Runaway Bay, QLD: suburb profile

The population of Runaway Bay QLD is 9,308 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Runaway Bay is $727 per week ($37,804 per year). Median rent in Runaway Bay is $435 per week ($1,885 per month). Runaway Bay has a median age of 54 years, older than the national median of 38. Runaway Bay has a population density of 1,695 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Runaway Bay is New Zealand. The most common religion is No religion (35.0% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Runaway Bay is $2,000.

There were 3,282 recorded offences in Runaway Bay in 2025-26, a rate of 353 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (1,328 offences).

Population
9,308
Census 2021
Median income
$727/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$435/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
54years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Queensland Police Service (data.qld.gov.au), 2025-26.

Runaway Bay vs the typical QLD suburb

The median personal income in Runaway Bay is $727 a week, 3% below the typical QLD suburb ($747). That ranks 827th of 1,527 QLD suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $435 a week, $115 more than the typical QLD suburb. Rent takes 31.5% of the median household income here, against 20.4% in the typical QLD suburb. The median resident is 54, 12 years older than in the typical QLD suburb (42).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureRunaway BayTypical QLDDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$727/wk$747/wk −3%$766/wk
Household income$1,382/wk$1,593/wk −13%$1,637/wk
Rent$435/wk$320/wk +36%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,000/mo$1,625/mo +23%$1,733/mo
Median age5442 +12 yrs42
Rent share of household income31.5%20.4% +11.0 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Runaway Bay, the typical QLD suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Runaway Bay Population

9,308 residents at the 2021 Census.

Runaway Bay Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$727/wk
$37,804 per year
Ranked 4,972 of 14,663
Median Rent
$435/wk
$1,885 per month
Ranked 1,326 of 14,663
Median Age
54years
16 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,000/mo
Avg household size: 2.2 · 0.7 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Runaway Bay Rent Prices & Affordability

31% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: moderate.

Household income $1,382/wk
Median rent $435/wk
Rent to income 31.5%

Rent is between 25% and 35% of household income: moderate housing costs.

Median rent in Runaway Bay against your income

About $5,989 a month
Median rent $435/wk
Left after rent $947/wk
Rent share 31.5%

Runaway Bay Schools

5
schools nearby
4
government
1018
avg ICSEA score
3,891
total students
St Francis Xavier School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 665 students
1076
ICSEA
Biggera Waters State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 713 students
1030
ICSEA
Coombabah State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 730 students
1009
ICSEA
Labrador State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 670 students
997
ICSEA
Coombabah State High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,113 students
977
ICSEA

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Runaway Bay, with a map

Runaway Bay Map

Runaway Bay, Queensland Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

People in Runaway Bay

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 47.8% (4,444) Female 52.2% (4,862)

Population Density

1,695
people per km²
9,308 people · 5.5 km²

Households

2.2
Avg household size
0.7
Persons per bedroom
$1,852
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

New Zealand
7.0%
England
6.7%
China
1.3%
South Africa
1.3%
Philippines
1.0%
Scotland
0.8%
Japan
0.7%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
1.7%
Japanese
0.8%
Spanish
0.5%
Greek
0.5%
Russian
0.5%
Cantonese
0.4%
Italian
0.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
44.4%
Australian
28.6%
Irish
11.3%
Scottish
11.0%
German
5.0%
Chinese
2.9%
Italian
2.5%
Dutch
1.8%
New Zealander
1.7%
Greek
1.4%
Australian Aboriginal
1.2%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
35.0%
Catholic
20.2%
Anglican
18.5%
Not stated
6.4%
Uniting Church
4.6%
Presbyterian and Reformed
2.8%
Christian (other)
2.5%
Eastern Orthodox
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.4%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
51.1% 4,198
Separated
3.3% 268
Divorced
12.3% 1,013
Widowed
8.5% 702
Never married
24.8% 2,038

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: no children
44.2%
Couple: children under 15
27.2%
Couple: no children under 15
15.2%
One parent: children under 15
6.8%
One parent: no children under 15
6.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
28.8%
2 persons
44.1%
3 persons
13.0%
4 persons
9.1%
5 persons
3.3%
6+ persons
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Runaway Bay

Housing Tenure

Of the 3,971 occupied private dwellings in Runaway Bay at the 2021 Census, 24.3% were rented, 43.0% owned outright and 27.7% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
3.4% 136 dwellings
Owned outright
43.0% 1,708 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
27.7% 1,101 dwellings
Rented
24.3% 964 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.6% 65 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
63.3%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
25.7%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
11.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
5.0%
2 bedrooms
25.3%
3 bedrooms
38.3%
4 bedrooms
24.5%
5 bedrooms
5.8%
6+ bedrooms
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
6.8%
$300-$449/mo
2.5%
$450-$599/mo
2.9%
$600-$799/mo
3.5%
$800-$999/mo
5.0%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
13.4%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
16.3%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
23.0%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
13.0%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
13.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
5.7%
1 vehicle
41.5%
2 vehicles
37.3%
3 vehicles
10.4%
4+ vehicles
5.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Runaway Bay

Employment

Employed full-time
29.4% 2,179 people
Employed part-time
18.3% 1,359 people
Unemployed
3.1% 227 people
Not in labour force
49.2% 3,648 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
25.7%
Managers
18.0%
Technicians & Trade Workers
14.4%
Clerical & Administrative
13.6%
Community & Personal Service
11.6%
Sales Workers
8.1%
Labourers
5.4%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
3.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.4%
$1-$149/wk
1.1%
$150-$299/wk
1.3%
$300-$399/wk
2.3%
$400-$499/wk
7.1%
$500-$649/wk
5.7%
$650-$799/wk
8.6%
$800-$999/wk
8.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
4.6%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.8%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
10.4%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
6.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
5.5%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
3.3%
$4,000+/wk
11.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
10.5%
$1-$149/wk
4.3%
$150-$299/wk
6.4%
$300-$399/wk
5.1%
$400-$499/wk
4.5%
$500-$649/wk
4.4%
$650-$799/wk
9.3%
$800-$999/wk
10.7%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.5%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.4%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.2%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
8.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
2.3%
$3,500+/wk
4.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
77.0%
Did not go to work
12.9%
Car (passenger)
4.6%
Walked only
2.1%
Bus
0.6%
Other
0.6%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.6%
Bicycle
0.6%
Truck
0.5%
Train
0.3%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
59.7%
Year 10 or equivalent
26.5%
Year 11 or equivalent
9.0%
Year 9 or equivalent
4.7%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
36.8%
Bachelor Degree
26.2%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
23.2%
Postgraduate Degree
8.0%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
3.9%
Certificate I/II
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
26.8%
Engineering
15.1%
Society & Culture
13.3%
Health
13.0%
Architecture & Building
9.1%
Education
7.5%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
6.4%
Creative Arts
3.1%
Information Technology
2.2%
Natural & Physical Sciences
2.1%
Agriculture & Environment
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
22.3%
Secondary: Government
19.2%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
13.6%
Primary: Catholic
10.9%
Vocational Education
10.1%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
9.9%
Pre-school
9.2%
Secondary: Catholic
4.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
87.4%
Has need for assistance
7.6%
Need for assistance not stated
5.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
721
Arthritis
473
Heart disease
369
Diabetes
283
Lung condition
278
Asthma
252
Cancer
239
Kidney disease
148
Stroke
128
Dementia
64

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
13.1% 1,012
Did not provide
86.9% 6,719

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
11.4% 885
Not a volunteer
88.6% 6,872

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.0% 3
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 6
Previously served
4.1% 318
Never served
95.8% 7,445

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
28.4%
1 child
15.0%
2 children
34.6%
3 children
16.2%
4 children
4.8%
5+ children
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
48
1951: 1960
184
1961: 1970
282
1971: 1980
327
1981: 1990
404
1991: 2000
405
2001: 2010
519
2011: 2015
312
2016
55
2017
46
2018
42
2019
43
2020
23
2021
15

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

16.8%
moved in the last year
46.0%
moved in the last 5 years
5.4%
unemployment rate (Census)
50.3%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
7,298
Moved from QLD
882
Moved: same area (SA2)
196
Moved from NSW
183
Moved from VIC
81
Moved from overseas
72
Moved from ACT
13
Moved from WA
5
Moved from TAS
4
Moved from NT
3
Moved from SA
3

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
20.6%
5: 14 hours
28.0%
15: 29 hours
14.1%
30+ hours
9.2%
Did not do domestic work
28.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
82.2%
Step family: no other children
11.5%
Blended family: no other children
3.8%
Intact family: other children present
1.4%
Other couple: children only
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Runaway Bay Crime Statistics

3,282 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
1,328
Assault
460
Drug Offences
330
Break & Enter
312
Domestic Violence
237
Fraud
200
Traffic
139
Property Damage
134
Sexual Offences
92
Weapons
30
Robbery
20

Total offences by year

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Queensland Police Service (data.qld.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near Runaway Bay

The closest suburb to Runaway Bay is Hollywell, 1.9 km away.

Hollywell
1.9 km away · income $840/wk · rent $530/wk
Biggera Waters
2.0 km away · income $717/wk · rent $430/wk
Coombabah
3.2 km away · income $605/wk · rent $415/wk
Labrador
3.6 km away · income $654/wk · rent $380/wk
Paradise Point
3.7 km away · income $843/wk · rent $450/wk
Arundel
4.6 km away · income $715/wk · rent $470/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About Runaway Bay

What is the population of Runaway Bay QLD?

The population of Runaway Bay QLD is 9,308 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 1,695 people per km². Runaway Bay is ranked #721 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Runaway Bay?

The median personal income in Runaway Bay QLD is $727 per week, or $37,804 per year. The median household income is $1,382 per week. Family income is $1,852 per week. Runaway Bay is ranked #4,972 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Runaway Bay?

Median rent in Runaway Bay QLD is $435 per week ($1,885 per month). Rent represents 31.5% of household income, which is considered moderate. Runaway Bay ranks #1,326 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Runaway Bay?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Runaway Bay QLD is $2,000. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Runaway Bay?

The median age in Runaway Bay QLD is 54 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Runaway Bay a good suburb to live in?

Runaway Bay is a suburb in Queensland with a population of 9,308. The median income is $727/wk, which is below the typical QLD suburb ($747/wk). Rent affordability is rated as moderate (31.5% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 32490. All dollar figures in AUD.