Maroochydore, QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Maroochydore is the commercial heart of Queensland's Sunshine Coast, set where the Maroochy River meets the Coral Sea about 100 kilometres north of Brisbane. Its name comes from a Yuggera-language word, recorded as Muru-kutchi, said to mean red-bill and to refer to the black swans of the river. Long a holiday destination, it has grown into the region's main business and shopping centre, anchored by the riverside Sunshine Plaza and a busy bus interchange. Visitors come for the patrolled surf beaches, the calm river mouth popular with paddlers and families, and easy access to the wider Sunshine Coast. Coastal cafés, parks, and the foreshore boardwalk round out the laid-back appeal.
Around the national middle
Maroochydore is more socio-economically advantaged than about 50% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 987, 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.
Maroochydore at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 20,629
- Median age
- 47
- Median weekly household income
- $1,360
- SEIFA score
- 987
- Coordinates
- -26.6552, 153.0847
Maroochydore demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Maroochydore 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 27%, 42% of homes are rented, and 26% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 2,227 | 11% |
| Youth (15–24) | 2,133 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 5,523 | 27% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 5,159 | 25% |
| Seniors (65+) | 5,588 | 27% |
Share of the 20,630 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,791 | 32% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,920 | 22% |
| Rented | 3,731 | 42% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 3,322 | 38% |
| Townhouses & semis | 2,137 | 24% |
| Flats & apartments | 3,239 | 37% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 8,854 occupied private dwellings in Maroochydore.
- Median weekly rent
- $410
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,733
- Average household size
- 2.1 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,769
- Median weekly personal income
- $771
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 5,020 (26%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 2,072 (11%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 452 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 9,784 (54%)
- Labour-force participation
- 54.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.6%
- Employed full-time
- 5,024
- Employed part-time
- 3,463
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 Maroochydore
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Maroochydore is January (average daytime high around 28.4°C) and the coolest is July (around 20.4°C). The area receives roughly 1234 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.4°C | 20.9°C | 136 mm |
| Feb | 28°C | 20.8°C | 187 mm |
| Mar | 27.4°C | 20.2°C | 171 mm |
| Apr | 24.9°C | 17.2°C | 83 mm |
| May | 22.4°C | 14.3°C | 104 mm |
| Jun | 20.5°C | 12.1°C | 62 mm |
| Jul | 20.4°C | 11.2°C | 53 mm |
| Aug | 21.8°C | 11.6°C | 42 mm |
| Sep | 23.8°C | 13.8°C | 47 mm |
| Oct | 25.6°C | 16.2°C | 118 mm |
| Nov | 27.4°C | 18.1°C | 94 mm |
| Dec | 28.2°C | 19.9°C | 137 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Maroochydore
Where is Maroochydore?
Maroochydore is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Maroochydore?
At the 2021 Census, Maroochydore had a population of about 20,629.
Is Maroochydore an advantaged area?
Maroochydore has an ABS SEIFA score of 987, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 50 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 50% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Maroochydore?
Maroochydore has average daytime highs of about 24.9°C and overnight lows of about 16.4°C, with roughly 1,234 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Maroochydore?
Maroochydore is one of the most populous suburbs in Queensland — the 15th-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 20,629 usual residents).
Where Maroochydore ranks
Maroochydore appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in Queensland#15 of 25
Nearby suburbs in Queensland
More suburb guides in Queensland
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.