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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Wavell Heights's population is around 11,152 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 808 people (7.8%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,344 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,115 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 17 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 3,115 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Wavell Heights's 7.8% growth since the census positions it within 0.3 percentage points of the SA3 area (8.1%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth, which contributed approximately 58.2% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers, including overseas migration and interstate migration, were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, are adopted. It should be noted that these state projections do not provide age category splits; hence, where utilised, AreaSearch is applying proportional growth weightings in line with the ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort. As we examine future population trends, a population increase just below the median of national areas is expected, with the area expected to expand by 700 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 6.0% in total over the 17 years.

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

Wavell Heights has averaged around 54 new dwelling approvals per year, with 270 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 28 so far in FY-26. With an average of 2.7 new residents per year gained for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), indicating healthy demand that should support property values, new homes are being built at an average value of $614,000, showing that developers are focusing on the premium market with high-end developments. Additionally, $794,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, suggesting a predominantly residential focus.

Compared to Greater Brisbane, Wavell Heights shows moderately higher new home approvals (19.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period), balancing buyer choice with support for current property values. New development consists of 98.0% standalone homes and 2.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. With around 208 people per dwelling approval, Wavell Heights shows characteristics of a growth area.

Population forecasts indicate Wavell Heights will gain 663 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Wavell Heights has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 27 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include The Prince Charles Hospital Expansion, Brisbane Housing Company - Chermside Development, Chermside Westfield Expansion & Redevelopment (Stage 2), and Sandgate Road Intersection Upgrade, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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 possesses a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of just 2.2%, and 10.0% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 7,184 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 1.9% below Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%, and workforce participation is well beyond standard (84.2% compared to Greater Brisbane's 71.2%). Based on Census responses, a high 25.6% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in professional & technical, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. In contrast, manufacturing employs just 4.1% of local workers, below Greater Brisbane's 6.4%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 10.0% and the labour force increased by 9.9%, resulting in unemployment falling by 0.1 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 3.2% and labour force growth of 3.0%, with unemployment falling 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Wavell Heights. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Wavell Heights's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Wavell Heights SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $68,316 with the average level standing at $85,085. This is among the highest in Australia and compares to levels of $58,236 and $72,799 across Greater Brisbane respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.91% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $75,086 (median) and $93,517 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Wavell Heights, between the 88th and 93rd percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate 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 93rd 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

Dwelling structure within Wavell Heights, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 92.1% houses and 7.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Brisbane metro's 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Wavell Heights was well beyond that of Brisbane metro, at 29.4%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (43.6%) or rented (27.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Brisbane metro average at $2,450, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $430, compared to Brisbane metro's $1,863 and $380. Nationally, Wavell Heights's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 76.1% of all households, comprising 41.3% couples with children, 23.9% couples without children, and 9.6% 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% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people 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 significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 40.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 25.7% in QLD and 30.4% in Australia. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 27.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 29.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.6%) and certificates (17.5%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.3% of residents aged 15+ 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

Public transport analysis reveals 73 active transport stops operating within Wavell Heights, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 11 individual routes, collectively providing 1,031 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 149 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 81%, with 10% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.5 per dwelling. A high 25.6% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 147 trips per day across all routes, 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 demonstrates outstanding results across Wavell Heights, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Younger cohorts in particular see very low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 62% of the total population (6,869 people). This compares to 55.8% across Greater Brisbane and a national average of 55.7%.

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 as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 69.2% across Greater Brisbane. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 12.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,416 people), which is lower than the 15.2% 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 is roughly in line with the wider region's average in terms of cultural diversity, with 80.5% of its population born in Australia, 91.0% being citizens, and 88.6% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Wavell Heights is Christianity, which makes up 54.6% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.2% of the population, compared to 0.1% across Greater Brisbane.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Wavell Heights are English, comprising 26.9% of the population, Australian, comprising 25.1% of the population, and Irish, comprising 10.7% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: German is notably overrepresented at 4.4% of Wavell Heights (vs 4.2% regionally), Samoan at 0.3% (vs 0.9%) and Scottish at 8.6% (vs 7.4%).

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

At 37 years, Wavell Heights's median age is nearly matching the Greater Brisbane average of 36 while also very close to the Australian median of 38. Relative to Greater Brisbane, Wavell Heights has a higher concentration of 45 - 54 residents (14.4%) but fewer 25 - 34 year-olds (10.9%). Since the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 11.6% to 13.2% of the population. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 13.2% to 10.9%. Demographic modeling suggests Wavell Heights's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 75 to 84 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 61%, adding 260 residents to reach 688. Senior residents (65+) will drive 55% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. On the other hand, the 5 to 14 and 25 to 34 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.