Forest Lake vs GoodnaTwo suburbs compared for a home loan
Forest Lake (QLD 4078) is approximately 24 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, around a constructed lake. Goodna (QLD 4300) is approximately 14 km east of the Ipswich CBD and 29 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, in the Brisbane River corridor. At the 2021 Census, Forest Lake had 22,676 residents with a median age of 37, and Goodna had 10,391 residents with a median age of 33.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 2% of occupied dwellings in Forest Lake and 1% in Goodna, while 26% of Forest Lake households rented compared with 49% in Goodna. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
QLD 4078 · South West Brisbane
Forest Lake
Forest Lake is Brisbane's first master planned community, where 3,625 dwellings were owned with a mortgage at the 2021 Census, or 47.5 per cent.
Brisbane City Council. Approximately 24 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, around a constructed lake.
Read the full Forest Lake guideQLD 4300 · Western Corridor
Goodna
Goodna is a railway suburb in the Brisbane River corridor where median weekly household income of $1,337 sat well below the national $1,746.
City of Ipswich. Approximately 14 km east of the Ipswich CBD and 29 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, in the Brisbane River corridor.
Read the full Goodna guide
What buying in Forest Lake and Goodna would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Forest Lake and Goodna.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Forest Lake to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Goodna to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Forest Lake and Goodna: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Forest Lake | Goodna |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 22,676 | 10,391 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 37 | 33 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,921 | $1,337 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $390 | $300 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,690 | $1,300 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 26% | 49% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 47% | 29% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 25% | 20% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 95% | 82% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 3% | 16% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 2% | 1% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 4% | 15% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 52% | 36% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 4% | 7% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Forest Lake and Goodna
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Forest Lake
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- A deep pool of comparable estate houses makes a shortfall between contract price and valuation unlikely.
- A mortgage share of 47.5 per cent leaves the suburb sensitive to changes in the cost of borrowing.
- Housing built from the early 1990s is reaching the point where roofing, guttering and fencing need replacement.
- Unapproved decks, pergolas, sheds, carports and pools are a common compliance issue in estate housing.
- Flood exposure varies by address and should be checked through a FloodWise Property Report before going unconditional.
Goodna
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Flood exposure varies materially by address, so Ipswich City Council flood mapping should be checked property by property.
- Insurers price flood risk and a lender requires building insurance at settlement, so obtain a quotation early.
- Median household income of $1,337 against the national $1,746 makes assessed serviceability the binding constraint.
- Dependants raise the household expenditure measure, and lenders apply a buffer above the actual interest rate.
- For the 547 townhouse dwellings, flood pricing arrives through body corporate levies rather than a personal policy.
Housing stock in Forest Lake and Goodna compared
Forest Lake
- Detached houses from the 1990s
- Separate houses numbered 7,337 at the 2021 Census, 94.9 per cent of occupied homes, most built within one cycle.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- The Census recorded 3,364 dwellings with four bedrooms and 3,306 with three, out of 7,731 occupied homes.
- Limited attached housing
- Townhouses numbered 266 and flats or apartments 125, together under 5 per cent of occupied homes.
Goodna
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,765 at the 2021 Census, 82.4 per cent of occupied homes, spanning a wide range of ages.
- Townhouses
- Townhouse and semi-detached dwellings numbered 547, or 16.3 per cent, above the national 12.6 per cent.
- Three-bedroom dwellings
- Three-bedroom dwellings numbered 1,561 of 3,356 occupied homes, ahead of 1,049 with four bedrooms.
Official sale price and rent figures for Forest Lake and Goodna
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Forest Lake
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Forest Lake, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Goodna
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Goodna, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Forest Lake and Goodna
Forest Lake
Transport
- Richlands station (train)
- Forest Lake bus services (bus)
- Centenary Highway (road)
- Forest Lake Boulevard (road)
Schools and campuses
- Forest Lake State School (primary, government)
- Grand Avenue State School (primary, government)
- Forest Lake State High School (secondary, government)
- St John's Anglican College (combined, independent)
Amenities
- Forest Lake Shopping Centre
- Forest Lake parkland
- Lake pedestrian and cycleway circuit
- Forest Lake Village Shopping Centre
Goodna
Transport
- Goodna station (train)
- Westside bus services (bus)
- Ipswich Motorway (road)
Schools and campuses
- Goodna State School (primary, government)
- St Francis Xavier's School (primary, catholic)
- Westside Christian College (combined, independent)
- Goodna Special School (special, government)
Amenities
- Goodna Shopping Centre
- Goodna Aquatic Centre
- St Francis Xavier Church
- Redbank Plaza
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the Queensland education department.
Compare Forest Lake or Goodna with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Forest Lake or Goodna
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