SuburbCheck

Forest Lake vs Southport

The verdict

Southport rates higher for transport (86 vs 52). Southport is closer to the coast (1.9 km vs 28.2 km). On the separate residential safety score, Southport rates higher (83 vs 66/100 in Forest Lake).

Scores

Forest LakeSouthport
Forest LakeSouthport
Overall6684
Transport5286
Education5862
Liveability88100

Overall is based on transport, liveability & education — the metrics available at consistent quality nationwide. Residential safety is compared separately below.

Demographics

Forest LakeSouthport
Population22,67636,786
Median age3737
Median household income (wk)$1,921$1,268
Bachelor degree or higher41.7%38.8%
Born in Australia58.7%54.1%
Avg household size2.82.1

Growth: Forest Lake · Southport

Property

Forest LakeSouthport
Median house priceData not availableData not available
Median unit priceData not availableData not available
House price YoYData not availableData not available
Median rent — house (wk)$610$785
Rental yield (house)Data not availableData not available
Days on market (house)Data not availableData not available

Median price history

Safety

Forest LakeSouthport
Residential safety score6683
Break & enter dwelling /100k930614
Motor vehicle theft /100k415375
Domestic assault /100kData not availableData not available
Total incidents /100k (all)6,1456,113

Total incidents over time

Schools

Forest LakeSouthport
Total schools513
Government36
Independent24
Average ICSEA1,0311,039

See the full school list on each profile: Forest Lake · Southport

Transport

Forest LakeSouthport
Transport score5286
Train stations00
Bus stops43112
Light rail stops011
Ferry wharves00
CBD commute (min)66Data not available
Nearest train station (km)3.3 km690 m

Liveability

Forest LakeSouthport
Summer max temp29.3°C28.4°C
Winter max temp21.5°C21.0°C
Annual rainfall (mm)1,1501,340
Supermarkets39
Cafes & restaurants3101
Parks7269
Playgrounds3721
Swimming pools17111
Medical GPs211
Distance to coast (km)28.2 km1.9 km
Distance to CBD (km)17.9 km67.1 km
Nearest beach (km)Data not available1.9 km
Nearest hospital (km)10.8 km2.1 km

Population & growth

Forest LakeSouthport
Population (2021)22,67636,786
Estimated 202523,82838,796
Projected 2041Data not availableData not available
Annual growth rate1.25%1.34%

Common questions

Which is safer, Forest Lake or Southport?

Southport has the higher residential safety score (Forest Lake 66/100 vs Southport 83/100).

Which has better schools, Forest Lake or Southport?

Southport has a higher average school ICSEA (Forest Lake 1031 vs Southport 1039; national average 1000).

Which has better public transport, Forest Lake or Southport?

Southport has the higher transport score (Forest Lake 52/100 vs Southport 86/100).

Try another comparison

Compare two suburbs

Forest Lake

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SuburbCheck

A free, data-driven tool to compare Australian suburbs on safety, schools, transport, property and liveability — built from public government data.

Data sources

ABS Census & ERP · Valuers-General · BOCSAR & state crime agencies · GTFS · ACARA · Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap.

Data is from public sources and may not reflect current conditions. Figures are indicative and should not be the sole basis for property or relocation decisions.

© 2026 SuburbCheck · Data refreshed quarterly.