Forde

Forde has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Forde's population is around 4,401 as of Feb 2026. This reflects a decrease of 34 people (0.8%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,435 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,401 from the ABS as of June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 2,292 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 59.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections, with 2022 as a base, are adopted. Anticipating future population dynamics, projections indicate a decline in overall population, with the area's population expected to decline by 22 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 55 to 64 age group, which is projected to increase by 142 people. See the age section for more details.

The level of residential development activity in Forde is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Forde has seen virtually no dwelling approvals in recent years, with 4 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 0 so far in FY-26. With population declining over recent years, new supply has likely been keeping up with demand, offering good choice to buyers, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $398,000, showing that developers are focusing on the premium market with high-end developments. Additionally, $2.8 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, demonstrating the area's primarily residential nature.

Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Forde has significantly less development activity. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties, though building activity has accelerated in recent years. This is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints.

Given stable or declining population forecasts, Forde may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Forde has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 16thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 8 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Gungahlin Tennis Facility (Amaroo Tennis Centre), Amaroo Village Development - Block 9 Section 111, Moncrieff East Residential Estate, and Gungahlin Community Centre, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Forde performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Forde has a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of just 1.9%, and 1.4% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 2,702 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.0% below the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation is well beyond standard (80.7% compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 72.6%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 14.0% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include public administration & safety, professional & technical, and education & training. Conversely, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 8.4% versus the regional average of 11.7%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 1.4% while the labour force increased by 1.0%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, the Australian Capital Territory experienced employment growth of 0.9% and labour force growth of 1.2%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Forde. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Forde's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 12.9% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Forde SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $90,368 with the average level standing at $102,483. This is among the top percentile nationally and compares to levels of $72,206 and $85,981 across the Australian Capital Territory respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.26% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $98,736 (median) and $111,973 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Forde, between the 98th and 99th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals the $4000+ bracket dominates with 41.7% of residents (1,835 people), unlike trends in the broader area where 34.3% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. The substantial proportion of high earners (61.6% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the locality. Housing accounts for 13.6% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 99th percentile for disposable income and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Forde, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 84.9% houses and 15.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to the Australian Capital Territory's 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Forde was lagging that of the Australian Capital Territory, at 16.4%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (60.2%) or rented (23.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Australian Capital Territory average at $2,481, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $590, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's $2,080 and $450. Nationally, Forde's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 87.0% of all households, comprising 56.3% couples with children, 20.9% couples without children, and 8.9% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 13.0%, with lone person households at 11.2% and group households comprising 1.9% of the total. The median household size of 3.2 people is larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

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

Educational attainment in Forde significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 51.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% in Australia. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 28.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.0%) and graduate diplomas (5.1%). Vocational pathways account for 22.8% of qualifications among those aged 15+ – advanced diplomas (10.7%) and certificates (12.1%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 37.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.5% in primary education, 10.6% in secondary education, and 6.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 20 active transport stops operating within Forde, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 38 individual routes, collectively providing 2,187 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 185 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 91%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.8 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. Some 14.0% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 312 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 109 weekly trips per individual stop.

Forde's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Forde, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts see low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 72% of the total population (3,181 people). This compares to 62.4% across the Australian Capital Territory. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be asthma and mental health issues, impacting 8.0 and 6.7% of residents, respectively, while 77.0% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 70.2% across the Australian Capital Territory. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 7.7% of residents aged 65 and over (340 people), which is lower than the 14.3% in the Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Forde 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

Forde was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 31.9% of its population born overseas and 31.8% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Forde is Christianity, which makes up 48.8% of people in Forde. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Hinduism, which comprises 7.6% of the population, compared to 4.8% across the Australian Capital Territory.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Forde are Australian, comprising 22.8% of the population, English, comprising 20.3% of the population, and Other, comprising 11.9% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Croatian is notably overrepresented at 2.2% of Forde (vs 0.9% regionally), Spanish at 0.8% (vs 0.5%) and Indian at 5.9% (vs 3.3%).

Forde's population is younger than the national pattern

At 36 years, Forde's median age is nearly matching the Australian Capital Territory average of 35 while somewhat younger than Australia's 38 years. Relative to the Australian Capital Territory, Forde has a higher concentration of 45 - 54 residents (18.4%) but fewer 25 - 34 year-olds (10.3%). This 45 - 54 concentration is well above the national 12.0%. Since the 2021 Census, residents have aged by 1.4 years on average, with the median rising from 35 to 36. Specifically, the 55 to 64 age group has grown from 7.1% to 9.3% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 12.5% to 14.6%. Conversely, the 35 to 44 cohort has declined from 20.3% to 17.2% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 19.5% to 16.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Forde. The 55 to 64 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 22%, adding 91 residents to reach 499. The aging population dynamic is clear, with those 65+ comprising 53% of projected growth. On the other hand, the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.