10 Best Gold Coast Suburbs for Families

As if choosing a suburb on the Gold Coast for yourself to live in wasn’t difficult enough, a whole extra layer of complexity and decision-making comes into play once children come along. Kids have a range of extra requirements that adults lack – from schooling to safety to public transport to play spaces & more.

While different families may have slightly different needs, this general pattern of requirements is typically consistent. So what makes a Gold Coast suburb “best for families” in our book?

Factors we take into account include:

• Affordability: while it’s unavoidable that some of the premium Gold Coast “family” suburbs will also command a premium pricetag, what’s the point of recommending a suburb the average family can’t afford in the first place?
• Safety: both the suburb’s statistical crime rate, and the general safety of its public spaces
• Education: access to schools, both sheer quantity and their quality (private and public), as well as availability of childcare or kindys
• Public spaces: quantity/quality of playgrounds, parks, and other entertainment options suited to kids that are clean and safe

All that said, here’s our picks for 10 of the best Gold Coast suburbs for families, updated as of 2025:

10. Helensvale

Median House Price: $1,250,000.00

Median Apartment Price: $655,000.00

As far as more northern Gold Coast suburbs go, while many may be tempted to opt for some of the newer, cheaper offerings that have sprung up in recent years, Helensvale still remains the ‘suburb of choice’ in this part of the city. By this point it’s now long-established, yet still walks the line pretty well between being master-planned and now leafy enough to give it a bit more of a ‘natural’ feel.

It’s long been a suburb with a strong educational infrastructure, with longstanding facilities like Helensvale State High School having been open for over 40 years now and one of the largest and best-regarded in the region while Helensvale State School likewise scores highly for academic results for those with younger kids. Attendance requires being in their designated catchment areas, so there’s a reason many families choose to base themselves here.

And while Helensvale doesn’t have any of its own private schools, it’s located closely enough to a couple of other prestigious options nearby to make attendance at those viable as well.

This is also a suburb that’s abundant in parks, with plenty of choices for kids to play in. Helensvale’s home to over 20 parks, and its ‘sandwiched’ physical layout between two major strips of greenery means you’ll seldom have to walk more than five minutes to encounter at least one decent park of some kind.

Its other two major selling points specific to families come in two different flavours. The first, for shopping and general retail needs is the large and still-reasonably-new Westfield Helensvale complex to the suburb’s south which contains all your standard large supermarkets, department stores and boutique shopping (alas unfortunately it lacks a cinema).

The second, and more unique, is its proximity to several of the Gold Coast’s theme parks just up the road & across the highway in Oxenford. Having these iconic attractions less than 10 minutes’ drive away provides easy access to some pretty attractive entertainment offerings, and can make forking out for one of the park’s annual passes worthwhile for residents.

Lastly, while ‘technically’ the one area in which Helensvale appears to fall down somewhat for families is its crime rate – it scores slightly higher than most of the other suburbs on this list in this regard – that’s mostly skewed by the vast majority of crimes that happen here doing so at its large train station. Realistically, its residential streets are as quiet and safe as any other overall.

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9. Nerang

Median House Price: $930,000.00

Median Apartment Price: $676,000.00

A suburb that still suffers somewhat from an outdated past reputation as being somewhat ‘dodgy’, in reality present-day Nerang ranks as one of the better value all-rounder suburbs on the Gold Coast for those wanting to get a detached house with a bit of room for a still-reasonable price.

While there are plenty of other suburbs that are more glamorous or high-profile, they also come with significant cost barriers to entry that put them out of reach of average families, particularly after continued recent Gold Coast price rises.

Nerang nowadays still clocks in amongst the bottom-quarter of cheaper suburbs in the city, which is a bit mystifying considering its crime rates are far lower than in the past (and pretty much heavily concentrated around its train station), and it still offers a highly central location and plenty of expansive greenery throughout. 

Nerang has an immense amount of more open, less-manicured parks and parkland – almost half the suburb is taken up by national park – as well as more planned, man-made parks catered directly to kids.

Spots like Country Paradise Parklands and its Adventure Playground are excellent family-centric areas with lots of play equipment, and the suburb’s tendency towards bigger, roomier housing blocks means children will likely have a bigger backyard to play in compared to almost any other suburb you can buy in for a similar price range.

This kicks up a notch even further when you head just a few minutes deeper west into the suburb, where you can buy properties with very large yards to the point where the kids could even realistically own a horse should you be willing to splash out enough.

For practical purposes, it sits right alongside the M1 for highway access, has a bunch of retail available alongside the highway, and offers rail connectivity via its train station as well. And while it might not boast any high-profile private colleges, there’s plenty of solid schooling options both within Nerang itself (Nerang State School & Nerang State High School, St Brigid’s Primary, etc.) and in neighbouring areas such as William Duncan in Highland Park or further out in Gilston & Mount Nathan, too.

Overall, Nerang still ranks as one of the better value for money picks in the city in our opinion, rather than locating yourself far further up north for the sake of a newer, ‘shinier’ property for a similar price.

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8. Reedy Creek

Median House Price: $1,400,000.00

Median Apartment Price: $695,000.00

Reedy Creek is another of those Gold Coast suburbs that manages to feel both leafy/secluded and accessible at the same time. It’s mostly an elevated suburb tucked alongside the west of the highway that’s gradually been built up over time but still has huge pockets of bushland separating its residential streets, which are all otherwise very neat, safe and well-manicured.

This makes for an alternative to the likes of Robina that feels a lot less hectic and busy despite having all that same busy-ness and bustle available just a stone’s throw away when you do happen to need it. This includes Robina Town Centre itself, all of Burleigh Heads‘ major shopping amenities, as well as Reedy Creek’s own little slice of shopping amenities (including Woolies) alongside Old Coash Road.

Reedy Creek also doesn’t receive too much through-traffic in its main residential areas, either, due to all the major amenities being concentrated towards its eastern side, which keeps things a little more peaceful.

Add this to the fact that significant residential parts of the suburb are also still fairly new housing-wise (particularly in parts like its Observatory estate), so if you’re the type with younger kids or toddlers, buying a place that’s relatively new can save you the headache of disturbing their sleep due to both traffic noise or renovations.

No “family suburb” recommendation is worthwhile without mentioning its schools too, of course, and Reedy Creek is another suburb that delivers well in this regard. Its immediate surrounds are home to two such prestigious private school options in both Hillcrest and King’s Christian College (both primary through year 12), which both boast some pretty state-of-the-art grounds and amenities that are continually kept in tip-top condition.

It’s also been planned well enough to be dotted with countless little pocket-parks and reserves, as well as a large fenced dog park for the kids and pets to run around together. Throw in its safe, low-crime environment, and the only knock on Reedy Creek is how ‘up there’ it’s gotten in price, especially for its newer and more premium homes in its leafiest spots & which offer the best views.

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7. Ashmore

Median House Price: $1,050,000.00

Median Apartment Price: $713,000.00

A suburb that’s come a long way in terms of its overall environment and people’s perception of the standard of living it offers, Ashmore was a suburb that remained underrated for many years, and probably still slightly is to this day.

Part of this was because it never had much of a ‘premium’ image due to its northern half mostly being a mix of warehouse-style businesses that most people just drove through to get to work of a morning, and part because not many people are aware of just how nice some of its residential pockets actually are.

While it’s caught up somewhat in recent years, Ashmore still stands as one of the better-value suburbs families should consider on the Gold Coast. This is another spot that benefits from a central location; it’s close enough to take the kids to the beach on a fairly regular basis without paying ‘beach premium’ house prices, while the Nerang River offers alternative watersports-centric leanings in the other direction as well.

It’s also highly amenity-rich, even despite those amenities maybe again not being ‘brand name’ or ‘premium’ offerings. Both Ashmore Plaza (welcome to 1990’s Gold Coast, frozen in time) and Ashmore City provide everything you need for daily life, and there’s a bunch of bigger-box stores and retail on the northern side as well. Australia Fair and its bigger shopping & cinemas is likewise only a short drive away.

Schooling-wise, both Ashmore State High & State School are solid options for public students, while Trinity Lutheran (prep through Grade 12) & Aquinas College (seven to 12) offer decent private choices as well. In addition, for those with deeper pockets, TSS/The Southport School is likewise just a short drive down Cotlew St or Benowa Rd.

Ashmore’s also deceptively leafier than you might think, particularly the further/deeper west you go into the suburb, culminating in some truly eye-poppingly nice streets in its sections closest to the river.

Add in big and roomy parks like Girral & Glenmore Parks and their respective playgrounds, its great main community park/youth centre, and a crime rate that is far lower than its public perception, and Ashmore remains about as good value as you can get as far as ‘middle’ Gold Coast living goes.

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6. Coombabah

Median House Price: $920,000.00

Median Apartment Price: $691,500.00

Tucked away and seldom talked about, Coombabah has something of a reputation as a ‘retirement home’ suburb due to its handful of over-55’s lifestyle communities that call it home. While that’s true in a sense, it doesn’t detract from the mix of both peaceful lifestyle & value for money that the suburb still offers – particularly given how pretty some of its immediate natural surroundings are, that both kids & adults alike can enjoy.

Simply put, Coombabah’s Lakelands Reserve and its surrounding areas are one of the nicest, still-fairly-untouched natural areas amongst the developed part of the Gold Coast. Kids who love animals/wildlife in particular will enjoy it here, as its huge swaths of greenery are home to large kangaroo and koala habitats that are bordered by flat paths that are ideal for both walking & biking. It’s free, and thus much cheaper than paying to take the kids to somewhere like Currumbin Sanctuary.

For more practical purposes, its inherent peace and quiet makes for both an easy night’s sleep and low crime rate, yet it’s still only just down the road from the more ‘premium’ and developed Runaway Bay, its amenities, and all its waterfront goodness.

This also includes the major Runaway Bay sporting complex, which is one of the biggest hubs for youth sports on the Gold Coast, as well as both Harbour Town shopping centre and Runaway Bay Shopping Village covering every major retail need on the south & east sides, respectively.

It’s also home internally to two schools – both Coombabah State & High Schools – with its primary school in particular boasting consistently high levels of parent satisfaction, and their only real major negatives being somewhat of a lack of parking due to the general lack of space along Oxley Drive.

Coombabah also trends towards the cheaper of the suburbs on this list housing-wise, for a few reasons. It’s non-coastal so you don’t get charged the waterfront premium (yet can just drive there in a few minutes anyway), there’s pretty substantial townhouse/villa stock which drags the median price down, and it has a tendency towards older 1980s/90s brick builds which may need a little love to bring up to speed.

This can make it a more viable option for those willing to put in some work without forking out as much of an initial upfront cost of admission that some of the other suburbs listed here otherwise require.

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5. Robina

Median House Price: $1,320,000.00

Median Apartment Price: $780,000.00

One of the biggest and most diverse suburbs on the Gold Coast at this point, there are few other spots that can boast the sheer amount of diversity that Robina offers – in terms of environments, house types, price range and amenities.

Its combination of central location (you basically can’t get more “central” on the Gold Coast than Robina) and sheer size means there’s simply a ton of options for different families of all forms to choose from here.

Multiple townhouse complexes, mid-rise modern unit blocks, villa and unit communities, and high-end multi-storey houses with pools combine with very good both public and private education amenities so that you should be able to find a set of living circumstances that fits your budget here.

While this might involve downsizing somewhat – Robina has risen pretty rapidly in price in recent years due to its desirability – you’ll still have access to all its benefits right nearby. It’s not hard to see why people have been willing to pay the price of admission, either; its schools like Robina State & High are both top-tier as far as public schools go, which is always a major driver for those with kids.

There’s also an abundance of childcare centres here, with centres like GoodStart, Lullaby, Maureen’s and others all represented for those with little ones. Robina’s master-planned layout also means it’s another one of those suburbs with a strong array of parks, green spaces, biking/walking tracks and overall recreational facilities.

This includes the likes of Robina Common (and its large sporting fields) and the excellent Greenheart Robina Parklands playground (one of the best-equipped in the city) providing entertainment for both older & younger kids, respectively.

Robina is another one of those suburbs that suffers somewhat from “fake crime stats syndrome” that makes it statistically look more dodgy than it is in reality as well. This is due to its combination of both having a train station and one of the biggest shopping centres of the Gold Coast in Robina Town Centre within its borders, where things like theft and car break-ins skew the stats.

“Residential Robina” is otherwise highly safe and communal, securing its spot on this list.

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4. Merrimac

Median House Price: $1,040,000.00

Median Apartment Price: $721,500.00

A fairly small and non-descript Gold Coast suburb that tends to fly under the radar a bit, those with (or starting) a family shouldn’t sleep on this spot as a place to live, as it comes with a host of benefits that make it appear slightly under-priced.

Party of this might be simply because Merrimac is physically quite small – much of it is taken up by large and empty reserves and wetlands areas, parts of which have been prone to flooding on occasion. Perhaps its this perception that turns some people off, as otherwise a suburb in such a handy central location that is also incredibly safe would seem to justify a little more attention from most.

This physical location means you can access basically all major hubs on the Gold Coast in pretty short order – including bigger shopping centres like Robina Town Centre & Pacific Fair -as well as a range of solid schooling choices both within Merrimac itself and nearby.  This includes prestigious private options like the established All Saints (which runs from prep up to Grade 12), St Michaels College, as well as the newer Star of the Sea Catholic school which only opened up several years ago.

Both Merrimac State High & Merrimac State are also well-regarded for their academic programs, with the latter having the added benefit of sitting within pretty bushland surrounds as well.

Merrimac’s housing inventory tends to be a little more compact block-wise than some other more sprawling Gold Coast suburbs, particularly on the suburb’s southern side below Gooding Drive, which combines with its fairly high abundance of townhouse/units/villas to help keep median costs down. 

In addition, one of the other added major benefits to living in Merrimac will soon be realised: the suburb is scheduled to be added to the Gold Coast’s heavy rail network, with its station set to provide an extra layer of connectivity for getting north-south. This makes even the previously unviable option of taking the train all the way up to Brisbane (for employment opportunities for parents) an extra selling point as a place to live.

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3. Mudgeeraba

Median House Price: $1,229,000.00

Median Apartment Price: $810,000.00

Mudgeeraba differs somewhat from most of the other suburbs on this list in that it provides quite an alternative environment and ‘feel’ versus some of the other more built-up options listed here. The suburb exchanges aspects like beach-side proximity or trendy modern amenities for more of a peaceful, green and slightly-less-tamed natural environment while still providing all the facilities your average family would need.

Efforts have been made to retain its charming “village” type atmosphere and friendly/welcoming environment for kids, with aspects like its old-timey community centre and strong array of childcare facilities providing a pretty decent amount of choice for parents to pick from.

It manages to provide this touch of vintage feel while still offering all the standard staples such as your Coles/Woolworths/Aldi trio for groceries, and has the large shopping option of Robina Town Centre just across the highway for bigger shops.

Ideally one for those with more outdoor-focused children, the entire point of picking Mudgeeraba over other suburbs is mainly to take advantage of its large green spaces, sporting fields and walking tracks that can be found further to the west.

This also opens things up even further exercise-wise when you head into the Hinterland and Springbrook National Park further out into the suburb’s deeper reaches… or you can just instead take the kids to one of any number of sizeable parks that tend to be a lot roomier than other “dense” suburbs, if a little less well-groomed.

Schooling-wise, Mudgeeraba is likewise pretty spoiled for choice of quality options. Mudgeeraba State School, Mudgeeraba Creek State School & Clover Hill are all strong, public co-ed options, while Somerset College – one of the best-known & most highly-regarded on the GC – is particularly renowned for its academic excellence for those willing to work out for it.

And, as to be expected of a spot with somewhat of a “sleepy” atmosphere, Mudgeeraba likewise has rock-bottom-low crime rankings as well (1/100, the lowest possible). And all this for basically bang-on the average Gold Coast median house price range, for a suburb that’s well-over-median in terms of quality of life? That’s pretty nice.

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2. Pacific Pines

Median House Price: $1,021,000.00

Median Apartment Price: $710,000.00

‘Pac Pines’ is a suburb that, perhaps more than any other on this list, feels like it was designed from the ground-up specifically with families in mind. It’s “newer” than the rest of the suburbs listed here (despite being multiple decades old at this point), yet still scrapes in as from an era that lacks some of the ‘generic/cookie-cutter’ aspect of the newest suburbs on the Gold Coast suffer from.

It was master-planned without feeling too generic; in fact, quite the opposite, as its sheer physical location encircled by hills of its namesake pine trees give it more of an ‘organic’ feel to it than you’d expect.

There’s a ton of greenery here despite it being more rigidly-planned, and pretty much every street is lined with a mix of both trees as well as flat, wide footpaths. These make for a safer method for kids to walk or ride than many other suburbs, and ample spots/tracks for doing a bit of both – either for fun/exercise, or simply for getting from A to B.

Its boringly-named-yet-excellent Central Park is also one of the best suburban parks on the Gold Coast, replete with a very large sandpit-surrounded playground with a bunch of different equipment for kids to burn off energy on. It’s also home to two big ovals for sports (including cricket), and a nice wetlands-esque lake where an array of waterbirds can always be seen swimming around.

Its own quality schools such as Jubilee Primary and Pac Pines State & High Schools offer good vocational education & combine with decent access to other schools in nearby suburbs (such as in Helensvale, or AB Paterson College in Arundel) to make for more choice as well.

It’s not a huge ‘amenity’ suburb, but its Pacific Pines Town Centre is more than enough to get by, and the huge Westfield Helensvale complex is likewise not too far away either.

Pacific Pines also remains one of the better-value suburbs on the Gold Coast given its mix of safety, still-fairly-central location and family-centric mix. Houses here still go for a bit under the median price despite recent rises, and while its homes tend to be quite big in general, there’s still smatterings of smaller/older detached builds that can keep the price down a fair chunk under that mark – which you can then update/renovate.

It’s gradually added in some newer additions of townhouse/villa complexes over time too in recent years that are still decently-sized despite the shared nature of them, which can knock a few hundred grand more off the price as well.

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1. Elanora

Median House Price: $1,290,000.00

Median Apartment Price: $822,500.00

If there’s any single Gold Coast suburb that best exemplifies all-round family-friendliness, Elanora is hard to beat. It simply checks so many boxes for those with kids all in one, that even despite the increasing price of property here it still remains worth paying the price of admission for those who can afford it.

Elanora simply offers an incredibly balanced Gold Coast environment that kids can take advantage of for enjoyment purposes – easy access to river/waterfront for activities, peace and quiet in most suburban residential streets, quality amenities on both the smaller & larger scales, and more – that there’s few families whose needs it won’t be able to meet.

It doesn’t charge the ‘price premium’ of absolute-beachfront Gold Coast suburbs due to its slightly-inland location, yet that environment is also just a few minutes away as well, enabling families to visit the beach at the likes of Currumbin or Palm Beach in short order. Likewise, its couple of lakes and proximity to Tallebudgera Creek offer the chance at waterfront living for those willing to fork out some extra dollars too.

It’s also highly green and home to both a ton of smaller, well-maintained parks in its more built-up eastern portion, and then ample rolling greenery as you head further out west toward Tallebugera where houses offering bigger blocks can be found.

Its education and childcare amenities are strong, with both public offerings in Elanora State School & Elanora High typically performing quite well in both sports & STEM. Major shopping centre The Pines is also not just a well-equipped suburban shopping centre, but is home to one of the best public libraries on the Gold Coast as well, which runs plenty of free programs for kids, clubs and other education-centric activities.

Throw in an extremely low crime rate (1 out of 100, the lowest possible on our aggregate crime rankings), easy access to the M1 for parents heading to work, and the choice of either flat streets for walkability or hillside living for a house with views, and there’s little any family will be left wanting for lifestyle-wise here.

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Here’s the full list of Gold Coast suburbs broken down by price, which you can filter via the Search field: