Southern Moreton Bay Islands

Southern Moreton Bay Islands lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Southern Moreton Bay Islands' population was around 10,530 as of May 2026. This figure reflects an increase of 2,049 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,481. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 10,466 in June 2025 and an additional 300 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 263 persons per square kilometer. Southern Moreton Bay Islands' growth rate of 24.2% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's 8.3% and the national average, marking it as a significant growth leader. Interstate migration contributed approximately 87.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings from the ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 and based on 2022 data. Considering projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase is forecast for Southern Moreton Bay Islands, with an expected growth of 2,724 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 25.3% over the 16 years.

The level of residential development activity in Southern Moreton Bay Islands was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Southern Moreton Bay Islands had approximately 255 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, 1,276 homes were approved. As of FY-26264 homes have been approved.

On average, 1.7 new residents arrived per year for each new home over these five years. This suggests a balanced supply and demand in the housing market, with stable conditions. The average construction cost value of new homes was $170,000, lower than the regional average, indicating more affordable housing options. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $200,000, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Southern Moreton Bay Islands had 193.0% more new home approvals per person as of FY-25.

This high level of activity is significantly above the national average, showing strong developer interest in the region. All recent development consisted of detached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 39 people moving in for each dwelling approved, Southern Moreton Bay Islands exhibits growth area characteristics. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the islands are forecasted to gain approximately 2,660 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply is expected to meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling population growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Southern Moreton Bay Islands has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 25thth percentile nationally

Local infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified five projects potentially impacting this region. Key projects are Marina Redland Bay, Scenic Shores State School, Shoreline Redlands Master-Planned Community, and Southern Moreton Bay Islands Ferry Terminals Upgrade. The following list details those most relevant:.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment conditions in Southern Moreton Bay Islands face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Southern Moreton Bay Islands has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs. Its unemployment rate is 17.8%. Employment growth over the past year is estimated at 3.1%.

As of December 2025, there are 2,821 residents in work, with an unemployment rate of 13.7%, which is higher than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation is significantly lower at 35.4% compared to Greater Brisbane's 69.6%. According to Census responses, 20.7% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.

The area specializes in construction, with an employment share 1.5 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services are under-represented at 5.1% compared to Greater Brisbane's 8.9%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by the difference between working population and resident population counts. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 3.1%, while labour force grew by 5.6%, resulting in a rise of 2.0 percentage points in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment growth of 3.2% and labour force growth of 3.0%, with a decrease of 0.1 percentage point in unemployment. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Southern Moreton Bay Islands' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

The Southern Moreton Bay Islands SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $34,958 and an average of $46,170 in financial year 2023. This is lower than the national average, with Greater Brisbane having a median income of $58,236 and an average income of $72,799. By March 2026, estimated incomes would be approximately $38,929 (median) and $51,415 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.36%. Census data shows that incomes in Southern Moreton Bay Islands fall between the 0th and 1st percentiles nationally for households, families, and individuals. The income bracket of $400 - $799 captures 42.0% of the community (4,422 individuals), contrasting with metropolitan regions where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket leads at 33.3%. Economic circumstances indicate widespread financial pressure, with 54.2% of households operating within modest weekly budgets below $800. After housing costs, 85.4% of income remains, ranking at the 2nd percentile nationally.

Southern Moreton Bay Islands is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Southern Moreton Bay Islands, as per the latest Census evaluation, 99.4% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 0.6% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments and other types. This contrasts with Brisbane metropolitan area's dwelling structure, which was 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Southern Moreton Bay Islands stood at 52.7%, compared to mortgaged (23.4%) or rented (23.9%) dwellings. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $904, lower than Brisbane metro's average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $260, significantly lower than Brisbane metro's $380 and the national average of $375. Nationally, Southern Moreton Bay Islands' mortgage repayments were substantially below the Australian average of $1,863.

Southern Moreton Bay Islands features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 53.6% of all households, including 9.1% that are couples with children, 33.7% that are couples without children, and 9.8% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 46.4%, with lone person households at 40.8% and group households comprising 5.7%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

Southern Moreton Bay Islands faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 15.3%, significantly lower than Greater Brisbane's average of 30.5%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 10.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 45.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.5%) and certificates (32.6%). School and university attendance comprises 19.1% of the community, including primary education (6.3%), secondary education (6.1%), and tertiary education (2.1%).

School and university attendance encompasses 19.1% of the community. This includes 6.3% in primary education, 6.1% in secondary education, and 2.1% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Transport analysis shows six active transport stops operating within Southern Moreton Bay Islands. These stops offer a mix of ferry services, with one route servicing all stops collectively providing 407 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as limited, with residents typically located 2688 meters from the nearest stop. Commuting patterns show that most residents travel outward from this primarily residential area. The dominant mode of transport is car at 62%, followed by bus at 12% and walking at 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 0.8 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, some 20.7% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 58 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 67 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Southern Moreton Bay Islands is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Southern Moreton Bay Islands face significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Multiple health conditions affect both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, at approximately 46% of the total population (~4,875 people), compared to 55.8% in Greater Brisbane and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (15.0%) and mental health issues (12.3%), while 47.2% report having no medical ailments, lower than the 69.2% in Greater Brisbane. Working-age residents face notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. The area has a higher proportion of seniors, with 43.5% aged 65 and over (4,584 people), compared to 15.1% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among seniors present additional challenges, ranking higher than the general population nationally.

Southern Moreton Bay Islands ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Southern Moreton Bay Islands showed low cultural diversity, with 84.2% Australian citizens, 73.5% born in Australia, and 95.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 49.1%. The 'Other' religious category comprised 1.0%, slightly below Greater Brisbane's 1.3%.

Ancestry wise, English (34.1%) and Australian (22.8%) were most common, significantly higher than regional averages of 26.8% and 19.5% respectively. Irish ancestry was also notable at 10.7%. Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: Scottish (9.8%), New Zealand (1.3%), and French (0.8%) were more prevalent compared to Greater Brisbane's 7.4%, 1.0%, and 0.5% respectively.

Southern Moreton Bay Islands ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Southern Moreton Bay Islands is 61 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years and also older than the national norm of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, the 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented at 25.5% locally, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 4.3%. This concentration of the 65-74 age group is well above the national average of 9.4%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 11.7% to 15.1% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 5.5% to 7.0%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 22.8% to 20.8%, and the 45 to 54 age group dropped from 12.9% to 11.2%. By 2041, Southern Moreton Bay Islands is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to expand considerably, increasing by 999 people (63%) from 1,593 to 2,593. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 84% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. On the other hand, both the 25-34 and 0-4 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.