Suburb Deep Dives · 26 October 2026 · 7 min read
Burleigh Heads (QLD 4219) in Focus 2026: Is It a Good Investment? R-Score 79/100, 4% Yield & Best Streets
Is Burleigh Heads (QLD 4219) a good suburb to invest in 2026? Our September 2026 quantitative audit scores Burleigh Heads at 79/100 (Ranked #3,276 of 15,286 suburbs), with a $2,077,500 median house price (+13.5% 12m), $1600/wk rent (4% yield), and 46 top-tier streets scoring 75–100/100.
Market Classification: Established Family & Commuter Corridor · R-Score: 79/100 (National Rank #3,276 of 15,286) · Street Average: 39/100 across 161 streets.
Burleigh Heads (QLD 4219) represents a bread-and-butter Australian family housing market($2,077,500 median price, $1600/wk rent, 4% gross yield) supported by +7.1% 3-year council population movement. Here, investment returns are determined almost entirely by micro-location: separating quiet, >65% owner-occupied pockets from main-road or high-public-housing blocks.
“I would pay close attention to the street data here. Three streets score 100 with 82% owner-occupation, but 79 of 131 streets score below 50. That spread matters more than the suburb label, particularly when an 80% LVR purchase already shows negative cashflow of $837 a week.”
Below is our full September 2026 quantitative and street-level breakdown for Burleigh Heads (QLD 4219), combining 36 months of settled price and rental history from our Aurora research warehouse, council-level supply and employment data for Gold Coast (QLD), and block-by-block ABS 2021 Census SA1 tenure and yield rankings across 13,196 residential addresses.
1. Burleigh Heads (QLD) 3-Year Market Trajectory & 27-Indicator R-Score (September 2026)
Over the past 12 months, Burleigh Heads’s median house price moved +13.5% (from $1,830,000 to $2,077,500), bringing its 3-year cumulative price movement to +13.2% (from $1,835,000 three years ago). On the rental side, median weekly asking rents moved +14.3% over the past year to $1600/wk (+39.9% over 36 months), equating to a 4% gross rental yield. Compared with 12 months ago—when Burleigh Heads carried an R-Score of 89/100—its current composite R-Score of 79/100 represents a -10-point shift in underlying market pressure.
| Indicator / R-Score Pillar | Burleigh Heads (QLD) Current | 12-Month / 36-Month Context |
|---|---|---|
| Composite Suburb R-Score | 79 / 100 | Ranked #3,276 of 15,286 suburbs (was 89/100 12m ago) |
| Median House Price | $2,077,500 | 12m change: +13.5% · 36m change: +13.2% |
| Median Weekly Rent & Gross Yield | $1600/wk (4%) | 12m rent change: +14.3% · 36m rent change: +39.9% |
| Rental Vacancy & Days on Market | 2.5% vacancy | Median selling time: 84 days on market (1.5% vacancy is the tight-market line) |
| Pillar 1: Buyer Demand | 32 / 100 | Measures days-on-market compression, vendor discounting & sales velocity |
| Pillar 2: Supply & Ownership | 35 / 100 | Measures stock on market, building approvals vs stock & owner-occupier share |
| Pillar 3: Price Momentum | 53 / 100 | Measures short/medium-term price velocity vs Gold Coast & QLD |
| Pillar 4: Yield Pressure | 53 / 100 | Measures gross rental yield, rent trajectory & vacancy compression |
2. The “Two-Speed Suburb” Test: Best & Worst Streets in Burleigh Heads (QLD)
Why do two 4-bedroom houses in Burleigh Heads achieve completely different bank valuations and tenant quality? Because suburb medians blend every pocket together. When we map all 13,196 addresses across 161 streets in Burleigh Heads through G-NAF to their ABS 2021 Census SA1 blocks, the suburb splits into three distinct tiers:
- Strong Street Profile (Score 75–100): 46 streets (35% of scored streets) pass both ABS Census tenure tests (owner-occupiers >65% and public housing ≤5%) plus at least one—or both—of the Burleigh Heads rent and yield benchmarks.
- Mid / Mixed Street Profile (Score 50–74): 6 streets pass the core owner-occupier and public-housing thresholds but sit below the suburb median on weekly rent or yield.
- Weaker / Caution Street Profile (Score 0–25): 79 streets fail one or both census tenure thresholds—meaning either owner-occupation sits at or below 65% or state/community public housing exceeds 5% on those specific SA1 blocks.
Top 5 Highest-Scoring Streets in Burleigh Heads (QLD)
These streets sit in SA1 census blocks with high homeowner pride of ownership, minimal social housing concentration, and strong block-level rents (inspect all 161 streets in Burleigh Heads):
| Top Street in Burleigh Heads | Street Score | Addresses | Owner-Occupiers | Public Housing | SA1 Rent & Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Vantage Point Drive | 100/100 | 97 | 82% | 0% | $1225/wk (4.9%) |
| #2 Fleay Court | 100/100 | 34 | 82% | 0% | $1225/wk (4.9%) |
| #3 Gabrielle Grove | 100/100 | 13 | 82% | 0% | $1225/wk (4.9%) |
| #4 Matilda Street | 92/100 | 198 | 81% | 0.9% | $1217/wk (4.8%) |
| #5 Kortum Drive | 86/100 | 201 | 83% | 0% | $1131/wk (4.8%) |
Streets Where Block-Level Tenure Trails the Burleigh Heads Average
By contrast, the streets below run through SA1 census blocks that fail one or more of our tenure or rental tests. A lower Street Score is not a judgement of any individual house, but it highlights where higher renter turnover or public housing concentration exists within Burleigh Heads:
| Caution Street Sample | Street Score | Addresses | Owner-Occupiers | Public Housing | SA1 Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephens Street | 0/100 | 145 | 47% | 10.8% | $1000/wk |
| Gardenia Grove | 0/100 | 49 | 54% | 9.2% | $975/wk |
| Lemana Lane | 0/100 | 44 | 54% | 9.2% | $975/wk |
3. Economic & Supply Drivers in Gold Coast Council (Queensland)
Burleigh Heads sits within the Gold Coast Local Government Area, which has a residential population of approximately 691,230 (+7.1% population movement over the past 3 years) and 239,549 total dwellings. Three council-level fundamentals shape Burleigh Heads’s medium-term outlook:
- Local Employment Diversity (ABS Census): The largest employment sectors across Gold Coast are Health Care and Social Assistance (13%), Retail Trade (12%), Accommodation and Food Services (11%), Construction (9%). Multi-sector employment reduces reliance on any single employer or commodity cycle.
- New Building Approvals vs. Existing Stock: Over the latest 12-month financial year, Gold Coast approved 3% new dwelling stock (~7,611.857 dwellings). Because new approvals exceed 1.8% of stock, investors in Burleigh Heads must avoid generic greenfield house-and-land pockets and stick to established, built-out streets.
- Tracked Infrastructure Pipeline: Gold Coast currently has $21.1 billion in tracked major infrastructure projects (placing it in the 95th percentile of Australian councils).
4. Worked Cashflow, Deposit & 80% LVR Stress-Test for Burleigh Heads (September 2026)
What does it actually cost to acquire and hold a typical house in Burleigh Heads at today’s median price of $2,077,500 and median rent of $1600/wk? Below is the baseline 80% Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) model we use to stress-test serviceability before shortlisting a property:
| Cashflow & Capital Item | Burleigh Heads Worked Figure | Assumptions & Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase Price (Suburb Median) | $2,077,500 | Settled house median as of September 2026 |
| 20% Deposit + Est. Stamp Duty & Costs | $515,220 | $415,500 deposit (80% LVR) + ~$99,720 stamp duty, legal & inspection allowance (can be funded via usable home equity) |
| 80% LVR Loan Amount | $1,662,000 | Standard no-LMI investor loan threshold |
| Gross Annual Rental Income | $83,200/yr ($1600/wk) | 4% gross rental yield before vacancies and expenses |
| Est. Annual Interest + Operating Costs | $126,728/yr | Assumes 6.25% interest-only ($103,875/yr) + ~1.1% for council rates, insurance & property management ($22,853/yr) |
| Pre-Tax Weekly Cashflow Position | -$837/wk top-up | Before tax deductions / depreciation (confirm post-tax position with your accountant) |
5. Who Should Buy in Burleigh Heads—And 3 Rules Before You Make an Offer
Solid 79/100 R-Score Backed by Gold Coast Fundamentals. Based on our September 2026 data, Burleigh Heads is best suited to higher-income professionals, medical practitioners, and upgraders with strong cashflow buffers targeting scarce land in an owner-occupier dominated suburb.
- Never Buy Blind on the Suburb Median: In Burleigh Heads, 79 streets score below 50/100 on our census tenure and yield tests. Always run the exact street through the Burleigh Heads Street Score Hub and target the 46 streets scoring 75–100/100.
- Check Lot-Level Overlays (Flood, Bushfire, Slope & Easements): Even on a 100/100 streetlike Vantage Point Drive, individual lots can carry overland flow paths, steep gradients, or sewer easements that restrict granny-flat additions or spike insurance premiums.
- Price Against Street-Matched Settled Comparables: Do not let a selling agent justify an asking price on a 25/100 street using comparable sales from a 100/100 street. Compare settled sales within the same SA1 Street Score band.
If there's a specific street you're weighing up right now, check its Street Score first — it's free, takes ten seconds, and tells you whether that street is pulling the suburb average up or riding on it.
Market data & R-Scores for locations in this article
Drill Down Into the Markets Mentioned Above
Inspect live monthly R-Scores, median prices, rental yields, and street-by-street scores for the cities and council areas referenced in this article:
Frequently asked questions
Is Burleigh Heads (QLD 4219) a good suburb for property investment in 2026?
As of September 2026, Burleigh Heads (QLD 4219) scores 79/100 on the 27-indicator Ripehouse R-Score (ranked #3,276 of 15,286 Australian suburbs). It is classified as a Established Family & Commuter Corridor with a median house price of $2,077,500, median rent of $1600/wk (4% gross yield), and vacancy rate of 2.5%.
How have house prices and rents performed in Burleigh Heads over the past 1 to 3 years?
Over the past 12 months, Burleigh Heads’s median house price moved +13.5% to $2,077,500, and +13.2% over the past 36 months. Median weekly asking rents moved +14.3% over the past year to $1600/wk (4% gross yield).
What are the highest and lowest scoring streets in Burleigh Heads, QLD?
Across 161 streets (13,196 addresses) in Burleigh Heads, 46 streets score 75 to 100 on the Ripehouse Street Score, led by Vantage Point Drive (100/100, 82% owner-occupied), Fleay Court (100/100, 82% owner-occupied), Gabrielle Grove (100/100, 82% owner-occupied). Meanwhile, 79 streets score below 50 due to lower owner-occupation or public housing concentration above 5%.
How much deposit and weekly cashflow is needed to buy a median house in Burleigh Heads?
At Burleigh Heads’s median house price of $2,077,500, an 80% LVR purchase ($1,662,000 loan) requires approximately $515,220 in cash or usable home equity ($415,500 deposit plus around $99,720 for stamp duty and acquisition costs). At $1600/wk rent and a 6.25% interest-only benchmark, estimated pre-tax cashflow is -$837/wk before tax deductions.
What is the housing supply pipeline and economic profile of Gold Coast Council?
Burleigh Heads is located in the Gold Coast (QLD) Local Government Area (population around 691,230, +7.1% 3yr growth). Annual building approvals sit at 3% of existing dwelling stock. Tracked major infrastructure spend is $21.1B. Top employment sectors are Health Care and Social Assistance (13%), Retail Trade (12%), Accommodation and Food Services (11%).
General information only. It does not take your objectives, financial situation or needs into account, and nothing here is legal, financial, taxation or investment advice specific to your circumstances.