Moving to Brisbane: what the data actually says
Short answer: there is no single best suburb in Brisbane for everyone moving here — it depends on whether you weight safety, value, family amenity or street life. Dayboro leads on safety, Ferny Grove leads on the families blend, Brookfield leads on value for money. The median suburb rents at $400/wk and its median house price is $1,260,000. Every figure below is computed from official data for all 277 suburbs, and you can re-order the ranking yourself on the Brisbane suburb map.
By Formada3D research · Updated 10 October 2026
Is moving to Brisbane a good idea? · What salary do you need to live in Brisbane? · Where should I live when moving to Brisbane? · Which Brisbane suburbs are the safest to move to? · Which Brisbane suburbs are best for families? · How much does it cost to buy a house in Brisbane? · Which Brisbane suburbs are close to the CBD and easy to commute from? · Where do young professionals live in Brisbane? · How do I compare two Brisbane suburbs before choosing?
Is moving to Brisbane a good idea?
For the numbers we can measure, Brisbane is 277 very different suburbs rather than one answer: the median suburb rents at $400/wk (ABS Census 2021, whole-suburb medians); the median suburb's median house price is $1,260,000 (12 months ending 31 March 2026, 275 suburbs with 10+ sales); 57 of 277 suburbs score 80/100 or better on safety. Dayboro leads on safety, Ferny Grove leads on the families blend, Brookfield leads on value for money, Albion leads on cafés, transit and street life, Wakerley leads on green space, Fairfield leads on public transport. What this guide cannot tell you: jobs, weather, or how a street feels — it ranks suburbs on official crime statistics, ABS census rent and income, sale prices where the state publishes them, and OpenStreetMap parks, cafés, transit and schools. Every ranking below links to its full list.
What salary do you need to live in Brisbane?
Using the common 30%-of-income housing-stress benchmark on ABS census rents: the median Brisbane suburb ($400/wk) needs a household income of roughly $69k a year; the cheapest quarter of suburbs ($370/wk or less) about $64k; the dearest quarter ($450/wk or more) about $78k or above. For comparison, the median Brisbane suburb's median household income in the 2021 census was $2,049/wk (about $107k a year). These are whole-suburb census medians across every dwelling size, so a one-bedroom flat sits well below and a family house well above — use them to rank suburbs, not to budget. Cheaper suburbs that still score at or above the city median for safety and public transport: Shorncliffe ($275/wk), Yeerongpilly ($395/wk), Auchenflower ($390/wk), Corinda ($388/wk), Sandgate ($294/wk) — see first home buyers in Brisbane and renting in Brisbane.
Where should I live when moving to Brisbane?
Pick by what you weight. Safety first: Dayboro, Cashmere, Bunya (safest suburbs in Brisbane). Families: Ferny Grove, Corinda, Kenmore (best Brisbane suburbs for families). Value for money: Brookfield, Bardon, Ashgrove (best value suburbs in Brisbane). Young professionals: Albion, Milton, Fairfield (cafés, transit and street life). Green space: Wakerley, Holmview, Edens Landing (greenest suburbs in Brisbane). Car-free living: Fairfield, Gaythorne, Bowen Hills (best public transport in Brisbane). Or set your own weights on the Brisbane suburb map and re-rank all 277 suburbs yourself.
Which Brisbane suburbs are the safest to move to?
On recorded criminal offences per 1,000 residents from the state's official crime statistics, the safest Brisbane suburbs are Dayboro, Cashmere, Bunya, Eatons Hill, Warner. (Brisbane crime data is published at police-division level, so these suburbs are ranked on their division's rate.) The rate is per resident, so it measures recorded offences, not how a street feels. Full ranking of all 277 suburbs: safest suburbs in Brisbane.
Which Brisbane suburbs are best for families?
Blending safety, government-school proximity, parks, kindergartens, price-for-size and transit, the top family suburbs are Ferny Grove (families 87/100, nearest school 0.04 km, 5.66 ha of parks per 1,000 residents), Corinda (families 82/100, nearest school 0.49 km, 4.83 ha of parks per 1,000 residents), Kenmore (families 82/100, nearest school 0.49 km, 4.22 ha of parks per 1,000 residents), Ashgrove (families 80/100, nearest school 0.37 km, 4.35 ha of parks per 1,000 residents), Indooroopilly (families 79/100, nearest school 0.31 km, 4.39 ha of parks per 1,000 residents). School distance is straight-line from the suburb centre, not catchment zoning — check zoning with the school before you sign. Full list: best suburbs in Brisbane for families; the decision version is families moving to Brisbane.
How much does it cost to buy a house in Brisbane?
Across the 275 Brisbane suburbs with at least 10 house sales in the period, the median suburb's median house price is $1,260,000 (Queensland Regional Profiles (QGSO), 12 months ending 31 March 2026). Cheapest: White Rock ($652,500), Riverview ($705,000), Bundamba ($737,500), North Booval ($750,000), Booval ($750,000). Dearest: Bowen Hills ($3,775,000), Teneriffe ($3,775,000), Newstead ($3,775,000), New Farm ($3,400,000), Hamilton ($2,460,000). Medians move with what happened to sell in the period, so treat a single year as a guide; every suburb page shows the sale count behind its figure. Best offer-vs-rent trade-off: best value suburbs in Brisbane.
Which Brisbane suburbs are close to the CBD and easy to commute from?
89 of the 277 scored suburbs sit within 10 km of the Brisbane CBD (straight-line from the city centre, not drive time) and 178 within 20 km. Of the inner ones, the best-served by public transport stops and stations (OpenStreetMap) are Fairfield (4.1 km, transit 100/100), Gaythorne (7.5 km, transit 99/100), Bowen Hills (3.1 km, transit 99/100), Wooloowin (5.8 km, transit 99/100), Milton (2 km, transit 98/100). We do not hold timetable-based commute times; see each suburb page for its stop count and the public transport ranking.
Where do young professionals live in Brisbane?
On cafés per resident, public transport access and GPS-measured street activity, the suburbs that score highest are Albion (98/100 cafés, 97/100 transit), Milton (98/100 cafés, 98/100 transit), Fairfield (89/100 cafés, 100/100 transit), Dutton Park (96/100 cafés, 98/100 transit), Alderley (80/100 cafés, 89/100 transit). See best Brisbane suburbs for young professionals and best suburbs for coffee.
How do I compare two Brisbane suburbs before choosing?
Every suburb page has a compare link to its nearest neighbours, and any two to four suburbs can be compared side by side on all ten scores, rent and price. Popular pairs from the suburbs named above:
What else do people ask about moving to Brisbane?
How is this Brisbane relocation guide calculated?
From the same open data behind every page here — official crime statistics, ABS census income and rent, state sale-price data where it is published under an open licence, OpenStreetMap parks, cafés, transit and schools, and open GPS-activity traces — turned into per-suburb percentile scores. See how we rank suburbs.
How current is the data?
Rents and incomes are ABS Census 2021 medians; crime is the latest published year from the state agency; sale prices are 12 months ending 31 March 2026; OpenStreetMap counts are refreshed each build. This page was rebuilt on 10 October 2026.
Can a suburb, agent or developer pay to appear here?
No. Nothing on this site is sponsored or paid placement, and no ranking can be bought. Guidance only — visit a suburb before you move there.
Computed from 277 scored Brisbane suburbs. Guidance only — visit a suburb before you move there. No suburb, agent or developer can pay for placement on this page or any ranking it links to. Sources and full method: how we rank suburbs.
Comparing Brisbane with another city?
What does it cost to live in Brisbane?
Cost of living in Brisbane: median rent $400/wk, household income $2,049/wk, cheapest and dearest suburbs.