Currumbin Liveability Snapshot
Currumbin Suburb Map
Currumbin, at a glance
Position: southern Gold Coast, coastal suburb centred around Currumbin Creek, just north of Tugun and south of Palm Beach
Distance to Brisbane: approximately a 1 hour 30 minute drive, traffic dependent
Commute to Gold Coast Airport: approximately 10 minutes, traffic dependent
Vibe: beach-and-creek lifestyle, village pockets, generally quieter than the main tourist strip
Best for: buyers who want proximity to the beach and Currumbin Creek, with a more local, low-rise feel
Day-to-day: beach walks, creek activities, cafés and local errands, easy access to the airport corridor
Walkability: good in the beachside and creek-adjacent pockets, more car-based away from the core
Transport: car first, bus routes along Gold Coast Highway, cycling paths through coastal corridors, rail connection via Varsity Lakes station (short drive)
Schools: catchment dependent; address must be checked via EdMap
Hazards: property specific; always check overlays and insurance early
Population size 3,850 people
Median age 45 years
Tenure in occupied private dwellings
Owned outright 35.7%
Owned with a mortgage 31.5%
Rented 29.9%
Other 2.6%
If you want the investor view as well, including how the house, unit, and duplex market behaves and what drives price movement in different Currumbin pockets, email me and I can give you a quick, plain-English summary tailored to your budget and property type.
If you are moving over from NZ, start here, at my Moving from NZ hub, with checklists, early admin steps, and Gold Coast suburb guidance.
Overview
Currumbin sits on the southern Gold Coast, built around the coastline and Currumbin Creek. It is predominantly low-rise and residential, with housing spread between beachside streets, creek-adjacent pockets, and slightly more elevated areas further inland. Compared with more high-density or nightlife-oriented areas, Currumbin generally feels more local and lifestyle-led, with activity clustered around the creek and village pockets.
Who Currumbin suits best
Currumbin suits buyers who want a coastal lifestyle with day-to-day practicality and who prefer low-rise living over apartment-dominant precincts. It is often chosen by people who value beach and creek access, a village feel, and quick airport access, without being in a major activity centre.
Why choose Currumbin
Buyers often choose Currumbin for the combination of beach and creek lifestyle and its location in the southern corridor with strong access to the airport and nearby employment and schooling options.
Housing and streetscape feel
Currumbin is primarily house-based with a mix of older beach cottages, renovated homes, and contemporary rebuilds. There are also some townhouse and unit pockets, particularly where blocks are smaller and closer to main roads or the creek. Overall built form is lower density than central or tourism-heavy suburbs.
Pocket differences that matter
Currumbin includes distinct micro-areas shaped by proximity to Currumbin Creek, the beachfront, and major road corridors. Suburb-wide statistics can be misleading because quieter residential streets and creek-adjacent pockets can feel very different from higher-traffic edges closer to main roads and visitor activity.
Getting around and commute reality
Most residents use cars for work, school runs, and larger shopping trips. Buses run along Gold Coast Highway and connect into the broader coastal corridor, while cycling and walking are common for local routines near the beach and creek. For rail commuters, Varsity Lakes is typically the closest major station, reached by a short drive.
Schools and education
Schools and education
School zoning in Queensland is address-based, not suburb-based. Eligibility depends on the exact property address and enrolment year, and EdMap should always be checked.
Primary schools your Currumbin address may be zoned for:
Currumbin State School
Palm Beach State School
Elanora State School
Currumbin Valley State School
Secondary schools your Currumbin address may be zoned for:
Palm Beach - Currumbin State High School
Elanora State High School
Nearby non-state schooling options:
Currumbin also has access to nearby independent and Catholic schools. Enrolment is typically based on application, year-level intake, and school policies rather than state catchment zoning.
Catholic options nearby
St Augustine’s Parish Primary School, Currumbin Waters
Marymount Primary School, Burleigh Waters
Marymount College, Burleigh Waters
Our Lady of the Way Catholic Primary School, North Palm Beach
Independent options nearby
St Andrew’s Lutheran College, Tallebudgera
Hillcrest Christian College, Reedy Creek
King’s Christian College, Reedy Creek
Somerset College, Mudgeeraba
When researching schools online, you will often see mixed reviews. That is common in larger or centrally located catchments with diverse student populations. Online commentary usually reflects individual experiences rather than the overall day-to-day environment. Visiting the school, understanding catchment rules, and considering your child’s specific needs will give you far more useful insight than review sites alone.
If you are relocating with kids and want help shortlisting schools and aligning catchments with your housing search, I offer a Family Relocation Concierge option; details are on my services page.
Parks, sports and lifestyle amenities
Currumbin’s lifestyle infrastructure centers on the beach and Currumbin Creek, with walking paths, water access points, and open spaces that support regular outdoor routines. There are also local parks and sporting options spread through the southern corridor, with broader facilities accessible in adjacent suburbs.
Convenience and day-to-day essentials
Day-to-day convenience is good for local errands and services, with larger retail and specialist services typically accessible in nearby centres depending on what you need. The suburb functions well for local living, but many residents still travel short distances for major shopping and appointments.
Dining and cafés
Currumbin has a café and casual dining scene that is more local and daytime-oriented than nightlife-focused. Activity is generally concentrated in village pockets and along key corridors.
Shopping and everyday services
Shopping is practical rather than destination-style. Residents typically use a mix of local convenience options plus nearby centres for larger shops, services, and appointments.
Community profile
Currumbin tends to feel stable and residential, with a strong lifestyle orientation. It has a mix of long-term locals and newer arrivals drawn by the beach-and-creek setting, with less of the late-night visitor profile seen in major entertainment precincts.
Crime and safety, relative to the Gold Coast
Currumbin is not a major activity center, so reported offense volumes are lower than those in high-foot-traffic suburbs. Based on 2024 data, Currumbin’s crime rate per capita sits below both Queensland and Australia overall, with property offenses still the dominant category, which is typical across most suburbs.
Headline figures (2024):
Crime rank – 29/100
A higher score indicates higher overall crime relative to populationTotal offences – 890
Crimes per 1,000 residents – 48.81
Queensland – higher
Australia – higherViolent crimes – 65 total
Violent crime rate – 3.57 per 1,000 residents
Queensland – ~8 per 1,000
Australia – ~11 per 1,000Property crimes – 496 total
Property crime rate – 27.20 per 1,000 residents
Most reported offence groups: Offences in Currumbin skew towards property and opportunistic incidents, with some concentration around higher-traffic corridors and visitor-access areas rather than quiet residential streets.
Top reported offence categories in 2024:
Theft – 253 offences
Drug dealing and trafficking – 167 offences
Assault and related offences – 72 offences
Likelihood of being affected:
Chance of being a victim of violent crime – 1 in 280
Queensland – 1 in 123
Australia – 1 in 89Chance of being a victim of property crime – 1 in 37
Queensland – 1 in 22
Australia – 1 in 26
Trend direction:
Total crime in Currumbin increased by 48.15% from 2023 to 2024
Long-term trends show generally lower offence volumes than high-activity precincts, with year-to-year swings more noticeable in smaller suburbs where the base number is lower.
Bottom line: Currumbin is generally lower risk than major centres, but practical pocket selection still matters, and buyers should prioritise good security, parking, and street-level checks around any shortlisted address.
Data source: RedSuburbs, 2024. Based on Queensland Police Service offence data and ABS Census population figures. For street-level detail by offence type and time period, the Queensland Police Online Crime Map allows address-specific filtering.
Socioeconomic context, SEIFA
SEIFA provides area-level context rather than insight into individual households. A lower score indicates greater relative disadvantage, and a higher score indicates less disadvantage.
For Currumbin (SA2 Currumbin - Tugun), the Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD) score is 1,033.4, placing it around decile 7 out of 10 nationally (higher decile indicates less disadvantage).
This score is influenced by the area’s housing mix and household income characteristics across the wider SA2, rather than any one street.
Plain English takeaway: Currumbin trends towards relative advantage overall, but lived experience still varies by pocket, housing type, and proximity to main roads and activity zones.
Price and rental context
Currumbin is mixed, with a strong house market and smaller unit and townhouse pockets. Because the suburb includes higher-value homes in lifestyle locations, medians can move based on a relatively small number of sales in a given year.
Median house price – $1.52m
Median unit price – $970k
Median 4 bedroom house rent – $1,200 per week
Median unit rent – $1,100 per week
Medians sourced from realestate.com.au, for 12 months to December 2025.
Plain English takeaway: Currumbin medians are useful for broad orientation, but the practical reality is that pocket, land, and proximity to beach or creek can shift value materially either side of the suburb median.
Flood, bushfire and natural hazard considerations
Currumbin includes areas influenced by Currumbin Creek and low-lying coastal conditions, so flood overlays may apply to some properties, particularly those closer to waterways or lower elevations. Other overlays, including bushfire mapping, are property specific. Insurance premiums can vary materially by address, so it is worth getting an insurance quote early.
Quick take: pros and trade-offs
Pros:
Beach and creek lifestyle, lower-rise character, strong southern corridor access, airport proximity, village pockets, and walkable routines in key areas.
Trade-offs:
Pocket-to-pocket variability, traffic impact near main road corridors, flood overlays in some low-lying areas, and suburb-wide medians can be less representative for specific pockets.
Helpful links
These tools are address-specific, so always check the exact property before relying on suburb-wide assumptions.
School catchments, EdMap
Queensland Police crime map RedSuburb crime statistics Median sale and rental pricing realestate.com.au ABS SEIFA index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage at SA2 level City of Gold Coast flood planning map
FloodCheck Queensland
City of Gold Coast bushfire overlay mapping
Helpful note
Currumbin is a suburb where the difference between a street near the creek or beach and a busier corridor edge can be material, so shortlist by pocket early and then validate schools, overlays, and street feel against your day-to-day needs.
If you want, I am happy to sanity-check a specific street, school catchment, or property against how you want to live day to day - Lets Talk
