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

As of Feb 2026, Wavell Heights' population is approximately 11,152, showing an increase of 808 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 7.8% rise from the previous population count of 10,344. The change was inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 11,115 in June 2024 and an additional 17 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 3,115 persons per square kilometer, placing Wavell Heights in the upper quartile relative to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 7.8% growth since census is within 0.3 percentage points of its SA3 area (8.1%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. 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, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. 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. However, these state projections lack age category splits; hence proportional growth weightings aligned with ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort are applied where utilized. Future population trends suggest a slight increase below the median of national areas by Feb 2041, with an expected expansion of 700 persons reflecting a total increase of 6.0% over the 17-year period based on the latest annual ERP population numbers.

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 annually. Between FY21 and FY25270 homes were approved, with an additional 21 approved in FY26 as of the present time. Each dwelling built over these five financial years resulted in an average increase of 2.7 residents.

The average construction cost value for new homes was $614,000, indicating a focus on premium developments. This year has seen $794,000 in commercial development approvals, suggesting a primary emphasis on residential development. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Wavell Heights exhibited 19.0% higher new home approvals per person over the past five years.

The area maintains its traditional suburban character with 98.0% standalone homes and 2.0% attached dwellings. With around 208 people per dwelling approval, Wavell Heights demonstrates characteristics of a growth area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is projected to gain 663 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 strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 27 projects that could affect the region. Notable ones are The Prince Charles Hospital Expansion, Brisbane Housing Company - Chermside Development, Chermside Westfield Expansion & Redevelopment (Stage 2), and Sandgate Road Intersection Upgrade. The following list details those most likely to be 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 a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.2%, lower than Greater Brisbane's 4.0%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 11.1%.

As of September 2025, 7,043 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.8% below Greater Brisbane's rate. Workforce participation is high at 82.5%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 70.7%. Census responses indicate that 25.6% of residents work from home. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

The area has a notable concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. Manufacturing employs just 4.1% of local workers, below Greater Brisbane's 6.4%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 11.1%, while labour force increased 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. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Wavell Heights' local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the area's employment mix.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Wavell Heights SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $68,316 and an average income of $85,085. These figures are among the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Brisbane's median of $58,236 and average of $72,799. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $75,086 (median) and $93,517 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Wavell Heights rank highly nationally, between the 88th and 93rd percentiles. The largest income segment comprises 27.5% earning $1,500 - $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. Housing accounts for 13.7% of income, while strong earnings place residents 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 structures, 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 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wavell Heights was at 29.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.6% and rented ones at 27.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,450, higher than Brisbane metro's average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure for Wavell Heights was $430, compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, Wavell Heights' mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,450 versus 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% 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 2.6.

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. Among residents aged 15+, 40.2% possess 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 aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.6%) and certificates (17.5%).

Educational participation is high in the area, 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.

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

Wavell Heights has 73 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 11 different routes that together facilitate 1,031 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's location to the nearest transport stop is 149 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. Most residents commute outside Wavell Heights, with cars being the primary mode of transportation at 81%. Ten percent of residents use trains for their commutes. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling in the area.

According to the 2021 Census, 25.6% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes is 147 trips per day, equating to approximately 14 weekly trips per individual stop.

Wavell Heights's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data for Wavell Heights shows exceptional results based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are low, particularly among younger cohorts. Private health cover is high at approximately 62% of the total population (6,869 people), compared to 55.8% across Greater Brisbane and 55.7% nationally.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, affecting 7.6% and 7.2% of residents respectively. 74.0% of residents report no medical ailments, higher than the 69.2% in Greater Brisbane. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 12.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,416 people), lower than Greater Brisbane's 15.2%. Nationally, this percentage ranks lower than the broader population.

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' population was found to align with the broader area's average in terms of cultural diversity, with 80.5% born in Australia, 91.0% being citizens, and 88.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Wavell Heights, comprising 54.6% of its population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented, making up 0.2% compared to 0.1% across Greater Brisbane.

The top three ancestry groups were English (26.9%), Australian (25.1%), and Irish (10.7%). There were also notable differences in the representation of German (4.4% vs regional 4.2%), Samoan (0.3% vs 0.9%), and Scottish (8.6% vs 7.4%) ethnic groups.

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 percentage of residents aged 45-54 (14.4%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (10.9%). Between the 2021 Census and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.6% to 13.2%, while the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 13.2% to 10.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Wavell Heights' age profile. The 75-84 cohort is expected to grow by 61%, adding 260 residents to reach 688. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 55% of population growth. Conversely, the 5-14 and 25-34 age groups are projected to experience population declines.