Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Runaway Bay
5 km²
A coastal pocket of the Gold Coast, Runaway Bay is an older and more established community. It is a place where the typical resident is 54, and a third of the population is aged 65 or over. Many residents own their homes outright, and a high proportion of the community was born overseas. This creates a settled feel, where small households and a high rate of home ownership are common.
Runaway Bay's schools draw a more advantaged community than local incomes would suggest.
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The population is far older than the state and national figures, with people aged 65 and over making up 33.8% of the area. This trend has grown, with the typical age rising 5 years to 54 since 2011.
About 30.1% of residents were born overseas, which is well above the Queensland figure of 22.7%. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.
English is the main language for 83.6% of people. While 11% of residents use another language at home, very few (1.3%) speak little or no English.
Christianity is the most common affiliation at 54.6%. Those with no religion make up 35.6% of the area, a figure that rose 19 points since 2011.
Adults with a bachelor degree or higher make up 19.1% of the population, which is well below the national figure of 26.3%. However, Year 12 completion rose 8.2 points since 2011 to reach 53.5%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,382, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Weekly personal income is also slightly lower than the national average at $727.
Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most similar areas, affecting 33.8% of people. This is consistent with the older population, as 7.6% of residents need help with daily activities.
Volunteering has fallen 4.9 points since 2011 to 10.8%, which is well below the national figure. There is a notably high rate of former Defence Force members at 4.0%.
First Nations people make up 1.4% of the population. The typical age for this group is 31, which is far older than the state figure of 23.
Homes are smaller than in most areas, with only 2.2 people per home. About 28.8% of people live alone, which is well above the state average.
Home ownership is very strong, with 43% of homes owned outright. Detached houses are much less common here than elsewhere in the state, making up only 45.3% of dwellings.
Most people drive to work, but 17.8% work from home, a figure that rose 10 points since 2011. Only 0.7% of the community commutes using public transport.
The area sees significant movement, with 43.3% of people having moved house in the last five years. However, recent arrivals from overseas fell 10 points since 2011 to 6.0%.
Fewer adults here are working or looking for work compared to the state average, at 50.3%. The most common industries for those employed are health care, construction, and retail.
The area has an overall advantage score of 6, which is higher than about 60% of similar areas. There are 1,198 businesses operating in the community.
The area is very wet, with average annual rainfall of 1,535mm, which is far above the Queensland average. Average maximum temperatures are well below the state figure.
The community is very walkable, with 94.1% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport. Most residents can also walk to a park, school, or grocery store within 15 minutes.