The Gold Coast consists of 81 suburbs/localities, stretching 67km from Stapylton in the north all the way down to Coolangatta in the south. As with any city, it's important to consider safety when choosing where to live. While the Gold Coast is a generally safe city, it's still useful to know which suburbs have higher crime rates than others. In this post, we'll be taking a closer look at the Gold Coast suburbs with the highest crime rates, so you can make an informed decision about where to call home.
So, which are the worst Gold Coast suburbs with the highest crime rates?
Gold Coast suburbs with the highest number of crimes
While the Gold Coast suburbs with the highest number of reported crimes are Surfers Paradise, Southport, Broadbeach, Robina, Coomera, Labrador, Nerang, Helensvale, Pimpama and Broadbeach, it is useful to consider this relative to the size of the population of the suburb, as some of these suburbs are also some of the largest in terms of number of people that live there.
So, when looking at the crime rate, we take into account all offences reported to police in an area over a 12-month period and calculate it per 1,000 residents of the area/suburb. The Gold Coast average number of reported offences is 76.8 offences per '000 residents (an increase of 6.2 offences per '000 since 2021).
Gold Coast suburbs with highest crime rate
Looking at the crime rates across the different areas of the Gold Coast, it becomes very apparent that the tourism and entertainment precincts (areas with a lot of businesses, shops, hotels, bars, cafes, restaurants, nightclubs) tend to have the highest crime rates.
1. Broadbeach
Broadbeach is known for its restaurants, cafes and vibrant nightlife and is popular with tourists due to its proximity to Surfers Paradise. The suburb has a particularly high crime rate (353.2 per '000) with a high number offences (2,397 offences) compared to its relatively small permanent population (6,786 residents).
2. Surfers Paradise
The heartbeat of the Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise is an epicenter of activity with its many bars, cafes, nightclubs, restaurants and shops and a transient population. Surfers Paradise recorded the highest number of offences in the 12-month period, a total of 6,679 offences, resulting in a crime rate of 248.9 per '000 residents.
3. Southport
Located just north of Surfers Paradise, Southport is home to the Gold Coast's CBD and also many bars, restaurants, shops and holiday accommodation. In the 12-month period, 5,938 offences were reported to police, that's a crime rate of 158.8 per '000 residents.
4. Broadbeach Waters
Close to 60% of all reported crimes happen in or around the famous Pacific Fair Shopping Centre. So, although this suburb comes in at number 4, with a crime rate of 140.6 per '000 residents from 1,158 reported offences, it is probably not a true reflection of the safety of this suburb. If the Shopping Centre wasn't located in the Broadbeach Waters suburb, then the crime rate would sit far below the Gold Coast City average.
5. Main Beach
Main Beach is a northern extension to Surfers Paradise, and similarly has a high proportion of holiday homes and hotels and only has a relatively small permanent population. In the 12-month period 547 offences were reported in the area, resulting in an above average crime rate of 136.0 per '000 residents.
Read next...
6. Coolangatta
Another transient suburb, with a high number of hotels and holiday accommodation, entertainment and nightlife; 860 offences were reported to police in Coolangatta in the 12-month period, a crime rate of 131.3 per '000 residents.
7. Burleigh Heads
A suburb of three parts; the bustling foreshore and shopping village, popular with tourists and weekend revellers, an industrial zone and pockets of quiet suburban streets with large upmarket family homes. In 12 months, 1,157 offences were reported to police; the vast majority of those were in and around the busy village and foreshore area. Burleigh Heads has a crime rate of 124.8 per '000.
8. Molendinar
Molendinar is a small suburb with a small population, marked with large industrial areas in the north, east and west, it has an above average crime rate of 104.8, with a total of 683 reported offences in 12 months.
9. Bundall
Bundall is a small suburb with two identities; the part north of Ashmore Road is home to the Gold Coast Turf Club (Southport racecourse) and a large business and industrial area with lots of homeware, electrical and furniture stores. The area south of Ashmore Road, referred to by locals as Sorrento or Isle of Sorrento, is a highly sought-after enclave boasting multi-million-dollar homes, many of which are waterfronts. 432 offences were reported to police, the majority of which in the northern part, that's a crime rate of 87.6 per '000 residents.
10. Labrador
Located just north of Southport on the edge of the Broadwater, Labrador is a small high-density suburb with a relatively high crime rate. In the 12-month period, 1,641 offences were reported to police, that's a crime rate of 86.7 per '000 residents.
Need help finding the best suburbs for you?
With so many suburbs, each offering a completely different lifestyle and indeed safety, it can be hard deciding on what areas are best for you.
This is where I can help! Book a personal consultation and I will assist you in identifying the best suburbs that suit your specific living requirements, your budget and lifestyle preferences.
Sources & disclaimer:
Crime rate = Total offences reported to police in an area over a 12-month period, divided by the resident population of the area/suburb and presented per 1,000 residents, based on the 2022 ABS Estimated Resident Population of the suburb or area and the crime statistics as reported by the Queensland Police Service for the a 12-month reporting period to April 2023.
We have in preparing this information used our best endeavours to ensure that the information contained herein is true and accurate but accept no responsibility and disclaim all liability in respect of any errors, omissions, inaccuracies or misstatements that may occur
