from occupying Surfers Paradise’s stock of Airbnbs and other short-term accommodation.

“This migrating population bought properties that were previously available for holiday letting,” Mr Bell said.

“There are scores of buildings throughout Surfers Paradise where, pre-pandemic, 70% of the building was holiday let. Now, most of those units have sold and only around 20-30% of the building is available for holiday letting.”

Residential property developer Meriton has constructed some of Surfer Paradise’s most recent and largest residential towers, attracting more owner-occupiers into the suburb previously dominated by holiday makers, according to Mr Bell.

“Now along the beachfront, we’re seeing a huge volume of brand-new developments catering for the strong demand for absolute beachfront living,” he said.

The canal enclave of Paradise Waters, officially part of Surfers Paradise, has also seen a surge in high-end luxury sales, driving property values to record heights.

In the past 12 months, the median house price in Surfers Paradise has leapt 25% while the median unit price has grown a steadier 10%.

“For the past few years, Surfers Paradise has become one of the highest dollar value turnover suburbs in Australia, confirming huge demand by people who want to live in the suburb, or to own a holiday property there,” Mr Bell said.

“With so much new development, this transformation will continue and with it, an improving lifestyle focused on providing better facilities for locals.”

Carrara, 4211

• Median price: $1,175,000 for houses, $781,000 for units

• Median rent: $850 pw for houses, $720 pw for units

Carrara is “a little-known or understood” Gold Coast suburb, according to Mr Bell. It is probably best known for being home to the Gold Coast Suns' stadium as well as other sporting facilities built for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Carrara is bound by the southern bank of the Nerang River and is about 10 kilometres from the coast.

Although its median house price has shot up 25% over the past year, Mr Bell said Carrara “continues to offer opportunities”.

Many of its riverfront homes are sprawling houses on large blocks, though the suburb also features more standard suburban homes.

“Throughout Carrara, there is some lovely housing, usually on larger parcels of land,” Mr Bell said.

Carrara is best described as a quiet, family-friendly suburb and is well located to some of the Gold Coast’s more renowned golf courses.

Helensvale, 4212

• Median price: $1,190,000 for houses, $682,000 for units

• Median rent: $990 pw for houses, $680 pw for units

Mr Bell regards Helensvale as “an excellent residential area” with established homes, located just off the M1.

Helensvale was the first integrated suburb built on the hinterland fringe of the Gold Coast, welcoming its first residents in the early 1980s. It has undergone significant growth since that time and now accommodates primary and secondary schools and a major Westfield shopping centre.

“Helensvale provides an outstanding strategic location on the shoulder of central Gold Coast, yet with easy access to the motorway, giving people the option of travelling north or south,” Mr Bell said.

It’s also served by both the Gold Coast heavy rail and light rail services.

“The suburb provides excellent opportunities for those looking to do home renovations as many of the homes, while in good condition, need modernisation,” Mr Bell said.

The suburb is predominantly made up of houses and has seen a 10% jump in the median house price over the past 12 months.

Units have seen far greater growth, with their median price gaining 29% over the same period.

Ormeau, 4208 & Upper Coomera, 4209

Ormeau

• Median price: $900,000 for houses, $653,333 for units

• Median rent: $700 pw for houses, $585 pw for unit

Upper Coomera

• Median price: $910,750 for houses, $690,000 for units

• Median rent: $750 pw for houses, $660 pw for unit 

Mr Bell has grouped these northern Gold Coast suburbs together, saying their prices will be driven higher as the demand for affordable housing in the city intensifies.

“But that demand for affordable housing is also attached to a need for locations that provide easy access to people's places of employment,” he said.

Both Ormeau and Upper Coomera are within close proximity of the M1 motorway and are serviced by the Gold Coast heavy rail. An additional railway station at Pimpama, between the Ormeau and Coomera stations, is scheduled to open in 2025.

As such, both suburbs are popular with commuters working in the commercial centres of the Gold Coast as well as Brisbane.

Mr Bell said that, with the massive growth in property values in the Gold Coast’s traditional markets, many homebuyers are being priced out and are having to look further afield.

“There are limited amounts of vacant land that can be used to build more affordable housing, so the focus for buyers in this category has to be in areas that were most recently developed,” he said.

“That will see upward pressure continue in the outer markets of Ormeau and Upper Coomera until buyers' ability to pay higher prices is tapped out.”

Mr Bell said much of the Gold Coast’s northern suburbs were originally sold to investors to satisfy strong demand for rental properties but, more recently, it's been homeowners who have been most active.

“These are both markets where families can still pick up homes in the sub-million-dollar bracket,” he said.

Elanora, 4221

• Median price: $1,295,500 for houses, $760,000 for units

• Median rent: $977 pw for houses, $750 pw for unit 

The southern Gold Coast suburb of Elanora has been overshadowed by its beachside neighbour Palm Beach, according to Mr Bell, and despite a growth in its property values, remains a “little-known suburb”.

Some homes in Elanora have considerable elevation, providing views and catching sea breezes, with the ocean only a couple of kilometres away.

“It’s an outstanding location on the southern end of the Gold Coast with easy access to beaches and ideal for those who do regular commutes out of the Gold Coast Airport,” Mr Bell said.

“It’s also a well-established suburb with some excellent homes in size and style, with many homes ripe for modernisation.”

Robina, 4226

• Median price: $1,285,500 for houses, $781,000 for units

• Median rent: $900 pw for houses, $750 pw for unit 

The master-planned suburb of Robina was once slated to be the Gold Coast’s new CBD, which ultimately remained in the traditional commercial centre of Southport.

Nonetheless, Robina has considerable infrastructure including a major shopping centre, a railway station, a sports stadium (home to the Gold Coast Titans NRL team), schools, Bond University, and still has some undeveloped land.

“It continues to be a highly sought-after suburb, but its expanding footprint means it’s attracting an ever-increasing volume of owner-occupiers,” Mr Bell said.

“Its rental demand also makes it an ideal location for investors to buy into.”

As well as its infrastructure, Mr Bell likes that Robina offers a wide variety of apartments, townhouses, and homes to suit all needs.

“While property values have risen, there is still capacity for significantly more growth through the outer regions of the Robina area,” Mr Bell said.

Molendinar, 4214

• Median price: $1,112,500 for houses, $620,000 for units

• Median rent: $850 pw for houses, $620 pw for unit 

For his final pick, Mr Bell nominates the mixed use residential/industrial suburb of Molendinar, which adjoins the more residential suburb of Ashmore.

“It was long viewed as a suburb with an amount of industry within it,” he said. “But there are also significant areas of outstanding residential properties and some acreage.”

Mr Bell likes Molendinar’s easy access to the M1 for those looking to travel north or south for work or other reasons.

“It has been an overlooked pocket but is receiving growing attention,” he said.

Indeed, in the past 12 months, the median house price in Molendinar has grown by more than 18%.

“I think it’s a small pocket that's likely to see fairly phenomenal growth as there’s greater awareness of its benefits.” 

The suburb accommodates a large private school and is within close proximity to Gold Coast Griffith University and the Gold Coast University Hospital.

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