Dunlop

Dunlop is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Dunlop's population was approximately 7,296 as of February 2026, reflecting an increase of 31 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 7,265. This change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population data for June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. The population density was around 2,021 persons per square kilometer, higher than average national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Dunlop's growth rate of 0.4% since the census was within 2.3 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth rate of 2.7%. Natural growth contributed approximately 69.2% of overall population gains recently. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022.

For areas not covered and years post-2032, age group growth rates from ACT Government's SA2 area projections are adopted. By 2041, the population is projected to decrease by 1,037 persons, but specific age cohorts like the 55 to 64 group are expected to grow, with an increase of 152 people anticipated in this cohort.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Dunlop according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Dunlop has seen only one residential development approval in the past 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 be among existing homes.

Relative to the Australian Capital Territory, Dunlop has significantly less development activity. This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes; however, construction activity has intensified recently. This activity is similarly under the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

With population expected to remain stable or decline, Dunlop should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Dunlop has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 18thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects likely to influence this region: Kestral Rise - Macnamara, Macnamara Residential Estate, Ginninderry Estate - Stages 4-7 (Strathnairn & future Macnamara), and Wallaroo Solar Farm. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Dunlop has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Dunlop has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 4.4%, showing relative stability over the past year as of September 2025. At this time, 4173 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.4%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.6%.

Workforce participation in Dunlop is 75.8%, slightly higher than the ACT's 72.5%. According to Census responses, a low 10.6% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment among residents are public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Dunlop shows strong specialization in construction, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 8.6% compared to the regional average of 11.1%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment in Dunlop increased by 0.0%, while labour force grew by 0.9%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, the ACT experienced employment growth of 1.4% and labour force growth of 1.2%, with a decrease in unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May-25) indicate that national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Dunlop's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 6.4% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only and does not account for localized population projections.

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

The Dunlop SA2 had one of the highest income levels in Australia according to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for the financial year ended 30 June 2023. The median income among taxpayers was $72,712, with an average income of $80,242. This compares to figures for Australian Capital Territory's of $72,206 and $85,981 respectively. By September 2025, current estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.26% would be approximately $79,445 (median) and $87,672 (average). According to the 2021 Census data, household, family and personal incomes in Dunlop all ranked highly nationally, between the 89th and 90th percentiles. The income distribution showed that 37.9% of individuals earned between $1,500 and $2,999, mirroring the region where 34.3% occupied this bracket. Economic strength was evident with 38.5% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounted for 14.7% of income, while strong earnings placed residents within the 90th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

Dunlop is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Dwelling structure in Dunlop, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 91.9% houses and 8.1% other dwellings. In comparison, Australian Capital Territory had 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Dunlop was 20.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 61.4% and rented dwellings at 18.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Dunlop was $2,000, lower than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,080. The median weekly rent in Dunlop was $465, compared to $450 in Australian Capital Territory. Nationally, Dunlop's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Dunlop features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 81.1% of all households, including 44.8% couples with children, 22.5% couples without children, and 12.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 18.9%, with lone person households at 16.7% and group households making up 2.0%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 29.3%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 46.8%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 18.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 34.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.1%) and certificates (22.0%). Educational participation is high, with 33.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 12.7% in primary, 9.4% in secondary, and 4.4% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.7% in primary education, 9.4% in secondary education, and 4.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Dunlop has 22 operating public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by a total of 115 routes, facilitating 8,423 weekly passenger trips combined. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically situated about 230 meters away from the nearest stop. As Dunlop is predominantly residential, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport, used by 94% of residents. On average, there are 1.7 vehicles per dwelling in the area, exceeding the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census data, only 10.6% of Dunlop's residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, an average of 1,203 trips are made daily, translating to approximately 382 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Dunlop is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts

Dunlop faces significant health challenges according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are somewhat prevalent across all age groups but more so among older cohorts.

Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (4,341 people), compared to 62.4% in Australian Capital Territory. The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 10.3% and 9.5% of residents respectively. 67.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.2% across Australian Capital Territory. Working-age residents show above average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 10.6% of residents aged 65 and over (771 people), which is lower than the 14.3% in Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but rank lower nationally compared to the broader population.

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

Dunlop's cultural diversity was above average, with 21.5% of its population born overseas and 20.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Dunlop, comprising 48.8% of the population. Islam was overrepresented compared to the Australian Capital Territory, making up 3.8% of Dunlop's population versus 3.4%.

The top three ancestral groups were Australian (27.9%), English (24.6%), and Other (11.6%). Notably, Croatian (0.9%) and Polish (0.9%) were overrepresented compared to regional figures of 0.9% and 0.8%, respectively, while Hungarian was slightly overrepresented at 0.4% versus 0.3%.

Dunlop's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Dunlop's median age in 2021 was 37 years, slightly older than the Australian Capital Territory's 35 but aligned with the national average of 38. The 45-54 age group had strong representation at 15.9%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory, while the 25-34 cohort was less prevalent at 10.0%. Between 2021 and the present day, residents have aged by an average of 1 year, with the median rising from 36 to 37 years. Key changes include the 55 to 64 age group growing from 10.4% to 12.7%, and the 15 to 24 cohort increasing from 13.0% to 14.6%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort declined from 16.9% to 14.8%, and the 25 to 34 group dropped from 11.8% to 10.0%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes for Dunlop. The 65 to 74 cohort is projected to grow by 12%, adding 54 residents to reach 513. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 72% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.