QLD · Redland Council

Macleay Island, 4184

Est. population · Jun 2025

3,984

Growth (1 yr)

+5.2%

Growth (5 yr)

+27.6%

Median age

62

Median income

$755/wk

Employment rate

26%

University qualified

11.7%

Work from home

20%

Languages at home

4.6%non-English

Most common: German, Italian, Thai

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

33.2/100
Below average

1219th in QLD

Verified 94% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Beach
  • Excellent transport
  • Green suburb
  • Golf
What Macleay Island is known for: Beach, Excellent transport, Green suburb, Golf

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Macleay Island, QLD suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Macleay Island, QLD Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/qld/macleay-island

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Suburb profile

Macleay Island is a coastal town in Queensland, in Redland Council. It is close to the Moreton Bay and the island.

Rents are unusually low against comparable places, with median rents 30% below the peer median. Population growth is an exceptional strength, placing it among the highest-ranked coastal towns, and working from home is more common than in comparable places, with working from home 40% above the peer median. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. Trade-offs centre on lower school ICSEA scores and lower socio-economic advantage.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising lower rents over school quality.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Coastal town · compared with coastal towns in Queensland (89)

Strengths

  • Rents are unusually low against comparable places
  • Population growth is a relative strength
  • Working from home is more common than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • School ICSEA scores are a relative weakness
  • Socio-economic advantage is well below comparable places

What stands out

  • Macleay Island Beach
  • Sandpiper Beach
  • Moreton Bay
  • Island
  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Macleay Island compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$490/wk

Population (ERP)

3,984

+5.2% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

18.1%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#59

among Coastal & beach · Mature

Crime rate

65th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

96th

percentile in QLD

Rented dwellings

23%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

1/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

23rd

percentile among schools with ICSEA

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
33.2/100 — Below average
National rank
5949th in Australia
State rank
1219th in QLD
Peer rank
#59 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#112 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence
94%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$490

Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

3,984(June 2025)

+5.2% annual · +27.6% over 5 years · 96th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+5.2%
5-year growth
+27.6%
Change in 1 year
+196
Change in 5 years
+861
Growth rank in QLD
96th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~4,700), extrapolated at +3.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
3,193
Median age
62
Median household income / week
$755
Dwelling vacancy
18.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
344 of 1,905
Median monthly mortgage
$900
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$260
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
53.3% / 23.9% / 22.9%
Employment rate
26%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
20% / 2.1% / 35.1%
Walked or cycled to work
3%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,558 / 0 / 0 (+ 4 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

11.7% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Queensland. 21.3% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified11.7% · 21.9% QLD
  • Diploma qualified10% · 9.4% QLD
  • Trade / vocational21.3% · 18.9% QLD
  • Year 12 or below57% · 49.8% QLD

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Engineering and related technologies20.6%
  • Management and commerce16%
  • Society and culture14.9%
  • Architecture and building11.5%
  • Education9.2%
  • Health9.1%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$36,358

3rd percentile in QLD · -38% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$47,069

5th percentile in QLD · -28% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
10.0%

42nd percentile in QLD · -27% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$49,508

20th percentile in QLD · -22% vs Australia

Residents with business income
12.0%

69th percentile in QLD · +15% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 4184 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
4,224
Taxpayers reporting net rent
441
Median net rent
$1,749
Taxpayers reporting business income
516
Taxable income vs state median
-34%
Salary / wages vs state median
-23%
Rental investment vs state median
-9%
Super vs state median
-29%
Business income vs state median
+20%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in QLD, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

4.6% speak a language other than English at home; 26.6% born overseas

Language at home
2,808 English only · 136 other
Non-English at home
4.6%
Born overseas
767 (26.6%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
127 (4%)
Australian citizens
2,698
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
8

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • German14 · 28.6%
  • Italian9 · 18.4%
  • Thai6 · 12.2%
  • Afrikaans5 · 10.2%
  • Tagalog5 · 10.2%
  • Croatian4 · 8.2%
  • French3 · 6.1%
  • Spanish3 · 6.1%

Religion

44.7%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 44.7%, while Christianity accounts for 41.7%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion44.7%40.7%
Christianity41.7%45.7%
Other / not stated13.6%13.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican15.6%11.3%
Catholic13.3%18.6%
Christian (not further defined)2.7%3.1%
Uniting Church2.7%3.6%
Presbyterian and Reformed2.5%2.1%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 4184, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences are running higher than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Sep 2026)
246
Against the person
50
Against property
74
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
82.5
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 64 residents
State crime-rate percentile
65.2th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+1.2%

Most common offence types

  • Assault24
  • Drug Offences75
  • Other Property Damage20
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)33
  • Traffic And Related Offences24

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Sep 2026; Jan 2026 to Sep 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
946
Median ICSEA percentile
23th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
1
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
  • MacLeay Island State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 946 · 23th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 156 students · Top SEA quarter 7% · 0.9 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • MacLeay Island SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Victoria Point SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • Bay Island Early Learning & CareHigh Central Roadkindergarten

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Childcare centres per 1,000 residents

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated

Public transport

1 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Macleay Island ferry terminal

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

43 mapped amenities

2 restaurants · 1 fast food · 1 playgrounds · 2 beaches · 1 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 9 parks mapped in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
Walkability proxy
8/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.94
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.82
Food & drink(3)
  • Mumma's Pizza CafeFast food

    Unit 9 121-131 High Central Road, Macleay Island

  • Bay Islands Golf ClubRestaurant

    2 Gordon Road, Macleay Island

  • Macleay Island TakeawayRestaurant

    306-308 High Central Road

Shopping(1)
  • 5 STAR SupermarketConvenience store

    121-131 High Central Road, Macleay Island

Everyday services(1)
  • Macleay Island Petrol StationPetrol station
Community(1)
  • Bay Island Early Learning & CareKindergarten

    172 High Central Road, Macleay Island

Sport & outdoors(11)
  • Beach
  • Sandpiper BeachBeach

    Coast Road, Macleay Island

  • Bay Islands Golf ClubGolf course

    2 Gordon Road, Macleay Island

  • Cow Bay Conservation AreaNature reserve
  • Curlew Nesting SiteNature reserve
  • Nature reserve (3)
  • Park

    Blue Bay Crescent, Macleay Island

  • Sentosa Terrace ParkPark

    2-6 Sentosa Terrace, Macleay Island

  • Playground
Places to stay(1)
  • The Decks Bed and BreakfastGuest house

    25 Francis Road, Macleay Island

Entertainment(2)
  • Campbells Wharf OutlookViewpoint
  • Viewpoint
Transport(6)

6 bus stops

Other(14)
  • Macleay Island Water TankAttraction
  • Bench (3)
  • Macleay Island Data ServicesComputer

    308 High Central Road, Macleay Island

  • My Health AisleCountry Store

    Unit 7 308 High Central Road

  • Fire station
  • Macleay Island Fire StationFire station
  • Healed By AngelsHairdresser
  • Parking (2)
  • Macleay Pet PlusPet

    High Central Road

  • Macleay Island Police StationPolice

    11 Pelican Street, Macleay Island

  • Police Station
  • Australia PostPost Box
  • Post Box
  • Telephone

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Sporting clubs

2 named sporting clubs in this suburb

  • Bay Islands Golf Club

    Golf

  • Macleay Island Bowls Club

    Lawn Bowls · +61 7 3409 5364

Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap sporting clubs — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Geofabrik australia-latest.osm.pbf

Parks & reserves

9 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Corroboree ParkPark
  • Cow Bay Conservation AreaNature reserve
  • Curlew Nesting SiteNature reserve
  • Macleay Island Community ParkPark
  • Park or reserveNature reserve
  • Pat's ParkPark
  • Sentosa Terrace ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
5.9%
Woodland / forest cover
5.4%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
36
Parks (OSM)
9
Typical summer maximum
28°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
2
Nearest hospital
Redlands Satellite Hospital (5.3 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

  • Face Value DentistDentist
  • Macleay Island PharmacyPharmacy

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
123
Participants per 1,000 residents
30.9

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
28° / 18°
Rainfall
493 mm · ~62 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
25° / 14°
Rainfall
343 mm · ~43 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
20° / 7°
Rainfall
144 mm · ~18 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 12°
Rainfall
249 mm · ~31 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Heritage

1 heritage place

  • Industrial Ruins, south end of Macleay IslandState heritage place

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping. Flood cover uses floodplain overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Bowman
Member of Parliament
Henry PIKE (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
122,940
Turnout (2025)
91.1%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+3.1 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 52.4%Labor 47.6%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 6.9 km away).

Coalition 43.1%Labor 56.9%

9.3 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +6.1 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Macleay IslandLabor 60.0% · Coalition 40.0% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
  • Coochiemudlo IslandLabor 65.4% · Coalition 34.6% TPP (2025)4.7 km away
  • Redland BayLabor 49.9% · Coalition 50.1% TPP (2025)4.7 km away
  • Russell IslandLabor 58.2% · Coalition 41.8% TPP (2025)5.2 km away
  • Victoria PointLabor 49.3% · Coalition 50.7% TPP (2025)6.3 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
1/10
IRSD decile (2021)
1/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in Redland Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.