Wavell Heights

An assessment of population growth drivers in Wavell Heights reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Wavell Heights' population was approximately 10,344 as of the 2021 Census. By Nov 2025, it is estimated to be around 11,150, reflecting a growth of 806 people (7.8%) since the 2021 Census. This increase is inferred from ABS' June 2024 estimate of 11,115 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density as of Nov 2025 is approximately 3,114 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessment. Wavell Heights' growth rate of 7.8% since the 2021 census exceeded its SA3 area's growth rate of 7.3%. Natural growth contributed approximately 58.2% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including overseas migration and interstate migration being positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area as released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023 based on 2021 data are used. These state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort. Future population trends suggest a median increase nationally, with Wavell Heights expected to expand by approximately 700 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an overall increase of around 6.0% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Wavell Heights among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Wavell Heights averaged approximately 54 new dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 270 homes were approved, with an additional 19 approved so far in FY26. Each new dwelling built over these five years resulted in an average of 2.7 new residents.

The average construction cost value for new homes was $614,000, indicating a focus on the premium market. In FY26, commercial development approvals totaled $794,000. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Wavell Heights had 19.0% more new home approvals per person over the five-year period.

The area's new developments consisted of 98.0% standalone homes and 2.0% attached dwellings, maintaining its traditional suburban character. With around 208 people per dwelling approval, Wavell Heights shows characteristics of a growth area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is projected to gain approximately 665 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Wavell Heights has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 28 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones are Cross River Rail, The Prince Charles Hospital Expansion, Brisbane Housing Company - Chermside Development, and Chermside Westfield Expansion & Redevelopment (Stage 2). Below is a list of those most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Wavell Heights rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Wavell Heights has an educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 2.2% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 11.1%.

As of September 2025, 7,043 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 1.8% below Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation is high at 73.4%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 64.5%. Leading industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Professional & technical employment is notably concentrated, at 1.3 times the regional average.

Manufacturing employs only 4.1% of local workers, below Greater Brisbane's 6.4%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by Census data on working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 11.1%, and labour force grew by 11.0%, reducing unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 3.8% and unemployment fell by 0.5 percentage points. Statewide, Queensland's employment contracted by 0.01% between November 2024 and November 2025, losing 1,210 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, closely matching the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wavell Heights' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for local population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Wavell Heights SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $64,209 and an average income of $80,900. These figures are among the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Brisbane's median of $55,645 and average of $70,520. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $73,192 (median) and $92,218 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in Wavell Heights rank highly nationally, between the 88th and 93rd percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 27.5% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly (3,066 residents), reflecting regional patterns where 33.3% fall into this range. Higher earners make up a substantial presence with 43.9% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. Housing accounts for 13.7% of income, and residents rank in the 93rd percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Wavell Heights is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Wavell Heights' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.1% houses and 7.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Brisbane metro's 67.2% houses and 32.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wavell Heights stood at 29.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.6% and rented ones at 27.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,450, exceeding Brisbane metro's average of $2,100. Median weekly rent in Wavell Heights was $430, higher than Brisbane metro's $390. Nationally, Wavell Heights' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents substantially exceeded the national figure of $375.

Wavell Heights has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 76.1% of all households, including 41.3% couples with children, 23.9% couples without children, and 9.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 23.9%, with lone person households at 20.2% and group households comprising 3.6%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Wavell Heights exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Wavell Heights is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Specifically, 40.2% of residents aged 15 years and above hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland (QLD) and 30.4% nationally in Australia. This educational advantage is largely due to Bachelor degrees, which are held by 27.5% of the residents. Postgraduate qualifications follow at 8.3%, with graduate diplomas at 4.4%.

Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 29.1% of residents aged 15 years and above holding such qualifications. This includes advanced diplomas (11.6%) and certificates (17.5%). Educational participation is high, with 30.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.3%), secondary education (8.5%), and tertiary education (6.2%).

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

The analysis shows that there are currently 74 active public transport stops operating within Wavell Heights. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 11 individual routes providing service. Collectively, these routes facilitate 1,026 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility to public transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located approximately 149 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are 146 trips per day across all routes, which equates to around 13 weekly trips per individual stop.

Wavell Heights's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Wavell Heights. Younger cohorts saw very low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (6,667 people), compared to 56.0% across Greater Brisbane. Mental health issues and asthma were the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 7.6 and 7.2% of residents respectively. 74.0% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.1% across Greater Brisbane. The area has 12.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,373 people), which is lower than the 16.6% in Greater Brisbane.

In terms of cultural diversity, Wavell Heights records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Wavell Heights' cultural diversity aligns with the broader area's average, as indicated by its demographic data from June 2016: 80.5% of residents were Australian-born, 91.0% held citizenship, and 88.6% spoke English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Wavell Heights, with 54.6% adherents. Notably, Judaism's representation stood at 0.2%, higher than Greater Brisbane's 0.1%.

Regarding ancestry, the most prevalent groups were English (26.9%), Australian (25.1%), and Irish (10.7%). Some ethnicities showed notable variations: German was slightly overrepresented at 4.4% compared to the regional average of 4.1%, Samoan at 0.3% versus 0.4%, and Scottish at 8.6% against the regional figure of 8.0%.

Wavell Heights's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Wavell Heights has a median age of 37 years, nearly matching Greater Brisbane's average of 36 and close to Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Wavell Heights has a higher proportion of residents aged 45-54 (14.8%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (11.4%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.6% to 13.1%, while the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 13.2% to 11.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Wavell Heights' age profile will change significantly. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 70%, adding 284 residents to reach 688. Residents aged 65 and above are expected to drive 56% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Conversely, the 5-14 and 0-4 age groups are projected to experience population declines.