Pimpama used to be described as the last remaining rural town on the Pacific Motorway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. That description hasn’t been accurate for years. What was once a quiet rural township 30 kilometres north of Surfers Paradise is now one of the fastest-growing suburbs on the entire Gold Coast, and the past couple of years alone have brought a new railway station, a new shopping centre and a new sports hub. If you’re researching Pimpama based on older information, treat it as out of date, this is a genuinely different suburb to the one it was even five years ago.
| Feature | Summary |
|---|---|
| Known For | Rapid growth, the new Pimpama railway station, Pimpama City Shopping Centre and the Sports Hub |
| Best For | Families wanting new housing, commuters using the new train line, investors chasing growth |
| Atmosphere | Fast-growing, suburban, under active development |
| Crowds | Low to moderate, a residential growth suburb rather than a visitor destination |
| Walkability | Improving around new estates and the shopping centre; broadly car-dependent |
| Dining Scene | Growing, centred on Pimpama City Shopping Centre |
| Local Character | Young, family-oriented, rapidly expanding, infrastructure still catching up to population growth |
| Hospitals | No hospitals in Pimpama; Robina Hospital and Gold Coast University Hospital both approx 30-35 minutes south |
| Schools | Pimpama State School (primary) and Pimpama State Secondary College (secondary) within the suburb; growing private school options |
| Transport | Pimpama railway station (opened October 2025) now in-suburb; no G:link (nearest Helensvale); OOL airport approx 45-55 minutes |
Pimpama Boundary and Location Map
Who is Pimpama for?
Pimpama suits families wanting newer housing in a suburb that’s investing heavily in its own infrastructure, and commuters who’ll benefit from the new direct rail line to Brisbane and the rest of the Gold Coast corridor. It also suits property investors and buyers chasing genuine capital growth, Pimpama has been one of the strongest-performing suburbs on the Gold Coast in recent years. The new Sports Hub adds appeal for active families, with netball, tennis and aquatic facilities all on offer locally.
It suits visitors less well, since there’s no standalone attraction drawing people in for a day trip, and it suits people less well who want a slower, more settled community feel. Pimpama is still very much a suburb under active development, with infrastructure working to catch up to the pace of population growth, and that means construction activity and ongoing change are part of the experience of living here right now.
What It’s Like to Live Here
Pimpama’s population was recorded at 9,396 at the 2016 census, but that figure is well out of date given the scale of housing development since, the suburb has been one of the fastest-growing in Australia over the past several years and the current population is very likely substantially higher. Longtime residents will tell you Pimpama barely resembles the suburb it was even five years ago, the train station alone has changed what daily commuting looks like for thousands of households here. The community is young and family-oriented, with new estates bringing a steady stream of first-home buyers and growing families, and the overall feel is one of a suburb still finding its settled rhythm rather than one that’s already arrived.
Hospitals
There are no hospitals within Pimpama. Robina Hospital and Gold Coast University Hospital in Southport are both approximately 30-35 minutes south via the M1, the nearest options with full emergency departments.
Schools
Pimpama State School and Pimpama State Secondary College both sit within the suburb, and the rapid population growth has supported an increase in both public and private school options in the surrounding area to keep pace with demand.
Renting and the Realty Market
Pimpama’s rental market is genuinely tight, with vacancy sitting at around 1.0 percent. Median rent runs at approximately $750 a week for houses and $680 a week for units, with rental yields around 4.13 percent for houses and 4.60 percent for units, solid figures for the wider Gold Coast investment market. Ask a local property manager about Pimpama and they’ll mention the same thing: demand has outpaced supply for years now, and the new shopping centre and sports hub (see below) have only added to the suburb’s appeal.
On the buying side, the median house price now sits around $1,000,000 to $1,100,000, having reportedly doubled over the past five years, with annual capital growth of roughly 12 to 14.6 percent over the past 12 months, among the strongest growth figures anywhere on the Gold Coast. Properties typically spend around 25 days on market, reflecting strong and sustained demand. New housing supply, the new train station, and the new shopping and sports facilities are all cited as ongoing drivers of that growth.
Transport
Pimpama railway station opened in October 2025, putting the suburb directly on the Gold Coast to Brisbane heavy rail line for the first time, a major change from its previous reliance on bus connections to Coomera or Helensvale. There is no G:link station in Pimpama, the light rail’s northern terminus is Helensvale, requiring a drive or bus connection south.
The Coomera Connector, a major new arterial road, is under construction through this corridor specifically to relieve M1 congestion and support continued growth, check current progress before relying on a specific completion date. By car, Surfers Paradise is approximately 30-35 minutes south via the M1. Gold Coast Airport (OOL) is one of the longer airport runs on the Gold Coast given Pimpama’s northern position, approximately 45-55 minutes, with a taxi or rideshare typically costing $75-95.
New Infrastructure: Shopping Centre, Sports Hub and the Train Station
Three pieces of new infrastructure have landed in Pimpama within a short window and together they’ve genuinely changed the suburb.
- Pimpama City Shopping Centre has significantly improved local access to retail, dining and everyday services that previously required a drive to Coomera or further south.
- The Pimpama Sports Hub has added netball courts, tennis courts, an aquatic centre and community spaces, giving residents a genuine local recreation option.
- Pimpama railway station, opened October 2025, has put the suburb directly on the rail line to Brisbane for the first time, changing the commuting equation for thousands of households.
FAQ
Is Pimpama a good place to live?
Yes, particularly for families and commuters seeking newer housing and growing infrastructure. The new railway station, shopping centre and sports hub have all significantly improved the suburb’s day-to-day liveability in a short period. The trade-off is that Pimpama is still developing and doesn’t yet have the settled character of an established suburb.
Does Pimpama have a train station?
Yes. Pimpama railway station opened in October 2025, connecting the suburb directly to the Gold Coast to Brisbane rail line for the first time. This was a significant change from the suburb’s previous reliance on bus connections to neighbouring stations.
Is Pimpama a good suburb for property investment?
It’s been one of the strongest performers on the Gold Coast in recent years, with annual capital growth around 12 to 14.6 percent and a tight rental market (vacancy around 1.0 percent). Rental yields sit around 4.13 percent for houses and 4.60 percent for units. As with any fast-growing suburb, growth rates of this scale aren’t guaranteed to continue indefinitely, so do your own research before committing.