Russell Island
With a median age of 59, Russell Island sits 19 years above the national figure, making it one of the most distinctly retirement-oriented communities in Queensland. Household income lands in the 3.5th percentile nationally, reflecting a population of largely fixed-income residents who arrived for affordability. The island runs a 99.4% detached house rate and an 18% vacancy, a combination typical of sea-change destinations where demand is seasonal or transient. Around 50.5% of households own outright with no mortgage, well above state norms, pointing to older buyers who paid off their properties rather than an active churn of new purchasers.
Population
3,698
Median Age
59.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$756/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$292K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price sits at $292,000, estimated from rental data as of 2025, which is substantially lower than the QLD state average. Monthly mortgage repayments average $867, and the mortgage-to-income ratio at 26.5% stays below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes placing the suburb in the 3.5th percentile nationally. Nearly all dwellings, 99.4%, are separate houses, so buyers face no apartment trade-offs. The bedroom mix skews toward 2-bedroom (38%) and 3-bedroom (46.4%) homes, with 4-plus bedrooms at just 8.3%, consistent with downsizer and retiree demand rather than family buyers. Outright owners at 50.5% outnumber mortgage holders at 22.9%, confirming this is a market of settled residents rather than aspirational buyers.
For Buyers
The median house price sits at $292,000, estimated from rental data as of 2025, which is substantially lower than the QLD state average. Monthly mortgage repayments average $867, and the mortgage-to-income ratio at 26.5% stays below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes placing the suburb in the 3.5th percentile nationally. Nearly all dwellings, 99.4%, are separate houses, so buyers face no apartment trade-offs. The bedroom mix skews toward 2-bedroom (38%) and 3-bedroom (46.4%) homes, with 4-plus bedrooms at just 8.3%, consistent with downsizer and retiree demand rather than family buyers. Outright owners at 50.5% outnumber mortgage holders at 22.9%, confirming this is a market of settled residents rather than aspirational buyers.
For Investors
A vacancy rate of 18% is a significant caution flag, nearly 3 times higher than the national benchmark, and signals an oversupplied rental pool. Weekly rent of $260 against a $292,000 median implies a gross yield around 4.6%, reasonable on paper, but achievable only when the property is occupied. The rental-stress reading tells a supporting story: rent-to-income at 34.4% exceeds the 30% stress threshold, meaning tenants are stretched and rent growth is unlikely to outpace income growth. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, suggesting no new supply pressure but also low speculative activity. Demand is structurally thin because the island attracts retirees, not working families.
Schools in Russell Island iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Russell Island State School
Prep-6 · 179 students
Demographics
Russell Island's median age of 59 is 19 years above the national median, placing it firmly in the older-retirement bracket. The overseas-born share of 26.3% runs 4.7 points above national, unusual for a remote island community and likely explained by retirees from the UK and Commonwealth countries. Ancestry is heavily Anglo-Celtic: English leads at 1,653 residents, followed by Irish (523) and Scottish (470). University qualifications at 14.4% sit 15.7 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with a trade-and-services workforce and retiree base. Average household size of 1.9 is 0.6 below national, driven by the prevalence of couples without children, who make up 49.1% of all families at 1,138 households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.4%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tells the story of an island that has attracted outright buyers: 50.5% own their home without a mortgage, compared to the national figure of roughly 31%, while mortgage holders make up just 22.9% and renters 26.6%. The stock is almost entirely detached houses at 99.4%, with no meaningful apartment or semi-detached presence. Two-bedroom (38%) and three-bedroom (46.4%) configurations dominate. The $292,000 median is well below QLD averages, making entry accessible for retirees and cash buyers. Rent-to-income at 34.4% signals housing stress for the renting minority, because their incomes are low relative to asking rent, rather than because rents are high in absolute terms.
Mortgage / mo
$867
Rent / wk
$260
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$449
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
18.0%
Unoccupied
387
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
34.4% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
49.1%
Couples, no children
2,320
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 21.8% of employed residents (112 workers), which reflects an island that provides care services to its own aging population. Construction follows at 14% (72 workers) and retail at 11.9% (61). The unemployment rate at 16.5% is high compared to QLD, driven largely by structural factors: participation is just 26.4% because 2,016 residents, more than half the adult population, are not in the labour force, mostly retirees. Full-time employment covers 47.4% of those who do work. By occupation, Community and Personal services (144) and Labourers (130) rank above Professionals (100), indicating a lower-credential service and manual economy compared to mainland suburbs.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
47.4%
Part-time
36.1%
Participation
26.4%
Employed
737
Occupations
Top Industries
University
14.4%
Postgraduate
2.7%
Born Overseas
26.3%
Dwellings
1,749
Transport to Work
Car dependency is the norm on Russell Island, with 81.8% of commuters driving, while 12.5% walk or cycle, a notable share reflecting the island's limited road network and compact layout. Public transport figures are unavailable, consistent with the island's ferry-dependent access rather than fixed-route buses. No schools are recorded in the brief data, so families with school-age children face ferry commutes to mainland campuses. Crime data is not available for this suburb. A volunteering rate of 12.9% and 16% of residents needing daily assistance, 535 people, confirm the community's care-intensive character: residents rely on each other more than the national average because professional services are limited on a ferry-access island.
Drive
81.8%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
12.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Russell Island compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Russell Island a good suburb to live in?
Russell Island suits retirees and owner-occupiers who prioritise affordability and a low-density lifestyle. The $292,000 median and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5% make it financially accessible, and 50.5% of residents own outright. Trade-offs include an 18% vacancy rate signalling thin demand, ferry-dependent access with no fixed public transport, and no schools recorded within the suburb.
What is the median house price in Russell Island?
The median house price is approximately $292,000, estimated from rental data as of 2025. Weekly rent averages $260 and monthly mortgage repayments run around $867. The price sits well below the QLD state average, reflecting the island's remote location, low incomes, and the 18% vacancy rate that limits price pressure.
What schools are in Russell Island?
No schools are recorded inside the Russell Island boundary in this dataset. Students typically need to travel via ferry to mainland schools. The local population has lower formal qualifications than average, with university attainment at 14.4%, which is 15.7 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Russell Island safe?
Crime statistics are not available for Russell Island in this dataset. As contextual indicators, the suburb has a volunteering rate of 12.9% and a high proportion of long-term residents, with 70.1% remaining at the same address, suggesting a stable community. The island's ferry-access geography also limits transient foot traffic compared to mainland suburbs.
Is Russell Island good for property investment?
The investment case is cautious. The gross yield is around 4.6% based on $260 weekly rent and a $292,000 median, but an 18% vacancy rate means finding tenants is harder than on the mainland. Rent-to-income at 34.4% is already at stress levels, limiting rent growth. No development activity in the past 12 months and a median age of 59 suggest limited capital growth drivers compared to growth corridors in QLD.
How is Russell Island's population changing?
No formal population forecast is available for Russell Island in this brief. The structural signals point to a stable or slowly declining resident base: the median age of 59 is 19 years above national, participation in the labour force is just 26.4%, and the 18% vacancy rate suggests many properties sit empty. Turnover at 29.9% indicates a cycling population rather than settled long-term growth.
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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