Marcoola flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Marcoola (Sunshine Coast Regional, QLD) - 13.66 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Marcoola'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.

Marcoola 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 2,435 Marcoola properties.

Marcoola at a glance

Parcels 1,706 Median lot 539 m² Mapped easements 144 Bus stops 21

How Marcoola is zoned

No 37%
Environmental Management and Conservation 34%
Rural 20%
Low Density Residential 4%
Open Space 2%
Industry 1%

Selling in Marcoola? 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 13.66 km², Marcoola is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 97% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 38% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is No. The terrain is largely flat, and the median lot measures about 539 m² across 1,706 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 Marcoola

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

Population
3,355
usual residents, 2021
Median age
45
years
Median household income
$1,401
per week, Sunshine Coast Regional suburb typical $1,674
Median rent
$406
per week, Sunshine Coast Regional suburb typical $408
Median mortgage
$1,733
per month
Household size
2.2
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 5
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 979, and decile 6 within Queensland. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 5
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Marcoola's 3,355 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 3.7%
5-14 10.9%
15-19 5.0%
20-24 5.2%
25-34 11.7%
35-44 12.8%
45-54 15.2%
55-64 17.5%
65-74 12.0%
75-84 4.7%
85+ 1.2%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

6,849 in 2001 to 12,672 in 2025, up 85%.

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 Marcoola 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 →

Marcoola planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Marcoola?

The schematic on this page is a Marcoola flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 97% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Marcoola address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Marcoola flood-prone?

About 97% of Marcoola falls within a mapped flood overlay, against a Sunshine Coast Regional average of 32%. Looking lot by lot, 60% of the 2,435 properties we analysed in Marcoola carry some level of mapped flood risk, including 130 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 Marcoola bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 38% of Marcoola is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Sunshine Coast Regional average of 38%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Marcoola?

The dominant planning zone in Marcoola is No, though the suburb also includes Environmental Management and Conservation and Rural. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Marcoola have heritage-listed places?

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

Is Marcoola hilly or flat?

Marcoola is largely flat: the median lot slope is about 1%. Ground level runs from roughly 3 m to 5 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 Marcoola?

Across 1,706 surveyed parcels in Marcoola, the median lot size is about 539 m². There are also 144 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 Marcoola have a train station?

There is no train station inside Marcoola itself. The suburb is served by 21 bus stops.

What is the population of Marcoola?

At the 2021 Census Marcoola had 3,355 usual residents, with a median age of 45 and an average household size of 2.2 people. The wider Marcoola - Mudjimba statistical area, which contains Marcoola, went from 6,849 people in 2001 to 12,672 in 2025, up 85%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Marcoola alone.

Is Marcoola an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Marcoola scores 979 and sits in decile 5 of 10 nationally and decile 6 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 Marcoola?

Median household income in Marcoola was $1,401 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,674 for the typical suburb in Sunshine Coast Regional. Median rent was $406 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,733 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Marcoola property?

A Marcoola 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 Sunshine Coast Regional

See all Sunshine Coast Regional suburb profiles →