Parkwood Liveability Snapshot
Parkwood, at a glance
Position, central northern Gold Coast, between Southport, Helensvale and the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct
Distance to Brisbane, approximately a 1 hour drive
Commute to Gold Coast Airport, approximately 40 minutes
Vibe, practical, central, mixed residential, transport-oriented
Best for, buyers wanting central location, transport access, and proximity to jobs, hospitals and university
Day-to-day, practical and urban-residential, centred on commuting, errands, and local routines
Walkability is low to moderate, better near shops, schools and tram-accessible pockets
Transport: strong, close to the tram line, easy access to Smith Street and the M1
Schools are catchment dependent, multiple state primary and secondary options depending on street
Hazards are property-specific, with some flood and bushfire overlays in edge pockets
If you want the investor view as well, including how the house, townhouse, and unit market behaves and what drives price movement across different Parkwood 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
Parkwood is a centrally located suburb in the northern Gold Coast, positioned between Southport, Helensvale and the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct. It has a more urban, practical feel than many outer family suburbs, with strong access to employment, education, and transport.
Housing and liveability vary significantly by pocket, so Parkwood tends to reward buyers who are specific about street selection rather than relying on suburb-wide impressions.
Who Parkwood suits best
Parkwood suits professionals, health and education workers, and buyers who value location and connectivity over a traditional suburban lifestyle. It is often chosen by people working at the hospital, university, or nearby commercial centres, as well as buyers wanting quicker access to the central Gold Coast.
If your priority is a quiet, estate-style family suburb with consistent streetscape, Parkwood may feel too mixed and pocket-dependent.
Why choose Parkwood
Parkwood is often chosen for its central positioning and access to employment, transport and services. For many residents, the appeal lies in reducing commute times and staying close to major job hubs rather than seeking a lifestyle-focused suburb.
It suits buyers who value practicality, flexibility and connectivity, and who are comfortable with a suburb that feels functional rather than uniform.
Housing and streetscape feel
Parkwood has a broad mix of housing types. You will find older detached homes, renovated houses, townhouse complexes, and unit pockets, as well as newer infill developments.
Street feel can change quickly from one area to the next. Some pockets feel settled and residential, while others are busier or more transient. As with Southport and Labrador, liveability is very street and building specific.
Getting around and commute reality
Parkwood is well positioned for getting around the Gold Coast. It has close access to the G Link tram via nearby stations, making it easier to reach Southport, Broadbeach and beyond without relying solely on a car.
Road connectivity is also strong, with Smith Street providing east–west access and quick links to the M1. Driving is still common for daily errands, but Parkwood offers more transport flexibility than many northern suburbs.
Schools and education
State school zoning in Queensland is address-based, not suburb-name based. Parkwood overlaps multiple catchment areas, so the only reliable way to confirm eligibility is to check the exact address in EdMap for the relevant year level and enrolment year.
Primary schools your Parkwood address may be zoned for:
Parkwood State School
Arundel State School for some pockets
Labrador State School for some edge pockets
Secondary schools your Parkwood address may be zoned for:
Southport State High School
Keebra Park State High School
Pacific Pines State High School for some pockets
When researching Parkwood schools online, you will often see mixed commentary. That is common in centrally located suburbs with diverse housing and feeder patterns.
Online reviews usually reflect individual experiences rather than the overall day-to-day environment. Visiting the school, understanding catchment rules, and considering your child’s individual 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
Parkwood has access to a mix of local parks, sporting facilities, and green spaces. While it does not have a single standout lifestyle precinct, it benefits from proximity to larger parks and amenities in surrounding suburbs.
Its location makes it easy to access the Broadwater, beaches, and major shopping and entertainment areas within a short drive or tram ride.
Convenience and day-to-day essentials
Parkwood is practical for everyday living, with local shops, schools, medical services and quick access to major retail centres in Southport, Helensvale and Harbour Town.
For most residents, errands are straightforward and commuting options are flexible.
Dining and cafés
Dining in Parkwood is limited and practical, with most cafés and casual eateries catering to everyday needs rather than destination dining. Residents typically rely on neighbouring suburbs for a broader food and café scene.
Shopping and everyday services
Parkwood offers convenient access to daily essentials, with local shops and services supported by nearby major retail centres in Southport, Helensvale and Harbour Town. This suits residents who prioritise access over atmosphere.
Community profile
Parkwood has a mixed community profile. You will find owner-occupiers, renters, professionals, families and students, reflecting its central location and housing diversity.
It generally feels more transient than Helensvale, but more residential than Southport’s CBD pockets.
Crime and safety
Parkwood ranks as a low to moderate crime suburb within the Gold Coast, with crime levels that sit below Queensland and national averages on a per-capita basis, particularly for violent crime. Based on 2024 data, Parkwood records very low violent crime rates, with most reported offences being non-violent and opportunistic, rather than related to personal safety within residential streets.
Headline figures (2024):
Crime rank – 10/100
Lower score indicates lower overall crime relative to populationTotal offences – 473
Crimes per 1,000 residents – 53.5
Queensland – higher
Australia – higherViolent crimes – 22 total
Violent crime rate – 2.49 per 1,000 residents
Queensland – ~8 per 1,000
Australia – ~11 per 1,000Property crimes – 305 total
Property crime rate – 34.5 per 1,000 residents
Most reported offence groups: Crime in Parkwood is overwhelmingly non-violent, with theft and activity-related offences accounting for the majority of reports.
Top reported offence categories in 2024:
Theft – 237 offences
Drug dealing and trafficking – 49 offences
Burglary and break and enter – 27 offences
These figures reflect Parkwood’s proximity to major arterial roads, shopping areas and neighbouring activity centres, rather than elevated risk within quiet residential pockets.
Likelihood of being affected
Chance of being a victim of violent crime – 1 in 402
Queensland – 1 in 123
Australia – 1 in 89Chance of being a victim of property crime – 1 in 29
Queensland – 1 in 22
Australia – 1 in 26
This reinforces the key takeaway for Parkwood – violent crime risk is very low, while property crime is the primary consideration, consistent with many well-located suburban areas.
Trend direction
Total crime in Parkwood increased by 1.94% from 2023 to 2024
Longer-term trends show moderate fluctuation, broadly aligned with population growth and movement through nearby commercial and transport corridors rather than sharp or sustained increases.
Bottom line: Parkwood performs well from a crime perspective, particularly for violent crime, which is substantially lower than state and national benchmarks. Most offences relate to theft and activity-driven crime rather than residential safety. For buyers and renters, the data supports a suburb that feels stable, liveable and largely residential, with crime patterns influenced more by location and movement than neighbourhood risk.
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 Parkwood (SA2 Parkwood), the Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD) score is approximately 1005, placing it around decile 6 out of 10 nationally (higher decile indicates less disadvantage).
Parkwood’s SEIFA profile reflects its mix of housing types, higher rental proportion in some pockets, and proximity to major employment and education precincts.
Plain English takeaway
Parkwood sits slightly above the middle on SEIFA overall, but lived experience varies a lot by street, housing type and proximity to main roads.
Price and rental context
Parkwood generally sits in the more accessible price range for central Gold Coast suburbs, with pricing shaped strongly by housing type and exact location.
Median house price, around $1.20m
Median unit price, around $761k
Median 4 bedroom house rent, around $900 per week
Median unit rent, around $730 per week
Medians sourced from realestate.com.au, based on the past 12 months of sales and rental listings shown in their Parkwood market profile and rent insights.
Plain English takeaway: Parkwood can offer comparatively affordable entry into a central Gold Coast location, but price and liveability vary significantly by street and property type.
Flood, bushfire, and natural hazard considerations
Flood risk in Parkwood is property specific and more relevant near waterways, drainage lines, and low-lying land. Many properties will have no overlay, but checks are essential.
Bushfire overlays can apply in pockets that back onto bushland or reserves, particularly on the suburb edges. As with all suburbs, overlays are address specific.
As with any area where overlays may apply, insurance premiums can vary by property, so it is worth getting an insurance quote early in your decision-making process.
Quick take, pros and trade-offs
Pros:
Central location, strong access to jobs and transport, proximity to hospital and university, more flexible commuting options than many northern suburbs.
Trade-offs:
Very pocket dependent, mixed housing quality, less consistent streetscape, not a traditional family estate suburb.
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
City of Gold Coast flood planning map
FloodCheck Queensland
City of Gold Coast bushfire overlay mapping RedSuburb crime statistics
Helpful note
Parkwood is a suburb where address-level due diligence really matters. If you are shortlisting it, narrow to specific streets or complexes and check schools, transport access, and overlays for those exact locations rather than relying on suburb-wide averages.
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
