Coombabah flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Coombabah (Gold Coast City, QLD) - 13.2 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Coombabah's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address.

Coombabah flood risk at the property level

Overlay percentages say how much land is constrained; these figures say how many properties are actually touched, from our lot-by-lot analysis of 5,350 Coombabah properties.

Coombabah at a glance

Parcels 4,665 Median lot 268 m² Mapped easements 167 Bus stops 30 Landslide overlay <1%

How Coombabah is zoned

Special purpose 37%
Conservation 34%
Medium density residential 13%
Low density residential 7%
Open space 2%
Unzoned 2%

Selling in Coombabah? The lot-level zone is the zoning Part 3 of Queensland's Form 2 seller disclosure statement asks for - see our Form 2 planning data guide.

Across its 13.2 km², Coombabah is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 88% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 60% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Special purpose. The terrain is largely flat, and the median lot measures about 268 m² across 4,665 parcels. These figures are suburb-wide - the overlays that actually apply to a given lot can differ block to block, which is what a property-level check tells you.

Who lives in Coombabah

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Coombabah suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
10,298
usual residents, 2021
Median age
51
years
Median household income
$1,092
per week, Gold Coast City suburb typical $1,830
Median rent
$415
per week, Gold Coast City suburb typical $450
Median mortgage
$1,647
per month
Household size
2.1
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 936, and decile 4 within Queensland. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 3
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Coombabah's 10,298 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 3.8%
5-14 9.9%
15-19 4.1%
20-24 4.0%
25-34 9.6%
35-44 11.0%
45-54 11.4%
55-64 12.7%
65-74 16.5%
75-84 12.6%
85+ 4.3%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Coombabah, the wider ABS statistical area containing Coombabah. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Coombabah itself.

9,075 in 2001 to 10,815 in 2025, up 19%.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census of Population and Housing 2021 (General Community Profile) and SEIFA 2021, both published at the Suburbs and Localities level; Regional Population (estimated resident population) at Statistical Area Level 2. Used under CC BY 4.0. Census counts of small populations are randomly adjusted by the ABS to protect confidentiality, so figures for small suburbs are indicative.

Check a specific Coombabah address

See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.

See what's in the $9 report →

Coombabah planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Coombabah?

The schematic on this page is a Coombabah flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 88% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Coombabah address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Coombabah flood-prone?

About 88% of Coombabah falls within a mapped flood overlay, against a Gold Coast City average of 49%. Looking lot by lot, 82% of the 5,350 properties we analysed in Coombabah carry some level of mapped flood risk, including 3584 rated high risk or historically affected. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.

Is Coombabah bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 60% of Coombabah is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Gold Coast City average of 48%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Coombabah?

The dominant planning zone in Coombabah is Special purpose, though the suburb also includes Conservation and Medium density residential. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Coombabah have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within Coombabah. Even so, it is worth confirming for an individual property before any works.

Is Coombabah hilly or flat?

Coombabah is largely flat: the median lot slope is about 2%. Ground level runs from roughly 2 m to 12 m AHD across the suburb. Slope drives site costs - cut and fill, retaining walls and driveway grades - so it is worth knowing before you commit to a sloping block.

What is the typical lot size in Coombabah?

Across 4,665 surveyed parcels in Coombabah, the median lot size is about 268 m². There are also 167 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.

Does Coombabah have a train station?

There is no train station inside Coombabah itself. The suburb is served by 30 bus stops.

What is the population of Coombabah?

At the 2021 Census Coombabah had 10,298 usual residents, with a median age of 51 and an average household size of 2.1 people. The wider Coombabah statistical area, which contains Coombabah, went from 9,075 people in 2001 to 10,815 in 2025, up 19%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Coombabah alone.

Is Coombabah an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Coombabah scores 936 and sits in decile 3 of 10 nationally and decile 4 within Queensland - decile 1 being the most disadvantaged tenth of Australian suburbs and decile 10 the least. The national average score is 1000. SEIFA summarises income, education, occupation and housing across the whole suburb, so it describes the area, not any particular household in it.

What is the median household income in Coombabah?

Median household income in Coombabah was $1,092 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,830 for the typical suburb in Gold Coast City. Median rent was $415 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,647 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Coombabah property?

A Coombabah planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage and environmental - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; a full PDF report is $9.

Other suburbs in Gold Coast City

See all Gold Coast City suburb profiles →