Narrabundah
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Narrabundah's population was around 6,908 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 453 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,455 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,896 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 121 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 1,689 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Narrabundah's growth of 7.0% since the 2021 census exceeded the state's (5.7%) and SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 67.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections were adopted, using 2022 as a base. Based on demographic trends and latest population numbers, Narrabundah was projected to expand by 1,211 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 17.4% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Narrabundah when compared nationally

Narrabundah has seen approximately 101 new homes approved annually. Development approval data is provided by the ABS on a financial year basis, showing 508 homes over the past five years from FY20 to FY25, with no recorded approvals yet in FY26. On average, 3.5 people move to the area per dwelling built during these five years, indicating demand significantly outpaces supply. This typically exerts upward pressure on prices and intensifies competition among buyers.

New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost of $463,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY26, $19.8 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating steady commercial investment activity. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Narrabundah shows approximately 58% of construction activity per person and ranks among the 48th percentile of areas assessed nationally, offering more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing properties. Recent construction comprises 50.0% standalone homes and 50.0% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift towards compact living to provide affordable entry pathways for downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This marks a significant change from the current housing mix of 68.0% houses, likely due to reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements.

With around 345 people per dwelling approval, Narrabundah shows a developed market. Looking ahead, projections indicate Narrabundah will grow by 1,199 residents through to 2041. If current construction levels continue, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Narrabundah has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

No significant infrastructure changes are expected in the area, as AreaSearch has identified no projects likely to impact it. Key initiatives include Dairy Rd, Fyshwick, Canberra Hospital Master Plan, Ngurra Cultural Precinct, and The Centenary Hospital for Women and Children Expansion Project.

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

The employment environment in Narrabundah shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Narrabundah has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate was 3.1% as of June 2025, which is below the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.4%.

Employment growth in Narrabundah over the past year was estimated at 2.8%, compared to the ACT's 1.9%. The workforce participation rate in Narrabundah was 62.7% in June 2025, lower than the ACT's 69.6%. Major employment sectors include public administration & safety, professional & technical services, and health care & social assistance.

Education & training is under-represented, with only 8.5% of Narrabundah's workforce compared to 9.6% in the ACT. Employment levels increased by 2.8% and labour force by 1.6% during the year to June 2025, leading to a unemployment rate decrease of 1.1 percentage points. In comparison, the ACT recorded employment growth of 1.9%, labour force growth of 1.6%, and a unemployment rate decrease of 0.3 percentage points. As of Sep-25, state-level data showed ACT employment contracted by 0.33% (losing 1,480 jobs) with an unemployment rate of 4.2%. National forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Narrabundah's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.5%% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, although this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for 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 financial year 2022, Narrabundah had a median income among taxpayers of $69,459. The average income stood at $85,655. These figures are higher than national averages of $68,678 and $83,634 for the Australian Capital Territory respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.78% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $76,947 (median) and $94,889 (average) as of March 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Narrabundah rank highly nationally, between the 86th and 93rd percentiles. Income distribution shows that 28.0% of locals (1,934 people) fall into the $4000+ category, contrasting with regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 34.3%. Economic strength is evident through 40.6% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000. This supports elevated consumer spending in the area. Housing accounts for 15.1% of income while strong earnings place residents within the 86th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Narrabundah displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

As per the latest Census evaluation in Narrabundah, dwelling structures comprised 68.2% houses and 31.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with the Australian Capital Territory's figures of 40.7% houses and 59.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Narrabundah stood at 27.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 34.2% and rented dwellings at 37.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,392, higher than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,275. The median weekly rent figure in Narrabundah was $440, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's $500. Nationally, Narrabundah's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 64.8% of all households, including couples with children at 29.9%, couples without children at 23.2%, and single parent families at 10.8%. Non-family households account for the remaining 35.2%, with lone person households making up 30.3% and group households comprising 4.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.2.

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

Educational attainment in Narrabundah exceeds national averages, with 54.6% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications compared to Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 28.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.5%) and graduate diplomas (5.7%). Vocational pathways account for 19.9% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 8.8% and certificates at 11.1%. Educational participation is high, with 33.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.4% in primary, 8.7% in secondary, and 7.8% pursuing tertiary education.

Narrabundah's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,173 students as of the latest data. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1064. Education provision is balanced with two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents (17.0) are below the regional average (31.2), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Transport analysis shows 51 active stops in Narrabundah, served by buses. These stops are covered by 22 routes, offering 1,275 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 178 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 182 daily trips across all routes, equating to about 25 weekly trips per individual stop.

Narrabundah's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Health data for Narrabundah shows positive outcomes overall, with common health conditions seen across both younger and older age groups at a fairly standard level. Private health cover is exceptionally high in Narrabundah, with approximately 63% of the total population (4,372 people) having it, compared to 78.0% across the Australian Capital Territory and a national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues affecting 9.2% of residents and arthritis impacting 7.8%.

A total of 68.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.8% across the Australian Capital Territory. There are 1,381 people aged 65 and over in Narrabundah, making up 20.0% of the population. Health outcomes among seniors are above average and broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Narrabundah 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

Narrabundah was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 29.9% of its population born overseas and 24.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the main religion in Narrabundah, comprising 40.1% of people. Judaism, however, was overrepresented at 0.5%, compared to 0.6% across Australian Capital Territory.

The top three ancestry groups were English (23.2%), Australian (22.2%), and Other (11.7%). Notably, French (1.0%) Polish (1.1%) and Russian (0.6%) ethnicities were overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.9%, 1.0% and 0.4% respectively.

Narrabundah's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Narrabundah is 40 years, which is higher than the Australian Capital Territory's average of 35 years and also slightly exceeds the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Narrabundah has a higher proportion of residents aged 75-84 years (7.5%), but fewer individuals aged 25-34 years (12.3%). Between the 2021 Census and present, the percentage of people aged 75 to 84 years has increased from 5.5% to 7.5%, while the proportion of those aged 5 to 14 years has decreased from 12.7% to 11.3%. By the year 2041, Narrabundah's age composition is projected to change significantly. The number of individuals in the 75 to 84 age group is expected to grow by 59%, reaching 827 from an initial figure of 520. This growth is led by the aging population trend, with those aged 65 years and above accounting for 57% of projected population growth. Conversely, declines in population are projected for the age groups of 5 to 14 years and 25 to 34 years.