Bruce

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

Bruce's population was around 8,008 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 488 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,520 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,008 in June 2024 and an additional 189 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 1,380 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Bruce's growth of 6.5% 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 94.3% 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, also based on 2022. Future population dynamics anticipate a significant increase in Bruce's top quartile of Australian statistical areas. The latest annual ERP population numbers project an increase of 2,744 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 34.3% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Bruce, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Bruce has experienced approximately 38 dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 192 homes were approved, with none yet in FY26. On average, about 0.9 people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25.

This suggests that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more options for buyers and supporting population growth. In the current financial year, $28.4 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Bruce has 13.0% less new development per person but ranks among the top 4 percentile of areas assessed nationally. This results in relatively limited buyer choice and supports interest in existing dwellings.

Recent development in Bruce has consisted entirely of attached dwellings, marking a significant shift from the current housing pattern of 21.0% houses. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers, potentially responding to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Bruce is expected to grow by approximately 2,744 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag behind population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Bruce has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 20thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 34 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include AIS Podium Project, New Northside Hospital (North Canberra Hospital Redevelopment), Bruce Precinct (Section 15), and Radford College Master Plan Implementation. The following list details those most 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.

The labour market in Bruce shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Bruce has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 2.8% as of June 2025, with estimated employment growth of 1.5% over the past year.

In comparison to Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) overall unemployment rate of 3.4%, Bruce had a lower rate of 0.6%. Workforce participation in Bruce was at 73.8%, slightly higher than ACT's 69.6%. The dominant employment sectors among residents were public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Notably, the accommodation & food sector had an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level.

However, public administration & safety was under-represented in Bruce's workforce compared to ACT, with only 24.0% versus 30.4%. According to Census data, there were 1.0 workers for every resident in Bruce, indicating it functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 1.5%, while labour force grew by 1.6% in Bruce, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, ACT experienced employment growth of 1.9% and labour force growth of 1.6%, resulting in a drop of 0.3 percentage points in its unemployment rate. Providing broader context, state-level data from Nov-25 showed ACT's employment grew by 1.19% year-on-year (adding 710 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.5%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%, and the national average employment growth was 0.14%. Looking ahead, Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 provide insights into potential future demand within Bruce. These projections estimate that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Bruce's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localised population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022. Bruce SA2's median income among taxpayers was $57,439, with an average of $69,367. This was above the national average. The Australian Capital Territory had a median income of $68,678 and an average of $83,634. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.6% since financial year 2022, estimates for September 2025 would be approximately $65,251 (median) and $78,801 (average). According to the 2021 Census figures, incomes in Bruce ranked highly nationally, between the 81st and 81st percentiles. Income distribution showed that 38.7% of the population fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 range, reflecting patterns seen in the surrounding region where 34.3% occupied this range. Economic strength was evident with 34.6% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounted for 14.8% of income while strong earnings placed residents within the 82nd percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

Bruce displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Bruce, as per the latest Census, consisted of 20.7% houses and 79.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to the Australian Capital Territory's figures of 69.4% houses and 30.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bruce stood at 20.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.4% and rented dwellings at 51.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, below the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Bruce was $430, matching the Australian Capital Territory figure but higher than the national average of $375. Nationally, Bruce's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863.

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

Family households comprise 59.4% of all households, including 19.3% couples with children, 31.8% couples without children, and 6.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 40.6%, with lone person households at 30.2% and group households comprising 10.4%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

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

Bruce's residents aged 15+ have a higher proportion with university qualifications at 55.6%, compared to Australia's 30.4% and the SA3 area's 43.8%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 30.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.8%). Vocational pathways account for 17.5%, with advanced diplomas at 7.9% and certificates at 9.6%. Educational participation is high, with 41.1% currently enrolled in formal education, including 26.0% in tertiary, 4.9% in primary, and 3.5% in secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 41.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 26.0% in tertiary education, 4.9% in primary education, and 3.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

Bruce has 50 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 21 routes that together facilitate 3,197 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy good accessibility to these stops, with an average distance of 249 meters to the nearest one.

The service frequency is high, with an average of 456 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 63 weekly trips per stop.

Bruce'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 Bruce. Younger cohorts in particular have a very low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 54% of the total population, which is around 4,356 people. This compares to 57.1% across Australian Capital Territory. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 10.3 and 7.7% of residents respectively. A total of 72.7% of residents declare themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 68.1% across Australian Capital Territory. The area has 11.3% of residents aged 65 and over, which is around 908 people, lower than the 15.3% in Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges requiring more attention than the broader population.

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

Bruce has a high level of cultural diversity, with 34.9% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 40.0% born overseas. The predominant religion in Bruce is Christianity, comprising 34.8% of the population. Hinduism stands out as being overrepresented in Bruce, making up 7.9% of the population compared to the Australian Capital Territory's average of 4.0%.

The top three ancestry groups based on parents' country of birth are English (21.2%), Australian (20.1%), and Other (15.4%). Notably, Sri Lankan, Chinese, and Vietnamese ethnicities are also overrepresented in Bruce compared to regional averages: Sri Lankan at 0.6% versus 0.3%, Chinese at 8.2% versus 4.2%, and Vietnamese at 1.5% versus 1.2%.

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

Bruce's median age is 29 years, which is below the Australian Capital Territory average of 35 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Bruce has a higher concentration of residents aged 15-24 (26.0%) compared to the Australian Capital Territory and nationally (12.5%). However, Bruce has fewer residents aged 5-14 (6.3%) than both the Australian Capital Territory and Australia as a whole. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 45-54 grew from 7.6% to 8.5%, while the 55-64 age group declined from 6.3% to 5.5%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes in Bruce. The 15-24 age group is projected to grow by 29% (an increase of 609 people), reaching a total of 2,688 from the current figure of 2,078.