Barton
Statistical Area - sa2

Barton lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of Aug 2025, Barton's population is approximately 1,988, an increase of 42 people (2.2%) since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 1,946. This inference is based on the estimated resident population of 1,996 from the ABS as of June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. The population density ratio is around 1,670 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Barton has shown resilient growth with a compound annual growth rate of 3.5%, outperforming the SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.6% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year.

For areas not covered and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections, using 2022 as a base, are adopted. Population projections indicate an increase just below the median of national statistical areas by 2041, with Barton expected to expand by 126 persons, recording a total gain of 6.7% over the 17 years.

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

Barton has received approximately 34 dwelling approvals per year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, with 172 homes approved over the past five years from FY-20 to FY-25, and none so far in FY-26. On average, around 203 new residents arrive annually for each dwelling constructed during these five years. This significant demand outpaces supply, typically leading to price growth and heightened buyer competition.

The average construction cost of new homes is $107,000, below regional levels, suggesting more affordable housing options. Commercial approvals totalled $86.3 million in the current financial year, indicating high commercial activity locally. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Barton has notably lower building activity, which usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings.

However, development activity has increased recently. Population forecasts project an addition of 134 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially allowing growth beyond current projections.

Barton has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. Two major projects are identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting this region: National Security Office Precinct at York Park, Cromwell Office Building Development, Ngurra Cultural Precinct, and The Grande. Projects of particular relevance include the following.

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

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Barton performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Barton has an educated workforce with professional services well represented, an unemployment rate of 0.3% in June 2025, and estimated employment growth of 1.5% over the past year. It has a lower unemployment rate than the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which was 3.4%, and its workforce participation is on par with ACT's 69.6%.

The dominant employment sectors are public administration & safety, professional & technical, and education & training. Public administration & safety shows notable concentration, at 1.8 times the regional average. Health care & social assistance has lower representation, at 6.3% compared to the regional average of 11.7%. There are 7.3 workers for every resident in Barton, indicating it functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 1.5%, labour force grew by 1.6%, leading to a slight rise in unemployment of 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, ACT saw employment rise by 1.9% and unemployment fall by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. From Sep-25 state-level data shows ACT employment contracted by 0.33%, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. Nationally, unemployment was 4.5% with employment growth of 0.26%. Job and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Barton's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.2% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Barton's median taxpayer income is $93,344 with an average of $142,673. Nationally, this is exceptionally high compared to the Australian Capital Territory's median of $68,678 and average of $83,634. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.78% since financial year 2022, current estimates suggest approximately $103,406 for median income and $158,053 for average as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Barton rank highly nationally, between the 90th and 99th percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. The earnings profile indicates that 41.5% (825 people) earn between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, similar to metropolitan regions where 34.3% fall within this range. Notably, 43.0% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting prosperity that fuels local economic activity. High housing costs consume 15.9% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 89th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Barton features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Barton, as per the latest Census, houses constituted 6.2% of dwellings while other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings made up 93.8%. In comparison, Australian Capital Territory had 40.7% houses and 59.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Barton stood at 22.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.8% and rented ones at 48.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,015, below the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,275. The median weekly rent figure in Barton was $525, slightly higher than the Australian Capital Territory's $500. Nationally, Barton's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,015 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially higher at $525 against the national figure of $375.

Barton features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 47.9 percent of all households, including 10.5 percent couples with children, 34.0 percent couples without children, and 3.2 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 52.1 percent, with lone person households at 46.1 percent and group households comprising 5.2 percent of the total. The median household size is 1.7 people, which is smaller than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.2.

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

Educational attainment in Barton is notably high, with 75.2% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to the national average of 30.4% and the SA4 region's 46.8%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 37.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 30.2% and graduate diplomas at 7.9%. Technical qualifications make up 13.5% of educational achievements, with advanced diplomas at 7.6% and certificates at 5.9%. Educational participation is significant in Barton, with 30.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 16.7% in tertiary education, 4.7% in primary education, and 3.2% pursuing secondary education.

The area's educational performance is exceptional (ICSEA: 1157), placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. All one school offers integrated K-12 education, providing continuity throughout students' academic journey. Barton functions as an education hub with 79.0 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 31.2, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Transport analysis shows 20 active stops in Barton, operating between January 2022 and December 2023. These stops serve buses on 16 routes, carrying 1,630 weekly passengers. Average stop distance is 162 meters.

Daily trips average 232, with each stop serving approximately 81 weekly trips.

Barton's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis shows Barton's health metrics are strong across all ages. Both younger and older residents have low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 84% (1,677 people), compared to 78.0% in Australian Capital Territory and a national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, affecting 9.2 and 7.4% respectively. 71.9% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 69.8% across Australian Capital Territory. 18.4% of residents are aged 65 and over (365 people), lower than the 19.9% in Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors exceed those of the general population.

Barton was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Barton's population showed significant cultural diversity, with 29.2% born overseas and 19.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion in Barton, accounting for 37.8%. However, Judaism was overrepresented in Barton compared to the Australian Capital Territory, making up 0.7% of Barton's population versus 0.6% regionally.

The top three ancestral groups were English (26.1%), Australian (18.2%), and Irish (11.7%). Notably, Welsh (1.2%) French (1.1%), and Serbian (0.8%) ethnicities were overrepresented in Barton compared to regional figures of 0.7%, 0.9%, and 0.4% respectively.

Barton's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Barton is 40 years, which exceeds the Australian Capital Territory's average of 35 years and is slightly higher than the national median of 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Barton has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (23.7%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (6.4%). This concentration of residents aged 25-34 is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. From the 2021 Census to present, the proportion of residents aged 75-84 has grown from 4.5% to 6.2%, and those aged 55-64 have increased from 12.3% to 13.9%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 26.5% to 23.7%, and those aged 15-24 have dropped from 8.6% to 6.4%. By the year 2041, Barton's age composition is expected to shift notably. Leading this demographic shift, the 55-64 age group is projected to grow by 25%, reaching 346 people from 276. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 58% of the projected growth. Conversely, population declines are anticipated for the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups.