Forest Lake QLD 4078
Forest Lake is a suburb in Queensland, 26 km from Brisbane CBD, around 32 minutes by car. Population is 22,676; the median age is 37 and the median household income is $99,892 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population fell 1.0% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $390 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,690. The area shows high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 6 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Forest Lake a good suburb?
Forest Lake scores a B (63/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit.
Mixed results
6 schools · 1 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 82/100 · 25.5 km · 32 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $970K
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 62/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 6/10 · median age 37 · 22,676 residents
Liveability Rating
63 / 100 · Ranked #295 in QLDEach bar is Forest Lake's rank among QLD suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Forest Lake?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
63 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataForest Lake's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $970,000, roughly 17% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$970,000
3% below its 8 neighbours (median $1,000,000)
Based on 464 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 20 days — median across 262 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 202 sales $860K
- 4 bed 203 sales $1.05M
- 5 bed 43 sales $1.24M
- 6 bed 7 sales $1.45M
Units
$579,000
Based on 10 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 12 days — median across 4 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 6 sales $554K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Forest Lake are currently listed at around $949,000 on average. Based on 57 houses listed in the past six months.
$949K
57 houses listed in the last 6 months.
58 of the suburb's 7,731 dwellings (0.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Forest Lake rent for around $730 a week on average, based on 108 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$730/wk
3% below its 7 neighbours (median $750/wk)
108 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
110 rentals advertised against an estimated 2,056 rented homes (5.4%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $650/wk
- 54 bonds
- +58% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025109 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 28% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4078.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$730/week ($38,000 a year) on a $949,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
25 active Airbnb listings: 15 whole homes and 10 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.2% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Forest Lake safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Forest Lake sits in the moderate band, with 166 incidents recorded in 2025 — down roughly 14% on the prior year.
166 offences
14.4% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–202459 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Six schools serve Forest Lake, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Forest Lake State High School leads the pack.
- • 4,657 students across 4 schools (avg 1,164)
- • Sectors: 3 Independent, 3 Government
- • ICSEA 969-1118, median 1024 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Forest Lake State High School (1,673 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Forest Lake is very walkable on foot — at 82/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 3 supermarkets, 59 parks and 3 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Forest Lake.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 288.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 191.4 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 148.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.4 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 Lake.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 36%
- Premises covered
- 8,634
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
Brisbane: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 62 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 7 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Forest Lake is home to about 22,700 residents, with a median age of 37, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $100,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
22,676
Median Age
37
Median Household Income
$99,892/yr
Census Median Rent
$390/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,690/mo
Avg Household Size
2.8
Median Personal Income
$41,652/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
3.7%
Total Dwellings
7,731
Owner-Occupier Rate
73.4%
Houses
94.9%
Rental Stress
20.3%
Mortgage Stress
20.3%
Work From Home
17.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
103 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 6 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 2,008 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 58.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 64.8%
- Employment Rate
- 62.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 51.1%
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.
963 residents (4.2%) 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 21,313 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
14% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (1,585 of 11,376).
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.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 3,449 people work here; 11,376 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.3 jobs per working resident. At least 68% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,519 a year through Brisbane based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Brisbane
In the year to August 2026, 9,382 new dwellings were approved across Brisbane. That mix is 2,948 houses and 6,434 units. Approvals are up 9.0% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 423 to 890 homes
- Within 2 years 111 to 270 homes
- In 2 to 5 years 153 to 300 homes
- In 5 to 10 years 102 to 200 homes
- In 10 years or more 57 to 120 homes
Land the Queensland Government's residential land supply study identifies for future housing (13 parcels), 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.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6.5 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 17.3 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.99 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Rocklea (South East Queensland) monitoring station, 9.9 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Archerfield Airport, 7.0 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 36 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 26.3 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 0.1% of addresses
- 11 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 1,032 mm
- 84 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 30.5°C
- 6 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 8.9°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
21 facilities within 5 km- 1.9 km
- 2.5 kmHuman Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol · Methanol
- 2.7 kmPulp, Paper and Paperboard ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 3.0 kmOther Electrical Equipment ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 3.0 kmPulp, Paper and Paperboard ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 4078, 283 of 18,413 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.3% (788 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.8%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4078, 6,220 rooftop-solar systems totalling 35.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 9,259 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 326 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
10 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
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 $970,000 this is $220,000 above 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 2026-10-26 — 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 Milton Dick Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Milton Dick | 69.2% | 30.8% | +7.6 |
| 2022 | Milton Dick | 61.6% | 38.4% | -5.2 |
| 2019 | Milton Dick | 56.4% | 43.6% | +2.6 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Margie Nightingale Australian Labor Party (State of Queensland)
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Margie Nightingale ALP | 62.6% |
| 2020 | Annastacia Palaszczuk ALP | 78.2% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Forest Lake?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 22,676 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.
Featured in
- #6 in Where the Bangladeshi community lives in Brisbane
- #6 in Where the Sri Lankan community lives in Brisbane
- #7 in Where the Vietnamese community lives in Brisbane
- #8 in Brisbane suburbs where the most Vietnamese is spoken at home
- #13 in Brisbane suburbs where the most Tamil is spoken at home
- #14 in Brisbane suburbs with the largest Buddhist community
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Brisbane There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Brisbane suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Inala QLD 4077
Greenbank QLD 4124
Doolandella QLD 4077
Richlands QLD 4077
Heathwood QLD 4110
Wacol QLD 4076
Compare Forest Lake 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 Lake
Is Forest Lake a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Forest Lake is moderate (62/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Forest Lake?
Forest Lake has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Forest Lake a good place to live?
Forest Lake has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (63/100), 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 Lake?
Forest Lake, QLD had a population of 22,676 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Forest Lake, QLD?
The postcode for Forest Lake, QLD is 4078.
How far is Forest Lake from Brisbane?
Forest Lake is 26 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 32 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Forest Lake?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Forest Lake was $99,892 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 Lake?
The median advertised rent in Forest Lake is $730 a week for houses (108 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Forest Lake?
The median age of residents in Forest Lake was 37 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Forest Lake?
There are 6 schools inside the Forest Lake boundary: 1 above, 2 at, and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Forest Lake walkable?
Forest Lake scores 82/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Forest Lake?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Forest Lake (Rocklea (South East Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.5 µg/m³ and PM10 of 17.3 µg/m³. That puts Forest Lake below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Forest Lake?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Forest Lake, Archerfield Airport (7 km away), summer days average 30.5°C, winter nights 8.9°C, 1,032 mm of rain a year over 84 rainy days, and 6 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Forest Lake?
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 Lake belong to?
Forest Lake sits within the Brisbane local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Forest Lake?
The average residential rates bill through Brisbane is $1,519 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 Lake?
Across Brisbane, 9,382 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 9.0% 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 Lake in?
Forest Lake sits within the federal Division of Oxley, currently held by Milton Dick (Australian Labor Party).
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
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- 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.
Was the information on this page useful to you?
Thanks! Anything we could improve?
We hate spam as much as you do — we'll never use your email for marketing, and we might not be able to reply to everyone.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙏
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.