Narrabundah

Population growth drivers in Narrabundah are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Narrabundah's population is approximately 6,910 as of Nov 2025. This represents an increase of 455 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,455. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,896 in June 2024 and an additional 122 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,689 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Narrabundah's growth rate of 7.0% since the 2021 census exceeds both the state (5.9%) and SA4 region, positioning it as a growth leader in the area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 67.1% 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 by this data and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, using 2022 as the base year. Future population trends project an above median growth for the area, with an expected increase of 1,211 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 17.3% over the 17 years.

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

Narrabundah has received approximately 34 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 170 homes. As of FY26, there have been 5 approvals recorded. On average, each home built between FY21 and FY25 accommodated around 3.5 new residents per year. This has led to a significant demand exceeding supply, resulting in price growth and increased buyer competition.

The average construction cost for new homes is $274,000. In this financial year, there have been $19.8 million worth of commercial approvals, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Narrabundah has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks in the 47th percentile nationally, offering limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing properties. Recent construction comprises 50% detached dwellings and 50% townhouses or apartments, a shift from the current housing mix of 68% houses, reflecting reduced development sites availability and changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 345 people per dwelling approval, Narrabundah indicates a developed market.

By 2041, Narrabundah is projected to grow by 1,197 residents (AreaSearch quarterly estimate), with development keeping pace with this growth, though increasing competition among buyers is expected as the population expands.

Narrabundah has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 42ndth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified four projects likely influencing the region: Narrabundah Village Precinct Renewal (Iluka & Boolimba), Griffith-Narrabundah Community Centre & Oval Upgrade, Narrabundah Long Stay Caravan Park Redevelopment, and The Establishment Narrabundah.

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

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The labour market in Narrabundah demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Narrabundah has a highly educated workforce with professional services showing strong representation. Its unemployment rate is 3.3%, with an estimated employment growth of 1.9% over the past year as of September 2025.

In this month, 3740 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.3% below the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.6%. The workforce participation rate in Narrabundah lags behind ACT at 62.7% compared to ACT's 69.6%. Employment among residents is concentrated in public administration & safety, professional & technical services, and health care & social assistance.

However, education & training shows lower representation at 8.5% versus the regional average of 9.6%. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 1.9% while labour force increased by 1.4%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.5 percentage points in Narrabundah. In comparison, ACT recorded employment growth of 1.4%, labour force growth of 1.2%, with unemployment falling 0.2 percentage points during this period. By November 25, 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 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Narrabundah's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though 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 financial year 2022, Narrabundah SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $69,459 with an average level standing at $85,655. This is high nationally compared to levels of $68,678 and $83,634 across Australian Capital Territory respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $78,905 (median) and $97,304 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Narrabundah rank highly nationally, between the 85th and 93rd percentiles. The earnings profile shows that the largest segment comprises 28.0% earning $4000+ weekly (1,934 residents), unlike regional trends where 34.3% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. A substantial proportion of high earners, 40.6%, are above $3,000/week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout Narrabundah. High housing costs consume 15.1% of income, though strong earnings place disposable income at the 85th percentile nationally, and 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

In Narrabundah, as per the latest Census evaluation, 68.2% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 31.8% consisting of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This differs from the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) overall dwelling composition of 40.7% houses and 59.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Narrabundah stood at 27.9%, with mortgaged properties at 34.2% and rented dwellings at 37.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,392, surpassing the ACT average of $2,275. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent in Narrabundah was $440, higher than the ACT's figure of $500. Nationally, Narrabundah's median monthly mortgage repayment is significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while its median weekly rent is 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 account for 64.8% of all households, including 29.9% couples with children, 23.2% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 35.2%, with lone person households at 30.3% and group households comprising 4.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is 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

Narrabundah residents aged 15+ have a higher university qualification rate of 54.6%, compared to Australia's 30.4%. University qualifications lead with bachelor degrees at 28.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.5%) and graduate diplomas (5.7%). Vocational pathways account for 19.9% of qualifications, including advanced diplomas (8.8%) and certificates (11.1%). Educational participation is high with 33.1% currently enrolled in formal education, including primary (10.4%), secondary (8.7%), and tertiary (7.8%) levels.

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.4% in primary education, 8.7% in secondary education, and 7.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Narrabundah has 51 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 22 different routes that together facilitate 1,275 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents being on average 178 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 182 trips per day across all routes, which amounts to approximately 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 shows Narrabundah residents have relatively positive health outcomes, with common conditions seen across both young and old age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 63% of the total population (4,374 people), compared to 78.0% in the Australian Capital Territory and a national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues (9.2%) and arthritis (7.8%), with 68.3% of residents declaring themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.8% across the Australian Capital Territory.

The area has 20.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1,382 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Narrabundah was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Narrabundah's population showed high cultural diversity, with 29.9% born overseas and 24.8% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 40.1%. Judaism was slightly overrepresented compared to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), making up 0.5% of Narrabundah's population versus 0.6% in ACT.

The top three ancestry groups were English (23.2%), Australian (22.2%), and Other (11.7%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: French was overrepresented at 1.0%, Polish at 1.1%, and Russian at 0.6%.

Narrabundah's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Narrabundah is 40 years, which exceeds both the Australian Capital Territory's average of 35 years and the Australian median of 38 years. Comparing with the Australian Capital Territory, Narrabundah has a higher proportion of residents aged 75 to 84 (7.5%) but fewer residents aged 25 to 34 (12.3%). Between the 2016 Census and the 2021 Census, the percentage of Narrabundah's population aged 75 to 84 increased from 5.5% to 7.5%, while the percentage of residents aged 5 to 14 decreased from 12.7% to 11.3%. By 2041, significant changes in age composition are projected for Narrabundah. The 75 to 84 age group is expected to grow by 59%, reaching 827 people from the current 520. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above contributing to 57% of the projected growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 25 to 34 age groups.