Dickson
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Dickson's population was around 4,076 as of August 2025. This reflected an increase of 784 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,292 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,080 in June 2024 and an additional 603 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population resulted in a density ratio of 2,579 persons per square kilometer, placing Dickson in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Dickson's growth rate of 23.8% since the 2021 census exceeded both the state (5.7%) and SA4 region levels, marking it as a growth leader in the area. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 53.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

All demographic drivers including overseas migration and natural growth were positive factors. AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections were used, also based on 2022. Based on demographic trends, Dickson is predicted to experience exceptional growth over the period until 2041, with an expected increase of 2,590 persons reflecting a total increase of 61.4% over the 17 years.

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

Dickson has experienced around 307 dwellings receiving development approval per year. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, showing 1,535 homes over the past five financial years from FY-20 to FY-25, with 0 recorded so far in FY-26. On average, 0.8 people move to the area per dwelling built annually during these years. This indicates that supply is meeting or surpassing demand, providing greater buyer choice and supporting potential population growth above projections.

The average construction cost of new dwellings is $274,000, consistent with regional patterns. In FY-26, there have been $10.3 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Dickson shows 531.0% higher new home approvals per person, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. New developments consist of 3.0% detached dwellings and 97.0% medium and high-density housing, providing accessible entry options for downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. This represents a notable shift from the existing housing stock, which is currently 30.0% houses. With around 58 people per dwelling approval, Dickson exhibits characteristics of a growth area. Future projections indicate that Dickson will add 2,503 residents by 2041.

Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Dickson has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 11 projects likely impacting this area. Notable ones are Vermillion, Calypso, Stockdale Street Apartments, and Watson Solar Farm. The following details projects likely most relevant.

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

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

Dickson has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation, a low unemployment rate of 3.5%, and estimated employment growth of 1.0% in the past year. As of June 2025, there are 2,588 employed residents, with an unemployment rate of 3.5%, which is 0.1% higher than the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.4%.

Workforce participation in Dickson is high at 78.2%, compared to ACT's 69.6%. Employment is concentrated in public administration & safety, professional & technical services, and education & training. Health care & social assistance has lower representation at 7.9% versus the regional average of 11.7%.

The worker-to-resident ratio is 1.3, indicating that Dickson hosts more jobs than residents and attracts workers from nearby areas. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 1.0%, while the labour force grew by 1.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, ACT saw employment rise by 1.9% and unemployment fall by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. State-level data from Sep-25 shows ACT employment contracted by 0.33%, losing 1,480 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dickson's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.4% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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

Dickson shows a median taxpayer income of $73,291 and an average of $90,602 according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This is notably high compared to national figures, with Australian Capital Territory's median income being $68,678 and average income $83,634. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.78% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for March 2025 would be approximately $81,192 (median) and $100,369 (average). According to the 2021 Census, Dickson ranks highly nationally in terms of household, family, and personal incomes, between the 82nd and 95th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 36.8% of Dickson's population falls within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, similar to the metropolitan region where this cohort represents 34.3%. Economic strength is evident with 34.2% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, supporting increased consumer spending. Despite high housing costs consuming 16.8% of income, strong earnings place disposable income at the 80th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

In Dickson, as per the latest Census evaluation, 29.5% of dwellings were houses while 70.6% were other types such as semi-detached units, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to the Australian Capital Territory's figures of 39.3% houses and 60.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dickson stood at 19.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.5% and rented ones at 46.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,904, lower than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,080. The median weekly rent figure in Dickson was $500, higher than the national average of $375 but below the Australian Capital Territory's $476. Nationally, Dickson's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863.

Dickson features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households compose 53.3% of all households, including 17.5% couples with children, 27.3% couples without children, and 6.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 46.7%, with lone person households at 33.3% and group households making up 13.7%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which aligns with the Australian Capital Territory average.

Dickson shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Dickson is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 62.9% hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 46.8% regionally. Bachelor degrees are most common at 34.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (22.4%) and graduate diplomas (5.6%). Technical qualifications represent 14.0%, including advanced diplomas (6.3%) and certificates (7.7%).

Educational participation is high, with 34.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 17.3% in tertiary education, 6.4% in primary education, and 4.4% pursuing secondary education. Dickson's three schools have a combined enrollment of 2,843 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages with an ICSEA score of 1125. It functions as an education hub with 69.9 school places per 100 residents, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Dickson has 26 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totalling 29 individual routes. Together, these routes facilitate 2,393 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility to transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 180 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 341 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 92 weekly trips per individual stop.

Dickson'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 Dickson. Younger cohorts particularly have very low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (2,718 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 12.0% and 8.7% of residents respectively. A total of 71.5% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, slightly higher than the Australian Capital Territory average of 70.8%. Dickson has a lower proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 6.8% (277 people), compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 11.4%.

Dickson 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

Dickson's population showed high diversity, with 31.1% born overseas and 26.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, at 25.3%. Judaism, at 0.7%, was slightly higher compared to the Australian Capital Territory average of 0.5%.

In terms of ancestry, the top groups were English (22.4%), Australian (19.7%), and Other (11.8%). Notable differences existed in Croatian (Dickson: 1.0% vs regional: 0.7%), Korean (Dickson: 0.8% vs regional: 0.7%), and Russian (Dickson: 0.5% vs regional: 0.4%) populations.

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

Dickson's median age is 29 years, which is lower than the Australian Capital Territory average of 35 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Dickson has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (30.7%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.9%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. According to the 2021 Census, the population of Dickson in this age group has increased from 28.5% to 30.7%, while the 35-44 age cohort has risen from 14.8% to 16.7%. Conversely, the 15-24 age group has decreased from 18.4% to 16.8%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 suggest substantial demographic changes in Dickson. Notably, the 25-34 age group is projected to grow by 47%, adding 589 people to reach a total of 1,841 from the current figure of 1,251.