Belconnen
Statistical Area - sa2

Belconnen lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Belconnen's population was around 9,417 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 915 people (10.8%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,502 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,414 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 161 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 2,125 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Belconnen's growth of 10.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (2.4%) and the state, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 78.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 were used, also based on 2022. Considering projected demographic shifts, exceptional growth was predicted over the period, placing Belconnen in the top 10 percent of national areas. It was expected to increase by 4,963 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, with an overall increase of 52.7% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Belconnen among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Belconnen has recorded approximately 302 residential properties granted approval per year. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 1510 approvals across the past five financial years from FY20 to FY25, with 0 so far in FY26. On average, 1.1 people have moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five years. This suggests a balanced supply and demand, creating stable market conditions.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $295,000. Additionally, $39.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, indicating high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Belconnen records 413% more new home approvals per person, offering buyers greater choice and reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. Recent development has been entirely comprised of medium and high-density housing, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. The location has approximately 20 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Population forecasts indicate Belconnen will gain 4960 residents by 2041.

Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Belconnen has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 24thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 23 projects that could impact the region. Notable initiatives include Belconnen Town Centre Master Plan Implementation, Garden City Cycleway, University of Canberra Sports Precinct, and Ethos by Per Se Developments. The following list provides details on projects most likely to be relevant.

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

AreaSearch analysis indicates Belconnen maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Belconnen has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 3.9% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.0%. In June 2025, 6,306 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.4%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Belconnen was 73.2% versus ACT's 69.6%. The key industries for employment among Belconnen residents are public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services.

The area has a notably high concentration in accommodation & food services with employment levels at 1.9 times the regional average. Conversely, public administration & safety shows lower representation at 22.1% versus the regional average of 30.4%. There are 1.7 workers for every resident in Belconnen, indicating it functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.0%, while labour force grew by 1.6%, resulting in a decrease of unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, ACT recorded employment growth of 1.9% with unemployment falling 0.3 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows ACT employment contracted by 0.33% (losing 1,480 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Belconnen's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Belconnen had a median income among taxpayers of $56,432. The average level stood at $68,151. This was higher than the national average and compared to levels of $68,678 and $83,634 across Australian Capital Territory respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.78% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $62,515 (median) and $75,498 (average) as of March 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, personal income ranked at the 79th percentile ($1,009 weekly), while household income sat at the 52nd percentile. Distribution data showed that 43.5% of the population (4,096 individuals) fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, reflecting patterns seen regionally where 34.3% similarly occupied this range. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 79.6% of income remaining, ranking at the 47th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.

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

Belconnen's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 0.5% houses and 99.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Australian Capital Territory had 69.4% houses and 30.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Belconnen was at 11.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 22.0% and rented ones at 66.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, below the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Belconnen was $430, matching the Australian Capital Territory figure. Nationally, Belconnen's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,863 and rents were higher at $375.

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

Family households constitute 51.0% of all households, including 10.6% that are couples with children, 32.6% that are couples without children, and 6.1% that are single-parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 49.0%, with lone person households making up 39.3% and group households comprising 9.7%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

The educational profile of Belconnen exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Belconnen is notably high, with 59.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 43.8% in the SA3 area. University degrees are most prevalent at 32.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (22.3%) and graduate diplomas (4.1%). Vocational pathways account for 18.7% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.0% and certificates at 9.7%. Educational participation is high, with 33.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 19.1% in tertiary education, 3.3% in primary education, and 1.9% pursuing secondary education. The University of Canberra Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra serves Belconnen, enrolling 757 students as of the latest data. Belconnen has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1064). Secondary education is dominant with one school; primary students typically attend schools in adjacent areas. School places per 100 residents are lower than average at 8.0, compared to the regional average of 15.1, indicating some students may attend schools outside Belconnen.

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

Public transport analysis conducted shows that as of July 2022, there are 38 active transport stops operating within Belconnen. These include a mix of train and bus services, with 27 individual routes collectively providing 4588 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 254 meters from the nearest transport stop.

Service frequency averages 655 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 120 weekly trips per individual stop.

Belconnen's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows significant results across Belconnen, with younger cohorts particularly having a very low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 53% of Belconnen's total population (~5,028 people) has private health cover, compared to 57.1% across Australian Capital Territory.

The most prevalent medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, affecting 10.1 and 6.9% of residents respectively. 75.2% of Belconnen residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 68.1% across Australian Capital Territory. As of 2021, the area has 9.5% of residents aged 65 and over (894 people), which is lower than the 15.3% in Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Belconnen is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Belconnen has high cultural diversity with 48.8% speaking languages other than English at home and 52.7% born overseas by 2016 census. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 28.2%. Hinduism is overrepresented at 10.7%, higher than ACT's 4.0%.

Top ancestry groups are Other (19.7%), English (17.6%), Australian (15.8%). Korean is notably overrepresented at 1.5% vs regional 0.4%, Chinese at 12.2% vs 4.2%, Spanish at 0.7% vs 0.5%.

Belconnen hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Belconnen has a median age of 30, which is lower than the Australian Capital Territory figure of 35 and considerably younger than the Australian median of 38. The age profile shows that 25-34 year-olds are particularly prominent, making up 36.6% of the population, while the 5-14 age group is comparatively smaller at 4.4%. This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is well above the national figure of 14.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 0-4 age group has grown from 4.5% to 5.2% of Belconnen's population, while the 25-34 cohort has declined from 37.8% to 36.6%. By 2041, Belconnen is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition, with the 25-34 age cohort projected to increase by 1,294 people (38%), from 3,445 to 4,740.