Inala vs Forest Lake

Inala is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 37 in Forest Lake. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Inala, most households rent. In Forest Lake, most households own their home and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Forest Lake: a median of $970,000, against $860,000 in Inala, and rent is higher there too. Inala is closer to the city centre: 19.2 km, against 25.5 km. On these figures, Inala tends to suit renters, while Forest Lake suits couples.

Forest Lake and Inala are both Brisbane suburbs, but they differ significantly in income, amenity, and safety. Forest Lake has a median household income of $99,892 compared to Inala's $51,896, and its liveability score of 61 substantially outpaces Inala's 33. Inala is closer to the CBD at 19.2 km and has a higher walkability score of 90, making it more pedestrian-friendly, though it carries a notably higher crime risk of 86 versus Forest Lake's 62. Forest Lake suits buyers prioritising established amenities and financial stability, while Inala appeals to those valuing proximity to the city centre and walkable streets.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

Forest Lake

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (59 vs 15)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 86/100)
  • But Inala has more childcare (14 vs 9)

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

First-home buyers

Inala

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($580,000 vs $900,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($860,000 vs $970,000)
  • But Forest Lake leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 30%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Inala

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (58% vs 27%)
  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $390/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Inala

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (19.2 km vs 25.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (27 min vs 32 min)
  • is more walkable (90/100 vs 82/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Inala

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 5)
  • is more walkable (90/100 vs 82/100)
  • But Forest Lake carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 86/100)

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

Investors

Forest Lake

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.0% vs 3.3%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Inala Forest Lake
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.

Inala Forest Lake
Walkability 90 / 82
Inala — Walkability: 90/100 Forest Lake — Walkability: 82/100
Safety 14 / 38
Inala — Safety: 14/100 Forest Lake — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Inala — Low fire risk: 100/100 Forest Lake — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Forest Lake has higher household incomes ($99,892 vs $51,896); Forest Lake rents higher ($390/wk vs $250/wk).

Inala Forest Lake
Population 15,273 22,676
+48% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.9% -1.0%
Median age 33 37
Median household income $51,896/yr $99,892/yr
+92% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk $390/wk
+56% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Inala Forest Lake
0-4 7.5% / 6.0%
Inala — 0-4: 7.5% Forest Lake — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 16.3% / 14.2%
Inala — 5-14: 16.3% Forest Lake — 5-14: 14.2%
15-19 7.4% / 7.5%
Inala — 15-19: 7.4% Forest Lake — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 6.8% / 6.0%
Inala — 20-24: 6.8% Forest Lake — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 13.4% / 12.3%
Inala — 25-34: 13.4% Forest Lake — 25-34: 12.3%
35-44 11.3% / 13.7%
Inala — 35-44: 11.3% Forest Lake — 35-44: 13.7%
45-54 11.8% / 15.2%
Inala — 45-54: 11.8% Forest Lake — 45-54: 15.2%
55-64 11.8% / 11.9%
Inala — 55-64: 11.8% Forest Lake — 55-64: 11.9%
65-74 7.8% / 7.8%
Inala — 65-74: 7.8% Forest Lake — 65-74: 7.8%
75-84 4.3% / 4.1%
Inala — 75-84: 4.3% Forest Lake — 75-84: 4.1%
85+ 1.5% / 1.2%
Inala — 85+: 1.5% Forest Lake — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Inala 33.9% couple families
Inala — Couple Families: 33.9% Inala — Lone Person: 28.6% Inala — One Parent Families: 30.1% Inala — Group Household: 4.5% Inala — Other Families: 2.9%
Forest Lake 52.1% couple families
Forest Lake — Couple Families: 52.1% Forest Lake — Lone Person: 24.8% Forest Lake — One Parent Families: 18.7% Forest Lake — Group Household: 2.8% Forest Lake — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Inala 57.5% renting
Inala — Owned Outright: 20.8% Inala — Mortgage: 21.7% Inala — Renting: 57.5%
Forest Lake 26.6% renting
Forest Lake — Owned Outright: 25.4% Forest Lake — Mortgage: 48.0% Forest Lake — Renting: 26.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Inala Forest Lake
Certificate III & IV 9.0% / 13.0%
Inala — Certificate III & IV: 9.0% Forest Lake — Certificate III & IV: 13.0%
Bachelor Degree 4.6% / 13.1%
Inala — Bachelor Degree: 4.6% Forest Lake — Bachelor Degree: 13.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.2% / 8.2%
Inala — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.2% Forest Lake — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 1.0% / 4.8%
Inala — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0% Forest Lake — Postgraduate Degree: 4.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.5% / 2.0%
Inala — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.5% Forest Lake — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.1%).

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.

Inala Forest Lake
Vietnam 21.4% / 5.3%
Inala — Vietnam: 21.4% Forest Lake — Vietnam: 5.3%
New Zealand 3.0% / 6.2%
Inala — New Zealand: 3.0% Forest Lake — New Zealand: 6.2%
England 1.4% / 3.7%
Inala — England: 1.4% Forest Lake — England: 3.7%
India 0.4% / 3.6%
Inala — India: 0.4% Forest Lake — India: 3.6%
Philippines 0.9% / 1.4%
Inala — Philippines: 0.9% Forest Lake — Philippines: 1.4%
China — / 1.7%
Inala — China: not among its largest Forest Lake — China: 1.7%
Bangladesh 0.6% / —
Inala — Bangladesh: 0.6% Forest Lake — Bangladesh: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Inala 89.1% houses
Inala — Houses: 89.1% Inala — Townhouses: 6.0% Inala — Flats / Apartments: 4.9%
Forest Lake 94.9% houses
Forest Lake — Houses: 94.9% Forest Lake — Townhouses: 3.4% Forest Lake — Flats / Apartments: 1.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Inala Forest Lake
Median house price $860,000 $970,000
Median unit price — $579,000
Median land price $580,000 $900,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 96 sales
 20 days
from 262 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.

Inala Forest Lake
3 bed $860K / $860K
Inala — 3 bed: $860K (148 sales) Forest Lake — 3 bed: $860K (202 sales)

148 vs 202 sales

4 bed $855K / $1.05M
Inala — 4 bed: $855K (20 sales) Forest Lake — 4 bed: $1.05M (203 sales)

20 vs 203 sales

5 bed $1.09M / $1.24M
Inala — 5 bed: $1.09M (6 sales) Forest Lake — 5 bed: $1.24M (43 sales)

6 vs 43 sales

Development activity

Inala Forest Lake
New dwellings approved 9,382
across Brisbane
same for both
Approvals change year on year +9%
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.

Inala Forest Lake
Houses 3.3%
$610/wk on $965K
 4.0%
$730/wk on $949K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Inala Forest Lake
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 15% of QLD Higher than 74% of QLD
Schools Higher than 35% of QLD Higher than 49% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 99% of QLD Higher than 96% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 83% of QLD Higher than 90% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of QLD Higher than 84% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 18% of QLD Higher than 55% of QLD

Liveability

Forest Lake scores higher overall (63 vs 36); Inala is more walkable (90 vs 82).

Inala Forest Lake
Grade C B
Score 36/100 63/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Inala carries more crime risk (86 vs 62).

Inala Forest Lake
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
86/100
 Moderate
62/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 30
within 5 km
 21
within 5 km

Schools

Inala Forest Lake
Inside the suburb 6
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 2
same for both
Rated below peers 2 1
Universities within 10 km 1
Brisbane South (Nathan), 9.6 km
 None

Schools in Inala

  • Richlands East State School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Mark's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Inala State School Government · Primary below peers
  • Serviceton South State School Government · Primary below peers
  • Inala Flexible School Catholic · Secondary · Special school
  • Western Suburbs State Special School Government · Combined · Special school

Schools in Forest Lake

  • Forest Lake State High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Forest Lake State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Grand Avenue State School Government · Primary at peers
  • St John's Anglican College Independent · Secondary below peers
  • Arethusa College - Forest Lake Campus Independent · Secondary
  • St John's Anglican College - Alpine Place Campus Independent · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Inala Forest Lake
Supermarkets 3
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 4 3
Parks & reserves 15 59
Childcare 14 9
GPs 7 5
Pharmacies 4 2
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4
same for both
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 13 24

Mobility

Forest Lake sits further from the CBD (25.5 km vs 19.2 km).

Inala Forest Lake
Walkability score 90/100 82/100
Distance to Brisbane 19.2 km 25.5 km
+33% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 27 min 32 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 183.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 288.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 4077
 1.5%
postcode 4078
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 4077
 67
postcode 4078

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.

Inala Forest Lake
Car (driver) 73.0% / 69.0%
Inala — Car (driver): 73.0% Forest Lake — Car (driver): 69.0%
Worked from Home 6.3% / 17.8%
Inala — Worked from Home: 6.3% Forest Lake — Worked from Home: 17.8%
Car (passenger) 13.3% / 5.7%
Inala — Car (passenger): 13.3% Forest Lake — Car (passenger): 5.7%
Train 2.9% / 3.9%
Inala — Train: 2.9% Forest Lake — Train: 3.9%
Bus 2.5% / 2.3%
Inala — Bus: 2.5% Forest Lake — Bus: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.0%).

Setting

Inala Forest Lake
Elevation 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 36 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 23.4 km 26.3 km

NBN connectivity

Inala Forest Lake
Connectivity score 75/100 74/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
5,762 premises
 36%
8,634 premises

Climate

Inala Forest Lake
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)

Inala Forest Lake
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.99 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Inala Forest Lake
Average residential rate $1,519/yr
same for both
Council Brisbane
same for both

Federal electorate

Inala Forest Lake
Division Oxley
same for both
Member Milton Dick
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Inala Forest Lake
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Inala

Family Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks River

Forest Lake

Middle-Ring Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Inala

Inala vs Oxley Inala vs Durack Inala vs Doolandella Inala vs Richlands Inala vs Darra

Other comparisons with Forest Lake

Forest Lake vs Greenbank Forest Lake vs Doolandella Forest Lake vs Richlands Forest Lake vs Heathwood Forest Lake vs Wacol Forest Lake vs Pallara
Full data on Inala Full data on Forest Lake
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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