Sunshine Coast Population Surges: New Data Reveals Building and Hospital Impact

The Sunshine Coast population stood at 452,300 residents on 30 June 2026, up 4.8 per cent from the same date last year, according to Queensland Government statistical releases.

That increase adds roughly 21,000 people in twelve months and places immediate pressure on housing supply, road networks and hospital beds at a time when state budget allocations for regional infrastructure remain fixed until 2027.

Building approvals and Maroochydore projects

Maroochydore CBD recorded 187 new residential and mixed-use approvals between January and June, concentrated along Sixth Avenue and the emerging Sunshine Coast Central precinct. Kawana Waters saw 92 approvals in the same period, mostly for townhouse developments along Kawana Way. These numbers come from the Sunshine Coast Council planning portal and reflect a 14 per cent rise in applications compared with the first half of 2025.

Airport passenger data adds another layer. Sunshine Coast Airport at Mudjimba logged 1.87 million passengers in the financial year ending June, with international routes to Auckland and Singapore accounting for 142,000 of those movements, a 23 per cent jump on the previous year.

Hospital expansion and rental market figures

Sunshine Coast University Hospital at Birtinya added 128 beds during the 2025-26 financial year, bringing total capacity to 922. Emergency department presentations reached 148,400 for the same period, according to the hospital's quarterly performance report. Short-term rental listings across the coast totalled 4,850 active properties in June, with average nightly rates at $312, up $47 from twelve months earlier.

Residents can view the latest monthly building and population dashboards on the Sunshine Coast Council website or contact the planning counter at 12 First Avenue, Maroochydore, for property-specific data before lodging applications.