Forest Lake - Ellen Grove
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Forest Lake - Ellen Grove reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove's population is around 24,033 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,555 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 22,478 people. The change was inferred from ABS estimated resident population figures and validated new addresses. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,182 persons per square kilometer. Forest Lake - Ellen Grove's growth since census, at 6.9%, is within 1.7 percentage points of the national average (8.6%). Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 63.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024, with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data were adopted. Considering projected demographic shifts, the area is expected to grow by 2,224 persons to 2041, with an increase of 9.2% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Forest Lake - Ellen Grove recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove averaged approximately 39 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 197 homes. As of FY26, 2 approvals have been recorded. On average, for each home built between FY21 and FY25, 6.6 new residents were added annually, indicating demand outpacing supply. New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost value of $529,000.

This financial year has seen $2.2 million in commercial approvals, suggesting a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Forest Lake - Ellen Grove records significantly lower building activity, 55.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. Nationally, this area also reflects below-average building activity, potentially due to its maturity and possible planning constraints. New building activity comprises 54.0% detached dwellings and 46.0% attached dwellings, indicating a growing mix of townhouses and apartments, providing options across different price points. This shift from the existing housing stock (currently 87.0% houses) suggests decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and demand for diverse, affordable housing options.

The location has approximately 3022 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. Looking ahead, Forest Lake - Ellen Grove is expected to grow by 2,211 residents through to 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects likely to affect the region. Notable ones include: 40-60 Woodvale Crescent State Facilitated Development, Forest Lake Shopping Centre ALDI Extension, Logan West Motorway Upgrade, and 31 Woodvale Crescent Residential Development Site. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

The employment environment in Forest Lake - Ellen Grove shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 2.9% as of June 2025. This is 1.2% lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%.

Workforce participation in the area is 66.9%, slightly higher than Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training. The area has a specialization in manufacturing, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level. However, construction employment is under-represented at 5.9%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 9.0%.

Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 0.4% while labour force grew by 0.2%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment grow by 4.4% and unemployment fall by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows Queensland's employment contracted by 0.23% with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Forest Lake - Ellen Grove's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove has a median taxpayer income of $52,837 and an average income of $59,658 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is lower than national averages, with Greater Brisbane's median income being $55,645 and average income being $70,520. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.71% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $59,024 (median) and $66,644 (average). Census 2021 income data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Forest Lake - Ellen Grove are around the 54th percentile nationally. The earnings profile indicates that 39.2% of the population (9,420 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, which is similar to regional levels where 33.3% occupy this bracket. High housing costs consume 15.5% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 60th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Forest Lake - Ellen Grove, as per the latest Census, consisted of 86.7% houses and 13.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Brisbane metro's 80.2% houses and 19.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Forest Lake - Ellen Grove was at 23.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.1% and rented ones at 32.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,700, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,630. The median weekly rent figure in the area was $380, compared to Brisbane metro's $355. Nationally, Forest Lake - Ellen Grove's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 78.4% of all households, including 38.3% couples with children, 24.4% couples without children, and 14.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 21.6%, with lone person households at 18.7% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which aligns with the Greater Brisbane average.

The educational profile of Forest Lake - Ellen Grove exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate of 27.6% for residents aged 15+ exceeds both the SA4 region average of 18.8% and the SA3 area average of 24.6%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 18.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 33.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (11.5%) and certificates (21.7%).

Educational participation is high, with 30.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 9.2% in secondary education, and 5.9% pursuing tertiary education. There are six schools operating within Forest Lake, educating approximately 4,590 students. The area has balanced educational opportunities, typical of Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1032). Educational provision is split between three primary and three secondary institutions. School capacity exceeds residential needs at 19.1 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 13.3, indicating that Forest Lake serves as an educational center for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove has 39 active public transport stops. These are all bus stops serviced by 7 different routes. Together, these routes provide a total of 2,005 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport in the area is rated as good, with residents typically living just 291 meters away from their nearest stop. On average, there are 286 bus trips per day across all routes, which works out to about 51 weekly trips per individual stop.

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove residents have a relatively low prevalence of common health conditions compared to the general population, but higher than the national average among older, at-risk cohorts. Approximately 50% (~11,896 people) of the total population has private health cover, which is lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are mental health issues (affecting 8.4% of residents) and asthma (7.4%), while 70.6% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments compared to 72.1% across Greater Brisbane. The area has 3,508 people aged 65 and over, comprising 14.6% of the total population. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those in the broader population.

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Forest Lake-Ellen Grove has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census 2021). Born overseas makes up 40.6% of the population in Forest Lake-Ellen Grove. Christianity is the main religion in this area, comprising 46.4%.

Buddhism stands out with 6.0%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 8.7%. The top three ancestry groups are English (22.5%), Australian (19.2%), and Other (13.3%). Notably, Samoan is overrepresented at 2.7% vs the regional figure of 2.7%. Vietnamese and Maori also show significant differences: Vietnamese at 5.7% vs 11.3%, and Maori at 1.6% vs 1.2%.

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Forest Lake - Ellen Grove has a median age of 36 years, equal to Greater Brisbane's but younger than the national average of 38 years. The 55-64 age group is strongly represented at 12.0%, compared to Greater Brisbane, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 12.7%. Between 2021 and present, the 75-84 age group has grown from 4.0% to 4.9% of the population. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 14.5% to 13.2%, and the 5-14 group has dropped from 13.9% to 12.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Forest Lake - Ellen Grove. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to rise substantially, increasing by 788 people (67%) from 1,170 to 1,959. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 69% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both 5-14 and 0-4 age groups are projected to decrease in number.