Wacol
Wacol's most distinctive contrast is a heavily male, detached-house suburb with high area-wide disadvantage: 84.5% of residents are male, 82.9% of dwellings are separate houses and the IRSAD sits at decile 1. At 4,253 residents, the median age of 35 is 5 years below the national figure, while 46.3% rent and weekly rent is $320. Daily life is more car-dependent than transit-oriented because 67.4% drive compared with 7.8% using public transport. Compared with nearby Darra and Sumner, Wacol is better understood as a western employment and housing precinct than an apartment market, reinforced by its 17.74 sq km area and density of 239.7 people per sq km.
Population
4,253
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,379/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
27
Without a current median sale figure, buyers need to assess Wacol through cash flow, dwelling form and exact street conditions. The listed mortgage repayment is $1,387 per month, while weekly rent is $320 and mortgage costs equal 23.2% of household income, with no mortgage stress flag. Separate houses account for 82.9% of stock and semi-detached homes 17.1%, so the market is clearly detached-dominant. The 46.3% renting share is higher than the 28.8% owned-outright share. With 64.9% of homes containing 3 bedrooms and 20.0% containing 4 or more, family-sized housing is more common than 2-bedroom stock at 14.0%.
For Buyers
Without a current median sale figure, buyers need to assess Wacol through cash flow, dwelling form and exact street conditions. The listed mortgage repayment is $1,387 per month, while weekly rent is $320 and mortgage costs equal 23.2% of household income, with no mortgage stress flag. Separate houses account for 82.9% of stock and semi-detached homes 17.1%, so the market is clearly detached-dominant. The 46.3% renting share is higher than the 28.8% owned-outright share. With 64.9% of homes containing 3 bedrooms and 20.0% containing 4 or more, family-sized housing is more common than 2-bedroom stock at 14.0%.
For Investors
Wacol provides a substantial tenant base because 46.3% of households rent, a share higher than the 28.8% owned outright. Weekly rent is $320 and vacancy is 5.5%, giving investors useful rental context even though a median sale price is unavailable and gross yield cannot be calculated. There were 29 development matters in the past 12 months, including compliance assessments and road or stormwater works, although these do not establish a residential dwelling pipeline. Growth is running at 1.59% annually with migration labelled Balanced. Rent growth of 45.0% is higher than real income growth of 3.5%, so purchase costs, tenant affordability and maintenance should be tested carefully.
Development Activity
Total DAs
179
Last 12 Months
27
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-28.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Wacol
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Brisbane Youth Education and Training Centre
Carole Park State School
Demographics
Wacol has a median age of 35, which is 5 years below the national figure, and an unusually male population at 84.5%. University attainment is 37.2%, or 7.1 percentage points above the national comparison, while the overseas-born share is 17.9%, 3.7 points below national levels. English ancestry is recorded for 252 people, with Scottish at 64 and Irish at 60, while no religion at 378 is slightly higher than Christianity at 368. Average household size is 2.4, just 0.1 below the national comparison. Residential mobility is moderate: 71.9% stayed at the same address and turnover was 28.1%. Compared with nearby Inala, Wacol presents a less migrant-oriented profile, while its 84.5% male share reflects its distinctive employment and housing mix.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.9%
Houses
17.1%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Wacol's housing market is difficult to price from a median sale figure because no current median house price is available, so dwelling-level comparisons matter. Separate houses make up 82.9% of stock and semi-detached homes 17.1%, confirming a detached-dominant pattern. Three-bedroom homes account for 64.9%, higher than the 20.0% share of homes with 4 or more bedrooms and well above 2-bedroom homes at 14.0%. Renting is 46.3%, higher than outright ownership at 28.8%, while mortgage ownership is 23.1%. Weekly rent is $320, vacancy is 5.5%, and rent-to-income is 23.2%, with no rent stress flag. Compared with nearby Darra and Sumner, buyers should focus on the exact house type and lot rather than assume a suburb-wide price pattern.
Mortgage / mo
$1,387
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $320.
$590
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · houses $590
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$514
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.5%
Unoccupied
17
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
33.3%
Couples with children
32.8%
Couples, no children
32.3%
Single parent
192
Total families
Economy & Employment
Wacol's work base spans healthcare at 13.6%, manufacturing at 10.8%, construction and public administration at 10.3% each, plus other services at 8.0%. Trades lead occupations with 63 people, followed by clerical and administration at 59, labourers at 45, professionals at 42 and community or personal services at 39. Unemployment is 10.6%, full-time employment 62.6% and participation 8.7%; 3,689 people are outside the labour force, which helps explain the unusually low participation rate. Household income is $1,379 weekly at the 39.2 percentile, below the middle of the distribution. All four SEIFA measures, including IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD, sit at decile 1, lower than middle-decile areas. The result is broad industry activity alongside significant socioeconomic pressure.
Unemployment
10.6%
Labour Force
359
Unemployed
38
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.6%
Part-time
29.6%
Participation
8.7%
Employed
321
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
37.2%
Postgraduate
2.0%
Born Overseas
17.9%
Dwellings
287
Transport to Work
Wacol suits residents who can rely on a car: 67.4% drive to work, compared with 7.8% using public transport and 4.4% walking or cycling. Working from home is 13.0%, so everyday access remains more vehicle-oriented than active or transit-based. Families have access to 2 government education options serving the area, comprising an educational unit and a state school in Carole Park; compare the exact address with current enrolment zones because school boundaries can cross suburb lines. Wacol's 17.74 sq km footprint and density of 239.7 people per sq km create a more spread-out setting than compact inner suburbs. The IRSAD decile of 1 is lower than higher-resource areas, so services, travel time and household budgets matter. No suburb-level crime rate is stated, making current Queensland Police incident information and street-level comparison important for safety decisions.
Drive
67.4%
Public Transport
7.8%
Walk / Cycle
4.4%
Work from Home
13.0%
Population Forecast
+1.59%/yr
(+111 people/yr)
EstablishedWacol's growth profile combines an annual trend of 1.59% with migration labelled Balanced, suggesting momentum without a single dominant population source. Across the wider area, population change is 26.0% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is labelled Declining young. Gentrification is at the Early signs stage with a score of 32, although another shift indicator records an Active stage and score of 50, so change is uneven rather than settled. Affordability is worsening from 52.5 in 2011 to 59.8 in 2021. Rent growth of 45.0% is higher than real income growth of 3.5%, which helps explain the affordability pressure. The area also recovered from a 2.0% COVID dip, with recovery recorded at 15.3%.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+35
Net Internal / yr
+80
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +35% since 2011, Net internal migration +80/yr, COVID recovered (-2% dip → full recovery)
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Wacol compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wacol a good suburb to live in?
Wacol suits people who value detached housing and access to western employment areas. It is car-dependent: 67.4% drive to work compared with 7.8% using public transport, and 82.9% of dwellings are separate houses. Compare exact streets for noise, access and services.
What is the median house price in Wacol?
A current median house price is not available for Wacol. Use the $320 weekly rent, 5.5% vacancy rate and 82.9% separate-house share as market context, then compare recent sales for the exact dwelling type rather than relying on a neighbouring suburb's figure.
What schools are in Wacol?
There are 2 government education options serving Wacol: an educational unit and Carole Park State School. School type and enrolment access differ, so compare the exact address with current catchment rules before deciding; location alone does not establish school performance.
Is Wacol safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not stated for Wacol, so safety should be checked using current Queensland Police incident information and the exact street. Wacol covers 17.74 sq km, making address-level comparison more useful than treating every pocket as identical.
Is Wacol good for property investment?
Wacol can suit investors seeking tenant demand: 46.3% of households rent, above the 28.8% owned-outright share, while weekly rent is $320 and vacancy is 5.5%. There were 29 development matters in 12 months. Compare purchase costs and maintenance carefully because no median sale price is available.
How is Wacol's population changing?
Wacol has 4,253 residents today. Growth across the wider area is measured at 1.59% annually and 26.0% over 10 years, with migration labelled Balanced. The trajectory is Declining young, while gentrification is at Early signs with a score of 32. Rent growth of 45.0% is higher than real income growth of 3.5%.
What development is occurring in Wacol?
There were 29 development matters in the past 12 months, including compliance assessments and road or stormwater works. These examples do not establish a dwelling pipeline, so compare each application's address, cost and approval status before assuming housing supply or amenity change.
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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