Forest Hill sits 82 km from Brisbane CBD in Queensland, around 1 hour 5 minutes by car. Census data records 935 residents with a median age of 41 and a median household income of $68,536 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. Population fell 3.4% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $300 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,300. The area shows high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. 1 school sits within the locality boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Forest Hill a good place to live?
Forest Hill scores a C (40/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit and community.
Mixed results
1 school
Car-dependent
Walkability 14/100 · 82.3 km · 66 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $720K
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 63/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 1/10 · median age 41 · 935 residents
Liveability Rating
40 / 100 · Ranked #749 in QLDEach bar is Forest Hill's rank among QLD suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
Flood data for Queensland covers only the areas mapped there — a blank here is not an all-clear.
How do you rate the liveability in Forest Hill?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
40 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataForest Hill's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $720,000, about 4% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$720,000
14% below its 4 neighbours (median $840,000)
Based on 37 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 37 days — median across 11 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 6 sales $530K
- 3 bed 15 sales $650K
- 4 bed 14 sales $1.01M
Land
$550,000
Based on only 7 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 119 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Forest Hill are currently listed at around $679,000 on average. Based on 5 houses listed in the past six months.
$679K
5 houses listed in the last 6 months.
5 of the suburb's 348 dwellings (1.4%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Is Forest Hill safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Forest Hill sits in the moderate band, with 11 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 450% on the prior year.
11 offences
450.0% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–202420 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
One school serve Forest Hill, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 128 students in one school (avg 128)
Primary
Walkability
Forest Hill is very car-dependent on foot — at 14/100, nearly all errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Forest Hill.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 1.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 1.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.5 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 31.5 min
- Span of service
- 14.8 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Forest Hill.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 34%
- Premises covered
- 449
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Lockyer Valley: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Forest Hill is home to 935 residents, with a median age of 41, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $69,000 a year, with unemployment at 9.1%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
935
Median Age
41
Median Household Income
$68,536/yr
Census Median Rent
$300/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,300/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$31,616/yr
Unemployment Rate
9.1%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.6%
Total Dwellings
348
Owner-Occupier Rate
71.6%
Houses
98.3%
Rental Stress
22.8%
Mortgage Stress
22.8%
Work From Home
10.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 79.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 87.8%
- Employment Rate
- 53.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 37.2%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
16 residents (1.7%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 892 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
2% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (9 of 423).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,952 a year through Lockyer Valley based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Lockyer Valley
In the year to August 2026, 352 new dwellings were approved across Lockyer Valley. That mix is 312 houses and 40 units. Approvals are up 102.9% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this locality: 1 to 5 homes
- Within 2 years 1 to 5 homes
Land the Queensland Government's residential land supply study identifies for future housing (1 parcel), by when it expects lots to be registered. Yields are published in ranges, so these are too.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Yuggera Ugarapul People.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. A native title claim over this area is registered with the Federal Court.
Climate & Setting
from University Of Queensland Gatton, 5.2 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 88 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 697 mm
- 63 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 31.9°C
- 25 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.1°C
- 2 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 4342, 8 of 2,684 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.9% (52 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.2%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4342, 889 rooftop-solar systems totalling 6.5 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,032 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 39 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$30,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
$30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, with no end date. IT DID NOT REVERT TO $15,000: the tier was due to end 30 June 2026 and the 2026-27 Queensland Budget (23 June 2026) continued it for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. This file carried a "due to revert" note until 2026-09-18 — it was never true, and a note predicting a change is not the same as a change. Cap is "less than $750,000" including land and contract variations — less than, not up to. New homes only: "There are no home owner grants for established homes."
Mortgage repayments
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Queensland Revenue Office
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $30,000 — see what qualifies with Queensland Revenue Office.
At $720,000 this is under the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $30,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Queensland Revenue Office.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Scott Buchholz Liberal National Party of Queensland
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Scott Buchholz | 42.0% | 58.0% | +2.9 |
| 2022 | Scott Buchholz | 39.1% | 60.9% | -3.7 |
| 2019 | Scott Buchholz | 35.4% | 64.6% | +5.0 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Jim McDonald Liberal National Party of Queensland
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jim McDonald LNP | 69.2% |
| 2020 | Jim McDonald LNP | 61.5% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Forest Hill?
Every figure above is a locality average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 935 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Plainland QLD 4341
Laidley Heights QLD 4341
Glenore Grove QLD 4342
Laidley North QLD 4341
Glen Cairn QLD 4342
Crowley Vale QLD 4342
Compare Forest Hill to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Forest Hill
Is Forest Hill a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Forest Hill is moderate (63/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Forest Hill?
Forest Hill has no recorded bushfire history. These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Forest Hill a good place to live?
Forest Hill has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (40/100), ranked against other QLD suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Forest Hill?
Forest Hill, QLD had a population of 935 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Forest Hill, QLD?
The postcode for Forest Hill, QLD is 4342.
How far is Forest Hill from Brisbane?
Forest Hill is 82 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 66 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Forest Hill?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Forest Hill was $68,536 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Forest Hill?
There are too few current rental listings in Forest Hill for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $300, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Forest Hill?
The median age of residents in Forest Hill was 41 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Forest Hill?
There is 1 school inside the Forest Hill boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Forest Hill walkable?
Forest Hill scores 14/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Forest Hill?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Forest Hill, University Of Queensland Gatton (5.2 km away), summer days average 31.9°C, winter nights 7.1°C, 697 mm of rain a year over 63 rainy days, and 25 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Forest Hill?
First-home buyers in QLD may be eligible for $30,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by Queensland Revenue Office; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Forest Hill belong to?
Forest Hill sits within the Lockyer Valley local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Forest Hill?
The average residential rates bill through Lockyer Valley is $1,952 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Forest Hill?
Across Lockyer Valley, 352 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 102.9% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Forest Hill in?
Forest Hill sits within the federal Division of Wright, currently held by Scott Buchholz (Liberal National Party of Queensland).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2025–26
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2020–2024
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2024
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.