Noosa Heads, QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Noosa Heads is a resort town on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, roughly 135 km north of Brisbane. It is the best-known centre of the Noosa area, framed by the headlands and walking tracks of Noosa National Park and the sheltered, north-facing sands of Main Beach — a setting that makes it a popular surfing and holiday destination. The upmarket Hastings Street, running close to the beach, forms its dining and shopping precinct. The locality took the name Noosa Heads in 1988, and the surrounding region is the traditional Country of the Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) people.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Noosa Heads is more socio-economically advantaged than about 87% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1063, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Noosa Heads at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 5,120
- Median age
- 54
- Median weekly household income
- $1,843
- SEIFA score
- 1063
- Coordinates
- -26.4001, 153.0915
Noosa Heads demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Noosa Heads using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is seniors (65+) at 32%, 24% of homes are rented, and 30% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 644 | 13% |
| Youth (15–24) | 370 | 7% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 903 | 18% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,542 | 30% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,661 | 32% |
Share of the 5,120 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 978 | 49% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 471 | 24% |
| Rented | 483 | 24% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,430 | 72% |
| Townhouses & semis | 167 | 8% |
| Flats & apartments | 382 | 19% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 1,996 occupied private dwellings in Noosa Heads.
- Median weekly rent
- $550
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,228
- Median weekly personal income
- $909
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,461 (30%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 424 (9%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 32 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 2,763 (64%)
- Labour-force participation
- 50.7%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.7%
- Employed full-time
- 1,030
- Employed part-time
- 938
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Noosa Heads
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Noosa Heads is January (average daytime high around 28.1°C) and the coolest is July (around 20.4°C). The area receives roughly 1191 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.1°C | 21.2°C | 120 mm |
| Feb | 27.7°C | 21.1°C | 207 mm |
| Mar | 27.2°C | 20.5°C | 162 mm |
| Apr | 24.9°C | 17.6°C | 76 mm |
| May | 22.5°C | 14.6°C | 97 mm |
| Jun | 20.6°C | 12.3°C | 56 mm |
| Jul | 20.4°C | 11.3°C | 52 mm |
| Aug | 21.8°C | 11.8°C | 38 mm |
| Sep | 23.6°C | 14°C | 43 mm |
| Oct | 25.4°C | 16.4°C | 119 mm |
| Nov | 27.1°C | 18.4°C | 98 mm |
| Dec | 27.9°C | 20.2°C | 123 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Noosa Heads
Where is Noosa Heads?
Noosa Heads is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Noosa Heads?
At the 2021 Census, Noosa Heads had a population of about 5,120.
Is Noosa Heads an advantaged area?
Noosa Heads has an ABS SEIFA score of 1063, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 87 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 87% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Noosa Heads?
Noosa Heads has average daytime highs of about 24.8°C and overnight lows of about 16.6°C, with roughly 1,191 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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