Runaway Bay QLD 4216
Runaway Bay is a suburb in Queensland, 71 km from Brisbane CBD, around 1 hour by car. Population is 9,308; the median age is 54 and the median household income is $71,864 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The suburb grew 2.6% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $435 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,000. Runaway Bay is characterised by high coastal erosion risk and high crime risk. All 1 school within the suburb boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Runaway Bay a good suburb?
Runaway Bay scores a C (49/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community.
Mixed results
1 school · 1 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 74/100 · 71.3 km · 60 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $1.84M
Moderate bushfire risk
Fire 48/100 · Crime 66/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 7/10 · median age 54 · 9,308 residents
Liveability Rating
49 / 100 · Ranked #548 in QLDEach bar is Runaway Bay's rank among QLD suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in Runaway Bay?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
49 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataRunaway Bay's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.84 million, roughly 14% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,840,000
84% above its 3 neighbours (median $1,000,000)
Based on 138 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 29 days — median across 91 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 49 sales $1.2M
- 4 bed 52 sales $1.93M
- 5 bed 31 sales $2.5M
Units
$995,000
27% above its 3 neighbours (median $785,000)
Based on 102 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 37 days — median across 51 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 10 sales $671K
- 2 bed 58 sales $930K
- 3 bed 33 sales $1.15M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Runaway Bay are currently listed at around $1.55 million on average. Based on 47 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.55M
47 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$1.09M
28 units listed in the last 6 months.
75 of the suburb's 3,971 dwellings (1.9%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Runaway Bay rent for around $1,228 a week on average, based on 46 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$1,228/wk
44% above its 3 neighbours (median $850/wk)
46 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$750/wk
31 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
77 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,013 rented homes (7.6%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $900/wk
- 11 bonds
- +34% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $750/wk
- 20 bonds
- +67% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202582 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 37% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4216.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$1,228/week ($64,000 a year) on a $1.55 million median
$750/week ($39,000 a year) on a $1.09 million median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Runaway Bay safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Runaway Bay sits in the moderate band, with 130 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 14% on the prior year.
130 offences
14.0% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–202444 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 458 m
- Rate
- -0.10 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -7.5 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Runaway Bay, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. St Francis Xavier School leads the pack.
- • 665 students in one school (avg 665)
Primary
Universities nearby
1.4% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Runaway Bay is very walkable on foot — at 74/100, most daily errands can be done on foot.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Runaway Bay.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 126.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 118.4 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 86.5 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 17.8 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Runaway Bay.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 17%
- Premises covered
- 5,073
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Gold Coast: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 23 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 8 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Runaway Bay is home to about 9,300 residents, with a median age of 54 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $72,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
9,308
Median Age
54
Median Household Income
$71,864/yr
Census Median Rent
$435/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,000/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$37,804/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
11.9%
Total Dwellings
3,971
Owner-Occupier Rate
74.5%
Houses
45.3%
Rental Stress
31.5%
Mortgage Stress
33.4%
Work From Home
20.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
38 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 6 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 964 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 64.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 83.6%
- Employment Rate
- 47.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 46.1%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
224 residents (2.4%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
9.7% of residents (877) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Brisbane (324).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 9,014 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
3% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (116 of 3,913).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 2,932 people work here; 3,913 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (0.7 per resident). At least 25% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,298 a year through Gold Coast based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Gold Coast
In the year to August 2026, 7,196 new dwellings were approved across Gold Coast. That mix is 1,146 houses and 6,050 units. Approvals are down 34.9% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 55 to 145 homes
- In 2 to 5 years 55 to 145 homes
Land the Queensland Government's residential land supply study identifies for future housing (5 parcels), by when it expects lots to be registered. Yields are published in ranges, so these are too.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Gold Coast Native Title Group.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. No native title claim is currently registered here, so the last registered claimant remains the Aboriginal party.
Air Quality
CLEANPM2.5 averaged 4.9 µg/m³ in 2025 — below the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 14.3 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.43 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Southport (Gold Coast, South East Queensland) monitoring station, 5.3 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Gold Coast Seaway, 3.9 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 6 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 474 m
- 3.1 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 1,351 mm
- 96 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 28.9°C
- 1 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 12.5°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
4 facilities within 5 km- 3.2 kmWaste Remediation and Materials Recovery ServicesTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Sulfur dioxide
- 3.2 kmMilk and Cream ProcessingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Sulfur dioxide
- 3.5 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Total Phosphorus · Ammonia (total)
- 3.8 kmWaste Treatment and Disposal ServicesTop reported: Chlorine & compounds · Ammonia (total) · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 4216, 460 of 33,294 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.7% (909 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4216, 8,271 rooftop-solar systems totalling 51.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 18,754 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 484 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$30,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
$30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, with no end date. IT DID NOT REVERT TO $15,000: the tier was due to end 30 June 2026 and the 2026-27 Queensland Budget (23 June 2026) continued it for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. This file carried a "due to revert" note until 2026-09-18 — it was never true, and a note predicting a change is not the same as a change. Cap is "less than $750,000" including land and contract variations — less than, not up to. New homes only: "There are no home owner grants for established homes."
Mortgage repayments
7 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 27 across postcode 4216.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Queensland Revenue Office
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $30,000 — see what qualifies with Queensland Revenue Office.
At $1,840,000 this is $1,090,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $30,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Queensland Revenue Office.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Cameron Caldwell Liberal National Party of Queensland
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Cameron Caldwell | 43.1% | 56.9% | +3.8 |
| 2022 | Stuart Robert | 39.4% | 60.6% | -3.5 |
| 2019 | Stuart Robert | 35.8% | 64.2% | +2.9 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by David Crisafulli Liberal National Party of Queensland
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | David Crisafulli LNP | 71.3% |
| 2020 | David Crisafulli LNP | 66.6% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Runaway Bay?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 9,308 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
- #4 in Gold Coast suburbs where the most homes are owned outright
- #4 in Gold Coast suburbs where 2-bedroom unit rents rose most
- #4 in Gold Coast suburbs where seniors live
- #5 in Gold Coast suburbs with the most parkland nearby
- #7 in The best beachside suburbs in Gold Coast
- #13 in Most walkable suburbs in Gold Coast
- #14 in Gold Coast suburbs with the most apartments
- #15 in Gold Coast suburbs with the largest Jewish community
Nearby suburbs
Compare Runaway Bay to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Runaway Bay
Is Runaway Bay a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Runaway Bay is moderate (66/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Runaway Bay?
Runaway Bay has a moderate recorded bushfire history (48/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Runaway Bay a good place to live?
Runaway Bay has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (49/100), ranked against other QLD suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Runaway Bay?
Runaway Bay, QLD had a population of 9,308 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Runaway Bay, QLD?
The postcode for Runaway Bay, QLD is 4216.
How far is Runaway Bay from Brisbane?
Runaway Bay is 71 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 60 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Runaway Bay?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Runaway Bay was $71,864 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Runaway Bay?
The median advertised rent in Runaway Bay is $1,228 a week for houses (46 listings) and $750 a week for units (31 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Runaway Bay?
The median age of residents in Runaway Bay was 54 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Runaway Bay at risk of bushfire?
Runaway Bay has a moderate recorded bushfire history (48/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Runaway Bay?
There is 1 school inside the Runaway Bay boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Runaway Bay walkable?
Runaway Bay scores 74/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Runaway Bay?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Runaway Bay (Southport (Gold Coast, South East Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 4.9 µg/m³ and PM10 of 14.3 µg/m³. That puts Runaway Bay below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Runaway Bay?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Runaway Bay, Gold Coast Seaway (3.9 km away), summer days average 28.9°C, winter nights 12.5°C, 1,351 mm of rain a year over 96 rainy days, and 1 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Runaway Bay?
First-home buyers in QLD may be eligible for $30,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by Queensland Revenue Office; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Runaway Bay belong to?
Runaway Bay sits within the Gold Coast local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Runaway Bay?
The average residential rates bill through Gold Coast is $1,298 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Runaway Bay?
Across Gold Coast, 7,196 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 34.9% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Runaway Bay in?
Runaway Bay sits within the federal Division of Fadden, currently held by Cameron Caldwell (Liberal National Party of Queensland).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2025–26
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2020–2024
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2024
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.