Forest Lake, QLD: suburb profile

The population of Forest Lake QLD is 22,676 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Forest Lake is $801 per week ($41,652 per year). Median rent in Forest Lake is $390 per week ($1,690 per month). Forest Lake has a median age of 37 years, younger than the national median of 38. Forest Lake has a population density of 2,309 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Forest Lake is New Zealand. The most common religion is No religion (35.6% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Vietnamese. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Forest Lake is $1,690.

Population
22,676
Census 2021
Median income
$801/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$390/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
37years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021.

Forest Lake vs the typical QLD suburb

The median personal income in Forest Lake is $801 a week, 7% above the typical QLD suburb ($747). That ranks 590th of 1,527 QLD suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $390 a week, $70 more than the typical QLD suburb. Rent takes 20.3% of the median household income here, against 20.4% in the typical QLD suburb. The median resident is 37, 5 years younger than in the typical QLD suburb (42).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureForest LakeTypical QLDDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$801/wk$747/wk +7%$766/wk
Household income$1,921/wk$1,593/wk +21%$1,637/wk
Rent$390/wk$320/wk +22%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,690/mo$1,625/mo +4%$1,733/mo
Median age3742 −5 yrs42
Rent share of household income20.3%20.4% −0.1 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Forest Lake, the typical QLD suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Forest Lake Population

22,676 residents at the 2021 Census.

Forest Lake Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$801/wk
$41,652 per year
Ranked 3,609 of 14,663
Median Rent
$390/wk
$1,690 per month
Ranked 2,258 of 14,663
Median Age
37years
1 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$1,690/mo
Avg household size: 2.8 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Forest Lake Rent Prices & Affordability

20% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $1,921/wk
Median rent $390/wk
Rent to income 20.3%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Forest Lake against your income

About $8,324 a month
Median rent $390/wk
Left after rent $1,531/wk
Rent share 20.3%

Forest Lake Schools

13
schools nearby
7
government
962
avg ICSEA score
8,543
total students
St John's Anglican College Independent
Secondary · Prep-12 · 1,329 students
1118
ICSEA
Grand Avenue State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 917 students
1033
ICSEA
Forest Lake State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 738 students
1015
ICSEA
St Mark's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 448 students
982
ICSEA
Australian International Islamic College Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,573 students
971
ICSEA
Forest Lake State High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,673 students
969
ICSEA
Durack State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 642 students
934
ICSEA
Serviceton South State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 454 students
919
ICSEA
Richlands East State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 508 students
910
ICSEA
Carole Park State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 167 students
905
ICSEA
Inala Flexible School Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 94 students
823
ICSEA
Arethusa College - Forest Lake Campus Independent
Secondary
St John's Anglican College - Alpine Place Campus Independent
Primary

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Forest Lake, with a map

Forest Lake Map

Forest Lake, Queensland Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Forest Lake, Queensland: 27.6209°S, 152.9635°E

Forest Lake Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (13)

People in Forest Lake

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.2% (10,934) Female 51.8% (11,747)

Population Density

2,309
people per km²
22,676 people · 9.8 km²

Households

2.8
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,140
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

New Zealand
6.2%
Vietnam
5.3%
England
3.7%
India
3.6%
China
1.7%
Sri Lanka
1.6%
Philippines
1.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Vietnamese
8.2%
Mandarin
2.4%
Samoan
2.2%
Sinhalese
1.5%
Hindi
1.4%
Punjabi
1.4%
Spanish
1.0%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
30.5%
Australian
25.8%
Scottish
8.3%
Vietnamese
8.0%
Irish
7.7%
Chinese
4.9%
Indian
4.6%
German
4.5%
Samoan
3.4%
Filipino
2.1%
Maori
2.0%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
35.6%
Catholic
17.7%
Anglican
9.0%
Buddhism
5.8%
Not stated
4.7%
Hinduism
4.1%
Christian (other)
3.9%
Uniting Church
3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.9%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
49.5% 8,963
Separated
3.0% 546
Divorced
9.2% 1,666
Widowed
4.3% 780
Never married
33.9% 6,138

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
43.7%
Couple: no children
21.0%
Couple: no children under 15
19.5%
One parent: children under 15
9.0%
One parent: no children under 15
6.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
19.2%
2 persons
30.2%
3 persons
18.4%
4 persons
19.6%
5 persons
7.9%
6+ persons
4.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Forest Lake

Housing Tenure

Of the 7,731 occupied private dwellings in Forest Lake at the 2021 Census, 26.0% were rented, 24.8% owned outright and 46.9% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.1% 85 dwellings
Owned outright
24.8% 1,914 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
46.9% 3,625 dwellings
Rented
26.0% 2,008 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.2% 94 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
96.5%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
2.2%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
0.8%
2 bedrooms
3.5%
3 bedrooms
43.3%
4 bedrooms
44.0%
5 bedrooms
7.3%
6+ bedrooms
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
5.6%
$300-$449/mo
2.0%
$450-$599/mo
1.5%
$600-$799/mo
2.7%
$800-$999/mo
3.8%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
18.1%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
25.7%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
25.2%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
9.2%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
6.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
3.3%
1 vehicle
33.8%
2 vehicles
42.3%
3 vehicles
13.8%
4+ vehicles
6.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Forest Lake

Employment

Employed full-time
41.8% 6,934 people
Employed part-time
20.9% 3,474 people
Unemployed
4.0% 661 people
Not in labour force
33.3% 5,518 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
30.9%
Clerical & Administrative
14.1%
Community & Personal Service
13.8%
Technicians & Trade Workers
12.5%
Managers
12.3%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
5.7%
Sales Workers
5.5%
Labourers
5.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.2%
$1-$149/wk
0.5%
$150-$299/wk
0.8%
$300-$399/wk
1.5%
$400-$499/wk
5.0%
$500-$649/wk
3.2%
$650-$799/wk
5.2%
$800-$999/wk
5.6%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.8%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.1%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
7.0%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
14.4%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
10.0%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
8.2%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.8%
$4,000+/wk
10.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
13.3%
$1-$149/wk
4.4%
$150-$299/wk
6.2%
$300-$399/wk
3.6%
$400-$499/wk
3.2%
$500-$649/wk
2.7%
$650-$799/wk
8.5%
$800-$999/wk
11.0%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
12.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.8%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.2%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.9%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
8.6%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.5%
$3,500+/wk
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
73.6%
Did not go to work
12.2%
Car (passenger)
6.0%
Train
2.5%
Bus
2.1%
Walked only
1.1%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.6%
Truck
0.6%
Other
0.6%
Bicycle
0.4%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
73.3%
Year 10 or equivalent
17.1%
Year 11 or equivalent
6.8%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.9%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
31.1%
Certificate III/IV
30.7%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
19.5%
Postgraduate Degree
11.3%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
4.7%
Certificate I/II
2.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
24.4%
Engineering
17.1%
Society & Culture
14.1%
Health
12.3%
Education
9.1%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
5.4%
Information Technology
5.1%
Architecture & Building
4.1%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.1%
Creative Arts
3.2%
Agriculture & Environment
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
32.4%
Secondary: Government
26.3%
Vocational Education
9.9%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
8.5%
Pre-school
7.8%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
5.7%
Secondary: Catholic
5.1%
Primary: Catholic
4.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
90.9%
Has need for assistance
5.8%
Need for assistance not stated
3.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
2,144
Asthma
766
Diabetes
669
Arthritis
604
Heart disease
515
Lung condition
333
Cancer
256
Kidney disease
209
Stroke
201
Dementia
77

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
12.4% 2,155
Did not provide
87.6% 15,280

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
13.2% 2,310
Not a volunteer
86.8% 15,161

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.5% 92
Current ADF: Reserves
0.3% 46
Previously served
3.0% 534
Never served
96.2% 16,875

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
32.5%
1 child
15.3%
2 children
30.9%
3 children
13.8%
4 children
5.8%
5+ children
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
45
1951: 1960
158
1961: 1970
349
1971: 1980
619
1981: 1990
1,193
1991: 2000
1,410
2001: 2010
2,670
2011: 2015
1,178
2016
175
2017
192
2018
179
2019
264
2020
113
2021
40

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

13.1%
moved in the last year
40.9%
moved in the last 5 years
5.5%
unemployment rate (Census)
66.5%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
18,933
Moved from QLD
1,907
Moved: same area (SA2)
522
Moved from overseas
149
Moved from NSW
92
Moved from VIC
66
Moved from TAS
17
Moved from SA
12
Moved from WA
11
Moved from NT
11
Moved from ACT
9

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
21.7%
5: 14 hours
29.7%
15: 29 hours
12.0%
30+ hours
8.3%
Did not do domestic work
28.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
85.9%
Step family: no other children
8.7%
Blended family: no other children
3.5%
Intact family: other children present
1.4%
Other couple: children only
0.4%
Step family: other children present
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Allenstown
Income: $701/wk Rent: $250/wk $140/wk less rent
Hyde Park (Qld)
Income: $848/wk Rent: $253/wk $137/wk less rent
Kin Kora
Income: $855/wk Rent: $280/wk $110/wk less rent
North Toowoomba
Income: $718/wk Rent: $285/wk $105/wk less rent
Frenchville
Income: $880/wk Rent: $300/wk $90/wk less rent
East Toowoomba
Income: $838/wk Rent: $300/wk $90/wk less rent
Norman Gardens
Income: $836/wk Rent: $300/wk $90/wk less rent
Woodend (Qld)
Income: $744/wk Rent: $300/wk $90/wk less rent

Suburbs near Forest Lake

The closest suburb to Forest Lake is Doolandella, 2.3 km away.

Doolandella
2.3 km away · income $811/wk · rent $360/wk
Ellen Grove
2.4 km away · income $621/wk · rent $350/wk
Heathwood
3.0 km away · income $1,005/wk · rent $455/wk
Inala
3.5 km away · income $454/wk · rent $250/wk
Richlands (Qld)
3.7 km away · income $832/wk · rent $370/wk
Durack (Qld)
4.0 km away · income $597/wk · rent $350/wk

Compare Forest Lake

Frequently Asked Questions About Forest Lake

What is the population of Forest Lake QLD?

The population of Forest Lake QLD is 22,676 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 2,309 people per km². Forest Lake is ranked #112 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Forest Lake?

The median personal income in Forest Lake QLD is $801 per week, or $41,652 per year. The median household income is $1,921 per week. Family income is $2,140 per week. Forest Lake is ranked #3,609 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Forest Lake?

Median rent in Forest Lake QLD is $390 per week ($1,690 per month). Rent represents 20.3% of household income, which is considered affordable. Forest Lake ranks #2,258 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Forest Lake?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Forest Lake QLD is $1,690. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Forest Lake?

The median age in Forest Lake QLD is 37 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Forest Lake a good suburb to live in?

Forest Lake is a suburb in Queensland with a population of 22,676. The median income is $801/wk, which is above the typical QLD suburb ($747/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.3% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Brisbane Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 31064. All dollar figures in AUD.