Redland Bay
Detached homes define Redland Bay before anything else, with 94.4% separate houses and only 2.1% apartments across a 46.63 sq km bayside footprint. Compared with nearby Victoria Point or Mount Cotton, the suburb should be judged through its car-based, family-sized housing pattern: 92.0% of commuters drive and 68.7% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms. Household income sits in the 76.6 percentile nationally, above average, while the median age of 40 and senior growth signal an aging but still family-heavy suburb.
Population
17,056
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,046/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$583K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Redland Bay suits buyers wanting space because 94.4% of homes are separate houses and 68.7% have 4 or more bedrooms, far above an apartment-led market. A current median house price is not recorded, so affordability needs to be read through carrying costs: the median mortgage is $2,080 per month and mortgage payments take 23.5% of income. That is below common stress thresholds, helped by household income at the 76.6 national percentile, but 46.2% of households are mortgaged, so rate sensitivity still matters.
For Buyers
Redland Bay suits buyers wanting space because 94.4% of homes are separate houses and 68.7% have 4 or more bedrooms, far above an apartment-led market. A current median house price is not recorded, so affordability needs to be read through carrying costs: the median mortgage is $2,080 per month and mortgage payments take 23.5% of income. That is below common stress thresholds, helped by household income at the 76.6 national percentile, but 46.2% of households are mortgaged, so rate sensitivity still matters.
For Investors
The rental pool is moderate rather than deep: 23.0% of households rent, lower than the 46.2% paying a mortgage, which points to an owner-occupier market. Median rent is $465 per week and rent rose 14.6% across the shift period, but vacancy is 5.2%, above what many investors would call tight. With 0 development approvals in the last 12 months and internal migration averaging +309 people a year, demand is more likely to come from household formation than new apartment supply.
Schools in Redland Bay iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Scenic Shores State School
Prep-6 · 234 students
Redland Bay State School
Prep-6 · 820 students
Demographics
Redland Bay is older and more locally rooted than many growth suburbs. The median age is 40, exactly 0.0 years vs the national benchmark, but the suburb is on an aging trajectory as the senior share rose 5.2 points and the young share fell 3.6 points. Overseas-born residents are 20.8%, 0.8 points below national, and university attainment is 22.6%, 7.5 points below national. English ancestry is the largest group at 7,862 people, followed by Scottish at 2,046 and Irish at 1,970.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.4%
Houses
3.5%
Townhouse
2.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Compared with nearby Cleveland and Victoria Point, Redland Bay reads as a house-first market in its own numbers rather than a unit-led centre: 94.4% separate houses, 3.5% semi-detached homes and 2.1% apartments. Ownership is broad, with 30.8% owned outright, 46.2% mortgaged and 23.0% rented. The bedroom mix reinforces family demand because 68.7% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms and only 3.4% have 2 bedrooms. No current median house price is recorded, so price checks should be paired with the $2,080 median mortgage and 23.5% mortgage-to-income ratio.
Mortgage / mo
$2,080
Rent / wk
$465
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$835
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.2%
Unoccupied
316
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.1%
Couples, no children
14,758
Total families
Economy & Employment
Redland Bay has a practical, service-and-trades economy. Healthcare leads at 17.3% of workers, followed by construction at 16.3%, education at 11.4%, manufacturing at 7.8% and retail at 6.9%. Occupations are spread across professionals at 1,358, clerical/admin at 1,325 and managers at 1,138, which explains why resources look stronger than education scores alone imply. SEIFA is uneven: IEO decile 5 is average, but IER decile 9 is higher, IRSD decile 7 is above middle and IRSAD decile 6 is slightly above middle. Unemployment is 4.6% with 66.2% of employed residents full-time.
Unemployment
2.6%
Labour Force
11,836
Unemployed
303
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.2%
Part-time
29.2%
Participation
59.4%
Employed
7,745
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.6%
Postgraduate
4.5%
Born Overseas
20.8%
Dwellings
5,793
Transport to Work
Daily life is highly car-oriented, with 92.0% of commuters driving, only 1.6% using public transport and 1.5% walking or cycling. That is below transit-rich urban averages, so commute planning matters. Schooling is primary-focused: 2 government primary schools sit in the suburb, with ICSEA scores from 997 to 1011. Scenic Shores State School is the highest ICSEA option at 1011 with 234 enrolments, while Redland Bay State School has 820 enrolments at ICSEA 997. IRSAD decile 6 supports a slightly above middle livability base.
Drive
92.0%
Public Transport
1.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.32%/yr
(+470 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is active rather than speculative because the forecast trend is 2.32% a year, equal to about 470 additional residents annually. The medium scenario moves from 20,619 people in 2026 to 22,968 in 2031. Migration is led by internal movement, averaging +309 people a year, compared with +116 from overseas migration. The gentrification score is 55 and the stage is Active, while the shift indicators show rent growth of 14.6% and population change of 30.4% over 10 years. Aging remains important, with senior share up 5.2 points.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+116
Net Internal / yr
+309
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +44% since 2011, Net internal migration +309/yr, Accelerating: 15% → 26%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Redland Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Redland Bay a good suburb to live in?
Redland Bay is a strong fit for buyers wanting larger homes and a quieter bayside setting. It has 94.4% separate houses, 68.7% homes with 4 or more bedrooms and household income in the 76.6 national percentile, but car dependence is high at 92.0%.
What is the median house price in Redland Bay?
A current median house price is not recorded for Redland Bay. The available affordability markers are a $2,080 median monthly mortgage, $465 median weekly rent and a 23.5% mortgage-to-income ratio, so recent comparable sales should be checked before pricing a purchase.
What schools are in Redland Bay?
Redland Bay has 2 local government primary schools. Scenic Shores State School has ICSEA 1011 and 234 enrolments, while Redland Bay State School has ICSEA 997 and 820 enrolments. Secondary options generally require checking surrounding Redlands suburbs.
Is Redland Bay safe?
A suburb-level crime rate per 1,000 people is not recorded here, so safety should be checked by address using current Queensland Police information. Redland Bay covers 46.63 sq km, meaning conditions can vary between waterfront, acreage-edge and estate areas.
Is Redland Bay good for property investment?
Redland Bay has investor positives in $465 median weekly rent, 14.6% rent growth and internal migration of +309 people a year. The caution is a 5.2% vacancy rate, which is higher than a very tight market, plus a rental share of 23.0%.
How is Redland Bay's population changing?
Redland Bay is growing at a forecast 2.32% a year, or about 470 people annually. The medium scenario rises from 20,619 residents in 2026 to 22,968 in 2031, with internal migration the main driver at +309 people a year.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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