Wavell Heights
Statistical Area - sa2

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, as of November 2025, is approximately 11,150. This figure represents an increase of 806 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 10,344. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 11,115 in June 2024 and an additional 17 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a population density of 3,114 persons per square kilometer, placing Wavell Heights in the upper quartile nationally. Its growth rate of 7.8% since 2021 exceeds the SA3 area's 7.3%, indicating it is a growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 58.2% to recent population gains, with all migration factors positive.

AreaSearch uses 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 from 2023 (based on 2021 data) are adopted, applying proportional growth weightings for age cohorts based on ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 using 2022 data. Future trends suggest a population increase just below the national median by 2041, with an expected expansion of 700 persons, reflecting a total increase of 6.0% over 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Wavell Heights among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Wavell Heights averaged approximately 54 dwelling approvals per year. Between FY21-FY25270 homes were approved, with an additional 14 approved in FY26 to date. Each new dwelling has attracted an average of 2.7 new residents annually over the past five financial years.

The average construction cost value of new dwellings is $614,000, indicating a focus on premium developments. In FY26, commercial development approvals totalled $794,000. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Wavell Heights has shown moderately higher new home approvals, with 19.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period.

New development consists predominantly of standalone homes (98.0%) and attached dwellings (2.0%), maintaining the area's suburban character. With around 208 people per dwelling approval, Wavell Heights exhibits a developing market. Population forecasts suggest an increase of 665 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 28 projects that could affect the region. Notable initiatives include Cross River Rail, The Prince Charles Hospital Expansion, Brisbane Housing Company - Chermside Development, and Chermside Westfield Expansion & Redevelopment (Stage 2). The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

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 is 2.1%, lower than Greater Brisbane's 4.1%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 10.8%. As of June 2025, 6,802 residents are employed, with a participation rate of 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 at 1.3 times the regional average, while manufacturing employs only 4.1% locally, below Greater Brisbane's 6.4%.

Employment opportunities appear limited locally as Census data shows fewer working residents than residents overall. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 10.8%, labour force grew by 10.6%, reducing unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Brisbane saw employment growth of 4.4% and a 0.4 percentage point unemployment decrease. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wavell Heights' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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 released for financial year 2022 shows Wavell Heights had a median income among taxpayers of $64,209 and an average level of $80,900. These figures are among the highest in Australia, compared to levels of $55,645 and $70,520 across Greater Brisbane respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $73,192 (median) and $92,218 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Wavell Heights, between the 89th and 93rd percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the largest segment comprises 27.5% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (3,066 residents), reflecting patterns seen at regional levels where 33.3% similarly occupy this range. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 43.9% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. Housing accounts for 13.7% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 94th percentile for disposable income and 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

In Wavell Heights, as per the latest Census data, 92.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 7.9% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Brisbane metro's figures of 67.2% houses and 32.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wavell Heights stood at 29.4%, while mortgaged dwellings accounted for 43.6% and rented ones made up 27.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,450, exceeding the Brisbane metro average of $2,100. The median weekly rent in Wavell Heights was $430, compared to Brisbane metro's $390. Nationally, Wavell Heights' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above 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% that are couples with children, 23.9% that are couples without children, and 9.6% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up 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, 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 regional averages. 40.2% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in Queensland and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 27.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 29.1% of residents holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 11.6% and certificates at 17.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in primary education, 8.5% in secondary education, and 6.2% pursuing tertiary education. Wavell Heights has three schools with a combined enrollment of 2,596 students as of the latest data. The area's ICSEA score is 1040, indicating typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities. School capacity exceeds residential needs, with 23.3 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.0, suggesting Wavell Heights serves as an educational hub for the broader region.

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

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

The accessibility of public transportation in Wavell Heights is rated as excellent, with residents on average located just 149 meters from the nearest transport stop. On a daily basis, there are an average of 146 trips made across all routes, which equates to approximately 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, with younger cohorts seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (6,667 people), compared to 56.0% across Greater Brisbane.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 7.6 and 7.2% of residents respectively, while 74.0% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.1% across Greater Brisbane. As of 31 December 2021, 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 region's averages. As of 2016, 80.5% of its residents were born in Australia, 91.0% were citizens, and 88.6% spoke English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, practiced by 54.6%.

Notably, Judaism was slightly overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 0.1%. Regarding ancestry, the top three groups were English (26.9%), Australian (25.1%), and Irish (10.7%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: German (4.4% vs regional 4.1%), Scottish (8.6% vs 8.0%), and Samoan (0.3% vs 0.4%) were relatively more represented in Wavell Heights.

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 grown from 11.6% to 13.1%, while the 25-34 cohort has declined from 13.2% to 11.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Wavell Heights' age profile will change significantly. The 75-84 cohort 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. Meanwhile, the 5-14 and 0-4 age groups are projected to experience population declines.