Noosa Property Market 2026: Noosa Heads, Noosaville and Sunshine Beach Compared
The Noosa property market has the highest median house price in the REIQ’s quarterly table of Queensland council areas: $1,670,000 for Noosa Shire in the June 2026 quarter, ahead of Brisbane at $1,480,000 and the Sunshine Coast at $1,320,000.[1] It is also a small, slow market. Noosa recorded the fewest house sales of any council area in that table, 175 in the quarter,[1] and the REIQ’s figures for the year to March 2026 made it the slowest-selling of the markets it reports, for houses and for units.[2]
This guide compares the three suburbs buyers ask about most, Noosa Heads, Noosaville and Sunshine Beach, using official land values, rents by postcode and the council’s own rules. It then covers whether Noosa suits an investor, the short-stay letting rules and what to check before you buy. It describes the data; it does not forecast prices. For the wider region, see our guide to the Sunshine Coast property market.
Key takeaways
- Noosa’s median house price was $1,670,000 in the June 2026 quarter, and $1,605,000 over 12 months, up 13.83% on a year earlier.[1]
- Land values are high. At 1 October 2025 the median residential land value was $1,800,000 in Sunshine Beach, $1,375,000 in Noosa Heads and $1,050,000 in Noosaville.[3]
- Noosa’s rental vacancy rate was 2.5% in the September 2026 quarter, the third-highest of the 50 regions the REIQ tracks and well above the state’s 1.0%.[4]
- A Noosa home can be let to holidaymakers only with lawful planning rights and the council’s approval, renewed every year.[5]
- Order a flood search certificate and check the council’s coastal hazard maps before you buy near the river, the lakes or the beach.[6][7]
The Noosa property market at a glance
| Indicator | Latest reading | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price (quarter) | $1,670,000, down 0.60% on the March quarter | REIQ, June 2026 quarter[1] |
| Median house price (12 months) | $1,605,000, up 13.83% on a year earlier | REIQ, year to June 2026[1] |
| Median unit price (quarter) | $1,150,000, down 7.16% on the March quarter | REIQ, June 2026 quarter[1] |
| Median unit price (12 months) | $1,175,000, up 11.90% on a year earlier | REIQ, year to June 2026[1] |
| Median days on market | Houses 45.5 days, units 51.5 days, the slowest of the markets the REIQ reports | REIQ, 12 months to March 2026[2] |
| Rental vacancy | 2.5%, up 0.3 percentage points on the June quarter | REIQ, September 2026 quarter[4] |
| Regional Queensland dwelling values | Down 0.9% in September and 2.5% over the quarter; up 6.3% over the year | Cotality, to 30 September 2026[8] |
| Median residential land value | $890,000 across the shire, up 44% since the 2023 valuation | Valuer-General, at 1 October 2025[3] |
The REIQ’s medians are drawn from Cotality sales data and cover all of Noosa Shire, from the coast to the hinterland.[1] With only 175 house sales and 85 unit sales in the June quarter, Noosa’s quarterly medians swing more than those of bigger markets, so the 12-month figures are the steadier guide.[1]
How Noosa compares with the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane
Noosa Shire is its own council area, separate from the Sunshine Coast Council, and the REIQ reports the two separately. These are its figures for the June 2026 quarter:
| Council area[1] | House median, June 2026 quarter | House median, 12 months | 12-month change | Unit median, June 2026 quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noosa | $1,670,000 | $1,605,000 | 13.83% | $1,150,000 |
| Brisbane | $1,480,000 | $1,420,000 | 14.98% | $875,000 |
| Gold Coast | $1,420,000 | $1,350,000 | 14.41% | $930,000 |
| Sunshine Coast | $1,320,000 | $1,251,000 | 14.77% | $889,500 |
| Queensland | $983,000 | $950,000 | 16.56% | $810,000 |
On these figures Noosa’s quarterly house median was about 27% above the Sunshine Coast’s, and its unit median about 29% above. Its 12-month growth of 13.83% was a little behind the Sunshine Coast’s 14.77% and the state’s 16.56%.[1] The quarter before had looked different: in the March 2026 quarter Noosa posted the strongest house price growth of Queensland’s tourism markets, up 8.39%.[2] Short-run swings like these are normal in a market this size.
The slower pace shows up in selling times too. In the 12 months to March 2026, Noosa houses took a median of 45.5 days to sell by private treaty and units 51.5 days, against 21 and 18 days for Queensland as a whole.[2] For a buyer, that usually means more time to do the checks below and more room to negotiate.
Sale medians for individual Noosa suburbs rest on a handful of sales a quarter, so the steadiest official comparison is the Valuer-General’s 2026 land valuation. It values the land only, not the home on it, at 1 October 2025.[3]
| Locality[3] | Median land value, 1 Oct 2022 | Median land value, 1 Oct 2025 | Change | Residential properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshine Beach | $1,450,000 | $1,800,000 | 24.1% | 1,066 |
| Noosa Heads | $990,000 | $1,375,000 | 38.9% | 1,490 |
| Sunrise Beach | $760,000 | $1,075,000 | 41.5% | 1,204 |
| Noosaville | $850,000 | $1,050,000 | 23.5% | 2,707 |
| Tewantin | $435,000 | $680,000 | 56.3% | 3,878 |
Across the shire the median residential land value rose 44% to $890,000. The Valuer-General says Noosa’s market is being driven by zone changes restricting future development in medium and high-density areas, demand for the limited affordable housing and for larger sites that could take a secondary dwelling, and demand for coastal and hinterland lifestyle property.[3]
Noosa Heads
Noosa Heads is the shire’s holiday centre, and the Hastings Street Mixed Use precinct is one of the areas exempt from the council’s short-stay approval requirement.[5] Its median land value rose 38.9% to $1,375,000, the biggest increase of the three suburbs.[3] It shares postcode 4567 with Sunshine Beach; across the postcode, two-bedroom units let for a median $875 a week in the September 2026 quarter, up from $715 a year earlier.[9] Noosa Heads tends to suit buyers who want to walk to the beach and the restaurants, downsizers looking at apartments, and investors who have confirmed a building’s short-stay rights.
Noosaville
Noosaville runs along the Noosa River and is the biggest of the three, with 2,707 residential properties, and the most affordable, with a median land value of $1,050,000, up 23.5%.[3] In postcode 4566, four-bedroom houses let for a median $1,300 a week in the September 2026 quarter, up from $1,035 a year earlier, and two-bedroom units for $780.[9] It tends to suit families and permanent residents who want the river and an everyday suburb, with more homes to choose from than the beachside suburbs.
Sunshine Beach
Sunshine Beach is a beachside village south-east of Noosa Heads, and it has the highest land values in the shire: a median of $1,800,000, up 24.1% in three years.[3] Three-bedroom houses in postcode 4567 let for a median $1,100 a week, up from $955, while the four-bedroom median fell to $1,375 from $1,550 on similar numbers of new leases.[9] Sunshine Beach tends to suit long-term owner-occupiers and families who want a beach village. If holiday income matters, check the zoning and rights first: for a house in the Low Density Residential zone without wider planning rights, the council allows short-stay letting only on a limited basis, covered below.[5]
If the budget does not stretch, Sunrise Beach and Tewantin are the obvious comparisons: Sunrise Beach’s median land value was $1,075,000 and Tewantin’s $680,000, after the biggest rises of the localities in the table.[3] For other parts of the coast, see our best suburbs on the Sunshine Coast guide and our Sunshine Coast guides for high-end living and empty nesters.
Noosa’s rental market is looser than most of Queensland’s. The REIQ put Noosa’s vacancy rate at 2.5% in the September 2026 quarter, up 0.3 percentage points and just short of the 2.6% to 3.5% range it calls healthy. The state rate was 1.0%, and only Isaac and the Bay Islands were higher than Noosa.[4]
The Residential Tenancies Authority publishes median weekly rents from the new bonds lodged each quarter. For Noosa’s main postcodes, July to September 2026 compares with the same quarter a year earlier as follows, with the number of bonds in brackets:[9]
| Postcode (main suburbs)[9] | Home | Jul–Sep 2026 | Jul–Sep 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4567 (Noosa Heads, Sunshine Beach, Sunrise Beach, Castaways Beach) | 3-bedroom house | $1,100 (28) | $955 (26) |
| 4567 | 4-bedroom house | $1,375 (28) | $1,550 (26) |
| 4567 | 2-bedroom unit | $875 (35) | $715 (34) |
| 4566 (Noosaville) | 4-bedroom house | $1,300 (22) | $1,035 (26) |
| 4566 | 2-bedroom unit | $780 (29) | $760 (37) |
| 4565 (Tewantin and nearby) | 3-bedroom house | $880 (27) | $750 (22) |
| 4565 | 4-bedroom house | $1,070 (20) | $840 (14) |
The RTA shows no median where fewer than five bonds were lodged and says small numbers should be used with caution.[9] Most of these figures rest on 20 to 35 new leases a quarter, so a few leases can move them, which is why the 4567 four-bedroom median fell while the three-bedroom median rose. These are long-term leases; holiday letting income is a separate question, covered below.
There is no single answer, and we do not forecast prices. The data cuts both ways.
In its favour. The 12-month median house price rose 13.83% in the year to June 2026[1] and residential land values rose 44% in three years.[3] The Valuer-General links Noosa’s market partly to zone changes restricting future development in medium and high-density areas, which limits how much new housing can be built.[3]
Against it. Rents are high in dollars but low against prices: a four-bedroom house in postcode 4567 let at the median rent earns $71,500 a year before costs,[9] while the median land value in Sunshine Beach alone is $1,800,000.[3] Homes take longer to sell than in any other market the REIQ reports,[2] and vacancy is higher than in most of the state.[4] Values across regional Queensland fell 2.5% over the September 2026 quarter.[8] The REIQ also says investor demand has pulled back following the negative gearing and capital gains tax changes announced in the May Budget and amid rising interest rates, with new loans to Queensland investors down 10.1% in the June 2026 quarter.[4] Our guide to the 2026 negative gearing and CGT changes explains them.
Noosa tends to suit buyers with a long time horizon who do not rely on rent to hold the property: owner-occupiers, downsizers and long-term holders. Investors who need strong rental income, or a quick sale if plans change, should compare it with higher-yielding parts of South East Queensland; our guides to Sunshine Coast suburbs for investors and high-yield strategies in SEQ are a starting point. Investors should also allow for land tax; see our stamp duty and land tax guide.
Noosa Council regulates holiday letting closely. Its Short Stay Letting and Home Hosted Accommodation Local Law has applied since February 2022, and short-stay letting means letting a property to people other than the owner for less than three consecutive months.[5] The main points for a buyer:
- Planning rights come first. A property needs lawful town planning rights before it can get a local-law approval. Those rights can come from a development approval (the council notes many unit developments approved before The Noosa Plan 2006 fall into this group), from existing use rights for houses that were lawfully operating short-term accommodation before Noosa Plan 2020 began on 31 July 2020, or from the other routes the council lists.[5]
- Occasional letting. In the Low Density Residential zone, short-stay letting no more than 4 times and 60 days a calendar year is accepted development under the planning scheme, and a principal place of residence let this way still needs a local-law approval.[5]
- Approval, renewal and fees. Approval is one-off but must be renewed every year. For 2026/2027 an application costs $1,748 for a house and $455 for a unit, and renewal, from 1 July 2026, costs $800 for a house and $300 for a unit.[5]
- Exempt sites. Visitor-accommodation-only sites and the Hastings Street Mixed Use precinct do not need a local-law approval.[5]
- Approvals can be transferred. The council charges $273 to transfer an approval, so when you buy a holiday let, ask for the approval and its planning basis in writing rather than relying on the listing.[5]
- Different rates. The council has a separate Short Stay Transitory rating category for short-stay properties.[5]
Noosa Council says flooding from storm tides and waterways is one of the most significant risks across the shire. Its Noosa Plan 2020 flood overlay maps a modelled flood with a 1% annual exceedance probability in the year 2100, but the council says the maps are indicative, intended for development assessment, and should not be relied on for real estate or investment decisions.[6] For a particular property, order the council’s Flood Search Certificate, which gives the latest flood level information where available, the minimum floor level required for new habitable rooms and flood velocity data.[6]
Coastal hazards are mapped separately. The council’s coastal hazard maps, prepared for its Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan, show permanent inundation from sea level rise, erosion-prone areas and storm tide inundation, today and for 2040, 2070 and 2100. The Queensland Government’s coastal planning uses a projected sea level rise of 0.8 metres by 2100.[7] Ask for an insurance quote before the contract becomes unconditional, not after.
- Short-stay rights, if letting matters. Confirm the planning basis and any existing approval with your solicitor before you sign, and make the contract conditional on it if you can.[5]
- Flood and coastal mapping. Order a flood search certificate and check the coastal hazard layers for anything near the river, the lakes or the beach.[6][7]
- Recent sales, not medians. With few sales each quarter, price each home on the latest comparable sales nearby, or order a valuation; see our guide to property valuations.
- Body corporate records. For a unit or townhouse, read the body corporate records, by-laws and sinking fund before you commit, including any rules on holiday letting.
- The building. Salt air and age take their toll on coastal homes; our guide to building and pest inspections in QLD explains what an inspection covers.
- The contract and the full cost. Our guide to the contract of sale in QLD explains each part, and our property purchase calculator adds transfer duty and fees.
IPS works only for buyers, never sellers, across South East Queensland, including every Noosa suburb. We search listed and off-market property, compare recent sales, check short-stay and flood questions with your solicitor and inspectors, negotiate or bid at auction, and coordinate everything through to settlement. See our Sunshine Coast buyer’s agent page, our buyer’s agent services and our suburb reports for Noosa Council. If you are buying from interstate, our story of an interstate investor buying in Bli Bli shows how a purchase on the Sunshine Coast works from a distance, and our guide to moving to the Sunshine Coast covers the rest of the move.
Noosa has the highest median house price of the council areas in the REIQ’s table, at $1,670,000 in the June 2026 quarter,[1] and in Sunshine Beach the median land value alone is $1,800,000.[3] It sells slowly,[2] its rental vacancy rate is higher than most of the state’s,[4] and holiday letting depends on a property’s planning rights and an annual council approval.[5] For buyers, that means choosing the suburb for how you will use the home, confirming letting rights and flood information before you sign, and pricing on the latest sales.
This article is general information only, current at November 2026. It is not financial or investment advice, does not forecast prices, and does not consider your circumstances. Market figures change each quarter; check the latest data and get advice before you buy.
If you are looking to buy in Noosa, book a time with Tim Allen.
Ten more Noosa questions — short-stay rules, scarcity, flood exposure and what to check before you offer — are answered in our South East Queensland buyer’s agent FAQ.
- REIQ — Queensland property market takes a breath after years of rapid growth (June 2026 quarter data, house and unit median sales tables, Cotality data, 31 August 2026)
- REIQ — Queensland property prices keep climbing as headwinds gather (March 2026 quarter data, 28 May 2026)
- Queensland Government — 2026 land valuations, Noosa Shire Council (values at 1 October 2025; page updated 11 March 2026)
- REIQ — Healthy vacancy rates kept at bay, says REIQ (September 2026 quarter vacancy rates, 26 October 2026)
- Noosa Shire Council — Short Stay Letting (Short Stay Letting and Home Hosted Accommodation Local Law; fees 2026/2027)
- Noosa Shire Council — Flood Mapping
- Noosa Shire Council — Coastal Hazards Mapping
- Cotality — Home Value Index, October 2026 (data to 30 September 2026)
- Residential Tenancies Authority — Median rents quick finder (postcodes 4565, 4566 and 4567, Jul–Sep 2026 and Jul–Sep 2025, read 1 November 2026)
What is the median house price in Noosa?
The REIQ’s median house sale price for Noosa Shire was $1,670,000 in the June 2026 quarter, the highest of the council areas in its table, and the 12-month median was $1,605,000, up 13.83% on a year earlier. Prices vary widely between the beachside suburbs, Noosaville and the hinterland, so check recent sales in the suburb you are considering.
Does Noosa suit property investors?
It depends on what you need from the property. Noosa’s 12-month median house price rose 13.83% in the year to June 2026 and residential land values rose 44% in three years, but rents are low against prices, homes take longer to sell than in any other market the REIQ reports, and vacancy was 2.5% in the September 2026 quarter. Noosa tends to suit long-term owner-occupiers and holders more than investors who need strong rental income. This is general information, not a forecast or financial advice.
Can you run a holiday let or Airbnb in Noosa?
Only if the property has lawful town planning rights for short-term accommodation and an approval under Noosa Council’s short-stay local law, which must be renewed every year. For 2026/2027 an application costs $1,748 for a house and $455 for a unit. Visitor-accommodation-only sites and the Hastings Street Mixed Use precinct are exempt from the approval. Confirm a property’s rights and any existing approval before you buy.
What is the rental vacancy rate in Noosa?
The REIQ recorded a vacancy rate of 2.5% for Noosa in the September 2026 quarter, up 0.3 percentage points and just short of its healthy range of 2.6% to 3.5%. Only Isaac and the Bay Islands were higher, and the statewide rate was 1.0%.
How much is rent in Noosa?
Residential Tenancies Authority data for July to September 2026 shows median weekly rents for new leases of $1,100 for 3-bedroom houses and $1,375 for 4-bedroom houses in postcode 4567 (Noosa Heads, Sunshine Beach), $1,300 for 4-bedroom houses in 4566 (Noosaville) and $880 for 3-bedroom houses in 4565 (Tewantin). Two-bedroom units rented for $875 in 4567 and $780 in 4566.
Which is better: Noosa Heads, Noosaville or Sunshine Beach?
It depends on how you will use the home. Sunshine Beach has the highest land values in the shire, a median of $1,800,000 at 1 October 2025, and suits beach-village living. Noosa Heads, at $1,375,000, is the holiday centre around Hastings Street. Noosaville, at $1,050,000, is the largest and most affordable of the three, along the Noosa River.
Is Noosa part of the Sunshine Coast?
Noosa Shire is a separate council area from the Sunshine Coast Council, and the REIQ reports the two separately. In the June 2026 quarter Noosa’s median house price was $1,670,000, against $1,320,000 for the Sunshine Coast council area.