Cheapest Suburbs in Brisbane (2026): Land Values, Rents and the Trade-offs
By Tim AllenBuyer’s Agent and Director, IPS Buyer’s Agents
The cheapest suburbs in Brisbane, on the Valuer-General’s land values, are Wacol ($340,000), Rocklea ($350,000), Sumner ($390,000), Ellen Grove ($410,000) and Archerfield ($415,000), but each has fewer than 800 residential properties.[1] The cheapest suburbs with a real choice of homes are Inala ($440,000), Fitzgibbon ($455,000), Acacia Ridge ($470,000), Pallara ($480,000), Bald Hills ($485,000) and Forest Lake ($490,000), each with more than 2,000 residential properties.[1]
This guide lists the 25 suburbs with the lowest median land values in the Brisbane City Council area, the cheapest in each region, rents by postcode and the trade-offs to check. It starts with the northside, where we have a suburb report for every suburb listed, and ends with the cheaper council areas next door, including Moreton Bay. It describes the data; it does not forecast prices.
Key takeaways
- Wacol had Brisbane’s lowest median residential land value at 1 October 2024, $340,000, against $720,000 across the city.[1]
- 25 mainland suburbs had a median land value of $500,000 or less, most of them in the south-west, the far west and the outer north.[1]
- Cheap land has not meant slow growth: 16 of those 25 suburbs rose by more than the city-wide 16.1% since 2022.[1]
- Three-bedroom houses let for a median $600 a week in the Inala and Darra postcodes, the lowest of the postcodes we checked.[2]
- Brisbane’s median house price was $1,480,000 in the June 2026 quarter; Ipswich’s was $915,000 and Logan’s $985,000.[3]
The 25 cheapest Brisbane suburbs for land
These are the 25 mainland suburbs with the lowest median residential land values in the Brisbane City Council area at 1 October 2024,[1] the Valuer-General’s latest valuation of Brisbane; the city was not revalued in 2026.[4] Land values are not house prices: they value the land only, and the house on it can add a great deal. But they are the only official figure for every suburb on the same date, which makes them the fairest way to compare. The three Moreton Island localities are left out, and all our reports for the city are in our Brisbane suburb reports.
| Suburb | Region | Median land value, 1 Oct 2024[1] | Change since 1 Oct 2022 | Residential properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wacol | South-west | $340,000 | 19.3% | 237 |
| Rocklea | Southern suburbs | $350,000 | 25% | 563 |
| Sumner | Western suburbs | $390,000 | 20% | 193 |
| Ellen Grove | South-west | $410,000 | 20.6% | 765 |
| Archerfield | Southern suburbs | $415,000 | 25.8% | 225 |
| Pinkenba | Northside | $425,000 | 25% | 122 |
| Inala | South-west | $440,000 | 29.4% | 4,781 |
| Bellbowrie | Western suburbs | $450,000 | 9.8% | 1,849 |
| Karana Downs | Western suburbs | $450,000 | 20% | 993 |
| Darra | South-west | $455,000 | 9.6% | 1,362 |
| Fitzgibbon | Northside | $455,000 | 15.2% | 2,050 |
| Riverhills | Western suburbs | $460,000 | 19.5% | 1,372 |
| Mount Crosby | Western suburbs | $462,500 | 20.1% | 88 |
| Acacia Ridge | Southern suburbs | $470,000 | 10.6% | 2,508 |
| Richlands | South-west | $470,000 | 30.6% | 591 |
| Drewvale | Southern suburbs | $475,000 | 10.5% | 1,309 |
| Durack | South-west | $480,000 | 29.7% | 1,839 |
| Pallara | South-west | $480,000 | 10.3% | 2,837 |
| Bald Hills | Northside | $485,000 | 15.5% | 2,529 |
| Karawatha | Southern suburbs | $485,000 | 40.6% | 65 |
| Forest Lake | South-west | $490,000 | 30.7% | 7,748 |
| Doolandella | South-west | $495,000 | 30.3% | 1,712 |
| Bracken Ridge | Northside | $500,000 | 20.5% | 5,735 |
| Moggill | Western suburbs | $500,000 | 9.9% | 1,676 |
| Upper Kedron | Northside | $500,000 | 9.9% | 2,007 |
Six of the 25 have fewer than 300 residential properties, so few homes come up for sale: Karawatha (65), Mount Crosby (88), Pinkenba (122), Sumner (193), Archerfield (225) and Wacol (237).[1] Our Brisbane suburbs list has the land value of all 177 suburbs, region by region.
Cheapest northside suburbs
On the northside, 11 suburbs had median land values of $600,000 or less, from Pinkenba ($425,000) and Fitzgibbon ($455,000) to Nudgee ($580,000) and Ferny Grove ($590,000).[1] Bracken Ridge, with 5,735 residential properties, is the largest of them, and Deagon rose the most, 34.2%.[1] Each links to our suburb report, and our guide to Brisbane’s northern suburbs covers all 44 northside suburbs, with rents by postcode.
| Suburb | Median land value, 1 Oct 2024[1] | Change since 1 Oct 2022 | Residential properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinkenba | $425,000 | 25% | 122 |
| Fitzgibbon | $455,000 | 15.2% | 2,050 |
| Bald Hills | $485,000 | 15.5% | 2,529 |
| Bracken Ridge | $500,000 | 20.5% | 5,735 |
| Upper Kedron | $500,000 | 9.9% | 2,007 |
| Boondall | $530,000 | 15.2% | 3,180 |
| Deagon | $550,000 | 34.2% | 1,521 |
| Taigum | $550,000 | 20.9% | 1,404 |
| Zillmere | $550,000 | 14.6% | 2,260 |
| Nudgee | $580,000 | 9.4% | 1,481 |
| Ferny Grove | $590,000 | 9.3% | 1,882 |
Rents in the outer north were close together: three-bedroom houses let for a median $695 to $700 a week in postcodes 4014, 4017, 4018 and 4034, and $650 in Bald Hills (4036).[2]
South-west
The south-west has the most low-priced land in Brisbane: nine of its 12 suburbs were at $500,000 or less, led by Wacol ($340,000), Ellen Grove ($410,000) and Inala ($440,000).[1] Forest Lake has more residential properties than any other Brisbane suburb, 7,748, and Forest Lake, Richlands, Doolandella and Durack all rose by about 30%; Heathwood, at $540,000, rose 46%.[1]
| Suburb | Median land value, 1 Oct 2024[1] | Change since 1 Oct 2022 | Residential properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wacol | $340,000 | 19.3% | 237 |
| Ellen Grove | $410,000 | 20.6% | 765 |
| Inala | $440,000 | 29.4% | 4,781 |
| Darra | $455,000 | 9.6% | 1,362 |
| Richlands | $470,000 | 30.6% | 591 |
| Durack | $480,000 | 29.7% | 1,839 |
| Pallara | $480,000 | 10.3% | 2,837 |
| Forest Lake | $490,000 | 30.7% | 7,748 |
| Doolandella | $495,000 | 30.3% | 1,712 |
| Heathwood | $540,000 | 46% | 1,584 |
| Oxley | $550,000 | 10% | 2,897 |
| Willawong | $600,000 | 11.1% | 138 |
South
Closer to the city, Rocklea ($350,000) and Archerfield ($415,000) are small, with 563 and 225 residential properties, while Acacia Ridge ($470,000) and Drewvale ($475,000) are larger. Parkinson and Algester, at $580,000 and $590,000, each have more than 2,700.[1]
| Suburb | Median land value, 1 Oct 2024[1] | Change since 1 Oct 2022 | Residential properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocklea | $350,000 | 25% | 563 |
| Archerfield | $415,000 | 25.8% | 225 |
| Acacia Ridge | $470,000 | 10.6% | 2,508 |
| Drewvale | $475,000 | 10.5% | 1,309 |
| Karawatha | $485,000 | 40.6% | 65 |
| Parkinson | $580,000 | 5.5% | 3,172 |
| Algester | $590,000 | 29.7% | 2,716 |
| Tennyson | $590,000 | 0% | 277 |
Three-bedroom houses let for a median $600 a week in postcodes 4076 (Darra and Wacol) and 4077 (Inala and its neighbours), $632.50 in 4110 (Acacia Ridge, Archerfield and Pallara) and $650 in 4078 (Forest Lake and Ellen Grove).[2]
In the west, Sumner ($390,000), Bellbowrie and Karana Downs ($450,000 each), Riverhills ($460,000) and Moggill ($500,000) had the lowest land values.[1]
| Suburb | Median land value, 1 Oct 2024[1] | Change since 1 Oct 2022 | Residential properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumner | $390,000 | 20% | 193 |
| Bellbowrie | $450,000 | 9.8% | 1,849 |
| Karana Downs | $450,000 | 20% | 993 |
| Riverhills | $460,000 | 19.5% | 1,372 |
| Mount Crosby | $462,500 | 20.1% | 88 |
| Moggill | $500,000 | 9.9% | 1,676 |
| Jindalee | $510,000 | 14.6% | 1,895 |
| Anstead | $530,000 | 9.3% | 196 |
| Jamboree Heights | $530,000 | 19.1% | 1,188 |
| Seventeen Mile Rocks | $590,000 | 20.4% | 900 |
| Middle Park | $600,000 | 30.4% | 1,350 |
The east has little cheap land. Hemmant, at $550,000, was the only eastern suburb under $600,000, ahead of Tingalpa ($610,000) and Lota, Murarrie and Wynnum West ($630,000 each).[1]
| Suburb | Median land value, 1 Oct 2024[1] | Change since 1 Oct 2022 | Residential properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hemmant | $550,000 | 15.8% | 1,108 |
| Tingalpa | $610,000 | 10.9% | 2,642 |
| Lota | $630,000 | 5% | 1,186 |
| Murarrie | $630,000 | 14.6% | 1,361 |
| Wynnum West | $630,000 | 10.5% | 3,922 |
| Postcode | 3-bedroom house, median weekly rent[2] | Change on a year earlier | 4-bedroom house | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4014 (Pinkenba, Nudgee, Banyo, Virginia) | $700 | +8% | $870 | +9% |
| 4017 (Bracken Ridge, Brighton, Deagon, Sandgate) | $695 | +7% | $770 | +1% |
| 4018 (Fitzgibbon, Taigum) | $700 | +9% | $795 | +6% |
| 4034 (Boondall, Zillmere, Aspley, Carseldine) | $700 | +8% | $845 | +7% |
| 4036 (Bald Hills) | $650 | +8% | $792.50 | +10% |
| 4070 (Bellbowrie, Moggill, Anstead) | n/a | n/a | $790 | +5% |
| 4074 (Sumner, Riverhills, Westlake, Jindalee) | $710 | +9% | $770 | +3% |
| 4076 (Darra, Wacol) | $600 | +9% | $680 | n/a |
| 4077 (Inala, Richlands, Doolandella, Durack) | $600 | +9% | $750 | +7% |
| 4078 (Forest Lake, Ellen Grove) | $650 | +8% | $750 | +14% |
| 4106 (Rocklea) | $637.50 | +5% | n/a | n/a |
| 4110 (Acacia Ridge, Archerfield, Heathwood, Pallara, Willawong) | $632.50 | +9% | $760 | +6% |
| 4116 (Drewvale, Calamvale, Stretton) | $750 | +15% | $850 | +13% |
| 4174 (Hemmant) | $700 | n/a | $890 | n/a |
Medians are from new leases lodged with the RTA in July to September 2026, compared with the same quarter of 2025. n/a means too few new leases for a median, and medians from fewer than 20 leases can move a lot. Three-bedroom rents rose in every postcode we could compare, by 5% to 15%.[2] Brisbane’s rental vacancy rate was 1.0% in the September 2026 quarter.[5] If you are buying to rent out, a local property manager such as SmartYield in Brisbane can tell you what a particular home would let for.
- Fewer homes to choose from. In the smallest suburbs only a handful of homes sell each year, so be ready to widen the search to the suburb next door.
- Flood exposure. Check every address on Brisbane City Council’s Flood Awareness Map, which shows the likelihood of a property being affected by different types of flooding, and download its FloodWise Property Report.[6]
- The house, not the land. A low land value can sit under an older or smaller home. Book a building and pest inspection, and price the home on recent sales of similar homes nearby.
- The commute. Drive or ride it at peak hour before you commit.
- The contract. Read the contract of sale and its conditions before you sign.
If Brisbane City is out of reach, the neighbouring councils are cheaper on the REIQ’s June 2026 quarter figures. The median house price was $915,000 in Ipswich, $985,000 in Logan and $1,055,000 in Moreton Bay, against $1,480,000 in Brisbane, and the median unit price was $700,000 in Ipswich and Logan and $781,775 in Moreton Bay.[3]
Moreton Bay is where our suburb reports go deepest: see our Moreton Bay suburb reports and our Moreton Bay property market guide, and our client story from Caboolture, where we secured a two-bedroom unit for $517,500. For Ipswich, see our Ipswich real estate market trends.
On a tight budget, the price you pay and the problems you avoid matter even more. A buyer’s agent works only for you: shortlisting suburbs against your budget, inspecting in person, testing each price against recent sales, and negotiating or bidding for you. Get pre-approval first; we work with the brokers at Moreton Bay Finance Broker. Use our purchase calculator for stamp duty and upfront costs, and our first home buyer page for the grants and concessions. You can read our Google reviews before you call.
Brisbane’s cheapest land is in the south-west, the far west and the outer north, from Wacol at $340,000 to the suburbs around $500,000 such as Bracken Ridge and Upper Kedron.[1] The cheapest suburbs with plenty of homes are Inala, Fitzgibbon, Acacia Ridge, Pallara, Bald Hills and Forest Lake, and rents there have risen too.[1][2] Check flood information and recent sales for every address. If you would like help finding the best home your budget will buy, book a time with Tim.
This article is general information only, current at November 2026, and is not a recommendation to buy in any suburb. Land values are the Valuer-General’s medians for residential land at 1 October 2024, not the price of any home, and rents are RTA medians for new leases. Check flood information, zoning and recent sales for any property before you buy.
- Queensland Government — 2025 land valuation overview, Brisbane City Council (values at 1 October 2024; archived copy of the official page, captured 7 December 2025)
- Residential Tenancies Authority — Median rents quick finder (Brisbane postcodes, Jul–Sep 2026 and Jul–Sep 2025, read 5 November 2026)
- REIQ — Queensland property market takes a breath after years of rapid growth (June 2026 quarter data, house and unit median sales tables, Cotality data, 31 August 2026)
- Queensland Government — Past trends in land valuations (local government areas valued, 2022–2026)
- REIQ — Healthy vacancy rates kept at bay, says REIQ (September 2026 quarter vacancy rates, 26 October 2026)
- Brisbane City Council — FloodWise Property Report
What is the cheapest suburb in Brisbane?
On the Valuer-General’s median residential land values at 1 October 2024, Wacol was the cheapest suburb in the Brisbane City Council area at $340,000, followed by Rocklea at $350,000, Sumner at $390,000, Ellen Grove at $410,000 and Archerfield at $415,000. All five are small, with fewer than 800 residential properties each, so few homes come up for sale.
Which Brisbane suburbs have land values under $500,000?
Twenty-two mainland suburbs had a median land value under $500,000 at 1 October 2024, and three more were at exactly $500,000. The larger ones include Inala ($440,000), Fitzgibbon ($455,000), Acacia Ridge ($470,000), Pallara ($480,000), Bald Hills ($485,000) and Forest Lake ($490,000), each with more than 2,000 residential properties. Land values are not house prices, so check recent sales.
What are the cheapest suburbs on Brisbane’s northside?
On the Valuer-General’s figures, the cheapest northside suburbs were Pinkenba ($425,000), Fitzgibbon ($455,000), Bald Hills ($485,000), Bracken Ridge and Upper Kedron ($500,000 each) and Boondall ($530,000). Pinkenba is small, with 122 residential properties, while Bracken Ridge has 5,735. IPS has a suburb report for each of them.
Have Brisbane’s cheapest suburbs grown in value?
Yes, on the latest valuation. Of the 25 mainland suburbs with land values of $500,000 or less, 16 rose by more than the city-wide 16.1% between October 2022 and October 2024, including Forest Lake, Richlands and Doolandella at about 30%. Past rises do not tell you what values will do next, so judge each home on its own merits.
How much is rent in Brisbane’s cheapest suburbs?
In the September 2026 quarter, three-bedroom houses let for a median $600 a week in postcodes 4076 (Darra and Wacol) and 4077 (Inala), $632.50 in 4110 (Acacia Ridge and Pallara), $650 in 4078 (Forest Lake) and about $700 across the outer north. Rents rose 5% to 15% on a year earlier in every postcode we could compare.
Is it cheaper to buy outside Brisbane City Council?
Yes, on the REIQ’s June 2026 quarter figures. The median house price was $915,000 in Ipswich, $985,000 in Logan and $1,055,000 in Moreton Bay, against $1,480,000 in Brisbane. Median unit prices were $700,000 in Ipswich and Logan and $781,775 in Moreton Bay, against $875,000 in Brisbane.