Wavell Heights
Wavell Heights is well served day-to-day, but expensive to rent.
Wavell Heights is well served for the everyday — 3 schools; among the more advantaged parts of Australia (SEIFA 2021, decile 9 of 10). The trade-offs: renting is expensive, a median of $775 a week (RTA, 2026-Q2).
Mostly free-standing houses, with a median age of 37 and households on a median $2,638 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
- well served for the everyday — 3 schools
- among the more advantaged parts of Australia (SEIFA 2021, decile 9 of 10)
What to weigh up
- renting is expensive, a median of $775 a week (RTA, 2026-Q2)
Wavell Heights on the map
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area 2 outline for Wavell Heights, 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
Wavell Heights against the Queensland average, both set to 100 in the first year shown so the growth rates compare.
Wavell Heights population grew from 10,167 in 2016 to 11,227 in 2025, a change of 10.4% over the period, against 17.0% for the Queensland average.
Show the data table
| Year | Wavell Heights | Queensland average |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 10,167 | 4,845,152 |
| 2017 | 10,242 | 4,926,380 |
| 2018 | 10,306 | 5,006,623 |
| 2019 | 10,395 | 5,088,847 |
| 2020 | 10,447 | 5,165,613 |
| 2021 | 10,472 | 5,215,814 |
| 2022 | 10,587 | 5,310,905 |
| 2023 | 10,817 | 5,450,235 |
| 2024 | 11,106 | 5,571,890 |
| 2025 | 11,227 | 5,669,764 |
Where the growth is coming from
Wavell Heights gained 954 residents from internal migration and 146 from overseas in the year to June 2025, while 1,066 people moved away — a net addition of 34 before natural increase.
- Internal migration in+954
- Internal migration out+1,006
- Overseas migration in+146
- Natural increase+87
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 | 9,785 | 10,344 | +5.7% |
| Median age | 37 | 37 | 0 yrs |
| Median household income | $2,055/wk | $2,638/wk | +28% |
| Median weekly rent | $400/wk | $430/wk | +7.5% |
| Born overseas | 19.4% | 19.6% | +0.1 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 29.0%
- Mortgaged 42.8%
- Rented 26.6%
- Other / not stated 1.6%
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 Wavell Heights against the Greater Brisbane median.
Median weekly rent in Wavell Heights went from $650 in 2024-Q1 to $775 in 2026-Q2, up 19%, against $656 for Greater Brisbane now.
Show the data table
| Year | Wavell Heights | Greater Brisbane |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q1 | $650 | $562 |
| 2024-Q2 | $670 | $590 |
| 2024-Q3 | $620 | $574 |
| 2024-Q4 | $650 | $594 |
| 2025-Q1 | $675 | $585 |
| 2025-Q2 | $700 | $624 |
| 2025-Q3 | $680 | $612 |
| 2025-Q4 | $700 | $633 |
| 2026-Q1 | $740 | $625 |
| 2026-Q2 | $775 | $656 |
By dwelling type — 2026-Q2 quarter
| Type | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | — | — | $750n=38 | $1,000n=18 |
n is the number of new bonds behind each median — treat a figure with a small n as indicative only.
The median weekly rent across all dwellings in Wavell Heights was $775 for the 2026-Q2 quarter, up 11% on a year earlier. That is $119 a week above the Greater Brisbane median. By type: a 3-bedroom house $750.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median rent | Year on year | Greater Brisbane |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-Q2 | $775 | +10.7% | $656 |
| 2026-Q1 | $740 | +9.6% | $625 |
| 2025-Q4 | $700 | +7.7% | $633 |
| 2025-Q3 | $680 | +9.7% | $612 |
| 2025-Q2 | $700 | +4.5% | $624 |
| 2025-Q1 | $675 | +3.8% | $585 |
| 2024-Q4 | $650 | +0.0% | $594 |
| 2024-Q3 | $620 | −3.1% | $574 |
| 2024-Q2 | $670 | +11.7% | $590 |
| 2024-Q1 | $650 | +8.3% | $562 |
| 2023-Q4 | $650 | +9.2% | $575 |
| 2023-Q3 | $640 | +16.4% | $536 |
| 2023-Q2 | $600 | +0.0% | $526 |
| 2023-Q1 | $600 | +13.2% | $496 |
| 2022-Q4 | $595 | +12.3% | $495 |
| 2022-Q3 | $550 | +4.8% | $455 |
| 2022-Q2 | $600 | +25.0% | $454 |
| 2022-Q1 | $530 | +9.3% | $428 |
| 2021-Q4 | $530 | +24.7% | $436 |
| 2021-Q3 | $525 | +16.7% | $416 |
| 2021-Q2 | $480 | +6.7% | $408 |
| 2021-Q1 | $485 | −2.0% | $405 |
| 2020-Q4 | $425 | −2.3% | $401 |
| 2020-Q3 | $450 | +5.9% | $392 |
| 2020-Q2 | $450 | +5.9% | $383 |
| 2020-Q1 | $495 | +10.0% | $394 |
| 2019-Q4 | $435 | +1.2% | $391 |
| 2019-Q3 | $425 | −5.6% | $384 |
| 2019-Q2 | $425 | +1.2% | $383 |
| 2019-Q1 | $450 | +4.7% | $387 |
| 2018-Q4 | $430 | +2.4% | $383 |
| 2018-Q3 | $450 | +4.7% | $381 |
| 2018-Q2 | $420 | — | $383 |
| 2018-Q1 | $430 | — | $386 |
| 2017-Q4 | $420 | — | $384 |
| 2017-Q3 | $430 | — | $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 10score 1,092
- Advantage & disadvantage (IRSAD)Higher decile means more relative advantageDecile 9score 1,103
- Economic resources (IER)Income and housing capacityDecile 9score 1,079
- Education & occupation (IEO)Education and occupational skill levelsDecile 9score 1,093
Safety context
Queensland Police Service · July 2026How much crime is reported where Wavell Heights sits — measured for its whole police division, because that is the finest area the Queensland Police Service publishes.
Wavell Heights is policed by the Queensland Police Service Hendra Division, which also covers Brisbane Airport, Nundah, Northgate - Virginia, Albion, Wooloowin - Lutwyche and Ascot and 5 more. The reported-offence figures below are for the whole division, not Wavell Heights specifically.
Most-reported offences · Hendra Division, last 12 months
- Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry)2,969 /100k+13% vs QLD↓ 1%
- Drug Offences1,789 /100k+7% vs QLD↑ 24%
- Unlawful Entry704 /100k+4% vs QLD↓ 28%
- Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle666 /100k+97% vs QLD↑ 0%
- Assault660 /100k−37% vs QLD↓ 3%
- Robbery49 /100k+8% vs QLD↑ 66%
Rate per 100,000 people across the whole Hendra Division — not Wavell Heights 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 Hendra Division over the last 12 months, running 13% above the Queensland rate and flat on the year before. None of this is specific to Wavell Heights — 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) | 2,969 per 100k | 2,632 per 100k | ↓ 1% vs prior year |
| Drug Offences | 1,789 per 100k | 1,666 per 100k | ↑ 24% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Entry | 704 per 100k | 677 per 100k | ↓ 28% vs prior year |
| Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle | 666 per 100k | 338 per 100k | ↑ 0% vs prior year |
| Assault | 660 per 100k | 1,053 per 100k | ↓ 3% vs prior year |
| Robbery | 49 per 100k | 45 per 100k | ↑ 66% 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 Hendra 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
- 20222.5%
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
3.6% of Wavell Heights is mapped as flood-liable, split by how often flooding is expected. This layer dates from 2013 and reads conservatively for some riverside suburbs.
- Medium <1%
- Low 1.6%
- Very Low 1.0%
Wavell Heights has been within a mapped flood extent before — in 2022, with up to about 2.5% of the suburb inundated in the worst of those events. Council's flood-likelihood modelling maps about 3.6% of Wavell Heights as flood-liable, roughly under 1% 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 | 2.5% of the suburb |
| Council likelihood modelling, all bands | 3.6% of the suburb |
| — Medium likelihood | under 1% of the suburb |
| — Low likelihood | 1.6% of the suburb |
| — Very Low likelihood | 1.0% 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 Wavell Heights SA2, OpenStreetMap records 2 childcare and kindergarten centres and 11 green spaces. For families: 9 playgrounds. Staying active: 6 sports fields. Also 1 shopping centre. The nearest train station, Nundah, is about 1,700 m from the suburb centre. OpenStreetMap also maps 78 bus stops here.
GPs and clinics, cafés and gyms are not well mapped in OpenStreetMap yet, so no count is shown for them here. See this area on OpenStreetMap →
List every mapped place
Schools
- Our Lady of the Angels
- Wavell Heights State School
- Wavell State High School
Childcare & kindergartens
- Goodstart Early Learning Wavell Heights
- Wavell Heights Kindergarten
Gyms & fitness
- Pear Exercise Physiology / Physiotherapy
Shopping centres
- Shaw Road Shopping Village
GPs & clinics
- Nundah Doctors Surgery
- Dr Margaret
Green spaces
- Rilatt Park
- Studley Park
- Frank Roberts Park
- Belloy Street Park
- Pfingst Road Park
- Maggs Street Park
- Main Avenue Park
- Bristol Park
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.
Wavell Heights has 11 council parks covering 13 ha, with 1.3 km of bikeway and shared path. Of those, 5 have a barbecue and 1 has a dog off-leash area.
- Heinrich Gerns Park268 Bilsen Road, Wavell Heights4.4 ha0.9 km bikeway & shared path1 barbecue
- Turquoise Place Park20 Primrose Close, Wavell Heights2.3 ha0.1 km bikeway & shared pathDog off-leash
- Rilatt Park69 Rilatt Street, Wavell Heights1.2 ha1 barbecue
- Bristol Park356 Rode Road, Wavell Heights1.2 ha0.2 km bikeway & shared path
- Maggs Street Park32 Taylor Street, Wavell Heights1.0 ha0.2 km bikeway & shared path1 barbecue
- Pfingst Road Park53 Pfingst Road, Wavell Heights0.7 ha
- Studley Park29 Esdale Street, Wavell Heights0.6 ha1 barbecue
- Frank Roberts Park19 Charlotte Street, Wavell Heights0.4 ha1 barbecue
Show all 11 parks in Wavell Heights
- Belloy Street Park24 Belloy Street, Wavell Heights0.4 ha
- Main Avenue Park56 Warr Street, Wavell Heights0.3 ha
- Rode Road Park (Road Reserve)Sandgate Road, Nundah0.1 ha
Parks just over the boundary
These sit mostly in a neighbouring suburb but their boundary reaches into Wavell Heights. They are not counted in the figures above.
- Shaw Estate Park · Wavell Heights · 44 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 Wavell Heights on public transport — the routes you'd catch here, how long they take and how often they run.
From Wavell Heights, route 310 runs to the Brisbane CBD in about 26 minutes, roughly every 36 minutes in the morning peak — it joins the South East Busway at RBWH. Times are scheduled and in-vehicle only — they exclude walking, waiting and any transfer.
Routes to the city from Wavell Heights
- 310Brighton - City Express~26 min · every ~36 min in the peak · via the busway at RBWH
- 320Chermside - City via Wavell Heights~33 min · every ~15 min in the peak
- 325Boondall - City Express~35 min · every ~33 min in the peak · via the busway at Normanby
- 322Chermside - City via Toombul~50 min · every ~29 min in the peak
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 the Brisbane CBD | about 26 min |
| Typical trip (all services) | about 35 min |
| Best route, morning peak (7–9am) | about every 15 min |
| Best route, off-peak (10am–3pm) | about every 30 min |
| 310 — Brighton - City Express | about 26 min, joins the busway at RBWH |
| 320 — Chermside - City via Wavell Heights | about 33 min |
| 325 — Boondall - City Express | about 35 min, joins the busway at Normanby |
| 322 — Chermside - City via Toombul | about 50 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 Wavell Heights SA2 contains 3 schools — 2 primary schools and 1 secondary school, of which 2 are government and 1 non-government. Its schools with a published ICSEA average 1037 (1000 is the national average); each school's own figure and student background are on its page. NAPLAN results for each school are on its My School profile (ACARA). For area context, Wavell Heights sits in decile 9 of the ABS SEIFA index of education and occupation nationally and 78% of adults here completed Year 12 (Census 2021).
The centre of this SA2 is zoned for Wavell Heights State School (primary), Wavell State High School (junior secondary), Wavell State High School (senior secondary).
Parts of the SA2 also fall in the catchment of Kedron State School (primary), Virginia State School (primary), Geebung State School (primary), Nundah State School (primary), Aviation High (junior secondary), Aviation High (senior secondary).
Catchments can divide a suburb — confirm your address on EdMap.
Show school list
- Our Lady of the Angels' School (Wavell Heights) · Catholic · Prep–6
- Wavell Heights State School · State · Prep–6
- Wavell State High School · State · 7–12
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 Chermside
Others in the same ABS district, by population growth. If this one doesn't fit, one of these might.
- HereWavell Heights+1.1%
- 01Chermside+2.6%
- 02Aspley+1.3%
- 03Kedron - Gordon Park+1.2%
- 04Stafford+0.7%
- 05Chermside West+0.6%
- 06Stafford Heights+0.6%
- 07Geebung+0.3%
Dots place each suburb's growth on the same scale, slowest at left.
Wavell Heights: common questions
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