Inala
Nearly half of Inala residents were born overseas, at 48.9%, while the median age is 33, or 7 years below the national comparison. With 15,273 residents across 6.22 square kilometres, Inala is dense but dominated by detached homes rather than apartments. Renting accounts for 56.7% of households, and household income sits at the 12.8th percentile nationally. Compared with nearby Richlands and Durack, Inala presents a more established, renter-led housing profile, shaped by Vietnamese and Samoan heritage and continued overseas migration.
Population
15,273
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$998/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
37
For buyers, Inala's main trade-off is access to detached housing against lower incomes and mortgage pressure. Separate houses account for 89.2% of dwellings, while 3-bedroom homes make up 62.1%, creating a practical family-oriented market. Weekly rent is $250 and the indicative mortgage cost is $1,300 per month, but mortgage repayments equal 30.1% of household income and are flagged as stressful. Household income of $998 per week sits at the 12.8th percentile, well below the national distribution. The 56.7% renting share is above outright ownership at 20.5% and mortgage ownership at 21.4%, so buyers should compare recent sales carefully because a current median house price is unavailable.
For Buyers
For buyers, Inala's main trade-off is access to detached housing against lower incomes and mortgage pressure. Separate houses account for 89.2% of dwellings, while 3-bedroom homes make up 62.1%, creating a practical family-oriented market. Weekly rent is $250 and the indicative mortgage cost is $1,300 per month, but mortgage repayments equal 30.1% of household income and are flagged as stressful. Household income of $998 per week sits at the 12.8th percentile, well below the national distribution. The 56.7% renting share is above outright ownership at 20.5% and mortgage ownership at 21.4%, so buyers should compare recent sales carefully because a current median house price is unavailable.
For Investors
Inala's investment case is centred on a large tenant pool, relatively low weekly rent and ongoing demand from overseas migration. Renters represent 56.7% of households, compared with 20.5% owning outright and 21.4% with a mortgage. Weekly rent is $250, vacancy is 5.1%, and 38 development applications were recorded over 12 months, indicating continuing property and infrastructure activity. The annual growth trend is 1.71%, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Rents have grown 66.7%, much faster than real income growth of 13.5%, which supports rental demand but also points to worsening affordability. Compared with owner-heavy suburbs, Inala may suit investors prioritising tenant depth, although the 5.1% vacancy rate and local property condition need close monitoring.
Development Activity
Total DAs
103
Last 12 Months
37
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+32.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Inala
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Inala Flexible Learning Centre (Inala)
St Mark's School (Inala)
Western Suburbs State Special School
Inala State School
Richlands East State School
Demographics
Inala has a young resident base, with a median age of 33, which is 7 years below the national comparison. Overseas-born residents account for 48.9%, or 27.3 percentage points above the national figure, helping explain the suburb's strong cultural and language mix. Vietnamese ancestry is recorded for 4,221 people, followed by English at 2,477 and Samoan at 535. Christianity has 6,153 adherents, Buddhism 2,057, and no religion 3,850. Household size averages 2.9 people, or 0.4 above the national comparison. Families with children represent 39.6% of families, while one-parent families account for 35.1%. Residential stability is relatively high, with 82.3% staying at the same address and turnover of 17.7%. Compared with nearby Richlands and Durack, Inala has a particularly strong overseas-born and renter-linked demographic profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.2%
Houses
6.0%
Townhouse
3.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Inala's housing stock is overwhelmingly detached, with separate houses making up 89.2%, compared with 3.0% apartments and 6.0% semi-detached dwellings. The dominant format is the 3-bedroom home at 62.1%, while 4-bedroom or larger homes account for 17.9%. Tenure is renter-heavy: 56.7% rent, 21.4% hold a mortgage and 20.5% own outright. This mix reflects an established family housing area where detached homes remain more common than apartment stock, yet lower household incomes limit ownership pathways. Weekly rent is $250, mortgage cost is $1,300 per month and mortgage repayments reach 30.1% of household income. Household income of $998 per week sits at the 12.8th percentile, below the national distribution. Average household size is 2.9, or 0.4 above national, supporting continued demand for practical 3-bedroom layouts.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $250.
$580
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $580
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$454
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.1%
Unoccupied
261
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.1% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.6%
Couples with children
21.8%
Couples, no children
35.1%
Single parent
3,618
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Inala's largest industry at 20.2%, representing 399 workers, followed by manufacturing at 11.1% or 220, education at 9.0% or 179, other services at 8.3% or 164, and construction at 7.7% or 153. The occupation mix is led by labourers at 957, community and personal service workers at 766, machinery operators and drivers at 628, trades workers at 606, and professionals at 400. Unemployment is 13.5%, participation is 44.0%, and the full-time employment rate is 49.8%, with 2,204 full-time and 1,672 part-time workers. These figures point to a service, trade and production economy with fewer professional roles than higher-income areas. Socioeconomic scores are low across all 4 SEIFA measures: IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD are each in decile 1. Household income at the 12.8th percentile is correspondingly below the national distribution, although the healthcare and education base provides important local employment anchors.
Unemployment
13.5%
Labour Force
5,122
Unemployed
694
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
49.8%
Part-time
37.8%
Participation
44.0%
Employed
4,428
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.4%
Postgraduate
3.3%
Born Overseas
48.9%
Dwellings
4,797
Transport to Work
Daily travel in Inala is strongly car-oriented: 74.2% of residents drive to work, higher than the 3.8% using public transport, while 2.0% walk or cycle and 6.4% work from home. This pattern reflects dispersed employment and the practical convenience of private vehicles, although households without a car may face more limited access. There are 6 local school options, comprising 4 government schools, including a special school, and 2 Catholic non-state schools. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cross suburb edges. Density is 2,454.5 people per square kilometre across 6.22 square kilometres, supporting access to local services but increasing pressure on parking and public space. The IRSAD score is in decile 1, indicating substantial socioeconomic disadvantage compared with higher-decile suburbs. That measure should be considered alongside household needs, transport access and street-level conditions rather than treated as a complete safety assessment.
Drive
74.2%
Public Transport
3.8%
Walk / Cycle
2.0%
Work from Home
6.4%
Population Forecast
+1.71%/yr
(+375 people/yr)
EstablishedInala's growth outlook is established but not uniform. The annual trend is 1.71%, and overseas migration is the primary growth driver, consistent with the suburb's 48.9% overseas-born population. Population change across the wider area is 28.9% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is labelled Mixed. Gentrification signals also diverge: one measure records a score of 22 at the Early signs stage, while the broader shift profile records a score of 74 at the Advanced stage. Rent growth of 66.7% is faster than real income growth of 13.5%, explaining the Worsening affordability trend. The 38 development applications recorded in 12 months indicate ongoing renewal activity, but the established classification suggests growth is more likely to come through infill, refurbishment and changing household demand than a new large-scale suburb. Compared with a stagnant market, the 1.71% annual trend shows moderate momentum without a uniform transition.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+370
Net Internal / yr
-194
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +37% since 2011, Net internal outflow -194/yr, Strong overseas inflow +370/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Inala compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Inala a good suburb to live in?
Inala can suit households seeking detached homes, multicultural services and relatively low weekly rent. It has a median age of 33, 89.2% separate houses and 56.7% renters, but household income is at the 12.8th percentile, so budget, transport and street-level preferences matter.
What is the median house price in Inala?
A current median house price is not available. For context, weekly rent is $250 and 89.2% of dwellings are separate houses. Buyers should compare recent sales for the exact street, block size, renovation level and bedroom count rather than rely on a suburb-wide estimate.
What schools are in Inala?
There are 6 local school options, including Inala State School, St Mark's School and Inala Flexible Learning Centre. The mix includes 4 government schools, including a special school, and 2 Catholic non-state schools. Check the enrolment zone for the exact address before applying.
Is Inala safe?
Safety should be assessed using recent Queensland Police records for postcode 4077, visits at different times, lighting and surrounding street activity. Inala's IRSAD decile is 1, but that socioeconomic measure is not a crime rating and should not be used alone to judge safety.
Is Inala good for property investment?
Inala may suit yield-focused investors because 56.7% of households rent, weekly rent is $250 and vacancy is 5.1%. There were 38 development applications in 12 months and the annual growth trend is 1.71%. Rent growth of 66.7% is strong, but affordability and property condition require close review.
How is Inala's population changing?
Inala has 15,273 residents, with population change across the wider area of 28.9% over 10 years and an annual growth trend of 1.71%. Overseas migration is the primary driver. The trajectory is Mixed, while the young share fell 0.5 percentage points and the senior share fell 1.1.
What languages are spoken in Inala?
Samoan is recorded for 205 residents, Arabic for 119, Bengali for 46, Mandarin for 33 and Hindi for 29. Vietnamese ancestry is also prominent at 4,221 people, while 48.9% of residents were born overseas, well above the national comparison.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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