Macquarie

Population growth drivers in Macquarie are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Macquarie's population was around 3,156 as of Nov 2025. This reflected an increase of 52 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,104 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,154 in Jun 2024 and an additional 28 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 1,856 persons per square kilometer, above the national average assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Macquarie showed resilient growth with a compound annual growth rate of 1.4%, outpacing its SA3 area. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth, contributing approximately 84.6% of overall gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area as 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. Considering projected demographic shifts, Macquarie was expected to grow by 357 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 11.2% in total over the 17 years.

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

Macquarie has averaged approximately 12 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 64 homes. As of FY-26, 4 approvals have been recorded. Each year, an average of 3 new residents per dwelling built has been gained between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating strong demand that supports property values. The average construction cost value for new homes is $145,000, which is below regional levels, suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers.

In the current financial year, $443,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating limited commercial development activity. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Macquarie shows about 75% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 22nd percentile nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing homes. New developments consist of 80.0% detached dwellings and 20.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes.

This favours detached housing more than current patterns suggest (61.0% at Census), demonstrating ongoing robust demand for family homes despite increasing density pressures. Macquarie has around 708 people per approval, indicating a mature, established area. Looking ahead, Macquarie is expected to grow by approximately 355 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Macquarie has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 20thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified one major project likely to affect this region: Bruce Precinct Section 15. Other notable projects include the Belconnen Town Centre Master Plan & District Strategy, Bruce Residential Development Zone, and Wayfarer Belconnen by Geocon Stage 2.

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Employment performance in Macquarie has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Macquarie has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 5.3% as of September 2025, with estimated employment growth of 0.8% over the past year.

In September 2025, 1,683 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.7% higher than the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.6%. Workforce participation in Macquarie was 63.2%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 69.6%. Key industries of employment among residents are public administration & safety, education & training, and professional & technical. Education & training has a significant share of employment at 1.5 times the regional level.

However, public administration & safety employs only 28.4% of local workers, below the Australian Capital Territory's 30.4%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by the Census working population vs resident population count. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 0.8% while labour force grew by 1.0%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Australian Capital Territory saw employment rise by 1.4%, labour force grow by 1.2%, and unemployment fall by 0.2 percentage points. As of 25-Nov, ACT employment grew by 1.19% year-on-year, adding 710 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Macquarie's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

In financial year 2022, Macquarie SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $60,233 and an average income of $75,588. Nationally, these figures were higher than the ACT's median of $68,678 and average of $83,634. By September 2025, with a 13.6% Wage Price Index growth, estimated incomes would be approximately $68,425 (median) and $85,868 (average). Individual earnings in Macquarie SA2 reached the 84th percentile nationally at $1,078 weekly. Income distribution showed that 33.1% of locals earned between $1,500 and $2,999 per week, similar to the broader area's 34.3%. After housing expenses, 85.3% of income remained for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Macquarie, as per the latest Census, consisted of 61.3% houses and 38.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compared to Australian Capital Territory's 61.3% houses and 38.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Macquarie stood at 32.9%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (29.3%) or rented (37.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, aligning with Australian Capital Territory's average. However, the median weekly rent figure was $400, lower than Australian Capital Territory's $430. Nationally, Macquarie's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 61.3 percent of all households, including 23.9 percent couples with children, 25.7 percent couples without children, and 10.7 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 38.7 percent, with lone person households at 33.0 percent and group households making up 5.5 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

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

Macquarie has a notable educational advantage with 51.7% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and the SA3 area's 43.8%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 27.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.0%) and graduate diplomas (5.9%). Vocational pathways account for 21.8%, with advanced diplomas at 8.0% and certificates at 13.8%. Educational participation is high, with 31.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 9.3% in tertiary education, 9.1% in primary education, and 6.2% pursuing secondary education.

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

Transport analysis indicates 22 active stops operating within Macquarie. These stops offer a mix of bus services. Six routes serve these stops collectively providing 528 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 179 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 75 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 24 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Macquarie is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Macquarie faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions being somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57%, covering around 1,802 people out of the total population. Mental health issues are the most common medical condition in the area, impacting 10.1% of residents, followed by asthma which affects 8.3%. A significant portion, 66.5%, of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 68.1% across Australian Capital Territory. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 18.3% (576 people) compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 15.3%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Macquarie 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

Macquarie was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 31.9% of its population born overseas and 26.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Macquarie, comprising 36.9% of people. However, Buddhism is overrepresented at 3.6%, compared to 3.0% regionally.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.2%), Australian (23.1%), and Other (13.1%). Notably, Vietnamese (1.8%) and French (0.7%) residents are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 1.2% and 0.4%, respectively.

Macquarie's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Macquarie's median age is 37 years, slightly older than the Australian Capital Territory's 35 but aligned with Australia's national average of 38 years. The 75-84 age group comprises 7.4% of Macquarie's population compared to the Australian Capital Territory's representation. The 35-44 cohort makes up 13.6% of Macquarie's population, which is less prevalent than in the Australian Capital Territory. Between 2021 and present, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 17.3% to 19.4%, while the 35 to 44 cohort has declined from 15.2% to 13.6%. Population forecasts for Macquarie in 2041 indicate significant demographic changes. The 45-54 age group is projected to increase by 83 people (22%), rising from 383 to 467. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5-14 and 25-34 cohorts.