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Suburb profile ·Brisbane LGA · QLD ·4078

Forest Lake QLD 4078

Forest Lake is in Brisbane LGA, QLD, postcode 4078, with population 22,676.

The read

Growth-momentum

The page has enough signal to be useful, but the story is mixed rather than decisive. Use compare mode to pressure-test it against stronger nearby options, then use the calculator if it still makes the shortlist.

$625/wk
Flat
+0.8% YoY
Jun 2021 → Mar 2026 · 20 periods
Queensland RTA · suburb grain · Mar 2026
$630
$430
Jun 2021Mar 2026
Why it fits

Population scale is large enough to avoid reading this as a tiny locality only. Recent price movement shows visible market momentum. School coverage gives the page a stronger family/livability signal.

Read full evidence → Compare suburb Run calculator
Median house
$770K
House median, latest period
↑10.5%YoY D4 vs AU
Median rent
$625/wk
Income-stretched rent market
↑0.8%YoY D10 vs AU
Gross yield
4.2%
Moderate yield band
D10 vs AU
Population
22,676
23K local footprint
D10 vs AU
Schools
4
Matched school context
D10 vs AU
Drive to city
26 min
23.6 km to Brisbane CBD · free-flow
Transit to city
62 min
Public transport to Brisbane CBD · weekday 8am
Solar
6,141
308 added 12mo · 34MW

Price history

House and unit medians · ABS + state datasets

Trend & investor depth

Derived from this suburb's own price, rent and income history
Indicative cashflow-$289/wk (-$15,049/yr) · interest-only @ 6.4%, 80% LVR
Rent stabilitystable — rents vary ±6.3% around trend
Value vs advantage-6% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 5)

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investment grade

Composite · growth · yield · stability
Agrade · 86/100 · top 14% of 3,604AU suburbs
Peer distributionstronger than 86% of AU suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Capital growth80
Rental yield83
Stability41
Volatility-11.1ppCycle-2.0Affordability-1.5

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer · stability drivers signed (+ = steadier)

Relative grade across Australian suburbs, combining qp's capital-growth (multi-year CAGR + cycle timing), rental-yield, and stability (price volatility + cycle + affordability) metrics via a three-pillar property-scoring method with an imbalance penalty. Within-Australia relative, indicative only — not financial advice.

Investor profile

Who invests in Forest Lake

Owner-occupied 73%Rented 27%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared5.7%
932 of 1,719 landlords
Avg rental loss$6,288/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,719
Reported capital gains996
Investor exposure index(moderate vs national)55.8/100
The read

Owner-occupier stronghold

72% of homes here are owner-occupied and 26% rented, with 6% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

72% owner-occupied — owner-occupiers hold longer and absorb rate shocks, supporting price stability.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Mortgage affordability

RBA rate · ABS Census 2021 household income
45%
of household income to service a new loan
10.3 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Severe
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRenting cheaper

New-loan repayment $3,773/mo vs median rent $2,708/mo (+39% · +$246/wk)

If rates move

At 4.2%: $3,012/mo (-760) · at 6.2% (current): $3,773/mo · at 8.2%: $4,606/mo (+833)

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan at the current RBA new owner-occupier variable rate, against median weekly household income (ABS Census 2021). Stress bands follow the 30% / 45%-of-income thresholds used in ANZ-CoreLogic and AIHW reporting. Rent vs buy compares that repayment with the suburb's median advertised rent; it excludes rates, insurance, maintenance and deposit opportunity cost.

Stronger alternatives nearby

Similar-priced suburbs in other council areas that rate higher on a metric.

Higher yield

similar price · cross-LGA

Stronger 5-yr growth

similar price · cross-LGA

More affordable

lower price-to-income

Alternatives are similar-priced suburbs (0.7–1.4x this suburb's median) in other council areas that exceed it on the named metric. Indicative — not financial advice.

Affordability

Buying & renting · ABS Census + state data
Buying
7.7x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Moderate
Renting
33%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
Stretched

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $1,690/mo, while renters pay about $2,708/mo — renting runs $1,018/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$770K
Household income · yr
$100K
Median rent · wk
$625
Owner mortgage · mo
$1,690
Gross yield
4.2%

Household income

ABS Census · ATO
$100K household · yr+25.5% vs QLD suburb median
Personal
$42K
Family
$111K
Household
$100K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)25% could service the median house
Under $300
185
$300-649
709
$650-999
784
$1,000-1,499
1,094
$1,500-1,999
1,022
$2,000-2,999
1,780
$3,000-3,999
946
$4,000+
755

Serviceability line: a household needs about $2,902/wk to hold a new loan on the median house at 30% of income (20% deposit, 30-year P&I, current RBA rate).

At the median asking rent, about 55% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $2,083/wk income).

Median taxable income trend (ATO, 2018-19 – 2022-23)$52K → $60K

Housing stock and tenure

ABS Census 2021
Tenure (7,731 households)1.4% social housing
Owned outright
25%
Owned with mortgage
47%
Rented
26%
Dwelling structure3.6% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
95%
Townhouse / semi
3%
Flat / apartment
2%

Getting to work: 72% drive, 4% public transport, 1% walk or cycle, 17% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Schools

ACARA 2025
Total4
Avg ICSEA1034
Students4,657
Government3
Independent1
  • Grand Avenue State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1033Zoned
  • Forest Lake State High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 969Zoned
  • Forest Lake State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1015Zoned
  • St John's Anglican CollegeCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1118

3 of 4 schools here operate published enrolment zones (catchments). Zone boundaries set eligibility — check the official source for the exact catchment. Not enrolment advice.

Livability

OSM · GTFS · schools + hospitals
85/ 100 livability index

Top 15% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 85% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access84
Public transport (43 stops)80
Schools & hospitals81

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer

Suburb-level access-density index (not an address-level walk-time score), normalised within Australian suburbs. Method based on the Urban Liveability Index (Higgs et al. 2019) and Walk Score — three equal-weighted domains combined with an imbalance penalty.

Crime Year ending May 2026
6,299
6,299 per 100k
D8 vs AU

Crime

lga
Rate · per 100k6,299
Total incidents6,299· Year ending May 2026
  • Assault70321%
  • Break And Enter70921%
  • Drug Offences1,49745%
  • Fraud41312%

Development screen

Could a secondary dwelling be worth investigating?

More supporting context
secondary dwelling / granny flat screening context Medium broad constraint context

Policy position

Official source access limited

The official state policy page could not be reliably re-verified automatically in the latest review. Treat this screen as preliminary and confirm the current planning and building requirements with the state source and local council.

Rental use: State rental-law changes allow secondary dwellings to be rented more broadly, but implementation depends on an approved lawful dwelling and local planning/building requirements.

Open official policy source

Separate houses

91.5%

Suburb share of occupied private dwellings recorded as separate houses.

12.3 pp above the state median

State median 79.3% · 838 valid suburbs

Residential-zone context

62.1%

Broad suburb sampling only; the property zoning and overlays can differ.

10.1 pp above the state median

State median 52.0% · 443 valid suburbs

Rental households

26.0%

Demand context only; it does not establish permission to rent a secondary dwelling.

Near the state median

State median 29.7% · 838 valid suburbs

Mapped hazards

bushfire moderate

The staged suburb layer indicates a broad-area constraint that needs address-level checking. No broad-area layer staged for this suburb.

Approval pathway

Four checks, each with a different evidence threshold.

This is an investigation sequence, not a guarantee that every step applies or that approval will be granted.

  1. 01 Verify current source

    State policy position

    The current secondary dwelling / granny flat position needs direct confirmation before relying on this screen.

  2. 02 Property dependent

    Planning pathway

    Confirm zoning, lot controls, overlays, setbacks, site coverage and whether planning approval is required.

  3. 03 Design dependent

    Building approval

    Confirm the building approval route after the design, site classifications, services and construction requirements are known.

  4. 04 Check separately

    Intended use

    Confirm long-term rental, short-stay or family-use rules separately from permission to construct the dwelling.

Property due diligence

Turn the suburb screen into a property checklist.

Every check starts unconfirmed. Progress stays in this browser and suburb evidence never clears an address-level requirement.

0evidence acquired
0evidence missing
0reviews due
0consultant questions

Active record: Forest Lake unnamed property

0/14checked
0issues found

Site controls

Lot area and dimensions

Confirm title dimensions, usable site area and any minimum lot threshold.

Status for Lot area and dimensions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Setbacks and site coverage

Test setbacks, private open space, landscaping and maximum site coverage against a concept plan.

Status for Setbacks and site coverage
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Slope and ground conditions

Check survey levels, soil classification, retaining needs and likely earthworks.

Status for Slope and ground conditions
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title and planning

Zoning and overlays

Obtain current property-level zoning, overlays and applicable planning controls.

Status for Zoning and overlays
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Title, easements and covenants

Review the title for easements, covenants, restrictions and common property.

Status for Title, easements and covenants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Services and access

Sewer and stormwater

Locate assets and connection points, then confirm capacity, clearances and discharge requirements.

Status for Sewer and stormwater
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Power, water and metering

Confirm service routes, upgrade needs and whether separate metering is permitted or practical.

Status for Power, water and metering
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Vehicle access and parking

Test driveway width, gradients, turning, parking and emergency access requirements.

Status for Vehicle access and parking
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Construction constraints

Bushfire exposure

Order an address-level bushfire assessment and determine any BAL construction response.

Status for Bushfire exposure
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Flood and overland flow

Obtain property flood information and check floor levels, flow paths and drainage constraints.

Status for Flood and overland flow
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Wind, corrosion and termite

Confirm site classifications that affect structural design, materials and durability.

Status for Wind, corrosion and termite
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Approval and use

Planning approval pathway

Confirm exemption, complying pathway or permit requirements with the responsible authority.

Status for Planning approval pathway
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Building approval and consultants

Identify required survey, design, engineering, energy, certification and inspection evidence.

Status for Building approval and consultants
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Rental and intended use

Confirm occupation, rental, short-stay and family-use rules plus insurance and tax implications.

Status for Rental and intended use
Evidence packMissing

Metadata only. QuickProperty does not store or upload the underlying document.

Forest Lake, QLD 4078 · Local browser record

Investigation aid only. Confirm current planning, building, title, service and hazard requirements with qualified professionals and responsible authorities.

Building due diligence

Construction requirements can change by location.

1 broad-area layer staged

The National Construction Code is the baseline. Local hazards and site classifications can change the required structure, materials, fixings, insulation and detailing.

Known here

SUBURB CONTEXT

Bushfire-prone land

Moderate broad-area context

About 16.6% of the suburb intersects mapped bushfire-prone land.

May affect: External construction · Roof and wall systems · Openings, screens and decks

Check the property

ADDRESS + DESIGN

NCC climate zone

Check the property

Confirm the NCC climate zone used for the building design and energy provisions.

May affect: Insulation and glazing · Condensation control · Roof-space ventilation

Wind class and BAL

Site assessment required

A suburb layer cannot determine the site wind classification or Bushfire Attack Level.

May affect: Structure and tie-downs · Cladding and fixings · Openings and bushfire detailing

Corrosion and termite exposure

Check the property

Confirm marine or corrosive exposure and the applicable termite-management requirements.

May affect: Fasteners and connectors · Roofing and coatings · Termite management

This screen identifies investigation triggers, not building quality or property compliance. Confirm the address, design and current jurisdiction rules with the council, building surveyor or certifier, designer and engineer.

NCC 2022 Housing Provisions: how to use · NCC 2022 Volume Two and Housing Provisions

Bushfire exposure

NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land
Moderate exposure ~16.6%
~16.6% of the suburb is Bush Fire Prone Land

Estimated exposure to NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land (CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within the official hazard layer — it is not a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating or a property-level assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Short-term rentals

Inside Airbnb
29
active listings · ~1.3 per 1,000 residents
55%
entire homes (vs private rooms)
55%
run by multi-listing operators

Active Airbnb listings point-mapped to this suburb from Inside Airbnb (CC BY 4.0). Occupancy and revenue are estimates from Inside Airbnb's San Francisco model (review-rate proxy, minimum-stay assumption, occupancy capped at 70%) — they are gross, indicative, and not a guarantee of returns. Short-stay letting is subject to state and local regulation.

Planning zones

QLD council planning schemes (QPP)
Dominant zone General residential
Residential 26% Public / Open space 17% Commercial / Mixed 2% Industrial 1%
Residential density: Standard

Land-use mix estimated by point-sampling the suburb against Queensland council planning-scheme zone polygons (CC BY 4.0). This is a suburb-level snapshot of planning zones, not a parcel-level zoning certificate or development advice. Check the relevant planning scheme for an individual property.

Population outlook

ABS projection · Forest Lake - Ellen Grove SA2 area · 2022 base
23,059 people · 202225,152 by 2032 (+9.1%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Forest Lake - Ellen Grove SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
Forest Lake QLD — Property Data and Demographics

Located in Queensland within the Brisbane local government area, Forest Lake is a large suburb (postcode 4078). The area has roughly 22,676 residents and a mix of young professionals and families, with a median age of 37. Households earn a median income of $100K per year, with an average household size of 2.8 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement into the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.6% year-on-year at the LGA level. QLD employment has moved +1.5% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. QLD also had 35 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 16 underway, and 30 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are professionals, clerical & administrative, community & personal service. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and retail trade. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Scottish.

The median house price in Forest Lake is $770,000, having risen steeply by 10.5% over the past year. Units have a median price of $480,000 (+15.7% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $625. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 4.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,690.

Forest Lake is served by 4 schools, including 2 primary, 1 secondary, 1 combined. The average ICSEA score is 1034, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 43 bus stops. The crime rate in the Brisbane LGA is moderate at 6,299 incidents per 100,000 population.

On the investment side, Gross rental yield sits at around 4.2% (moderate yield). Property prices sit below the state median ($770K/$1.1M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 7.7x is considered moderate. House prices have moved +10.5% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.6% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield4.2%· Moderate Yield
Price vs State$770K/$1.1M↑ Below Median
Affordability7.7x· Moderate
Price Momentum+10.5%↑ Rising
Pop. Growth+1.6%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentQLD
Mortgage · mth$1,690
Rent · wk(Census)$390
Market rent · wk(Q1 2026)$625
Gross yield2.6%
Price / income7.7x
Population growth · Brisbane LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)1,375,301
5-year growth+1.7% CAGR
YoY change+1.6%
20012025
Development · Brisbane LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)7,814
Houses 32%Units 68%
YoY change+0%
Employment · Brisbane LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.9%
YoY change+0.2pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 4078ATO
Negatively geared5.7%
932 of filers
Avg rental loss$6,288/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,719
Reported capital gains996
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population22,676
Median age37
Household size2.8
HH income · wk$1,921
Personal income · wk$801
Persons / bedroom0.8
IncomeATO 22-23
Median income$59,658
Mean income$65,873
Earners15,240
YoY change+6.8%
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)5/10
Education (IEO)6/10
Economic (IER)6/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)6/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$1,719 → $1,921
Change+11.8%
vs QLD median-6.2 pp
Median rent+5.4%
softeningvs QLD 2016–21
Top occupationsCensus
Professionals2,516Clerical & Administrative1,734Community & Personal Service1,434Technicians & Trades1,245Managers1,235
Top industriesCensus
Healthcare1,752Retail Trade1,150Education1,051Manufacturing1,033Public Admin & Safety815
Top ancestryCensus
English6,908Australian5,853Scottish1,876Vietnamese1,810Irish1,742
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets3
Pharmacies1
GP / clinics2
Fuel stations1
Cafes & dining8
aldi1
coles1
woolworths1
TransportGTFS
Bus stops43
Hospitals · Brisbane LGAAIHW
Public11
Private32
Ellen Barron Family Centrepublic
Jacaranda Place Queensland Adolescent Extended Treatment Centrepublic
Mater Adult Hospitalpublic
Mater Mothers' Hospitalpublic
Princess Alexandra Hospitalpublic
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospitalpublic
+37 more in Brisbane LGA
Aged care · Brisbane LGAGEN
Facilities102
Residential places10,276
Regis Sandgate - Musgrave272 places
Portofino Hamilton225 places
Mercy Community Services - Emmaus209 places
St Vincent Care Services Carseldine179 places
St Vincent's Care Services Mitchelton176 places
Regis Sandgate - Lucinda162 places
+96 more in Brisbane LGA
Childcare · Brisbane LGAACECQA
Services769
Approved places71,059
Exceeding NQS121
Sunnybank Hills State School OSHC470 places
West End State School OSHC400 places
McDowall State School Outside School Hours Care Program350 places
Gumdale OSHC345 places
Rochedale Outside School Hours Care Association (Roshca)330 places
Helping Hands Pallara320 places
+763 more in Brisbane LGA
Nearby in Brisbane LGA12
Bracken Ridge$840K · 17,488Sunnybank Hills$1.1M · 18,085Runcorn$935K · 14,199Calamvale$1.2M · 17,994Wynnum West$903K · 12,790Inala$680K · 15,273Aspley$1.0M · 12,871Wynnum$1.2M · 14,036Chermside$975K · 11,426Manly West$1.1M · 12,436Boondall$845K · 9,603Nundah$1.2M · 13,098
Tax calculatorsaustax.tools
Stamp Duty CalculatorQLD ↗Land Tax CalculatorQLD ↗Capital Gains Tax↗Depreciation Calculator↗Investment Property Tax↗
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

There is enough direct local evidence on Forest Lake for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
Prices come from release-based suburb series.

Direct state price coverage is used where present; missing house or unit anchors fall back to annual ABS SA2 matches

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
QGSO Housing Profiles / ABS Data by Region · 2024 · Direct state price coverage is used where present; missing house or unit anchors fall back to annual ABS SA2 matches
medium stability · automated · every update · quarterly
Verify
Market rent
Queensland RTA · Q1 2026 · State market dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · quarterly
Available
Crime
State crime dataset · Year ending May 2026 · Area-level release dataset
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 4 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 43 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.
Greater Brisbane

Forest Lake sits in Brisbane — explore the metro.

Forest Lake FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Forest Lake in?

    Forest Lake is in the Brisbane Local Government Area, QLD, postcode 4078. Council-level context for Brisbane LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Forest Lake?

    The current median house price in Forest Lake, QLD is $770K, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in Forest Lake?

    The median weekly rent in Forest Lake is $625/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is income-stretched rent market.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Forest Lake?

    Income-stretched rent market: Weekly rent screens at about 54% of annual income. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is Forest Lake a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for Forest Lake show: Moderate Yield, Below Median, Moderate. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Forest Lake?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the Forest Lake data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.