Deception Bay
At 19,573 residents, Deception Bay is defined by 84.2% separate houses, a median age of 40 and household income at the 28.7th percentile nationally. The age profile is shifting because the senior share has risen 6.5 percentage points while the young share has fallen 4.5 points. For buyers comparing Deception Bay with nearby North Lakes, the suburb's established, detached format is the key distinction to test against budget and commute needs. Growth is measured at 0.87% annually and vacancy at 5.1%, pointing to a steady market rather than a rapid expansion cycle.
Population
19,573
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,270/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
60
With no median house price available, buyers need to start with the recurring-cost picture: weekly rent is $325 and the listed mortgage amount is $1,517 per month. The stock is strongly detached, with 84.2% separate houses versus 4.4% apartments and 9.6% semi-detached homes. Family layouts dominate: 3-bedroom dwellings make up 51.0% and 4-plus-bedroom homes 33.6%, higher than the 12.5% share of 2-bedroom dwellings. Mortgage costs equal 27.6% of household income and rent 25.6%, both without recorded stress flags, so repayment capacity still needs to be checked against deposit size and interest-rate changes.
For Buyers
With no median house price available, buyers need to start with the recurring-cost picture: weekly rent is $325 and the listed mortgage amount is $1,517 per month. The stock is strongly detached, with 84.2% separate houses versus 4.4% apartments and 9.6% semi-detached homes. Family layouts dominate: 3-bedroom dwellings make up 51.0% and 4-plus-bedroom homes 33.6%, higher than the 12.5% share of 2-bedroom dwellings. Mortgage costs equal 27.6% of household income and rent 25.6%, both without recorded stress flags, so repayment capacity still needs to be checked against deposit size and interest-rate changes.
For Investors
Deception Bay has a substantial tenant base: 39.4% of occupied dwellings are rented, higher than the 25.4% owned outright. Weekly rent is $325 and vacancy is 5.1%, giving investors a starting point for yield and leasing-risk checks rather than a guarantee of performance. Development activity reached 60 applications in 12 months, including warehouse, domestic building and multiple-dwelling proposals, which may increase local supply or competition depending on delivery. The growth outlook is driven by internal migration at 0.87% annually, so the case rests more on affordability and tenant depth than on premium-market pricing.
Development Activity
Total DAs
115
Last 12 Months
60
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+62.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Deception Bay
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Arethusa College (Deception Bay)
Christ the King Catholic Primary School (Deception Bay)
Deception Bay Flexible Learning Centre (Grosvenor Tce & Silver St, Deception Bay)
Kairos Community College (Deception Bay)
Deception Bay State High School
Demographics
Deception Bay's median age of 40 matches the national comparison, but university attainment is 14.9%, 15.2 percentage points below the national figure. The ancestry profile is led by English ancestry at 7,943 people, followed by Scottish at 1,906 and Irish at 1,890, while overseas-born residents account for 20.4%, 1.2 points below the national comparison. Christianity counts 8,863 people and no religion 8,555. Household size is 2.5, and mobility is relatively settled because 77.5% stayed at the same address while turnover was 22.5%.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.2%
Houses
9.6%
Townhouse
4.4%
Apartment
Tenure
A current median house price is unavailable, so the most useful housing signals are tenure, dwelling type and size. Separate houses represent 84.2%, compared with 4.4% apartments and 9.6% semi-detached dwellings. The tenure split is more renter-heavy than outright ownership, with 39.4% renting, 34.1% paying a mortgage and 25.4% owning outright. That mix supports a family-oriented reading because 51.0% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 33.6% have 4 or more, while only 12.5% have 2 bedrooms. Housing costs sit at 25.6% of income for rent and 27.6% for mortgages, with neither stress flag active. Compared with nearby North Lakes, buyers should focus on the actual dwelling, tenure and renovation profile rather than suburb labels.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $325.
$585
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $585
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$620
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.1%
Unoccupied
382
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.0%
Couples with children
36.1%
Couples, no children
25.8%
Single parent
5,199
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the economic anchor, accounting for 24.7% of industry employment and 1,134 workers, more than double manufacturing's 7.0% and 322 workers. Construction contributes 11.4% and education 10.3%, while retail is 8.5%. Occupationally, community and personal roles number 1,249, trades 1,181 and labourers 1,132, creating a service, building and manual-work mix. Labour-force participation is 53.4%, unemployment is 8.9% and full-time employment is 57.2%, so household earning power is uneven. The 28.7th income percentile aligns with SEIFA disadvantage: IEO, IRSD and IRSAD are all in decile 1, while IER is decile 2, indicating lower socioeconomic conditions than higher-decile areas.
Unemployment
8.9%
Labour Force
8,410
Unemployed
749
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.2%
Part-time
33.1%
Participation
53.4%
Employed
7,661
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
14.9%
Postgraduate
2.0%
Born Overseas
20.4%
Dwellings
7,114
Transport to Work
Daily travel is strongly car-oriented: 78.9% travel as car drivers, compared with 2.3% using public transport, 2.0% walking or cycling and 10.4% working from home. Education access includes 8 schools across 4 government, 2 Catholic and 2 independent providers, covering primary, high-school and flexible-learning options; check enrolment zones against the exact address. Socioeconomic conditions are weaker than higher-decile locations, with IRSAD and IRSD both at decile 1. No local crime rate is stated, so review recent Queensland Police information and visit at different times before deciding. The car share is higher than every listed non-car travel mode, making parking, road access and bus frequency practical checks.
Drive
78.9%
Public Transport
2.3%
Walk / Cycle
2.0%
Work from Home
10.4%
Population Forecast
+0.87%/yr
(+220 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than explosive, with the forecast trend at 0.87% a year and internal migration identified as the primary driver. Across the wider area, population change is 4.3% over 10 years. The trajectory is Aging because the senior share has increased 6.5 percentage points while the young share has declined 4.5 points. Gentrification signals are mixed: the score is 29 at the Early signs stage, while the shift measure records score 6 and Not gentrifying. Development activity reached 60 applications in 12 months. The 6.5-point senior increase is higher than the 4.5-point young-share decline, so demand is likely to lean toward established households and practical housing.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+165
Net Internal / yr
+353
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +13% since 2011, Net internal migration +353/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Deception Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Deception Bay a good suburb to live in?
It can suit households wanting detached housing and access to local schools, but affordability and transport need checking. The suburb has 84.2% separate houses, a median age of 40 and 78.9% car-driver travel, so it fits buyers comfortable with a car-oriented, established setting.
What is the median house price in Deception Bay?
No median house price figure is available at present. As context, weekly rent is $325 and the housing figures include a $1,517 monthly mortgage amount, so buyers should confirm current sales evidence, comparable properties and lending costs before making an offer.
What schools are in Deception Bay?
There are 8 listed schools: Deception Bay State School, Deception Bay North State School, Deception Bay State High School, Moreton Downs State School, Christ the King Catholic Primary School, Deception Bay Flexible Learning Centre, Arethusa College and Kairos Community College.
Is Deception Bay safe?
No current crime rate is stated for Deception Bay, so safety should be checked through recent Queensland Police incident information and an inspection of the exact street at different times. The suburb has 19,573 residents, but population size alone is not a safety measure.
Is Deception Bay good for property investment?
It may suit a yield-focused investor because 39.4% of dwellings are rented, weekly rent is $325 and vacancy is 5.1%. However, 60 development applications in 12 months could affect future supply, while returns still depend on purchase price, property condition and ongoing costs.
How is Deception Bay's population changing?
The wider area's population change is 4.3% over 10 years, with a forecast trend of 0.87% annually and internal migration as the primary driver. Deception Bay is on an Aging trajectory, with the senior share up 6.5 percentage points and the young share down 4.5 points.
What development is occurring in Deception Bay?
There were 60 development applications in the past 12 months, including warehouse, domestic building and multiple-dwelling proposals. Buyers and investors should check council conditions, construction timing and the effect of proposed projects on traffic, amenity and local housing supply.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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