Palmerston
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Palmerston's population, as of August 2025, is approximately 5,491, a decrease of 88 people from the 2021 Census figure of 5,579. This decline represents a 1.6% change from the Census date, inferred from ABS estimated resident population data for June 2024 and address validation. The population density is around 2,815 persons per square kilometer, placing Palmerston in the upper quartile of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 62.3% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch's projections for each SA2 area are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data 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, also using 2022 as a base, are adopted. According to these projections, Palmerston's population is expected to decline by 13 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts like the 45 to 54 group are projected to grow, with an anticipated increase of 90 people in this age bracket over the period.

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

Palmerston has seen virtually no dwelling approvals in recent years. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, only 2 dwellings have been approved, with 1 approval so far in FY26.

The area's population decline suggests that new supply has likely kept up with demand, offering buyers good choice. Additionally, $553,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, indicating the area's residential nature. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Palmerston records markedly lower building activity.

This constrained new construction usually reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes, though construction activity has intensified recently. Nationally, however, activity is still lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. Given stable or declining population forecasts, Palmerston may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Palmerston has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 32ndth percentile nationally

No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like alterations to local infrastructure, major undertakings, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has pinpointed 0 projects that could potentially impact the area. Notable projects include Gungahlin Community Centre, Gungahlin Town Centre Refresh, Gold Creek Homestead Precinct, and Gungahlin Town Centre East Expansion, with the following list highlighting those most likely to be relevant.

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

Palmerston has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Palmerston has a highly educated workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 4.4%, showing an estimated employment growth of 1.3% over the past year.

In this period, 3,104 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.0% higher than the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.4%. Workforce participation in Palmerston is broadly similar to ACT's 69.6%. Employment among Palmerston residents is concentrated in public administration & safety, professional & technical services, and education & training sectors.

However, public administration & safety has a limited presence with 27.7% employment compared to the regional average of 30.4%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels in Palmerston increased by 1.3% while labour force grew by 1.6%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, ACT recorded employment growth of 1.9%, labour force growth of 1.6%, with a fall in unemployment of 0.3 percentage points. As of Sep-25, state-level data shows ACT employment contracted by 0.33% (losing 1,480 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, but lags behind the national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a national employment expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Palmerston's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.4% over five years and 13.1% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 indicates that Palmerston has a high national median assessed income of $63,494 and an average income of $73,526. This contrasts with the Australian Capital Territory's median income of $68,678 and average income of $83,634. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.78% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Palmerston would be approximately $70,339 (median) and $81,452 (average) as of March 2025. The 2021 Census shows that incomes in Palmerston rank highly nationally, with household, family, and personal incomes between the 84th and 88th percentiles. Income brackets indicate that 34.5% of Palmerston's population (1,894 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, similar to the broader area where 34.3% occupy this bracket. Economic strength is evident with 35.7% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 13.8% of income, while strong earnings rank residents within the 86th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

In Palmerston, as per the latest Census findings, 60.3% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 39.7% consisting of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. This is in comparison to the Australian Capital Territory's dwelling structure of 66.3% houses and 33.7% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Palmerston was higher at 28.6%, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 42.5% and rented dwellings making up 28.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,940, which is lower than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,123 but higher than the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure for Palmerston was recorded at $450, which is higher than both the Australian Capital Territory's figure of $462 and the national average of $375.

Palmerston has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 74.7% of all households, including 35.2% couples with children, 25.6% couples without children, and 13.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 25.3%, with lone person households at 21.8% and group households comprising 3.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is smaller than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.9.

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

Palmerston's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 41.5% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4%. This includes 23.8% with bachelor degrees, 13.1% with postgraduate qualifications, and 4.6% with graduate diplomas. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 27.3% of residents holding such qualifications - including 10.7% with advanced diplomas and 16.6% with certificates.

Educational participation is high, with 31.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.6% in primary education, 6.9% in secondary education, and 6.8% pursuing tertiary education. Palmerston District Primary School serves the local community, enrolling 655 students as of a specific date. The school focuses exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas. Palmerston's socio-educational conditions are above average, with an ICSEA score of 1066.

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

Palmerston has 25 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by six different routes that together facilitate 874 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's location to the nearest transport stop is 182 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

Across all routes, there are an average of 124 trips per day, which equates to approximately 34 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Palmerston shows better-than-average health results, with both younger and older age groups having low rates of common health issues. Approximately 56% (~3,074 people) have private health cover, compared to 58.6% across Australian Capital Territory.

Mental health issues affect 9.4% of residents, while asthma impacts 8.6%. Around 69.6% report no medical ailments, compared to 76.4% in Australian Capital Territory. About 13.3% (729 people) are aged 65 and over, higher than the 8.3% in Australian Capital Territory. Seniors' health outcomes align with the general population's profile, both being above average.

Palmerston 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

Palmerston, as per the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census Data from June 2016, has a population that is more culturally diverse than many other local markets. Specifically, 32.2% of its residents were born overseas and another 32.2% spoke a language other than English at home. Christianity was found to be the predominant religion in Palmerston, with 42.9% of people identifying as such.

However, Buddhism appeared more prevalent in Palmerston compared to the Australian Capital Territory overall, comprising 4.9% versus 3.9%. Regarding ancestry, the top three represented groups were Australian (22.8%), English (21.5%), and Other (13.3%). Notably, certain ethnic groups showed higher representation in Palmerston than regionally: Croatian at 1.4% compared to 1.3%, Vietnamese at 2.3% versus 1.5%, and Korean at 1.0% against 1.2%.

Palmerston's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Palmerston's median age is nearly 36 years, close to the Australian Capital Territory average of 35, but younger than Australia's 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Palmerston has a higher percentage of residents aged 55-64 (11.6%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (14.2%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 35-44 has grown from 15.7% to 16.7%, while the population aged 25-34 has declined from 15.3% to 14.2%. By 2041, Palmerston's population is forecasted to change significantly demographically. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 12%, adding 88 residents to reach 819. In contrast, populations aged 0-4 and 35-44 are projected to decline.