Palmerston
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Palmerston's population was approximately 5,491 as of November 2025. This showed a decrease of 88 people from the 2021 Census figure of 5,579, indicating a 1.6% drop since then. The change is inferred from ABS estimates and address validation between June 2024 and the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 2,815 persons per square kilometer, placing Palmerston in the upper quartile relative to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration primarily drove recent population growth, contributing about 62.3% of overall gains.

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 ACT Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, using 2022 as the base year. According to these projections, Palmerston's population is expected to decline by 13 persons by 2041, while specific age cohorts like the 45-54 group are anticipated to grow by 90 people over this 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, totalling 2 homes over the past five financial years. So far in FY-26, 1 approval has been recorded. The area's population decline suggests that new supply is likely keeping up with demand, offering good choice to buyers. New properties are constructed at an average value of $52,000, below the regional average, indicating more affordable housing options for buyers.

In FY-26, $553,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting minimal commercial development activity. Compared to Australian Capital Territory, Palmerston records markedly lower building activity. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings.

However, building activity has accelerated in recent years, possibly due to planning 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 infrastructure changes or major projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could impact this area. Key projects include the Gungahlin Community Centre, Gold Creek Homestead Precinct, Gungahlin Town Centre Improvements, and Raya Gungahlin.

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The employment landscape in Palmerston shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Palmerston's workforce is highly educated with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 4.4% as of June 2025.

This rate has increased by 1.3% over the past year. As of June 2025, 3,104 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.0% higher than the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.4%. Workforce participation in Palmerston is similar to that of the Australian Capital Territory at 69.6%.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include public administration & safety, professional & technical services, and education & training. However, public administration & safety shows lower representation at 27.7% compared to the regional average of 30.4%. Employment opportunities in Palmerston appear limited locally, as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population figures. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 1.3% while labour force increased by 1.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Australian Capital Territory experienced employment growth of 1.9%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest potential future demand within Palmerston. These projections indicate national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Palmerston's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.4%% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Palmerston's median income among taxpayers is $63,494. The average income in the same period is $73,526. Nationally, these figures are high, with Australian Capital Territory's median being $68,678 and average at $83,634. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Palmerston would be approximately $72,129 (median) and $83,526 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Palmerston rank highly nationally, between the 84th and 88th percentiles. In terms of income distribution, 34.5% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, aligning with the metropolitan region where this cohort represents 34.3%. Notably, 35.7% exceed $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. Housing accounts for 13.8% of income, while residents rank 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

Dwelling structure in Palmerston, as evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 60.3% houses and 39.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Australian Capital Territory's 60.3% houses and 39.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Palmerston was at 28.6%, with the rest being mortgaged (42.5%) or rented (28.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Palmerston was $1,940, lower than Australian Capital Territory's average of $2,123. Median weekly rent in Palmerston was recorded at $450, compared to Australian Capital Territory's $462. Nationally, Palmerston's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 account for 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 significantly exceeds national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 41.5% hold university qualifications compared to Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 23.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 27.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 10.7% and certificates at 16.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.6% in primary, 6.9% in secondary, and 6.8% pursuing tertiary education. Palmerston District Primary School serves the local area, enrolling 655 students as of a recent report. The school focuses exclusively on primary education, with an Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) score of 1066, indicating above-average socio-educational conditions. Secondary educational options are available in surrounding areas.

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

Palmerston's public transport analysis shows 25 active stops operating within the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totaling six individual routes. Together, these routes facilitate 874 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average located 182 meters from their nearest stop. Service frequency averages 124 trips per day across all routes, translating 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 demonstrates above-average health outcomes, with both young and old age cohorts experiencing low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 56% of the total population (~3,074 people), compared to 58.6% across Australian Capital Territory.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 9.4 and 8.6% of residents respectively. A total of 69.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 76.4% across Australian Capital Territory. The area has 13.3% of residents aged 65 and over (729 people), which is higher than the 8.3% in Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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 conducted on the 9th of August, 2016, exhibited higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 32.2% of its population born overseas and an equal percentage speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was identified as the predominant religion in Palmerston, accounting for 42.9% of the population. However, Buddhism showed significant overrepresentation, comprising 4.9% of Palmerston's population compared to the Australian Capital Territory average of 3.9%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were Australian (22.8%), English (21.5%), and Other (13.3%). Notably, Croatian (1.4%) and Vietnamese (2.3%) ethnicities were overrepresented in Palmerston compared to regional averages of 1.3% and 1.5%, respectively. Similarly, the Korean population was slightly higher at 1.0%.

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 average of 38. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Palmerston has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (11.6%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (14.2%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the 35-44 age group has increased from 15.7% to 16.7%, while the 25-34 age group has decreased from 15.3% to 14.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Palmerston. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to grow by 12%, adding 88 residents to reach 819. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts.