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Sunshine Coast CouncilCommunity profile

Sunshine Coast

Dwelling type

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In Sunshine Coast, 28.6% of the dwellings were medium or high density, compared to 31% in South East Queensland.

Dwelling Type is an important determinant of Sunshine Coast's residential role and function. A greater concentration of higher density dwellings is likely to attract more young adults and smaller households, often renting. Larger, detached or separate dwellings are more likely to attract families and prospective families. The residential built form often reflects market opportunities or planning policy, such as building denser forms of housing around public transport nodes or employment centres.

Dwelling Type statistics should be viewed in conjunction with Household Size, Household Types, Housing Tenure and Age Structure for a more complete picture of the housing market in Sunshine Coast.

If you're looking at this data to prepare a housing strategy, learn more here.

Q:

Derived from the Census:

'Dwelling Structure is derived from the ABS address register supplemented with information from Census Field Officers.'

Dwelling structure
Sunshine Coast - Dwellings (Enumerated)20212016Change
Dwelling typeNumber%South East Queensland %Number%South East Queensland %2016 to 2021
Separate house103,12669.468.090,75369.870.5+12,373
Medium density26,72518.017.822,56017.417.2+4,165
High density15,83710.713.312,5609.710.8+3,277
Caravans, cabin, houseboat1,9551.30.63,1032.40.9-1,148
Other3520.20.12430.20.2+109
Not stated6510.40.37590.60.4-108
Total Private Dwellings148,646100.0100.0129,978100.0100.0+18,668
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Dwelling type
Sunshine Coast20212016Change
Dwelling typeNumber%South East Queensland %Number%South East Queensland %2016 to 2021
Occupied private dwellings135,51290.992.3116,41989.391.4+19,093
Unoccupied private dwellings13,1268.87.613,56010.48.5-434
Non private dwellings3720.20.14000.30.2-28
Total dwellings149,010100.0100.0130,379100.0100.0+18,631
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions).
Please refer to specific data notes for more information

Dominant groups

In 2021, there were 103,126 separate houses in the area, 26,725 medium density dwellings, and 15,837 high density dwellings. In addition, there were 1,955 caravans/cabins/houseboats in the area.

Analysis of the types of dwellings in Sunshine Coast in 2021 shows that 69.4% of all dwellings were separate houses; 18.0% were medium density dwellings, and 10.7% were in high density dwellings, compared with 68.0%, 17.8%, and 13.3% in the South East Queensland respectively.

In 2021, a total of 90.9% of the dwellings in Sunshine Coast were occupied on Census night, compared to 92.3% in South East Queensland. The proportion of unoccupied dwellings was 8.8%, which is larger compared to that found in South East Queensland (7.6%).

Emerging groups

The total number of dwellings in Sunshine Coast increased by 18,631 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest changes in the type of dwellings found in Sunshine Coast between 2016 and 2021 were:

  • Separate house (+12,373 dwellings)
  • Medium density (+4,165 dwellings)
  • High density (+3,277 dwellings)
  • Caravans, cabin, houseboat (-1,148 dwellings)

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