Burleigh Heads, QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Burleigh Heads is a coastal suburb on the southern Gold Coast, about 13 km south of Surfers Paradise in the City of Gold Coast. It is best known for its north-facing surf beach and the world-class point break that wraps around the headland, which draws professional surfing events. The rocky cape itself is protected as Burleigh Head National Park, a pocket of eucalypt forest and rainforest above the sea, while the James Street precinct behind the beach has become one of the coast's busiest dining strips. The headland was named 'Burly Head' by a surveyor in 1840, later spelt Burleigh. Indigenous Australians lived in the area for thousands of years before European settlement.
More advantaged than the national average
Burleigh Heads is more socio-economically advantaged than about 79% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1040, 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.
Burleigh Heads at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 10,572
- Median age
- 42
- Median weekly household income
- $1,701
- SEIFA score
- 1040
- Coordinates
- -28.1108, 153.4322
Burleigh Heads demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Burleigh 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 young adults (25–44) at 30%, 34% of homes are rented, and 23% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,380 | 13% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,034 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 3,213 | 30% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 2,639 | 25% |
| Seniors (65+) | 2,306 | 22% |
Share of the 10,572 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,435 | 34% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,250 | 29% |
| Rented | 1,424 | 34% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,657 | 39% |
| Townhouses & semis | 587 | 14% |
| Flats & apartments | 1,982 | 47% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 4,257 occupied private dwellings in Burleigh Heads.
- Median weekly rent
- $480
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,058
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,164
- Median weekly personal income
- $889
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 2,258 (23%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 767 (8%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 201 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 5,383 (60%)
- Labour-force participation
- 61%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.6%
- Employed full-time
- 2,883
- Employed part-time
- 1,941
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 Burleigh Heads
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Burleigh Heads 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 Burleigh Heads
Where is Burleigh Heads?
Burleigh Heads is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Burleigh Heads?
At the 2021 Census, Burleigh Heads had a population of about 10,572.
Is Burleigh Heads an advantaged area?
Burleigh Heads has an ABS SEIFA score of 1040, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 79 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 79% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Burleigh Heads?
Burleigh Heads 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).
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