Nicholls
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Nicholls' population, as of Nov 2025, is around 6,517, reflecting a decrease of 163 people since the 2021 Census which reported 6,680 people. This change is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 6,517 in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. The population density is 972 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 72.0% of overall gains during recent periods. AreaSearch adopts 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 ACT Government's SA2 area projections are used, also based on 2022. Projections indicate a population decline by 507 persons by 2041, with the 65 to 74 age group projected to increase by 112 people.

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

Nicholls has averaged approximately one new dwelling approval per year over the past five financial years, totalling five homes. As of FY26, one approval has been recorded to date. The population has fallen during this period, suggesting that new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good choice for buyers. The average expected construction cost value of new homes is $430,000, indicating that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

In FY26, $1.4 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Nicholls has significantly less development activity. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established homes. Nationally, development activity is also lower than average, which may reflect market maturity or possible development constraints.

Recent development in Nicholls has been entirely comprised of detached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes. With population expected to remain stable or decline, Nicholls should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Nicholls has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 30thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified nine projects that could impact the local area's performance. These include Gungahlin College East in Nicholls, Gold Creek Homestead Precinct, Gold Creek School Senior Campus expansion, and Gungahlin Community Facilities Upgrades. The following list details those expected to have the most relevance.

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

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Nicholls ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Nicholls has a highly educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 1.9% in June 2025, lower than the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.4%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.6%. As of June 2025, 3,872 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.5% and workforce participation on par with ACT's 69.6%. Major employment sectors include public administration & safety, professional & technical services, and education & training.

Health care & social assistance had a limited presence at 8.8%, compared to the regional average of 11.7%. The Census working population vs resident population count suggests limited local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 1.6% while labour force grew by 1.6%, keeping unemployment relatively stable at 1.9%. In contrast, ACT saw employment rise by 1.9%, labour force grow by 1.6%, and unemployment fall to 3.1%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Nicholls' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.4% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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, Nicholls had a median income among taxpayers of $70,045. The average income stood at $81,112. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to the Australian Capital Territory's levels of $68,678 and $83,634 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Nicholls would be approximately $79,571 (median) and $92,143 (average) as of September 2025. Census data from 2021 shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Nicholls rank highly nationally, between the 94th and 98th percentiles. Income distribution data indicates that the $4000+ bracket dominates with 36.3% of residents (2,365 people), unlike metropolitan trends where 34.3% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. A substantial proportion of high earners, at 52.0%, indicates strong economic capacity throughout the district. After housing costs, residents retain 90.2% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Nicholls' dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 89.6% houses and 10.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Australian Capital Territory's 66.3% houses and 33.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Nicholls stood at 41.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.7% and rented ones at 14.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,300, higher than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,123. The median weekly rent in Nicholls was $502, compared to Australian Capital Territory's $462. Nationally, Nicholls' mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,300 versus Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Nicholls features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 84.5% of all households, including 45.0% couples with children, 30.9% couples without children, and 7.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 15.5%, comprising 13.7% lone person households and 1.8% group households. The median household size is 2.9 people, which aligns with the Australian Capital Territory average.

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

Educational attainment in Nicholls is notably higher than broader benchmarks, with 42.7% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications compared to the national average of 30.4%. This educational advantage positions Nicholls favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 24.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.6%) and graduate diplomas (5%). Trade and technical skills are also prominent, with 25.3% of residents aged 15 and above holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas at 11.4% and certificates at 13.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.1% in primary, 8.5% in secondary, and 6.8% pursuing tertiary education. Nicholls's three schools have a combined enrollment reaching 2,906 students while the area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1073). The educational mix includes one primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. Nicholls functions as an education hub with 44.6 school places per 100 residents – significantly higher than the regional average of 14.7 – attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Nicholls has 51 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 18 different routes that together facilitate 1,308 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 182 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 186 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 25 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Nicholls demonstrates above-average health outcomes with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 61% of the total population (3,962 people), compared to 58.6% across Australian Capital Territory and a national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.7 and 7.2% of residents respectively, while 70.2% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 76.4% across Australian Capital Territory.

The area has 18.9% of residents aged 65 and over (1,231 people), which is higher than the 8.3% in Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Nicholls 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

Nicholls had a higher cultural diversity than most nearby areas, with 29.8% of residents born overseas and 25.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Nicholls, accounting for 52.6% of its population. Buddhism, however, was more prevalent in Nicholls at 3.2%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory average of 3.9%.

The top three ancestral groups were English (23.7%), Australian (22.3%), and Other (9.9%), which was lower than the regional average of 17.2%. Some ethnic groups had notable differences in representation: Croatian at 1.6% compared to 1.3% regionally, Polish at 1.0% versus 0.6%, and Sri Lankan at 0.6%.

Nicholls hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Nicholls is 44 years, which is significantly higher than the Australian Capital Territory's average of 35 years. This figure is also considerably older than Australia's national median age of 38 years. The 55-64 age group constitutes a strong 16.5% of Nicholls' population compared to the Australian Capital Territory, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 8.5%. This concentration of the 55-64 age group is well above the national average of 11.2%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 5.1% to 6.4% of Nicholls' population, while the 55 to 64 cohort increased from 15.4% to 16.5%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 17.2% to 14.5%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Nicholls. The 85+ age group is expected to grow by 96%, reaching 166 people from its current figure of 84. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 100% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 0 to 4 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.