The best suburbs to live in Brisbane in 2026, ranked on six measures
Auchenflower scores 90.9 out of 100, the highest of 432 residential Greater Brisbane suburbs, at $6,009 a year to run. Every other Brisbane ranking you will find is built on property prices. This one is not. It scores what you pay and what you get once you live there, using six measures with published weights, so you can recalculate it yourself or weight it differently.
The highest scoring suburbs in Brisbane for 2026 are Auchenflower at 90.9 out of 100, Albion at 86.6 and Wooloowin at 86.5. The SuburbCost Brisbane Suburb Score combines annual running cost (25 points), catchment school ICSEA (20), recorded crime (20), flood and fire risk (15), walking time to a scheduled transport service (10) and everyday amenities within 2 km (10). All 432 residential suburbs across Brisbane City, Moreton Bay, Logan, Ipswich and Redland are ranked. Running costs across the set span $5,209 to $13,548 a year.
Key statistics
- Suburbs ranked
- 432
- Highest score (Auchenflower)
- 90.9 / 100
- Running cost range
- $5,209 to $13,548
- Low crime suburbs within 20 km
- 8
Methodology
The SuburbCost Brisbane Suburb Score is a 100 point composite of six measures, each with a fixed published weight. Running cost carries 25 points, scored as a percentile within Greater Brisbane, so the cheapest suburb scores 25 and the dearest close to zero. Catchment school ICSEA carries 20. Recorded crime carries 20, built from the Queensland Police Service property offence and other offence classifications. Flood and fire risk carry 15 between them. Walking time to the nearest scheduled transport service carries 10, with rail weighted above bus. Everyday amenities within a 2 km walk, meaning supermarkets, cafes and parks, carry the final 10.
Running cost means council rates, water, the modelled drive commute and building insurance, the same four components used across the rest of the Brisbane article set, so the dollar figures reconcile with the Greater Brisbane Suburb Running Cost Index. Insurance figures are AI estimated and disclosed as such.
13 localities inside the five councils are excluded because they are industrial estates, ports, airfields, institutional land or national park rather than places people live. Excluding them matters: several score well on a cheap commute and empty risk fields and would otherwise appear near the top of a list like this.
The 20 highest scoring Brisbane suburbs
Auchenflower takes first place on a combination rather than a single strength. It scores 19.6 of 20 on schools, 10 of 10 on transport and 10 of 10 on amenities, while still running at $6,009 a year, below the $10,239 Greater Brisbane average.
Every suburb's score, each part of it and its running cost: download all 432 as a CSV.
| Rank | Suburb | Council | From CBD | Score | Running cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auchenflower | Brisbane City | 3 km | 90.9 | $6,009 |
| 2 | Albion | Brisbane City | 4.5 km | 86.6 | $6,434 |
| 3 | Wooloowin | Brisbane City | 5.8 km | 86.5 | $6,780 |
| 4 | Taringa | Brisbane City | 5 km | 85.7 | $6,138 |
| 5 | Annerley | Brisbane City | 4.8 km | 85.3 | $6,377 |
| 6 | Windsor | Brisbane City | 4 km | 85.2 | $6,378 |
| 7 | Gaythorne | Brisbane City | 7.3 km | 85.2 | $6,468 |
| 8 | Newmarket | Brisbane City | 4.2 km | 85.1 | $6,391 |
| 9 | Indooroopilly | Brisbane City | 6.1 km | 85 | $6,669 |
| 10 | Norman Park | Brisbane City | 3.8 km | 84.4 | $6,265 |
| 11 | Clayfield | Brisbane City | 6.3 km | 84.3 | $7,028 |
| 12 | Sherwood | Brisbane City | 8 km | 84 | $6,866 |
| 13 | Highgate Hill | Brisbane City | 2.1 km | 83.7 | $5,615 |
| 14 | Ascot | Brisbane City | 5.9 km | 81.8 | $6,960 |
| 15 | Bulimba | Brisbane City | 4.1 km | 81.3 | $6,309 |
| 16 | Balmoral | Brisbane City | 4.5 km | 81.3 | $6,384 |
| 17 | Lutwyche | Brisbane City | 5.4 km | 81 | $6,660 |
| 18 | Hamilton | Brisbane City | 5.5 km | 80.7 | $6,740 |
| 19 | Manly | Brisbane City | 15.9 km | 80.5 | $9,252 |
| 20 | South Brisbane | Brisbane City | 1.1 km | 80.1 | $5,514 |
Compare any two of these suburbs →
These figures assume a typical household and commute. Find the Brisbane suburbs that fit your own budget →
Every suburb in the top 20 sits inside Brisbane City Council. That is a function of geography rather than a judgement on the other four councils: Brisbane City covers almost all of the inner and middle ring, where short commutes and frequent rail lift three of the six component scores at once. The distance bands below give a fairer read on Moreton Bay, Logan, Ipswich and Redland.
Best Brisbane suburbs by distance from the city
Ranking the whole of Greater Brisbane on one list rewards proximity twice, once through a cheaper commute and once through better transport access. Splitting the 432 suburbs into distance bands removes that and shows the strongest option at each commute length.
Inner, within 5km of the CBD
37 of the 432 ranked suburbs sit in this band. Auchenflower scores highest at 90.9, at $6,009 a year to run.
| Suburb | Council | Score | Running cost | Nearest service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auchenflower | Brisbane City | 90.9 | $6,009 | 5 min walk, train |
| Albion | Brisbane City | 86.6 | $6,434 | 7 min walk, train |
| Annerley | Brisbane City | 85.3 | $6,377 | 7 min walk, train |
| Windsor | Brisbane City | 85.2 | $6,378 | 2 min walk, train |
| Newmarket | Brisbane City | 85.1 | $6,391 | 5 min walk, train |
| Norman Park | Brisbane City | 84.4 | $6,265 | 3 min walk, train |
| Highgate Hill | Brisbane City | 83.7 | $5,615 | 10 min walk, train |
| Bulimba | Brisbane City | 81.3 | $6,309 | 9 min walk, ferry |
Middle ring, 5km to 10km
54 of the 432 ranked suburbs sit in this band. Wooloowin scores highest at 86.5, at $6,780 a year to run.
| Suburb | Council | Score | Running cost | Nearest service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wooloowin | Brisbane City | 86.5 | $6,780 | 2 min walk, train |
| Taringa | Brisbane City | 85.7 | $6,138 | 1 min walk, train |
| Gaythorne | Brisbane City | 85.2 | $6,468 | 5 min walk, train |
| Indooroopilly | Brisbane City | 85 | $6,669 | 6 min walk, train |
| Clayfield | Brisbane City | 84.3 | $7,028 | 5 min walk, train |
| Sherwood | Brisbane City | 84 | $6,866 | 3 min walk, train |
| Ascot | Brisbane City | 81.8 | $6,960 | 2 min walk, train |
| Lutwyche | Brisbane City | 81 | $6,660 | 3 min walk, bus |
Outer, 10km to 20km
105 of the 432 ranked suburbs sit in this band. Manly scores highest at 80.5, at $9,252 a year to run.
| Suburb | Council | Score | Running cost | Nearest service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manly | Brisbane City | 80.5 | $9,252 | 6 min walk, train |
| Northgate | Brisbane City | 79.2 | $7,458 | 6 min walk, train |
| Macgregor | Brisbane City | 75.8 | $7,865 | 9 min walk, bus |
| Aspley | Brisbane City | 73.4 | $8,440 | 8 min walk, bus |
| Robertson | Brisbane City | 72.8 | $7,890 | 21 min walk, train |
| Wynnum | Brisbane City | 72.8 | $9,126 | 1 min walk, train |
| Banyo | Brisbane City | 71.1 | $8,015 | 8 min walk, train |
| Virginia | Brisbane City | 70.7 | $7,939 | 7 min walk, train |
Commuter belt, beyond 20km
236 of the 432 ranked suburbs sit in this band. Wellington Point scores highest at 62.5, at $11,538 a year to run.
| Suburb | Council | Score | Running cost | Nearest service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellington Point | Redland City | 62.5 | $11,538 | 2 min walk, train |
| Ormiston | Redland City | 62.1 | $11,635 | 6 min walk, train |
| Booval | Ipswich City | 61.6 | $10,958 | 7 min walk, train |
| Redcliffe | Moreton Bay Regional | 59.9 | $11,233 | 8 min walk, bus |
| North Lakes | Moreton Bay Regional | 59.6 | $11,220 | 22 min walk, bus |
| Cleveland | Redland City | 57.7 | $11,837 | 12 min walk, train |
| Murrumba Downs | Moreton Bay Regional | 56.4 | $11,204 | 20 min walk, train |
| Bray Park | Moreton Bay Regional | 56.3 | $10,331 | 22 min walk, train |
Best Brisbane suburbs for families
Filtering for a catchment school ICSEA of 8.0 or above, low flood risk, and at least 10 parks within a 2 km walk leaves 10 suburbs. Ranked by the overall score:
| Suburb | Catchment primary | ICSEA | Parks within 2 km | Running cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albion | Ascot State School | 9.4 | 68 | $6,434 |
| Wooloowin | Wooloowin State School | 9 | 63 | $6,780 |
| Annerley | Junction Park State School | 8.6 | 85 | $6,377 |
| Windsor | Windsor State School | 9.5 | 69 | $6,378 |
| Sherwood | Sherwood State School | 9.5 | 35 | $6,866 |
| Highgate Hill | West End State School | 9.6 | 82 | $5,615 |
| Balmoral | Bulimba State School | 9.1 | 41 | $6,384 |
| Manly | Manly State School | 8.6 | 33 | $9,252 |
| Fortitude Valley | Brisbane Central State School | 8.8 | 71 | $5,515 |
| Northgate | Northgate State School | 8 | 19 | $7,458 |
One caveat that matters more than it usually gets. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio Educational Advantage, published by ACARA. It describes the socio educational background of a school's student community, not the quality of its teaching, and ACARA is explicit about that distinction. A high ICSEA catchment tells you about the families already enrolled. It does not tell you the school is well run, and a lower ICSEA school may suit a particular child better. Use it as one input, visit the school, and check the catchment boundary against the specific address rather than the suburb.
Best Brisbane suburbs for commuters
74 Brisbane suburbs have a train station within a 10 minute walk. Ranked by overall score, these balance that access against what they cost to run.
| Suburb | Station | Walk | From CBD | Running cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auchenflower | Auchenflower | 5 min | 3 km | $6,009 |
| Albion | Albion | 7 min | 4.5 km | $6,434 |
| Wooloowin | Wooloowin | 2 min | 5.8 km | $6,780 |
| Taringa | Taringa | 1 min | 5 km | $6,138 |
| Annerley | Fairfield | 7 min | 4.8 km | $6,377 |
| Windsor | Windsor | 2 min | 4 km | $6,378 |
| Gaythorne | Gaythorne | 5 min | 7.3 km | $6,468 |
| Newmarket | Newmarket | 5 min | 4.2 km | $6,391 |
| Indooroopilly | Indooroopilly | 6 min | 6.1 km | $6,669 |
| Norman Park | Norman Park | 3 min | 3.8 km | $6,265 |
The commute component of running cost assumes driving. If you would genuinely use the train every day, the gap between an inner and an outer suburb narrows considerably. The drive versus train comparison sets out the difference in dollars.
What this score does not measure
Being straight about the limits is the only way a ranking like this is worth anything.
- Property prices and capital growth. Not included, anywhere on SuburbCost. This score is about what a suburb costs to run and what it offers, not what a house there costs to buy or what it might be worth later.
- How a suburb feels. Street character, noise, neighbours, community, nightlife and the things that actually make people happy somewhere cannot be scored from open data.
- Your commute, specifically. The commute figure is modelled on a drive to the CBD. If you work at the airport, in Springfield or from home, it does not describe your trip.
- Property level risk. Flood and fire are classified for the suburb, not the address. Two houses in one suburb can face very different exposure. Always check the council flood overlay for the specific property.
- Crime detail. The classification uses two broad Queensland Police Service offence groupings rendered as Low, Medium and High. It does not distinguish between offence types or capture recent trend.
- Estimated components. Building insurance is AI estimated, not quoted. Treat it as directional.
If any one measure matters far more to you than the rest, the component columns in the tables above let you re-rank on that alone rather than accepting the weighting used here.
See the current Brisbane City Council rates and cost any suburb in the area →
Frequently asked questions
What are the best suburbs in Brisbane?
On the SuburbCost Brisbane Suburb Score, the highest scoring suburbs in 2026 are Auchenflower at 90.9 out of 100, Albion at 86.6 and Wooloowin at 86.5. The score combines annual running cost, catchment school ICSEA, recorded crime, flood and fire risk, walking distance to a scheduled transport service, and everyday amenities within 2 km. All 432 residential suburbs across the five Greater Brisbane councils are ranked. The score does not measure property prices, capital growth, or how a suburb feels to live in.
What is the best area in Brisbane to live?
The highest scoring area is the inner northern corridor running from Windsor through Wooloowin and Clayfield, where suburbs combine short commutes, strong catchment schools and frequent rail. On this score, Auchenflower ranks first overall. Which area suits you depends on what you weight, so the full table below shows the six component scores separately rather than only the total.
What are the best Brisbane suburbs for families?
Ranked on catchment school ICSEA of 8.0 or above, low flood risk and at least 10 parks within 2 km, the strongest are Albion, Wooloowin, Annerley, Windsor, Sherwood. 10 suburbs meet all three conditions. Note that ICSEA measures the socio educational background of a school community rather than teaching quality, so treat it as one input among several.
Which Brisbane suburbs are cheapest to run?
Red Hill is the cheapest of the 432 at $5,209 a year, and Ipswich the dearest at $13,548, a spread of $8,339. Running cost here means council rates, water, the modelled drive commute and building insurance. The full cost ranking is in the companion article on the cheapest Brisbane suburbs.
How is the Brisbane Suburb Score calculated?
Six measures out of 100. Annual running cost 25 points, scored as a percentile within Greater Brisbane. Catchment school ICSEA 20 points. Recorded crime 20 points, from the Queensland Police Service property and other offence classifications. Flood and fire risk 15 points. Walking time to the nearest scheduled service 10 points, with rail weighted above bus. Everyday amenities within 2 km 10 points, from supermarket, cafe and park counts. The weights are fixed and published so the ranking can be recalculated independently.
Are safe suburbs in Brisbane also affordable?
Generally not. The 36 suburbs rated low for both recorded crime measures average $11,741 a year to run against $10,239 across all 432, and sit 32.3 km from the CBD against a 23.9 km average. Only 8 of them are within 20 km. The companion article on safe Brisbane suburbs sets out where they are.
Compare Brisbane suburbs on your own priorities
Put any two Brisbane suburbs side by side and see council rates, water, commute, insurance, school catchment, flood and fire risk and transport access together. Every one of the 432 suburbs ranked here has its own page with the full breakdown behind its score.
Compare suburb costs →Data sources
Council rates: 2026-27 adopted budgets and rating resolutions for Brisbane City, Moreton Bay, Logan City, Ipswich City and Redland City. Water: Queensland Urban Utilities and Unitywater 2026-27. Crime: Queensland Police Service offence classifications. Schools: ACARA School Profile 2025, ICSEA percentile, and Queensland Department of Education catchment boundaries. Flood: Queensland Globe flood mapping. Fire: QFES bushfire prone land mapping. Transport and amenities: OpenStreetMap via Overpass, 2 km walk radius, built August 2026. Building insurance: AI estimated, disclosed as an estimate. Coverage: 432 residential Greater Brisbane suburbs, 13 non residential localities excluded.
Cite this data
SuburbCost data is free to cite with attribution. Please link to this page as the source.