Southern Moreton Bay Islands is one of Brisbane's fastest-growing suburbs — but less advantaged
Southern Moreton Bay Islands 4184 · Cleveland - Stradbroke, Greater Brisbane, QLD
Southern Moreton Bay Islands is 14th fastest-growing of 243 Greater Brisbane suburbs; still relatively affordable to rent, with a median of $260 a week at the 2021 Census. The trade-offs: it is less advantaged than most of Australia (SEIFA decile 1 of 10); an older population (median age 61), with fewer young families.
Mostly free-standing houses, with a median age of 61 and households on a median $761 a week at the 2021 Census.
Compiled from ABS regional population (SA2), the 2021 Census, SEIFA 2021, OpenStreetMap and Queensland Open Data · figures current to August 2026.
How the population has changed
Southern Moreton Bay Islands against the Queensland average, both set to 100 in the first year shown so the growth rates compare.
Southern Moreton Bay Islands population grew from 7,109 in 2016 to 10,466 in 2025, a change of 47.2% over the period, against the Queensland average.
Show the data table
| Year | Southern Moreton Bay Islands | Queensland average |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 7,109 | 4,845,152 |
| 2017 | 7,318 | 4,926,380 |
| 2018 | 7,575 | 5,006,623 |
| 2019 | 7,848 | 5,088,847 |
| 2020 | 8,204 | 5,165,613 |
| 2021 | 8,574 | 5,215,814 |
| 2022 | 9,023 | 5,310,905 |
| 2023 | 9,449 | 5,450,235 |
| 2024 | 9,950 | 5,571,890 |
| 2025 | 10,466 | 5,669,764 |
Where the growth is coming from
Southern Moreton Bay Islands gained 1,233 residents from internal migration and 90 from overseas in the year to June 2025, while 746 people moved away — a net addition of 577 before natural increase.
- Internal migration in+1,233
- Internal migration out+709
- Overseas migration in+90
- Natural increase-61Natural decrease — deaths exceeded births.
Components of population change over the sample year. Natural increase is shown apart from migration so the two are not read as one figure.
How it has changed
Census · five-yearlyThe 2016 Census against 2021. Older figures are mapped onto today's boundaries via the ABS Time Series Profile, so comparisons are approximate where borders moved.
| Measure | 2016 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,909 | 8,481 | +23% |
| Median age | 57 | 61 | +4 yrs |
| Median household income | $707/wk | $761/wk | +7.6% |
| Median weekly rent | $240/wk | $260/wk | +8.3% |
| Born overseas | 25.6% | 26.5% | +0.9 pts |
Who lives here
Census · five-yearlyFrom the 2021 Census. Each figure carries its definition, so you know what is being counted.
People
Income
Housing
Work
How homes are held
- Owned outright 50.6%
- Mortgaged 22.3%
- Rented 22.9%
- Other / not stated 4.1%
How well-off the area is
Census · five-yearlyThe ABS SEIFA indexes rank every area by relative advantage and disadvantage. Decile 1 is the lowest tenth of Australia; decile 10 is the highest.
- Relative disadvantage (IRSD)Lower decile means more relative disadvantageDecile 1score 837
- Advantage & disadvantage (IRSAD)Higher decile means more relative advantageDecile 1score 833
- Economic resources (IER)Income and housing capacityDecile 1score 879
- Education & occupation (IEO)Education and occupational skill levelsDecile 1score 876
Getting around, and what's nearby
OpenStreetMap · quarterlyWhat OpenStreetMap records inside the suburb boundary. Counts reflect what is tagged in OSM and can undercount a real but less-mapped area.
Within the Southern Moreton Bay Islands SA2, OpenStreetMap records 1 school, 1 GP or clinic location, 1 supermarket and 3 parks. For families: 1 library and 1 playground. Eating out and socialising: 1 café and 2 restaurants. Staying active: 1 public pool and 6 sports fields. The nearest train station, Ormeau, is about 17,050 m from the suburb centre. OpenStreetMap also maps 1 bus stop here.
List every mapped place
Schools
- Russell Island State School
Libraries
- Redlands City library
GPs & clinics
- Bay Island Medical Service
Supermarkets
- Canaipa Shopping Centre
Parks
- Jock Kennedy Park
- High Street Park
- Sandy Beach Park
Schools
Every open Queensland school whose campus sits inside the SA2 boundary, with the average ICSEA across them. Open a school for its own ICSEA, student background and a link to My School.
The Southern Moreton Bay Islands SA2 contains 1 school, and it is a government school. NAPLAN results for each school are on its My School profile (ACARA). For area context, Southern Moreton Bay Islands sits in decile 1 of the ABS SEIFA index of education and occupation nationally and 40% of adults here completed Year 12 (Census 2021).
The centre of this SA2 is zoned for Russell Island State School (primary), Victoria Point State High School (junior secondary), Victoria Point State High School (senior secondary).
Catchments can divide a suburb — confirm your address on EdMap.
Show school list
- Russell Island State School · State · Prep–6
School list & catchments: Queensland Government Open Data (Department of Education), licensed CC BY 4.0. ICSEA: ACARA School Profile. NAPLAN: myschool.edu.au (ACARA).
Nearby, in Cleveland - Stradbroke
Others in the same ABS district, by population growth. If this one doesn't fit, one of these might.
- HereSouthern Moreton Bay Islands+5.2%
- 01Redland Bay+3.8%
- 02Victoria Point+2.0%
- 03Thornlands+2.0%
- 04Ormiston+1.9%
- 05Cleveland+1.2%
- 06North Stradbroke Island+0.8%
- 07Sheldon - Mount Cotton+0.5%
Dots place each suburb's growth on the same scale, slowest at left.
Weighing up another suburb?
Type a name, then pick from the list. Every suburb is compared to the Queensland average.