QLD · Brisbane Council

Wacol, 4076

Est. population · Jun 2025

5,182

Growth (1 yr)

+1.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+16.3%

Median age

35

Median income

$1,379/wk

Employment rate

7.8%

University qualified

8.8%

Work from home

10.7%

Languages at home

21.9%non-English

Most common: Vietnamese, Samoan, Italian

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

28.7/100
Below average

1411th in QLD

Verified 91% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Excellent transport
  • Golf
What Wacol is known for: Excellent transport, Golf

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Wacol, QLD suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Wacol, QLD Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/qld/wacol

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Suburb profile

Wacol is a middle-ring metropolitan suburb of Brisbane, in Brisbane Council. It is mainly residential, with little in the way of a distinct commercial centre or landmark identity.

Population growth is an exceptional strength, placing it among the highest-ranked middle-ring metropolitan suburbs, and green cover is stronger than in comparable places, with green cover 64% above the peer median, and heritage listings are a relative strength, with heritage listings 100% above the peer median. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. The clearer weaknesses are higher crime and lower school ICSEA scores.

Wacol's appeal is better explained by housing, access and location than by a strong standalone precinct or destination.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Middle-ring metropolitan suburb · compared with middle-ring metropolitan suburbs in Queensland (110)

Strengths

  • Population growth is a relative strength
  • Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
  • Heritage listings are a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Reported crime in the wider postcode 4076 is elevated relative to comparable places
  • School ICSEA scores are a relative weakness

What stands out

  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Wacol compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$320/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

5,182

+1.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

5.5%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#94

among Metro Brisbane · Growth area

Crime rate

92nd

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

44th

percentile in QLD

Rented dwellings

47%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

1/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

4th

percentile among schools with ICSEA

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
28.7/100 — Below average
National rank
6535th in Australia
State rank
1411th in QLD
Peer rank
#94 among Metro Brisbane · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#408 among Metro Brisbane suburbs
Data confidence
91%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

5,182(June 2025)

+1.0% annual · +16.3% over 5 years · 44th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.0%
5-year growth
+16.3%
Change in 1 year
+52
Change in 5 years
+728
Growth rank in QLD
44th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~5,750), extrapolated at +2.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
4,253
Median age
35
Median household income / week
$1,379
Dwelling vacancy
5.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
17 of 307
Median monthly mortgage
$1,387
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$320
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
29.3% / 23.6% / 47.1%
Employment rate
7.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
10.7% / 6.4% / 63.2%
Walked or cycled to work
3.7%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
238 / 49 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

8.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Queensland. 8.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified8.8% · 21.9% QLD
  • Diploma qualified1% · 9.4% QLD
  • Trade / vocational8.4% · 18.9% QLD
  • Year 12 or below81.7% · 49.8% QLD

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Engineering and related technologies22.1%
  • Management and commerce18.3%
  • Society and culture14.1%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services10.6%
  • Health8.7%
  • Architecture and building7.4%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$55,882

52nd percentile in QLD · -5% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$61,527

53rd percentile in QLD · -5% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
10.0%

39th percentile in QLD · -27% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$38,966

10th percentile in QLD · -38% vs Australia

Residents with business income
11.0%

60th percentile in QLD · +6% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 4076 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
3,154
Taxpayers reporting net rent
328
Median net rent
$397
Taxpayers reporting business income
355
Taxable income vs state median
+1%
Salary / wages vs state median
+1%
Rental investment vs state median
-9%
Super vs state median
-44%
Business income vs state median
+10%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in QLD, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

21.9% speak a language other than English at home; 17.9% born overseas

Language at home
644 English only · 181 other
Non-English at home
21.9%
Born overseas
747 (17.9%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
797 (18.7%)
Australian citizens
753
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
7

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Vietnamese16 · 34%
  • Samoan10 · 21.3%
  • Italian5 · 10.6%
  • Mandarin5 · 10.6%
  • Polish4 · 8.5%
  • Tagalog4 · 8.5%
  • Spanish3 · 6.4%

Religion

8.9%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 8.9%, while Christianity accounts for 8.7%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion8.9%40.7%
Christianity8.7%45.7%
Other / not stated82.5%13.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic3.7%18.6%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 4076, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences are running higher than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Sep 2026)
629
Against the person
154
Against property
271
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
162.3
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 28 residents
State crime-rate percentile
92.1th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+0.8%

Most common offence types

  • Assault127
  • Drug Offences97
  • Other Property Damage31
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)184
  • Traffic And Related Offences86

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Sep 2026; Jan 2026 to Sep 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
832
Median ICSEA percentile
4th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
8
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
6
School list
  • Brisbane Youth Education and Training CentreSpecial · Government · ICSEA 832 · 4th percentile · LBOTE 19% · 195 students · Top SEA quarter 4% · 0.9 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Bellbird Park State Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Camira SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Carole Park SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Centenary SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Darra SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Forest Lake SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Glenala SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Goodna SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Jamboree Heights SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Kenmore SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

21 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Boundary Rd at Campbell Avenue
  • Boundary Rd at Campbell Avenue
  • Boundary Rd at Formation Street
  • Boundary Rd near Coulson St
  • Waterford Rd at Carole Park Primary School

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

79 mapped amenities

1 playgrounds · 13 swimming pools · 1 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily needs
  • Great for outdoor family life — 8 parks mapped in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
  • Well connected by public transport — 21 public transport stops
  • Strong local sport and recreation — 16 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
30/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.88
Shopping(2)
  • FoodaryConvenience store

    3505 Ipswich Road, Wacol

  • opshopOp shop
Everyday services(1)
  • AmpolPetrol station

    3505 Ipswich Road, Wacol

Sport & outdoors(24)
  • Carole Park - Wacol BikewayCycling route
  • Centenary CyclewayCycling route
  • Ipswich Motorway BikewayCycling route
  • Drinking water
  • Gailes Golf ClubGolf course

    299 Wilruna Street

  • Pooh Corner Nature RefugeNature reserve
  • Wacol Bushlands Nature RefugeNature reserve
  • M. Z. Holland Memorial ParkPark
  • Newton Place ParkPark
  • Playground
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool (13)
Transport(8)

7 bus stops · 1 train stations

Other(21)
  • RSPCA Adoption CenterAnimal Shelter
  • RSPCA Brisbane Animal Care CampusAnimal Shelter

    139 Wacol Station Road

  • Bicycle Parking
  • Car (2)
  • Parking (9)
  • Visitor's ParkingParking
  • Wacol park 'n' rideParking
  • Parking Space (14)
  • Pet SuperstorePet
  • Silky Oak House, Counter Terrorism and Community Safety CentrePolice

    Wacol

  • Arthur Gorrie Correctional CentrePrison
  • Brisbane Correctional CentrePrison
  • Brisbane Women’s Correctional CentrePrison
  • Brisbane Youth Detention CentrePrison
  • Forensic Disability ServicePrison
  • Taxi (2)
  • TelstraTelephone
  • Track
  • Volvo Commercial Vehicles Used Truck SalesTruck

    40 Bivouac Place, Wacol

  • Volvo Trucks & BusesTruck

    41 Bivouac Place, Wacol

  • AllclassYes

    16 Parade Ground Place, Wacol

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Sporting clubs

5 named sporting clubs in this suburb

  • Gailes Golf Club

    Golf

  • Gailes Golf Club House

    Golf

  • West Centenary Junior Rugby League Football Club
  • Wolston Park Centenary Cricket Club Pavilion

    Cricket

  • Wolston Park Golf Club

    Golf

Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap sporting clubs — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Geofabrik australia-latest.osm.pbf

Parks & reserves

7 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • M. Z. Holland Memorial ParkPark
  • Newton Place ParkPark
  • PJ McIllwain PlacePark
  • Pooh Corner Nature RefugeNature reserve
  • Progress Road ParkPark
  • Wacol Bushlands Nature RefugeNature reserve
  • Wolston HousePark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
16.2%
Woodland / forest cover
14.7%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
25
Parks (OSM)
8
Typical summer maximum
28°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
1
Nearest hospital
The Park Centre for Mental Health (1.9 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
On site
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

  • The Park Centre for Mental HealthEllerton DriveHospital

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
424
Participants per 1,000 residents
81.8

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
28° / 18°
Rainfall
493 mm · ~62 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
25° / 14°
Rainfall
343 mm · ~43 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
20° / 7°
Rainfall
144 mm · ~18 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 12°
Rainfall
249 mm · ~31 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Heritage

2 heritage places

  • Wolston HouseState heritage place
  • Wolston Park Hospital ComplexState heritage place

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping. Flood cover uses floodplain overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Oxley
Member of Parliament
Milton DICK (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
122,449
Turnout (2025)
88.4%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+7.6 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 30.8%Labor 69.2%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 4.0 km away).

Coalition 28.4%Labor 71.6%

2.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +6.6 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Carole ParkLabor 78.2% · Coalition 21.8% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
  • GailesLabor 71.0% · Coalition 29.0% TPP (2025)2.8 km away
  • Middle ParkLabor 70.8% · Coalition 29.2% TPP (2025)3.1 km away
  • GoodnaLabor 74.5% · Coalition 25.5% TPP (2025)3.2 km away
  • Middle Park CentralLabor 67.6% · Coalition 32.4% TPP (2025)3.5 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
1/10
IRSD decile (2021)
1/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Brisbane Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.