Southport (Qld), QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Southport is the most populous suburb of the Gold Coast and home to the city's central business district, set where the Nerang River empties into The Broadwater at the southern end of Moreton Bay. First known as Nerang Creek Heads, it was renamed Southport as the southernmost port of colonial Queensland, surveyed in the 1870s as a timber port shipping logs north to Brisbane. Its fortunes turned in the 1880s when the Queensland Governor, Sir Anthony Musgrave, chose it for his summer residence — the 'Summer Place' — sealing the township's reputation as the colony's pre-eminent seaside resort, soon served by a pier and a railway. Long associated with grand schools such as The Southport School and St Hilda's, Southport is today the Gold Coast's civic heart, with the G:link tram, the Broadwater Parklands, and a riverside university-and-hospital precinct.
Less advantaged than the national average
Southport (Qld) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 39% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 968, 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.
Southport (Qld) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 36,786
- Median age
- 37
- Median weekly household income
- $1,268
- SEIFA score
- 968
- Coordinates
- -27.9751, 153.3987
Southport (Qld) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Southport (Qld) 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 young adults (25–44) at 31%, 58% of homes are rented, and 41% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 4,196 | 11% |
| Youth (15–24) | 5,996 | 16% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 11,403 | 31% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 8,097 | 22% |
| Seniors (65+) | 7,099 | 19% |
Share of the 36,791 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 3,154 | 20% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,766 | 18% |
| Rented | 8,948 | 58% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 3,684 | 24% |
| Townhouses & semis | 3,238 | 21% |
| Flats & apartments | 8,437 | 55% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 15,460 occupied private dwellings in Southport (Qld).
- Median weekly rent
- $410
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,647
- Average household size
- 2.1 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,569
- Median weekly personal income
- $666
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 13,995 (41%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 9,059 (27%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 799 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 19,696 (62%)
- Labour-force participation
- 57.4%
- Unemployment rate
- 7.8%
- Employed full-time
- 8,391
- Employed part-time
- 6,702
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 Southport (Qld)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Southport (Qld) is January (average daytime high around 27.4°C) and the coolest is July (around 20.2°C). The area receives roughly 1098 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27.4°C | 21.9°C | 108 mm |
| Feb | 27.3°C | 21.8°C | 182 mm |
| Mar | 26.7°C | 21.2°C | 171 mm |
| Apr | 24.6°C | 18.7°C | 64 mm |
| May | 22.5°C | 16.1°C | 88 mm |
| Jun | 20.5°C | 13.9°C | 66 mm |
| Jul | 20.2°C | 12.7°C | 49 mm |
| Aug | 21.3°C | 13.3°C | 49 mm |
| Sep | 22.9°C | 15.1°C | 43 mm |
| Oct | 24.3°C | 17.4°C | 89 mm |
| Nov | 25.8°C | 19.1°C | 70 mm |
| Dec | 27°C | 20.8°C | 119 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Southport (Qld)
Where is Southport (Qld)?
Southport (Qld) is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Southport (Qld)?
At the 2021 Census, Southport (Qld) had a population of about 36,786.
Is Southport (Qld) an advantaged area?
Southport (Qld) has an ABS SEIFA score of 968, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 39 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 39% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Southport (Qld)?
Southport (Qld) has average daytime highs of about 24.2°C and overnight lows of about 17.7°C, with roughly 1,098 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Southport (Qld)?
Southport (Qld) is the most populous suburb in Queensland at the 2021 Census (about 36,786 usual residents).
Where Southport (Qld) ranks
Southport (Qld) appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in Queensland#1 of 25
- Largest suburbs in Australia#22 of 25
Nearby suburbs in Queensland
More suburb guides in Queensland
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.