Lyons (ACT)

Population growth drivers in Lyons are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Lyons's population is around 3,332 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 61 people (1.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,271 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,273 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 37 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 1,474 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Lyons's 1.9% growth since the census positions it within 2.6 percentage points of the SA3 area (4.5%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 76.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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. Considering the projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is expected, with the area expected to expand by 271 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 6.4% in total over the 17 years.

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

Lyons has seen around 9 new homes approved annually, totalling 46 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 4 approvals have been recorded. Given an average of only 0 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts, while new homes are being built at an average value of $229,000.

Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Lyons has significantly less development activity (83.0% below regional average per person). This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. This activity is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and pointing to possible planning constraints. New building activity shows 50.0% detached houses and 50.0% attached dwellings. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. With around 508 people per dwelling approval, Lyons shows a developed market.

Future projections show Lyons adding 212 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Lyons has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 35thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 22 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Woden Town Square Precinct Redevelopment, Woden Experiment Stage 2 - Public Realm & Active Travel Upgrades, Ivy by Morris (Section 54 Phillip), and The Hunter, 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.

The employment landscape in Lyons shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Lyons possesses a highly educated workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of 4.1%, and 1.0% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 1,845 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.2% above the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation is somewhat below standard (69.6% compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 72.6%). Based on Census responses, a low 10.8% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Employment among residents is concentrated in public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area shows particularly strong specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level. In contrast, professional & technical services employ just 8.3% of local workers, below the Australian Capital Territory's 11.1%. 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, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.0% and the labour force increased by 1.1%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.1 percentage points. This contrasts with the Australian Capital Territory, where employment rose by 0.9%, the labour force grew by 1.2%, and unemployment rose 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Lyons. 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 Lyons's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.6% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for FY-23 reveals that income in the Lyons SA2 is very high nationally, with the median assessed at $62,799 while the average income stands at $76,205. This contrasts with the Australian Capital Territory's figures of a median income of $72,206 and an average income of $85,981. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.26% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $68,614 (median) and $83,262 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, individual earnings stand out at the 85th percentile nationally ($1,097 weekly). The earnings profile shows the predominant cohort spans 30.9% of locals (1,029 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, reflecting patterns seen in the metropolitan region where 34.3% similarly occupy this range. A significant 32.7% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting pockets of prosperity that drive robust local economic activity. High housing costs consume 15.2% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 71st percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Lyons displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure within Lyons, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 51.7% houses and 48.3% 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 Lyons was in line with that of the Australian Capital Territory, at 27.5%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (27.1%) or rented (45.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Australian Capital Territory average at $2,383, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $360, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's $2,080 and $450. Nationally, Lyons's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 61.2% of all households, comprising 26.2% couples with children, 25.3% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 38.8%, with lone person households at 35.1% and group households comprising 3.9% of the total. The median household size of 2.3 people is smaller than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

Lyons demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Educational attainment in Lyons significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 51.4% 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 26.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.7%). Vocational pathways account for 22.8% of qualifications among those aged 15+ – advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (11.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.2% in primary education, 7.1% in tertiary education, and 6.8% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 17 active transport stops operating within Lyons, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 51 individual routes, collectively providing 3,383 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 210 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 74%, with 14% by bus and 7% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. A relatively low 10.8% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 483 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 199 weekly trips per individual stop.

Lyons's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across Lyons, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Younger cohorts in particular see very low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~1,899 people), compared to 62.4% across the Australian Capital Territory.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 8.1% and 7.4% of residents, respectively, while 70.5% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 70.2% across the Australian Capital Territory. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 19.0% of residents aged 65 and over (631 people), which is higher than the 14.3% in the Australian Capital Territory, though ranking lower nationally than the broader population.

Lyons 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

Lyons scores highly on cultural diversity, with 36.8% of its population born overseas and 30.6% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Lyons is Christianity, which makes up 36.2% of the people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Buddhism, which comprises 6.7% of the population, compared to 3.0% across the Australian Capital Territory.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Lyons are English, comprising 23.2% of the population, Australian, comprising 21.0% of the population, and Other, comprising 17.3% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 12.2%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: French is notably overrepresented at 0.8% of Lyons (vs 0.5% regionally), Sri Lankan at 0.7% (vs 0.4%) and Polish at 1.0% (vs 0.8%).

Lyons's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Lyons's median age of 37 years stands slightly older than the Australian Capital Territory's 35, though essentially aligned with the 38-year national average. The 85+ age group shows strong representation at 4.3% compared to the Australian Capital Territory, whereas the 5 - 14 cohort is less prevalent at 9.6%. In the period since 2021, the 55 to 64 age group has grown from 9.0% to 10.3% of the population, while the 65 to 74 cohort increased from 6.5% to 7.6%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 19.0% to 15.9% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 11.0% to 9.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Lyons. The 65 to 74 age cohort is projected to increase solidly, expanding by 83 people (33%) from 253 to 337. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 52% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 35 to 44 and 0 to 4 age groups will see reduced numbers.