Forestdale vs Boronia Heights

Boronia Heights is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 43 in Forestdale. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Forestdale, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Forestdale: a median of $1.8 million, against $830,000 in Boronia Heights, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Forestdale tends to suit couples, while Boronia Heights suits families with children and buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Forestdale

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (84% vs 66%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (99% vs 88%)
  • But Boronia Heights has more childcare (6 vs 1)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Boronia Heights

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($829,500 vs $1,800,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Boronia Heights

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (42% vs 6%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $500/wk)
  • But Forestdale leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 24%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Boronia Heights

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (55/100 vs 23/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Boronia Heights

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (12% vs 1%)
  • is more walkable (55/100 vs 23/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Forestdale and Boronia Heights drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Walkability 23 / 55
Forestdale — Walkability: 23/100 Boronia Heights — Walkability: 55/100
Safety 49 / 42
Forestdale — Safety: 49/100 Boronia Heights — Safety: 42/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Forestdale — Low fire risk: 100/100 Boronia Heights — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Boronia Heights has more residents (8,175 vs 2,560); Forestdale has higher household incomes ($139,100 vs $75,556).

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Population 2,560 8,175
+219% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.1% +4.0%
Median age 43 34
Median household income $139,100/yr
+46% vs other
$75,556/yr
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+30% vs other
$350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Forestdale Boronia Heights
0-4 3.9% / 6.8%
Forestdale — 0-4: 3.9% Boronia Heights — 0-4: 6.8%
5-14 13.6% / 15.8%
Forestdale — 5-14: 13.6% Boronia Heights — 5-14: 15.8%
15-19 7.3% / 6.5%
Forestdale — 15-19: 7.3% Boronia Heights — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 6.8% / 6.6%
Forestdale — 20-24: 6.8% Boronia Heights — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 8.0% / 15.5%
Forestdale — 25-34: 8.0% Boronia Heights — 25-34: 15.5%
35-44 11.7% / 13.5%
Forestdale — 35-44: 11.7% Boronia Heights — 35-44: 13.5%
45-54 15.3% / 11.7%
Forestdale — 45-54: 15.3% Boronia Heights — 45-54: 11.7%
55-64 15.7% / 10.2%
Forestdale — 55-64: 15.7% Boronia Heights — 55-64: 10.2%
65-74 13.6% / 7.2%
Forestdale — 65-74: 13.6% Boronia Heights — 65-74: 7.2%
75-84 3.5% / 3.9%
Forestdale — 75-84: 3.5% Boronia Heights — 75-84: 3.9%
85+ 0.4% / 2.1%
Forestdale — 85+: 0.4% Boronia Heights — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Forestdale 71.3% couple families
Forestdale — Couple Families: 71.3% Forestdale — Lone Person: 13.8% Forestdale — One Parent Families: 12.6% Forestdale — Group Household: 1.7% Forestdale — Other Families: 0.6%
Boronia Heights 39.7% couple families
Boronia Heights — Couple Families: 39.7% Boronia Heights — Lone Person: 27.5% Boronia Heights — One Parent Families: 26.3% Boronia Heights — Group Household: 4.7% Boronia Heights — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Forestdale 5.8% renting
Forestdale — Owned Outright: 46.1% Forestdale — Mortgage: 48.1% Forestdale — Renting: 5.8%
Boronia Heights 41.5% renting
Boronia Heights — Owned Outright: 17.9% Boronia Heights — Mortgage: 40.6% Boronia Heights — Renting: 41.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Certificate III & IV 16.5% / 17.3%
Forestdale — Certificate III & IV: 16.5% Boronia Heights — Certificate III & IV: 17.3%
Bachelor Degree 14.6% / 6.1%
Forestdale — Bachelor Degree: 14.6% Boronia Heights — Bachelor Degree: 6.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 6.8%
Forestdale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Boronia Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8%
Postgraduate Degree 3.8% / 1.9%
Forestdale — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8% Boronia Heights — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 0.9%
Forestdale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Boronia Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Forestdale Boronia Heights
New Zealand 3.4% / 6.2%
Forestdale — New Zealand: 3.4% Boronia Heights — New Zealand: 6.2%
England 5.1% / 2.7%
Forestdale — England: 5.1% Boronia Heights — England: 2.7%
India 1.7% / 4.0%
Forestdale — India: 1.7% Boronia Heights — India: 4.0%
Vietnam 3.3% / —
Forestdale — Vietnam: 3.3% Boronia Heights — Vietnam: not among its largest
South Africa 1.5% / 0.6%
Forestdale — South Africa: 1.5% Boronia Heights — South Africa: 0.6%
China 1.0% / 0.8%
Forestdale — China: 1.0% Boronia Heights — China: 0.8%
Philippines — / 1.3%
Forestdale — Philippines: not among its largest Boronia Heights — Philippines: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Forestdale 98.9% houses
Forestdale — Houses: 98.9% Forestdale — Townhouses: 0.0% Forestdale — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Boronia Heights 87.5% houses
Boronia Heights — Houses: 87.5% Boronia Heights — Townhouses: 12.3% Boronia Heights — Flats / Apartments: 0.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Median house price $1,800,000 $829,500
Median unit price — $664,000
Median land price $1,700,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) — 14 days
from 99 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Forestdale Boronia Heights
4 bed $1.79M / $850K
Forestdale — 4 bed: $1.79M (8 sales) Boronia Heights — 4 bed: $850K (88 sales)

8 vs 88 sales

5 bed $1.87M / $938K
Forestdale — 5 bed: $1.87M (13 sales) Boronia Heights — 5 bed: $938K (15 sales)

13 vs 15 sales

Development activity

Forestdale Boronia Heights
New dwellings approved 4,950
across Logan
same for both
Approvals change year on year -8%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Houses — 3.9%
$630/wk on $835K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Forestdale Boronia Heights
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 95% of QLD Higher than 46% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 80% of QLD Higher than 88% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 80% of QLD Higher than 83% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of QLD Higher than 88% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 50% of QLD

Liveability

Boronia Heights is more walkable (55 vs 23); Forestdale scores higher overall (73 vs 51).

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Grade A B
Score 73/100 51/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
51/100
Moderate
58/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
1
within 5 km

Schools

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Forestdale

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Boronia Heights

  • Boronia Heights State School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Parks & reserves 10
same for both
Childcare 1 6
GPs 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Walkability score 23/100 55/100
Distance to Brisbane 33.8 km
+4% vs other
32.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 33 min 31 min
Public transport score 31/100
Bus
75/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 4.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
52.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 4118
1.0%
postcode 4124
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 78
postcode 4118
—
postcode 4124

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Car (driver) 72.6% / 81.3%
Forestdale — Car (driver): 72.6% Boronia Heights — Car (driver): 81.3%
Worked from Home 18.7% / 8.7%
Forestdale — Worked from Home: 18.7% Boronia Heights — Worked from Home: 8.7%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / 6.3%
Forestdale — Car (passenger): 5.4% Boronia Heights — Car (passenger): 6.3%
Bus 1.0% / 2.3%
Forestdale — Bus: 1.0% Boronia Heights — Bus: 2.3%
Train 1.1% / 0.5%
Forestdale — Train: 1.1% Boronia Heights — Train: 0.5%
Walked Only 0.9% / 0.7%
Forestdale — Walked Only: 0.9% Boronia Heights — Walked Only: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.3%).

Setting

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Elevation 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
63 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 28.1 km 27.4 km

NBN connectivity

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Connectivity score 75/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 41%
875 premises
4%
3,285 premises

Climate

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Annual rainfall 1,032 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Forestdale Boronia Heights
PM2.5 4.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 13.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.27 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Average residential rate $1,681/yr
same for both
Council Logan
same for both

Federal electorate

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Division Wright Forde
Member Scott Buchholz Rowan Holzberger
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland Australian Labor Party

First Home Owner Grant

Forestdale Boronia Heights
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Forestdale

Boronia Heights

More comparisons

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Full data on Forestdale Full data on Boronia Heights
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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.

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