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 4,060 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 768 people (23.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,292 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,056 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 607 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population resulted in a density ratio of 2,569 persons per square kilometer, placing Dickson in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Dickson's growth of 23.3% since the 2021 census exceeded the state's growth of 5.9%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 53.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

All 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 with a base year of 2022. Based on demographic trends, Dickson is predicted to experience exceptional growth, placing it in the top 10 percent of national statistical areas by 2041. The area is expected to increase by 2,590 persons by that year, reflecting an overall increase of 62.0% over the 17-year period.

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

Dickson has experienced approximately 248 dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 1,243 homes have been approved, with no approvals recorded so far in FY-26. On average, each new dwelling constructed over these years has brought in about 0.8 new residents annually.

This pace suggests that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choices and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost of these properties is $200,000, which is below regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totaled $10.3 million, suggesting balanced commercial development activity in the area. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Dickson shows 460.0% higher new home approvals per capita, reflecting robust developer interest in the area. The current development trend consists of 3.0% detached dwellings and 97.0% medium and high-density housing, indicating a shift from the area's existing housing makeup of 30.0% houses. This denser development provides accessible entry options for downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. With around 58 people being added per dwelling approval, Dickson exhibits characteristics of a growth area.

Future projections estimate that Dickson will add approximately 2,519 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

Eleven projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Notable among these are Vermillion, Calypso, Stockdale Street Apartments, and Watson Solar Farm.

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

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

Dickson has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation, an unemployment rate of 3.5%, and estimated employment growth of 1.0% over the past year (as of June 2025). There are 2,588 residents employed, with an unemployment rate at 3.6%, higher than the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.4%.

Workforce participation is high at 78.2%, compared to the ACT's 69.6%. Key employment sectors include public administration & safety, professional & technical, 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 1.3:1, indicating Dickson functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over a 12-month period (ending June 2025), employment increased by 1.0%, labour force grew by 1.6%, and unemployment rose by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, the ACT saw employment rise by 1.9% and unemployment fall by 0.3%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project a 6.6% increase 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 this is a simplified extrapolation 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 latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is high nationally, contrasting with Australian Capital Territory's median income of $68,678 and average income of $83,634. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $83,259 (median) and $102,924 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Dickson rank highly nationally, between the 82nd and 95th percentiles. Income brackets indicate 36.8% of the population fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, aligning with the metropolitan region where this cohort likewise represents 34.3%. Economic strength emerges through 34.2% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 16.8% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 80th percentile and 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

Dwelling structure in Dickson, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 29.5% houses and 70.6% other dwellings such as semi-detached, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to the Australian Capital Territory's dwelling structure of 39.3% houses and 60.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dickson was at 19.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.5% and rented dwellings at 46.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,904 as of 2016, lower than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,080. The median weekly rent figure for Dickson was $500, higher than the national average of $375 but lower than the Australian Capital Territory's figure of $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 constitute 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 comprise 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

Dickson's educational attainment is notably high with 62.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and the SA4 region's 46.8%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 34.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (22.4%) and graduate diplomas (5.6%). Technical qualifications make up 14.0%, with advanced diplomas at 6.3% and certificates at 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 as of the latest data. The area has significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1125). It functions as an education hub with 69.8 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 15.4, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

The analysis of public transportation in Dickson shows that there are currently 26 operational transport stops serving a variety of bus routes. These stops are served by 29 different routes which together facilitate approximately 2,393 weekly passenger journeys. The report rates the accessibility to these transport services as excellent, with residents on average being located just 180 metres from their nearest stop.

On average, there are about 341 trips per day across all routes, resulting in around 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 with younger cohorts particularly seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover was found to be exceptionally high at approximately 67% of the total population (2,708 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues and asthma, impacting 12.0% and 8.7% of residents respectively, while 71.5% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.8% across Australian Capital Territory. The area has 6.8% of residents aged 65 and over (276 people), which is lower than the 11.4% in Australian Capital Territory.

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 was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 31.1% born overseas and 26.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Dickson, comprising 25.3% of its population. However, Judaism was overrepresented, making up 0.7% compared to 0.5% across the Australian Capital Territory.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (22.4%), Australian (19.7%), and Other (11.8%). Notably, Croatian (1.0%) and Korean (0.8%) were overrepresented in Dickson compared to regional figures of 0.7% each, while Russian was also slightly overrepresented at 0.5%.

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

Dickson's median age is 29 years, which is notably below the Australian Capital Territory average of 35 and substantially under Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Dickson has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (30.7%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (7.9%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is well above the national average of 14.5%. According to the 2021 Census, the proportion of Dickson's population aged 25 to 34 has grown from 28.5% to 30.7%, while the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 increased from 14.8% to 16.7%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 has declined from 18.4% to 16.8%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate significant demographic changes for Dickson, with the 25 to 34 age group projected to grow by 48%, adding 594 people to reach a total of 1,841 residents in this age bracket, up from 1,246.