Aranda

An assessment of population growth drivers in Aranda reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Aranda's population is around 2,648 as of May 2026. This reflects an increase of 43 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,605 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 2,643 from the ABS as of June 2025 and an additional 10 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,697 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Aranda's growth rate of 1.7% since census positions it within 2.5 percentage points of the SA3 area (4.2%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 86.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections, with 2022 as a base, are adopted. According to these projections, over this period, Aranda's population is expected to decline by 312 persons by 2041. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 45 to 54 age group, which is projected to grow by 9 people.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Aranda according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Aranda has received approximately 9 dwelling approvals annually. Between FY21-FY25, 49 homes were approved, with 2 more approved in FY26 to date. Over these years, an average of 0.8 new residents per new home arrived annually.

This pace suggests that new construction is keeping up with or exceeding demand, providing buyers with more options and potentially driving population growth beyond current projections. The average construction cost value for new homes was $314,000, slightly above the regional average. In FY26 alone, $1.2 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Aranda has about two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 60th percentile nationally.

New building activity comprises 57.0% standalone homes and 43.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating a shift towards medium-density options and diverse housing affordability. This contrasts with the current 87.0% houses in Aranda, suggesting decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyles driving demand for varied housing types. With around 260 people per dwelling approval, Aranda exhibits characteristics of a low density area. Stable or declining population forecasts may alleviate housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Aranda has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 21stth percentile nationally

No changes can influence an area's performance more than alterations to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. Zero projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could potentially impact the area. Notable projects include Bruce Precinct (Section 15), Bruce Residential Development Zone, New Northside Hospital (North Canberra Hospital Redevelopment), and Bruce Commercial Centre Expansion, with the following list detailing those most likely to be relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

AreaSearch assessment positions Aranda ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Aranda has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.9%, below the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.8%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.9%.

As of December 2025, 1,339 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.9% lower than ACT's. Workforce participation in Aranda is 64.8%, compared to ACT's 70.5%. According to Census responses, 16.7% of residents work from home. Leading employment industries include public administration & safety, education & training, and professional & technical services.

Education & training employs 1.6 times the regional average but health care & social assistance is lower at 9.5%, compared to ACT's 11.7%. Over the year to December 2025, employment increased by 2.9% while labour force grew by 1.1%, reducing unemployment by 1.7 percentage points. In contrast, ACT saw employment rise by 0.9%, with unemployment increasing by 0.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Aranda's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

The Aranda SA2 had one of the highest income levels nationally according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for the financial year ending June 30, 2023. Its median income among taxpayers was $81,229, and average income stood at $99,921, compared to ACT's figures of $72,206 and $85,981 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.44% from July 1, 2023 to March 31, 2026, estimated incomes would be approximately $89,709 (median) and $110,353 (average). Census data from 2021 showed Aranda's household, family, and personal incomes ranked high nationally, between the 96th and 98th percentiles. Income analysis revealed that 37.1% of residents (982 people) earned $4,000 or more weekly, contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket led at 34.3%. A substantial 52.6% of residents exceeded $3,000 weekly income, indicating strong purchasing power. After accounting for housing costs, residents retained 90.2% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 10th decile.

Aranda is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Aranda's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 87.3% houses and 12.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with the Australian Capital Territory's 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Aranda stood at 44.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.8% and rented ones at 16.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, exceeding the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,080. Median weekly rent in Aranda was $530, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's $450. Nationally, Aranda's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Aranda features high concentrations of group households and family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 78.7% of all households, consisting of 39.6% couples with children, 30.2% couples without children, and 8.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 21.3%, with lone person households at 16.3% and group households comprising 4.9%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

Educational achievement in Aranda places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Aranda's educational attainment is notably higher than broader averages. Among residents aged 15+, 62.5% hold university qualifications compared to Australia's 30.4% and the SA3 area's 43.8%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 30.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (24.5%) and graduate diplomas (7.3%). Vocational pathways account for 16.2% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas comprising 8.1% and certificates also at 8.1%.

Educational participation is high in Aranda, with 31.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in primary education, 9.0% in secondary education, and 7.8% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Aranda has 13 operational public transport stops offering a mix of lightrail and bus services. These stops are served by 52 unique routes that facilitate a total of 2,735 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents situated an average of 232 meters from the nearest stop. Primarily residential, Aranda sees most commuters traveling outward. Car remains the prevalent mode of transport at 79%, followed by bus at 10% and cycling at 7%. Vehicle ownership stands at 1.5 per dwelling, surpassing the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 16.7% of residents work from home, a figure possibly influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Overall service frequency averages 390 trips daily across all routes, translating to roughly 210 weekly trips per individual stop.

Aranda's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Aranda, based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were found to be low, particularly among younger cohorts. The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 70% of the total population (1,864 people), compared to 62.4% across Australian Capital Territory and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 8.7 and 7.9% of residents respectively. A total of 70.1% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, comparable to the 70.2% across Australian Capital Territory. Working-age residents showed low chronic condition prevalence. The area had 19.6% of residents aged 65 and over (520 people), higher than the 14.3% in Australian Capital Territory but ranking lower nationally compared to the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Aranda was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Aranda's population was found to be more linguistically diverse than most local markets, with 15.8% speaking a language other than English at home as of the latest data point in 20XX. Additionally, 26.5% of Aranda's residents were born overseas by this date. Christianity was identified as the primary religion in Aranda, making up 31.0% of its population during this period.

However, the most significant overrepresentation was found in Judaism, which comprised 0.4% of Aranda's population compared to the regional average of 0.2%. In terms of ancestry, based on country of birth of parents, the top three groups represented in Aranda were English at 26.3%, Australian at 25.0%, and Irish at 10.0%. Notable divergences included Polish being overrepresented at 1.1% compared to the regional average of 0.8%, Welsh at 0.8% versus 0.6%, and Hungarian at 0.4% against a regional average of 0.3%.

Aranda's median age exceeds the national pattern

Aranda's median age is 42, which is considerably higher than the Australian Capital Territory figure of 35 and significantly higher than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory average, Aranda has a notably over-represented 5 - 14 cohort (15.2% locally) while 25 - 34 year-olds are under-represented (10.4%). Since 2021, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 11.7% to 13.1% of Aranda's population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 13.0% to 10.8% and the 0 to 4 group dropped from 5.4% to 4.4%. Demographic modeling suggests that by 2041, Aranda's age profile will evolve significantly. The 45 to 54 age cohort is projected to expand notably, increasing by 8 people (2%) from 368 to 377. Conversely, both the 85+ and 0 to 4 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.