Barton

Population growth drivers in Barton are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Barton's population is approximately 1,988 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 42 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,946. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 1,996 in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,670 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Barton has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 3.5%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing 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 are adopted. Population projections indicate an increase just below the median of national statistical areas by 2041, with the area expected to expand by 126 persons, reflecting a gain of 6.7% in total 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 had minimal development with just one approval over five years. This indicates a mature, established suburb where available land for new construction is limited. For buyers, this scarcity of new housing stock typically supports property values and means competition may primarily occur among existing homes.

Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Barton shows substantially reduced construction activity. This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. However, development activity has picked up in recent periods. Nationally, this level is below average, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints.

Barton has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 33rdth percentile nationally

Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified six projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects are National Security Office Precinct at York Park, Kingston Arts Precinct, Cromwell Office Building Development, and Greenway Rise - The Establishment.

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

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Employment conditions in Barton rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Barton's workforce is highly educated with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate was 0.3% in the past year, showing an estimated employment growth of 0.6%.

As of September 2025, 1,454 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.2%, below the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.6%. Workforce participation was on par with ACT's 69.6%. Leading employment industries were public administration & safety, professional & technical, and education & training. Barton had a particular specialization in public administration & safety, employing 1.8 times the regional level.

Health care & social assistance employed only 6.3% of local workers, below ACT's 11.7%. There were 7.3 workers per resident as at the Census, indicating an employment hub with more jobs than residents attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 0.6%, labour force by 0.8%, raising unemployment by 0.2 percentage points, contrasting with ACT's employment rise of 1.4% and falling unemployment. State-level data to 25-Nov showed ACT employment grew by 1.19% year-on-year, adding 710 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.5%, slightly above the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts indicated national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Barton's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, though this was a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes not accounting for localised population projections.

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 that income in Barton SA2 is among the top percentile nationally. The median assessed income is $93,344 and the average income stands at $142,673. This contrasts with Australian Capital Territory's figures of a median income of $68,678 and an average income of $83,634. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $106,039 (median) and $162,077 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in Barton all rank highly nationally, between the 89th and 99th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 41.5% of the population (825 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, which aligns with the metropolitan region where this cohort likewise represents 34.3%. Economic strength is evident through 43.0% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 15.9% of income, but strong earnings still 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

Dwelling structure in Barton, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 6.2% houses and 93.8% other dwellings. In comparison, Australian Capital Territory had 40.7% houses and 59.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Barton was 22.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.8% and rented dwellings at 48.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Barton was $2,015, compared to the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,275. The median weekly rent in Barton was $525, compared to the Australian Capital Territory figure of $500. Nationally, Barton's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above 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 comprise 47.9% of all households, including 10.5% couples with children, 34.0% couples without children, and 3.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 52.1%, consisting of 46.1% lone person households and 5.2% group households. 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

Barton's educational attainment notably exceeds broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 75.2% hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 46.8% in the SA4 region. This significant advantage positions Barton favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 37.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (30.2%) and graduate diplomas (7.9%).

Technical qualifications comprise 13.5% of educational achievements, with advanced diplomas at 7.6% and certificates at 5.9%. Educational participation is notably high in Barton, with 30.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 16.7% in tertiary education, 4.7% in primary education, and 3.2% pursuing secondary education.

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 operating in Barton as of October 2021. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totalling 16 individual lines that facilitate 1,630 weekly passenger trips combined. Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents located an average of 162 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 232 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 81 weekly trips per stop on average.

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. Young and elderly cohorts have low prevalence of common conditions. Private health cover stands at approximately 84%, higher than ACT's 78% and Australia's average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues affect 9.2% and asthma impacts 7.4%. 71.9% report no medical ailments, compared to ACT's 69.8%. The area has 18.4% seniors (365 people), lower than ACT's 19.9%. Seniors' health outcomes are particularly strong, outperforming the general population in metrics.

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

Barton's population, speaking languages other than English at home, stood at 19.1%. Born overseas, 29.2% of Barton residents were recorded. Christianity was the dominant religion in Barton, accounting for 37.8% of its population.

Notably, Judaism's representation in Barton was higher at 0.7%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory average of 0.6%. Regarding ancestry, English parents comprised 26.1% of Barton's population, Australians were 18.2%, and Irish ancestry accounted for 11.7%. Other ethnic groups with notable divergences included Welsh (Barton: 1.2%, regional: 0.7%), French (Barton: 1.1%, regional: 0.9%), and Serbian (Barton: 0.8%, regional: 0.4%).

Barton's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Barton is 40 years, which is notably higher than the Australian Capital Territory's average of 35 years and modestly exceeds 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 25-34 year-olds is well above the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 75-84 has grown from 4.5% to 6.2%, while the proportion of those aged 55-64 increased from 12.3% to 13.9%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has declined from 26.5% to 23.7%, and the proportion of those aged 15-24 has dropped from 8.6% to 6.4%. By 2041, Barton's age composition is expected to shift significantly. Leading this change, the 55-64 age group is projected to grow by 25%, reaching 346 people from its current total of 276. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 58% of the projected growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 5-14 age cohorts.