Wacol
Wacol is still affordable, but less advantaged.
Wacol is still relatively affordable to rent, with a median of $510 a week (RTA, 2026-Q2) — about $146 below the Greater Brisbane median; close to a train station (Wacol, about 250 m as the crow flies). The trade-offs: it is less advantaged than most of Australia (SEIFA 2021, decile 1 of 10); unemployment ran above the Brisbane norm at the 2021 Census, at 12.4%.
Mostly free-standing houses, with a median age of 34 and households on a median $1,204 a week at the 2021 Census.
Compiled from ABS regional population (SA2), the 2021 Census, SEIFA 2021, RTA median rents, Queensland Police Service reported offences, Brisbane City Council flood awareness data, OpenStreetMap, Brisbane City Council parks and trails, TransLink timetables and Queensland Open Data.
What's good
- still relatively affordable to rent, with a median of $510 a week (RTA, 2026-Q2) — about $146 below the Greater Brisbane median
- close to a train station (Wacol, about 250 m as the crow flies)
What to weigh up
- it is less advantaged than most of Australia (SEIFA 2021, decile 1 of 10)
- unemployment ran above the Brisbane norm at the 2021 Census, at 12.4%
Wacol on the map
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area 2 outline for Wacol, QLD.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Boundary: ABS SA2 (ASGS 2021), simplified — an SA2 can differ from the gazetted suburb, and detached parts such as islands may not all be shown.
How the population has changed
Wacol against the Queensland average, both set to 100 in the first year shown so the growth rates compare.
Wacol population grew from 6,055 in 2016 to 6,975 in 2025, a change of 15.2% over the period, against 17.0% for the Queensland average.
Show the data table
| Year | Wacol | Queensland average |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 6,055 | 4,845,152 |
| 2017 | 6,059 | 4,926,380 |
| 2018 | 6,254 | 5,006,623 |
| 2019 | 6,114 | 5,088,847 |
| 2020 | 5,989 | 5,165,613 |
| 2021 | 6,399 | 5,215,814 |
| 2022 | 6,436 | 5,310,905 |
| 2023 | 6,667 | 5,450,235 |
| 2024 | 6,904 | 5,571,890 |
| 2025 | 6,975 | 5,669,764 |
Where the growth is coming from
Wacol gained 418 residents from internal migration and 55 from overseas in the year to June 2025, while 427 people moved away — a net addition of 46 before natural increase.
- Internal migration in+418
- Internal migration out+405
- Overseas migration in+55
- Natural increase+25
Components of population change over the sample year. Natural increase is shown apart from migration so the two are not read as one figure.
How it has changed
Census · five-yearlyThe 2016 Census against 2021. Older figures are mapped onto today's boundaries via the ABS Time Series Profile, so comparisons are approximate where borders moved.
| Measure | 2016 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,813 | 6,220 | +7.0% |
| Median age | 33 | 34 | +1 yr |
| Median household income | $1,001/wk | $1,204/wk | +20% |
| Median weekly rent | $280/wk | $290/wk | +3.6% |
| Born overseas | 25.6% | 23.2% | -2.4 pts |
Who lives here
Census · five-yearlyFrom the 2021 Census — the most recent available; 2026 Census data isn't expected until mid-2027. Each figure carries its definition, so you know what is being counted.
People
Income
Housing
Work
Household
Country of birth
Language at home
How homes are held
- Owned outright 18.4%
- Mortgaged 21.5%
- Rented 56.4%
- Other / not stated 3.7%
What it costs to rent
Residential Tenancies Authority · 2026-Q2Median weekly rent for new tenancies, from the Residential Tenancies Authority's bond lodgements. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
Rent over time
All dwellings in Wacol against the Greater Brisbane median.
Median weekly rent in Wacol went from $450 in 2023-Q1 to $510 in 2026-Q2, up 13%, against $656 for Greater Brisbane now.
Show the data table
| Year | Wacol | Greater Brisbane |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-Q1 | $450 | $562 |
| 2023-Q2 | $380 | $590 |
| 2023-Q3 | $400 | $574 |
| 2023-Q4 | $480 | $594 |
| 2024-Q1 | $385 | $585 |
| 2024-Q2 | $500 | $624 |
| 2024-Q4 | $500 | $612 |
| 2025-Q2 | $530 | $633 |
| 2025-Q3 | $385 | $625 |
| 2026-Q2 | $510 | $656 |
The median weekly rent across all dwellings in Wacol was $510 for the 2026-Q2 quarter, down 4% on a year earlier. That is $146 a week below the Greater Brisbane median.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median rent | Year on year | Greater Brisbane |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-Q2 | $510 | −3.8% | $656 |
| 2025-Q3 | $385 | — | $612 |
| 2025-Q2 | $530 | +6.0% | $624 |
| 2024-Q4 | $500 | +4.2% | $594 |
| 2024-Q2 | $500 | +31.6% | $590 |
| 2024-Q1 | $385 | −14.4% | $562 |
| 2023-Q4 | $480 | +14.3% | $575 |
| 2023-Q3 | $400 | — | $536 |
| 2023-Q2 | $380 | — | $526 |
| 2023-Q1 | $450 | +18.4% | $496 |
| 2022-Q4 | $420 | +20.0% | $495 |
| 2022-Q1 | $380 | — | $428 |
| 2021-Q4 | $350 | +0.0% | $436 |
| 2021-Q2 | $355 | — | $408 |
| 2020-Q4 | $350 | — | $401 |
| 2020-Q3 | $350 | — | $392 |
| 2019-Q1 | $296 | — | $387 |
| 2018-Q3 | $340 | +1.5% | $381 |
| 2018-Q2 | $340 | — | $383 |
| 2017-Q3 | $335 | — | $381 |
Rent data © the State of Queensland (Residential Tenancies Authority), used under CC BY 4.0, June 2026 release. Figures are the median for new bonds lodged in the quarter, not all tenancies. The RTA suppresses a median where too few bonds were lodged.
How well-off the area is
Census · five-yearlyThe ABS SEIFA indexes rank every area by relative advantage and disadvantage. Decile 1 is the lowest tenth of Australia; decile 10 is the highest.
- Relative disadvantage (IRSD)Lower decile means more relative disadvantageDecile 1score 762
- Advantage & disadvantage (IRSAD)Higher decile means more relative advantageDecile 1score 792
- Economic resources (IER)Income and housing capacityDecile 1score 825
- Education & occupation (IEO)Education and occupational skill levelsDecile 1score 845
Safety context
Queensland Police Service · July 2026How much crime is reported where Wacol sits — measured for its whole police division, because that is the finest area the Queensland Police Service publishes.
Wacol is policed by the Queensland Police Service Mount Ommaney Division, which also covers Middle Park - Jamboree Heights, Riverhills, Seventeen Mile Rocks - Sinnamon Park, Westlake, Darra - Sumner and Jindalee - Mount Ommaney. The reported-offence figures below are for the whole division, not Wacol specifically.
Most-reported offences · Mount Ommaney Division, last 12 months
- Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry)4,160 /100k+58% vs QLD↑ 21%
- Assault1,173 /100k+11% vs QLD↑ 1%
- Drug Offences1,142 /100k−31% vs QLD↑ 64%
- Unlawful Entry586 /100k−13% vs QLD↓ 20%
- Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle262 /100k−22% vs QLD↓ 13%
- Robbery36 /100k−21% vs QLD↓ 43%
Rate per 100,000 people across the whole Mount Ommaney Division — not Wacol on its own; the arrow compares the last 12 months with the 12 before.
Of these categories, other theft is reported most across the whole Mount Ommaney Division over the last 12 months, running 58% above the Queensland rate and up on the year before. None of this is specific to Wacol — a police division usually spans several suburbs, so treat it as area context, not a street-level read.
Show the data table
| Offence category | Division | Queensland | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry) | 4,160 per 100k | 2,632 per 100k | ↑ 21% vs prior year |
| Assault | 1,173 per 100k | 1,053 per 100k | ↑ 1% vs prior year |
| Drug Offences | 1,142 per 100k | 1,666 per 100k | ↑ 64% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Entry | 586 per 100k | 677 per 100k | ↓ 20% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle | 262 per 100k | 338 per 100k | ↓ 13% vs prior year |
| Robbery | 36 per 100k | 45 per 100k | ↓ 43% vs prior year |
Crime statistics © State of Queensland (Queensland Police Service), used under CC BY 4.0, updated July 2026. Reported offences are counted for the Mount Ommaney Division; suburb-level detail is not published as open data. Monthly counts are volatile — the 12-month figures above smooth that noise, per QPS’s own guidance.
Flood risk
Brisbane City Council · updated August 2026Has this suburb flooded before, and how much of it does Brisbane City Council map as flood-liable? The historic extents are the ground truth; the likelihood bands are the council's modelling of how often flooding is expected.
Historic flood exposure
- 202215%
- 201126%
- 197430%
Share of the suburb inside each event’s mapped flood surface. These maps cover only the river and creek extents of those specific events — being outside them does not mean a property is flood-free.
Council flood-likelihood modelling
20% of Wacol is mapped as flood-liable, split by how often flooding is expected. This layer dates from 2013 and reads conservatively for some riverside suburbs.
- High 1.5%
- Medium 5.8%
- Low 4.0%
- Very Low 9.1%
Wacol has been within a mapped flood extent before — in 2022, 2011 and 1974, with up to about 30% of the suburb inundated in the worst of those events. Council's flood-likelihood modelling maps about 20% of Wacol as flood-liable, roughly 7.3% of it in a high or medium likelihood band.
A suburb rollup can’t tell you about an individual property. Check a specific address on Brisbane City Council’s FloodWise Property Report →
Show the data table
| Measure | Share |
|---|---|
| Within the 2022 flood extent | 15% of the suburb |
| Within the 2011 flood extent | 26% of the suburb |
| Within the 1974 flood extent | 30% of the suburb |
| Council likelihood modelling, all bands | 20% of the suburb |
| — High likelihood | 1.5% of the suburb |
| — Medium likelihood | 5.8% of the suburb |
| — Low likelihood | 4.0% of the suburb |
| — Very Low likelihood | 9.1% of the suburb |
Flood data © Brisbane City Council, used under CC BY 4.0, updated August 2026. The Flood Awareness Maps are an awareness tool, not a substitute for a FloodWise Property Report or professional advice.
Getting around, and what's nearby
OpenStreetMap · quarterlyWhat OpenStreetMap records inside the suburb boundary. Counts reflect what is tagged in OSM and can undercount a real but less-mapped area. The park count here is OpenStreetMap green space of any kind, including privately held land — it is a different measure from the council parks below.
Within the Wacol SA2, OpenStreetMap records 1 hospital, 1 supermarket and 15 green spaces. For families: 2 playgrounds. Staying active: 22 sports fields. The nearest train station, Wacol, is about 250 m from the suburb centre. OpenStreetMap also maps 29 bus stops here.
List every mapped place
Schools
- Carole Park State School
Hospitals
- The Park Centre for Mental Health
Supermarkets
- 5 Star
Green spaces
- M. Z. Holland Memorial Park
- Newton Place Park
- Progress Road Park
- PJ McIllwain Place
- Warren Ritchie Memorial Complex Park
- Wolston House
- Mulley Park
- Blacksell Park
Train stations
- Wacol
- Gailes
Parks and trails
Brisbane City Council · biannuallyCouncil-managed parks inside the suburb boundary, with the recreation trails and facilities Brisbane City Council records in each.
Wacol has 19 council parks covering 264 ha, with 0.1 km of walking track and 12 km of bikeway and shared path. Of those, 2 have a barbecue and 1 has a dog off-leash area.
- Pooh Corner100 Wolston Road, Wacol137 ha5.1 km bikeway & shared path1 barbecue
- Wacol Bushlands3063 Ipswich Road, Wacol40 ha2.9 km bikeway & shared path
- Boundary Road Park1051 Boundary Road, Wacol21 ha1.3 km bikeway & shared path
- Grindle Road Park221 Grindle Road, Wacol18 ha
- Ronald Street Reserve333 Waterford Road, Ellen Grove14 ha0.1 km walking track1.7 km bikeway & shared path
- Progress Road Park440 Progress Road, Wacol11 ha
- Bukulla Street Park71 Bukulla Street, Wacol7.9 ha
- Warren Ritchie Memorial Complex Park1449 Boundary Road, Ellen Grove4.6 ha0.7 km bikeway & shared path
Show all 19 parks in Wacol
- Coulson Street Park183 Coulson Street, Wacol4.3 ha
- Clendon Street Reserve362 Waterford Road, Wacol1.8 ha
- Carole Park Community Park11A Southampton Road, Ellen Grove1.6 ha0.0 km bikeway & shared path1 barbecue
- M. Z. Holland Memorial Park57 Monterey Street, Wacol0.4 ha
- Julie Road Park12A Julie Road, Ellen Grove0.4 haDog off-leash, fully fenced
- Newton Place Park26 Newton Place, Wacol0.3 ha
- Sheringa Street Park23 Sheringa Street, Ellen Grove0.3 ha
- Ospya Park26 Kathmaur Avenue, Ellen Grove0.3 ha
- Mulley Park24 Stephen Street, Ellen Grove0.2 ha
- Blacksell Park20 Pauline Avenue, Ellen Grove0.1 ha
- Formation Street Park (Road Reserve)Formation Street, Wacol0.1 ha
Parks just over the boundary
These sit mostly in a neighbouring suburb but their boundary reaches into Wacol. They are not counted in the figures above.
- Wolston Creek Bushland Reserve · Riverhills · 49 ha
Parks across Brisbane — biggest, off-leash areas and trails →
Park locations © Brisbane City Council 2026; tracks and trails © Brisbane City Council 2025. Used under CC BY 4.0, updated September 2026.
Getting to the CBD
TransLink timetablesHow to reach the city centre from Wacol on public transport — the routes you'd catch here, how long they take and how often they run.
From Wacol, the train runs to Roma Street in the Brisbane CBD in about 33 minutes, roughly every 15 minutes in the morning peak. Times are scheduled and in-vehicle only — they exclude walking, waiting and any transfer.
Routes to the city from Wacol
- TrainIpswich - Brisbane City~33 min · every ~15 min in the peak
- TrainIpswich - Caboolture~33 min · runs through the day
- TrainIpswich - Nambour~33 min · runs through the day
These are timetabled figures for a typical weekday. Plan a door-to-door trip on the TransLink journey planner →
Show the data table
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Fastest scheduled trip to Roma Street | about 33 min |
| Best route, morning peak (7–9am) | about every 15 min |
| Best route, off-peak (10am–3pm) | about every 45 min |
| Train — Ipswich - Brisbane City | about 33 min |
| Train — Ipswich - Caboolture | about 33 min |
| Train — Ipswich - Nambour | about 33 min |
Timetable data © State of Queensland (Department of Transport and Main Roads, TransLink Division), used under CC BY 4.0. Scheduled in-vehicle times for a representative weekday, city-bound — they exclude walking, waiting and transfer time, and real running times vary with traffic.
Schools
Every open Queensland school whose campus sits inside the SA2 boundary, with the average ICSEA across them. Open a school for its own ICSEA, student background and a link to My School.
The Wacol SA2 contains 2 schools — 1 primary school and 1 combined school, all government. NAPLAN results for each school are on its My School profile (ACARA). For area context, Wacol sits in decile 1 of the ABS SEIFA index of education and occupation nationally and 32% of adults here completed Year 12 (Census 2021).
The centre of this SA2 is zoned for Carole Park State School (primary), Glenala State High School (junior secondary), Glenala State High School (senior secondary).
Parts of the SA2 also fall in the catchment of Goodna State School (primary), Middle Park State School (primary), Grand Avenue State School (primary), Richlands East State School (primary), Moggill State School (primary), Jamboree Heights State School (primary), Darra State School (primary), Camira State School (primary), Kenmore State High School (junior secondary), Centenary State High School (junior secondary), Forest Lake State High School (junior secondary), Woodcrest State College (junior secondary), Bellbird Park State Secondary College (junior secondary), Kenmore State High School (senior secondary), Woodcrest State College (senior secondary), Centenary State High School (senior secondary), Forest Lake State High School (senior secondary), Bellbird Park State Secondary College (senior secondary).
Catchments can divide a suburb — confirm your address on EdMap.
Show school list
- Carole Park State School · State · Prep–6
- Brisbane Youth Education and Training Centre · State · 5–12
School list & catchments: Queensland Government Open Data (Department of Education), licensed CC BY 4.0. ICSEA: ACARA School Profile. NAPLAN: myschool.edu.au (ACARA).
Nearby, in Forest Lake - Oxley
Others in the same ABS district, by population growth. If this one doesn't fit, one of these might.
- HereWacol+1.0%
- 01Darra - Sumner+2.8%
- 02Inala - Richlands+2.5%
- 03Doolandella+1.8%
- 04Durack+0.8%
- 05Oxley (Qld)+0.7%
- 06Forest Lake - Ellen Grove+0.4%
Dots place each suburb's growth on the same scale, slowest at left.
Wacol: common questions
Is Wacol a good place to live?
How much does it cost to rent in Wacol?
Has Wacol ever flooded?
Is Wacol a safe suburb?
How long is the commute from Wacol to the Brisbane CBD?
What schools are in Wacol?
What amenities and public transport does Wacol have?
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