Sunshine Coast Property Market 2026: Prices, Rents and Will Prices Drop?
The Sunshine Coast property market went into 2026 near its peak: the REIQ’s median house price for the Sunshine Coast was $1.29 million in the March 2026 quarter, up 3.2% in three months.[1] Since May, values across regional Queensland have eased, falling 2.5% over the three months to September, although they were still 6.3% higher than a year earlier.[2]
This guide sets out where the coast stands in late 2026, using named and dated sources: prices, rents by postcode, vacancy and population, and what the data says about the question many buyers are asking, whether prices will keep falling. It describes the data; it does not forecast prices. For the same picture in Brisbane’s north, see our guide to the Moreton Bay property market.
Key takeaways
- The Sunshine Coast median house price was $1.29 million in the March 2026 quarter, and Noosa’s was $1.68 million, on REIQ figures.[1]
- Regional Queensland values have eased since a May 2026 peak, but remain higher than a year ago.
- The REIQ still rates the Sunshine Coast rental market as tight, and rents for houses rose in most postcodes over the year.
- The Sunshine Coast added more than 7,600 residents in the year to June 2025.
- Prices vary widely between the coast, Kawana, the hinterland and Noosa, so judge each suburb on its own recent sales.
The Sunshine Coast property market at a glance
| Indicator | Latest reading | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price, Sunshine Coast | $1.29 million, up 3.2% in the quarter | REIQ, March 2026 quarter[1] |
| Median unit price, Sunshine Coast | $880,000, up 0.57% in the quarter | REIQ, March 2026 quarter[1] |
| Median house price, Noosa | $1.68 million, up 8.39% in the quarter | REIQ, March 2026 quarter[1] |
| Regional Queensland dwelling values | Down 0.9% in September and 2.5% over three months; up 6.3% over the year | Cotality, to 30 September 2026[2] |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.9% (Sunshine Coast), 2.2% (Noosa) | REIQ, June 2026 quarter[3] |
| Population | 381,957, up 7,659 in a year | QGSO, 30 June 2025[4] |
The REIQ reports quarterly median sale prices for each council area; Cotality reports index values, and its regional Queensland figures cover the state outside Greater Brisbane, including the Sunshine Coast. Compare like with like, and check the period each figure covers.
House and unit prices
In the March 2026 quarter the REIQ recorded a median house price of $1.29 million for the Sunshine Coast, up 3.2% in the quarter, and $1.68 million for Noosa, up 8.39%, the strongest quarterly house growth of the tourism markets it tracks. For comparison, Brisbane’s council-area median was $1.46 million in the same quarter.[1]
Units were steadier. The Sunshine Coast unit median edged up 0.57% to $880,000, while Noosa’s rose 3.15% to almost $1.23 million.[1] In the quarter before, Noosa’s unit median of $1.15 million was already well ahead of the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.[5]
The coast is also an active market. The Sunshine Coast recorded 1,317 house sales and 497 unit sales in the March 2026 quarter, among the highest volumes in Queensland.[1] Noosa is the opposite: its homes took a median of 45.5 days to sell, the slowest house market the REIQ tracks, which reflects its premium prices and tightly held stock.[1]
No one can say for certain, and we do not forecast prices. What the data shows is that the run-up has paused. In the June 2026 quarter the REIQ’s statewide median house price slipped 0.91% to $983,000, and its chief executive described a market that is “taking a breath” after years of rapid gains.[6]
Cotality’s figures to 30 September 2026 show the easing continuing. Regional Queensland dwelling values fell 0.9% in September and 2.5% over three months, and were 2.8% below their May 2026 peak. Over 12 months they were still up 6.3%, and over five years up 52.0%.[2] So a buyer today is paying less than at the May peak, but still well above a year ago.
If you are trying to judge where things go next, watch the measures that move first: how long homes take to sell, how many are listed, and the gap between asking and sale prices in the suburb you want. Across the capitals, homes were taking a median of 39 days to sell in September, up from 23 a year earlier, and listings had built up as sales slowed.[2] In a market like that, a careful buyer usually has more time and more room to negotiate.
Rental demand remains strong. In the June 2026 quarter the REIQ recorded a vacancy rate of 0.9% for the Sunshine Coast, which it classes as tight. Noosa’s rate was 2.2%, close to what the REIQ calls healthy, and the Caloundra Coast rose 0.4 points to 1.1%.[3]
The Residential Tenancies Authority publishes median rents from new bonds. For houses, the July to September 2026 quarter compares with the same quarter a year earlier as follows:[7]
| Postcode (main suburbs)[7] | 3-bedroom house, Jul–Sep 2026 | A year earlier | 4-bedroom house, Jul–Sep 2026 | A year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4560 (Nambour) | $730 | $695 | $835 | $822.50 |
| 4551 (Caloundra) | $750 | $700 | $840 | $780 |
| 4557 (Mooloolaba) | $830 | $760 | $925 | $830 |
| 4556 (Buderim) | $832.50 | $750 | $950 | $860 |
| 4575 (Kawana: Birtinya, Warana) | $850 | $755 | $1,000 | $910 |
| 4558 (Maroochydore) | $850 | $770 | $1,000 | $950 |
| 4573 (Coolum Beach) | $875 | $800 | $1,100 | $985 |
| 4564 (Twin Waters, Marcoola) | $900 | $725 | $1,150 | $1,200 |
| 4567 (Noosa Heads, Sunshine Beach) | $1,100 | $955 | $1,375 | $1,550 |
Weekly medians from new bonds lodged, per the RTA quick finder.[7] Three-bedroom house rents were higher than a year earlier in every postcode in the table. Four-bedroom rents rose everywhere except Twin Waters and Marcoola, and Noosa Heads and Sunshine Beach, where they fell. Some postcodes have only a few dozen bonds a quarter, so small samples can swing; as the RTA suggests, compare the same quarter year on year.
The Sunshine Coast council area had 381,957 residents at 30 June 2025, the fifth-largest in Queensland and eighth-largest in Australia. It added 7,659 people that year, growth of 2.0%, after adding 9,407 the year before.[4] That steady growth underpins demand for both homes and rentals.
New suburbs and the infrastructure planned along the coast shape where demand goes next. Our guide to the top Sunshine Coast infrastructure developments covers them, and our Baringa report looks at one of the newest suburbs.
The Sunshine Coast is a string of different markets. Our Sunshine Coast suburb reports cover them one by one; these are the broad areas buyers usually choose between.
- The Caloundra coast. Beach suburbs such as Caloundra, Moffat Beach and Pelican Waters, where the RTA data shows some of the lower coastal rents.[7]
- Kawana. Newer canal and beachside suburbs such as Birtinya and Warana, close to the hospital precinct.
- Maroochydore, Mooloolaba and Buderim. The central coast, including Maroochydore, Mooloolaba and family-friendly Buderim.
- The hinterland. Towns such as Nambour and Beerwah, where the RTA data shows the lowest house rents in the table.[7]
- Noosa. The premium end, with the highest medians and the slowest selling times the REIQ reports.[1] See our Noosa suburb reports.
If you know your budget and what you need, our 2026 top-5 guides narrow it down by buyer type and budget: first-home buyers, investors, owner-occupiers and empty nesters.
IPS works only for buyers, never sellers, across the Sunshine Coast and South East Queensland: the search, including off-market property, inspections, negotiation and auction bidding, through to settlement. See our Sunshine Coast buyer’s agent page for how we work.
One example: at a Mount Coolum auction, bidding paused at $1.251 million while negotiations continued, and our clients secured the townhouse for $1.28 million; it is now rented for $1,000 a week. In a cooler market, that kind of negotiation, backed by recent sales evidence, matters as much as speed.
The Sunshine Coast median house price reached $1.29 million in early 2026, with Noosa at $1.68 million.[1] Values across regional Queensland have since eased from their May peak but remain above a year ago,[2] rents are still rising in most postcodes against a 0.9% vacancy rate,[3] and the population keeps growing.[4] For buyers, that means more time and more room to negotiate than a year ago, provided you price each home on its own recent sales.
This article is general information only, current at October 2026. It is not financial or investment advice, does not forecast prices, and does not consider your circumstances. Market figures change each month; check the latest data and get advice before you buy.
If you are looking to buy on the Sunshine Coast, book a time with Tim Allen.
- REIQ — Queensland property prices keep climbing as headwinds gather (March 2026 quarter data, 28 May 2026)
- Cotality — Home Value Index, October 2026 (data to 30 September 2026)
- REIQ — State of flux in Queensland’s rental market (June 2026 quarter vacancy rates, 30 July 2026)
- Queensland Government Statistician’s Office — Population growth, regional Queensland, 2024–25 (ABS data released 31 March 2026)
- REIQ — Queensland property prices pushed up by persistent supply pressures (December 2025 quarter data, 31 March 2026)
- REIQ — Queensland property market takes a breath after years of rapid growth (June 2026 quarter data, 31 August 2026)
- Residential Tenancies Authority — Median rents quick finder (Jul–Sep 2026 and Jul–Sep 2025, houses, read 29 October 2026)
What is the median house price on the Sunshine Coast?
The REIQ’s median house sale price for the Sunshine Coast council area was $1.29 million in the March 2026 quarter, up 3.2% in three months. Noosa’s was $1.68 million, and the Sunshine Coast unit median was $880,000. Prices vary widely between the beachside, Kawana, hinterland and Noosa markets, so check recent sales in the suburb you want.
Will Sunshine Coast house prices drop in 2026?
We do not forecast prices, but the data shows a pause. Cotality’s regional Queensland values, which include the Sunshine Coast, fell 2.5% over the three months to September 2026 and were 2.8% below their May peak, though still 6.3% higher than a year earlier. Watch selling times, listings and recent sales in the suburb you are considering.
What is the rental vacancy rate on the Sunshine Coast?
The REIQ recorded a vacancy rate of 0.9% for the Sunshine Coast in the June 2026 quarter, which it classes as a tight rental market. Noosa was 2.2%, close to the REIQ’s healthy range, and the Caloundra Coast rose 0.4 points to 1.1%.
How much is rent for a house on the Sunshine Coast?
Residential Tenancies Authority data for July to September 2026 shows median rents for new leases on 3-bedroom houses from $730 a week in the Nambour postcode to $1,100 in Noosa Heads and Sunshine Beach, and on 4-bedroom houses from $835 to $1,375. Three-bedroom rents were higher than a year earlier in every postcode we checked.
Is the Sunshine Coast cheaper than Brisbane?
On the REIQ’s March 2026 quarter figures, yes for houses overall: the Sunshine Coast median house price was $1.29 million, compared with $1.46 million for the Brisbane council area. Noosa was higher than both at $1.68 million. Both regions cover a wide range, so compare specific suburbs rather than whole regions.
How many people live on the Sunshine Coast?
The Sunshine Coast council area had 381,957 residents at 30 June 2025, the fifth-largest council area in Queensland and eighth-largest in Australia. It grew by 7,659 people, or 2.0%, in the year to June 2025, according to the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office.