Nerang on the Gold Coast changing its name and has been named as next suburb to invest in
The Gold Coast suburb - with the lowest burglary rates - has been named as the newest spot in the city to invest in. But it’s not where you think
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Nerangutans, it’s finally time to take pride in your title.
Because, somehow, the hottest property in town is a suburb where once residents dared not speak its name.
OK maybe ‘hottest in town’ is a little over-the-top, but certainly one of the Gold Coast’s most derided neighbourhoods is now popular property.
I’m here to see some justice for Nerang.
For too long residents have felt the sting of humiliation when admitting the truth of their address.
Euphemistically describing the location of their home as ‘south of Pacific Pines’ or ‘north of Mudgeeraba’ hasn’t fooled anyone … we all know it’s just another name for the shame that is Nerang.
Even those who say the name outright accompany it with a qualifier: “We live in Nerang, but it’s actually really nice.” Or: “We live in Nerang, but it’s on acreage.”
But guys, you can drop the excuses … because times are changing. From No-rang to New-rang, this suburb is flipping the script when it comes to outdated perceptions.
Driven by its relative affordability (although that too is apparently becoming a thing of the past), Nerang is attracting a whole new generation – and demographic – of people.
“You should never judge a book by its cover,” says one resident, in an online review of her new home suburb.
“Nerang has much to offer in the way of affordable housing, shopping, schools, parks and transport. It is a great place to live right smack bang in the middle of the Gold Coast.
“There are a lot of young families in the area and first home buyers so the overall appearance is on the up, which is great.”
Or this not-so-politically-correct hot take:
“While Nerang will never be able to shake the stigma, it’s completely different to how it was when we were young. It’s a lot more classy now, all the scum keep moving north where they can afford to live.”
And then my favourite succinct summary:
“Nerang – GC’s best kept secret!”
OK, that one was written by a real estate agent.
Still, if you’re looking for something slightly less biased, consider the sentiment-free commentary of crime rates.
According to statistics released by the RACQ in December, Nerang has one of the lowest burglary rates for the entire Gold Coast, while coastal suburbs like Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach were top of the table.
When it comes to total crime statistics, as reported by the Queensland Police Service for the 12 months to April 2023, Nerang is in the top 10 suburbs.
But it’s a different story when you consider the population size of each suburb and determine the crime rate per capita … because Nerang drops out of the table entirely, replaced – once again – by mostly beachside communities.
Unfortunately, for those seeking to capitalise on this almost-cool community, it seems the secret is out.
In fact, Canstar rated Nerang number five in its 10 best suburbs in regional Queensland to invest in 2023.
“While the (Gold Coast) high-rise markets have shown big growth, it’s workaday suburbs such as Nerang that have the best prospects for long-term uplift,” it states.
“With vacancies near zero and yields solid, sales activity is rising. Nerang is well-connected, on the M1 and rail line linking to Brisbane and the Smith Street Motorway connecting to the coast.”
And the crazy thing in this suburb is that there seems to better value in houses than units.
The median price of a two-bedroom unit in Nerang is about $500,000, while the median house price is about $750,000.
Just try not to think about how that median house price was $450,000 a few short (yet incredibly long) years ago. Or that a unit in Nerang now costs half a million.
Still, it will be interesting to see just how this fairytale of Nerang unfolds.
As the suburb’s gentrification continues, will we see Nerangutan pride in the 4211 postcode emerge? Or will we see resentment as the prosperity bomb explodes, leaving locals displaced in its wake?
Judging by the full refurbish achieved in Palm Beach, it will be both of those two tales in this city.
But hey, at least this suburb is enough to have the Nerang Gatekeeper standing sentry.
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