A raft of Gold Coast locations once considered affordable are now million-dollar suburbs, registering triple-digit price growth in just a decade.

According to data from PropTrack, the median price for houses and units has risen from less than $500,000 to more than $1,000,000 in 77 suburbs across the country since 2015. Of those suburbs, 48 are in the Sunshine State – 16 on the Gold Coast.

Those savvy enough to have bought a house in Tugun ten years ago are now reaping the rewards with the median house price rising a whopping 182 per cent, from $485,000 to $1,366,000.

Other top performers in the housing market were Jacobs Well in the city’s north, where the median has risen 164 per cent to $1,174,000 from $445,000 to, and Labrador, where properties worth $450,000 in 2015 are now $1,175,000 – representing a 161 per cent jump.

“Over the past decade, the Gold Coast has matured into a true metropolitan coastal city,” says Kollosche Managing Director Michael Kollosche.

“Population growth, infrastructure investment, and a sustained appetite for lifestyle living have combined to push values to record highs in suburbs that were once considered fringe or emerging.”

Covid also played a pivotal role in shifting buyer behaviour.

“The pandemic accelerated the desire for coastal living,” Michael says. “People realised they could work remotely, enjoy more space, and still have access to urban amenities. The Gold Coast offers all of that.”

In some suburbs, apartments experienced the biggest gains with Palm Beach a clear winner for returns. The median apartment price in this southern suburb spiked 222 per cent in a decade, rising from $345,000 to $1,110,000.

This result was the second-highest recorded in Australia, across both houses and apartments. It was outdone only by Casuarina, just over the QLD border, where apartment growth hit a heady 262 per cent.

Sales agent Troy Dowker says the level of growth along the southern coastline speaks to the demand for a beachside lifestyle facilitated by premium apartment living.

“High-quality development is reshaping the skyline and redefining what apartment living looks like in this part of the city,” Troy says.

“But even as supply increases through new apartment projects, prices continue to climb because the appetite for quality product remains exceptionally strong.”

TRIPLE-DIGIT GROWTH SUBURBS

HOUSES

APARTMENTS

Source: PropTrack. Only includes suburbs with median house and unit prices below $500,000 in the 12 months to August 2015, and a median house price above $1,000,000 in the 12 months to August 2025. Excludes with fewer than 30 sales in the past 12 months