Sunshine Coast Regional Council

Sunshine Coast Regional Council ranks 11th of 14 Queensland councils of 80,000 residents and above on Sustainability and 1st of 14 on Core Operations.

"Queensland's lifestyle coast — Mooloolaba, the Hinterland, and Australia Zoo"

See where Sunshine Coast Regional Council ranks: Best Councils in Queensland 2026

Queensland · minimum-grant council · Pop. 381,957

Data last updated: 2024-25 · Data confidence: high

Overall Score

No overall score — Queensland publishes data for two of the four dimensions. How these scores are calculated.

Sustainability: 11th of 14 largest councils scored on this dimension in QLD.

Core Operations: 1st of 14 largest councils scored on this dimension in QLD.

Peer group: 14 councils.

Score Breakdown

CategoryScore
Sustainability34/100
Core Operations77/100
Community ServicesNot published by Queensland
Lifestyle & AmenityNot published by Queensland

What This Means For You

Among Queensland councils of 80,000 residents and above, Sunshine Coast ranks 11th of 14 on Sustainability and 1st of 14 on Core Operations. Queensland publishes no Community Services data and only one amenity measure, so those two dimensions are not scored here and no overall score is calculated.

What Makes This Place Unique

Queensland's lifestyle coast — Mooloolaba, the Hinterland, and Australia Zoo

The Sunshine Coast offers a more relaxed coastal alternative to the Gold Coast.

Known For

  • Mooloolaba — family beach lifestyle
  • Hinterland villages — Maleny, Montville
  • Australia Zoo
  • Glass House Mountains

Living Here

Premium coastal lifestyle with a relaxed vibe. Growth has been rapid, pushing up prices.

Hidden Gem

Kondalilla Falls — stunning rainforest waterfall with rock pool swimming.