McKellar

McKellar has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

McKellar's population is approximately 2,619 as of May 2026. This figure represents a decrease of 121 people from the 2021 Census count of 2,740 individuals. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 2,619 in June 2025 and address validation since the Census date. The population density is around 1,857 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 61.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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 the ACT Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, using 2022 as the base year. By 2041, according to these projections, McKellar's population is expected to decline by 472 persons. However, specific age cohorts like the 75-84 group are projected to grow, with an increase of 35 people anticipated in this cohort over this period.

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

McKellar has seen approximately one new home approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around five homes were approved.

No approvals have been recorded so far in FY26. The area's population decline has resulted in development activity being adequate relative to other areas, which is beneficial for buyers. The average construction cost of new dwellings is $326,000, slightly above the regional average, indicating a focus on quality developments. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, McKellar shows significantly reduced construction activity, with 94.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties, which is also under the national average.

Recent building activity consists solely of standalone homes, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes. The location has approximately 2646 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. With stable or declining population forecasts, McKellar may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

McKellar has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 17thth percentile nationally

No local infrastructure changes or major projects have been identified by AreaSearch as likely to impact the area. Key projects include Wayfarer Belconnen Stage 2 by Geocon, Bruce Innovation District, Belconnen Lakeshore - Connected Waterfront Precinct, and Kenny New Suburb Development.

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 assessment indicates McKellar faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

McKellar has a highly educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 5.5%. As of December 2025, 1,334 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 7.4% compared to the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation stands at 64.4%, lower than ACT's 70.5%. According to Census responses, only 13.3% of residents work from home. Dominant employment sectors include public administration & safety, professional & technical services, and health care & social assistance. Notably, construction employment is high, at 1.4 times the regional average.

However, public administration & safety is under-represented, with only 27.8% of McKellar's workforce compared to ACT's 30.4%. Over the year to December 2025, labour force levels increased by 1.0%, but employment declined by 0.7%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.6 percentage points. In contrast, ACT saw employment growth of 0.9% and labour force growth of 1.2%, with a smaller unemployment increase of 0.3 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to McKellar's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes 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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that McKellar SA2 has one of the highest incomes in Australia. The median income is $69,692 and the average income is $80,802. This contrasts with Australian Capital Territory's figures where the median income is $72,206 and the average income is $85,981. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.44% since financial year 2023, current estimates for McKellar would be approximately $76,968 (median) and $89,238 (average) as of March 2026. Census data reveals that incomes in McKellar rank highly nationally, between the 88th and 93rd percentiles for households, families, and individuals. Income distribution shows that 27.3% of locals (714 people) earn between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, similar to the broader area where 34.3% fall into this bracket. Notably, 45.3% of residents earn more than $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power in the community. After housing costs, residents retain 89.8% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

McKellar is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

McKellar's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 93.7% houses and 6.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to the Australian Capital Territory's 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in McKellar stood at 42.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.0% and rented dwellings at 19.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,080. Median weekly rent in McKellar was $438, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's $450. Nationally, McKellar's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,167 versus the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 79.4% of all households, including 35.7% couples with children, 32.9% couples without children, and 10.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 20.6%, with lone person households at 17.6% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

McKellar performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

In McKellar, educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. As of the latest data (2021), 42.3% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4%. This educational advantage is reflected in the types of qualifications held: bachelor degrees are most common at 25.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.6%) and graduate diplomas (5.4%). Vocational pathways account for 24.9% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.2% and certificates at 15.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.6% in primary education, 7.1% in secondary education, and 6.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis shows 21 active public transport stops in McKellar, offering a mix of bus services. These stops are served by 59 individual routes, facilitating 3,841 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 158 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most commuters travel outward. The car remains dominant at 90%, while bus use stands at 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, exceeding the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, only 13.3% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 548 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 182 weekly trips per stop.

The level of general health in McKellar is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

McKellar demonstrates above-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts show low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 60% of the total population (1,558 people), compared to 62.4% across Australian Capital Territory. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, impacting 9.7 and 7.8% of residents respectively, while 68.0% 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 22.2% of residents aged 65 and over (581 people), which is higher than the 14.3% in Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

McKellar 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

McKellar's population showed higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 31.0% born overseas and 27.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion in McKellar, comprising 50.9% of its population. Notably, Buddhism was overrepresented, making up 3.6% compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 3.0%.

The top three ancestry groups were Australian (22.7%), English (21.4%), and Other (11.2%). Some ethnic groups showed significant differences: Croatian at 2.4% in McKellar vs 0.9% regionally, Polish at 1.1% vs 0.8%, and Serbian at 0.7% vs 0.4%.

McKellar's median age exceeds the national pattern

McKellar's median age is 43 years, which is significantly higher than the Australian Capital Territory average of 35 years and considerably older than the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory average, the 65-74 cohort is notably over-represented in McKellar at 12.8%, while the 25-34 cohort is under-represented at 11.9%. As per the 2021 Census, the population of the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 4.8% to 8.0%, and the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 11.8% to 12.9%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 12.8% to 11.5%, and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 15.1% to 13.9%. Demographic modeling suggests that McKellar's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 75 to 84 cohort projected to grow by 4%, adding 8 residents to reach 219. This growth is anticipated solely from demographic aging, as residents aged 65 and older represent 100% of the projected population increase. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 15 to 24 cohorts.