Renting or buying in Burleigh Heads? Check the address, not just the suburb.
Burleigh Heads has the beach, the headland national park, Tallebudgera Creek and, since August 2026, the light rail extension to Burleigh. It is popular and busy on weekends, and the experience of living there depends heavily on the exact street.
Burleigh Heads at a glance
| Residents (ABS Census 2021) | 10,535 |
|---|---|
| Offences recorded by police, last 12 months | 1,556 (18 Oct 2025 - 17 Oct 2026) |
| Offences per 1,000 residents | 148 — 1.7× the Gold Coast rate of 86 (above average) |
| Police division | Palm Beach |
| Light rail | G:link Stage 3 extended the tram to Burleigh Heads (opened August 2026) |
| Main road | Gold Coast Highway |
Crime: Queensland Police Service Online Crime Map counts per suburb (the police describe these as not official statistics and the locations as general areas), divided by ABS Census 2021 residents. Offences are counted where the police recorded them, so busy shopping, nightlife and tourist areas can show higher rates because many non-residents visit. No address-level crime rate exists, and PropertyCheck does not claim one.
Burleigh Heads in numbers: flood, bushfire, noise and catchments
| Residential lots (Queensland cadastre, City Plan residential zones) | 2,795 |
|---|---|
| In a flood risk class of the Council's 2026 map (Very High to Low) | 5.6% (157 lots; 3 Very High or High) |
| Only in the Maximum Regional Flood Extent (very rare to extreme floods) | 33% (921 lots) |
| On the Council's 2026 bushfire map | 27% (12 lots in a Medium to Very High intensity class; the rest in the Potential Impact Buffer) |
| In a transport noise corridor: State-controlled road | 48% (1,333 lots) |
| In a transport noise corridor: railway (for information only) | 0% (0 lots) |
| State primary school catchments (share of the suburb's area) | Burleigh Heads SS 52%, Caningeraba SS 36% |
| State senior secondary catchments (share of the suburb's area) | Miami SHS 38%, Elanora SHS 33%, Varsity College 26% |
| Train, light rail and ferry stations in the suburb | Burleigh Heads station (light rail), Second Avenue station (light rail) |
Lots: Queensland Digital Cadastral Database and City of Gold Coast City Plan zones; overlays: City of Gold Coast Flood risk awareness map 2026, Bushfire risk 2026 and City Plan transport noise corridors, retrieved 31 Oct 2026; a lot counts when its centre point is inside. Crime: Queensland Police Service Online Crime Map (not official statistics; general locations), ABS Census 2021 residents. Catchments: Queensland Government State school catchments, by share of the suburb's land area (read 1 Nov 2026). Stations: Translink SEQ GTFS (7 Oct 2026). All CC BY 4.0; shares and distances calculated by AQL PropertyCheck. Every suburb: Gold Coast suburbs by mapped flood risk, Gold Coast crime by suburb, Gold Coast suburbs A–Z. Nearby suburbs: Burleigh Waters, Palm Beach, Varsity Lakes. Last updated 31 October 2026.
What changes from street to street in Burleigh Heads
Visitors and weekend traffic
Cafés, the beach and the headland bring many visitors, which lifts the recorded crime rate and fills parking on weekends. A street off the Gold Coast Highway near the beachfront is not the same as one in the quieter hillside pockets.
Tallebudgera Creek and low-lying streets
Streets near Tallebudgera Creek and the lower parts of the suburb are where the Council's flood mapping concentrates. Hillside streets are a different story. The report shows the flood risk class for the exact lot.
The new light rail corridor
The tram now runs along the highway to Burleigh. That improves transport and changes traffic, parking and noise on the streets beside the line. Check how close an address is to the corridor.
What the Burleigh Heads check shows for one address
Questions people ask
How much crime is reported in Burleigh Heads?
In the 12 months to 17 Oct 2026, police recorded 148 offences per 1,000 Burleigh Heads residents, 1.7 times the Gold Coast rate of 86. That is a suburb figure, not a street figure. The free check shows the local crime context for a specific address.
Is Burleigh Heads in a flood zone?
Some low-lying streets near Tallebudgera Creek and the beachfront are in the Council's mapped flood areas; hillside streets usually are not. Check the specific address.
Does the light rail reach Burleigh Heads?
Yes. Stage 3 of the Gold Coast light rail extended the tram south to Burleigh Heads in August 2026. The report lists the public transport near an address.
Other Gold Coast guides
Each guide uses the same sources as the report. Two addresses in one suburb can still differ a lot, so check the address itself.
Check the address before you commit.
The free check shows the planning zone, mapped hazards, local crime context, school catchment and transport for one address. The full PDF report is A$17.95, one-off, no subscription.
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