Plainland vs Forest Hill

Plainland is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 41 in Forest Hill. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Plainland, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Plainland: a median of $840,000, against $720,000 in Forest Hill, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Plainland tends to suit families with children and couples, while Forest Hill suits people living alone and share households.

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

Plainland

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 46%)
  • But Forest Hill carries lower crime risk (63/100 vs 84/100)

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

First-home buyers

Forest Hill

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($550,000 vs $692,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($720,000 vs $840,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Forest Hill

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $360/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Plainland

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (76.8 km vs 82.3 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Plainland has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • Forest Hill carries lower crime risk (63/100 vs 84/100)

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

Investors

Plainland

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (20.9% vs -3.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Plainland Forest Hill
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.

Plainland Forest Hill
Walkability 13 / 14
Plainland — Walkability: 13/100 Forest Hill — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 16 / 37
Plainland — Safety: 16/100 Forest Hill — Safety: 37/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Plainland — Low fire risk: 100/100 Forest Hill — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Plainland has more residents (1,930 vs 935); Plainland has higher household incomes ($83,252 vs $68,536).

Plainland Forest Hill
Population 1,930
+52% vs other
 935
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +20.9% -3.4%
Median age 37 41
Median household income $83,252/yr
+18% vs other
 $68,536/yr
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+17% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Plainland Forest Hill
0-4 6.8% / 4.6%
Plainland — 0-4: 6.8% Forest Hill — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 14.4% / 10.5%
Plainland — 5-14: 14.4% Forest Hill — 5-14: 10.5%
15-19 5.1% / 6.0%
Plainland — 15-19: 5.1% Forest Hill — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 6.3% / 11.9%
Plainland — 20-24: 6.3% Forest Hill — 20-24: 11.9%
25-34 13.2% / 10.1%
Plainland — 25-34: 13.2% Forest Hill — 25-34: 10.1%
35-44 13.8% / 9.5%
Plainland — 35-44: 13.8% Forest Hill — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 11.6% / 13.0%
Plainland — 45-54: 11.6% Forest Hill — 45-54: 13.0%
55-64 12.4% / 16.5%
Plainland — 55-64: 12.4% Forest Hill — 55-64: 16.5%
65-74 10.1% / 12.1%
Plainland — 65-74: 10.1% Forest Hill — 65-74: 12.1%
75-84 5.3% / 4.0%
Plainland — 75-84: 5.3% Forest Hill — 75-84: 4.0%
85+ 0.7% / 2.1%
Plainland — 85+: 0.7% Forest Hill — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Plainland 45.7% couple families
Plainland — Couple Families: 45.7% Plainland — Lone Person: 26.8% Plainland — One Parent Families: 20.4% Plainland — Group Household: 6.0% Plainland — Other Families: 1.0%
Forest Hill 28.0% couple families
Forest Hill — Couple Families: 28.0% Forest Hill — Lone Person: 35.0% Forest Hill — One Parent Families: 17.9% Forest Hill — Group Household: 17.5% Forest Hill — Other Families: 1.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Plainland 17.6% renting
Plainland — Owned Outright: 31.1% Plainland — Mortgage: 51.2% Plainland — Renting: 17.6%
Forest Hill 28.4% renting
Forest Hill — Owned Outright: 37.4% Forest Hill — Mortgage: 34.2% Forest Hill — Renting: 28.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Plainland Forest Hill
Certificate III & IV 18.9% / 19.7%
Plainland — Certificate III & IV: 18.9% Forest Hill — Certificate III & IV: 19.7%
Bachelor Degree 6.6% / 5.8%
Plainland — Bachelor Degree: 6.6% Forest Hill — Bachelor Degree: 5.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.8% / 5.9%
Plainland — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8% Forest Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.1%
Plainland — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Forest Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%
Postgraduate Degree 1.0% / 1.0%
Plainland — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0% Forest Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.7%).

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.

Plainland Forest Hill
England 3.8% / 3.3%
Plainland — England: 3.8% Forest Hill — England: 3.3%
New Zealand 2.3% / 2.4%
Plainland — New Zealand: 2.3% Forest Hill — New Zealand: 2.4%
Philippines 0.8% / 0.4%
Plainland — Philippines: 0.8% Forest Hill — Philippines: 0.4%
Netherlands 0.6% / 0.4%
Plainland — Netherlands: 0.6% Forest Hill — Netherlands: 0.4%
India 0.5% / —
Plainland — India: 0.5% Forest Hill — India: not among its largest
Vietnam — / 0.5%
Plainland — Vietnam: not among its largest Forest Hill — Vietnam: 0.5%
Fiji — / 0.4%
Plainland — Fiji: not among its largest Forest Hill — Fiji: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Plainland 98.5% houses
Plainland — Houses: 98.5% Plainland — Townhouses: 1.6%
Forest Hill 98.3% houses
Forest Hill — Houses: 98.3% Forest Hill — Townhouses: 1.7%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Plainland Forest Hill
Median house price $840,000 $720,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $692,500 $550,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 38 days
from 30 sales
 37 days
from 11 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.

Plainland Forest Hill
3 bed $760K / $650K
Plainland — 3 bed: $760K (20 sales) Forest Hill — 3 bed: $650K (15 sales)

20 vs 15 sales

4 bed $840K / $1.01M
Plainland — 4 bed: $840K (50 sales) Forest Hill — 4 bed: $1.01M (14 sales)

50 vs 14 sales

Development activity

Plainland Forest Hill
New dwellings approved 352
across Lockyer Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year +103%
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.

Plainland Forest Hill
Houses 4.2%
$730/wk on $895K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Plainland Forest Hill
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 54% of QLD Higher than 35% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 74% of QLD Higher than 76% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 65% of QLD Higher than 42% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of QLD Higher than 71% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 66% of QLD —

Liveability

Plainland Forest Hill
Grade C
same for both
Score 36/100 40/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Plainland carries more crime risk (84 vs 63).

Plainland Forest Hill
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
84/100
 Moderate
63/100
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 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Plainland Forest Hill
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Plainland

  • Faith Lutheran College - Plainland Independent · Combined above peers
  • Sophia College Catholic · Secondary above peers

Schools in Forest Hill

  • Forest Hill State School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Plainland Forest Hill
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 5 3
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 1
same for both
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 0 9

Mobility

Forest Hill sits further from the CBD (82.3 km vs 76.8 km).

Plainland Forest Hill
Walkability score 13/100 14/100
Distance to Brisbane 76.8 km 82.3 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 64 min 66 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 4341
 0.3%
postcode 4342
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 97
postcode 4341
 86
postcode 4342

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.

Plainland Forest Hill
Car (driver) 81.1% / 82.3%
Plainland — Car (driver): 81.1% Forest Hill — Car (driver): 82.3%
Worked from Home 11.0% / 10.2%
Plainland — Worked from Home: 11.0% Forest Hill — Worked from Home: 10.2%
Car (passenger) 5.6% / 4.7%
Plainland — Car (passenger): 5.6% Forest Hill — Car (passenger): 4.7%
Walked Only 1.9% / 2.0%
Plainland — Walked Only: 1.9% Forest Hill — Walked Only: 2.0%
Train 0.4% / 0.9%
Plainland — Train: 0.4% Forest Hill — Train: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.3%).

Setting

Plainland Forest Hill
Elevation 144 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 88 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Plainland Forest Hill
Connectivity score 67/100 57/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 41%
1,083 premises
 34%
449 premises

Climate

Plainland Forest Hill
Annual rainfall 697 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Plainland Forest Hill
Average residential rate $1,952/yr
same for both
Council Lockyer Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Plainland Forest Hill
Division Wright
same for both
Member Scott Buchholz
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Plainland

Acreage

Forest Hill

Acreage Quiet River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Plainland

Plainland vs Regency Downs Plainland vs Hatton Vale Plainland vs Glenore Grove Plainland vs Summerholm Plainland vs Laidley North

Other comparisons with Forest Hill

Forest Hill vs Laidley Heights Forest Hill vs Glenore Grove Forest Hill vs Laidley North Forest Hill vs Glen Cairn Forest Hill vs Crowley Vale Forest Hill vs Lawes
Full data on Plainland Full data on Forest Hill
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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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