Palmerston

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

Palmerston's population is around 5,491 as of November 2025. This reflects a decrease of 88 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,579 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,491 from the ABS as of June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,815 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 62.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, using 2022 as a base. Projections indicate an overall population decline of 13 persons by 2041. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 45 to 54 age group projected to grow by 90 people.

Residential dwelling approval activity has been practically non-existent in Palmerston

Palmerston has seen only two residential development approvals in the past five years. This reflects a fully developed suburb with limited opportunities for new construction. The absence of new supply generally supports demand for established properties and can contribute to price stability.

When measured against the Australian Capital Territory, Palmerston has significantly less development activity. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings, though development activity has picked up in recent periods. This level is similarly under the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

With population expected to remain stable or decline, Palmerston should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Palmerston has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 10thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified zero projects that might impact this area. Notable projects include Gungahlin Community Centre, Gold Creek Homestead Precinct, Gungahlin Town Centre Improvements, and Raya Gungahlin. The following list details those likely most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

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

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

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 0.9%. There were 3,083 residents employed while the unemployment rate was 0.9% higher than the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.6%. Workforce participation was similar to ACT's 69.6%.

Key industries of employment among residents were public administration & safety, professional & technical, and education & training. Public administration & safety was under-represented at 27.7% compared to ACT's 30.4%. Limited local employment opportunities were indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. In the past year, employment increased by 0.9% alongside labour force increasing by 1.1%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. Meanwhile, ACT experienced employment growth of 1.4% and labour force growth of 1.2%, with a 0.2 percentage point drop in unemployment rate. As of 25-Nov, ACT's 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 project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Palmerston's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

The median taxpayer income in Palmerston SA2 was $63,494, with an average of $73,526 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This is notably high compared to the Australian Capital Territory's median income of $68,678 and average income of $83,634. By September 2025, estimates based on a 13.6% Wage Price Index growth suggest approximately $72,129 for median income and $83,526 for average income in Palmerston SA2. Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Palmerston are all high, ranking between the 84th and 87th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that the largest segment comprises 1,894 residents earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, which is also representative of the region at 34.3%. The area demonstrates significant affluence with 35.7% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Housing accounts for 13.8% of income, while strong earnings place residents within the 85th 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 evaluated at the latest Census, 60.3% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 39.7% being semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. This compares to the Australian Capital Territory's figures of 66.3% houses and 33.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Palmerston stood at 28.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 42.5% and rented ones at 28.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,940, lower than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,123. The median weekly rent in Palmerston was $450, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's figure of $462. Nationally, Palmerston's median monthly mortgage repayments were higher at $1,940, while median weekly rents were substantially higher at $450.

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 making up 3.2% of the total. 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

In Palmerston, residents aged 15 and above have a notably higher educational attainment compared to national averages. Specifically, 41.5% of Palmerston's residents hold university qualifications, surpassing the Australian average of 30.4%. This educational advantage is predominantly driven by bachelor degrees (23.8%), postgraduate qualifications (13.1%), and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent in Palmerston, with 27.3% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (10.7%) and certificates (16.6%).

Educational participation is notably 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.

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. Six different routes service these stops, collectively offering 874 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 182 meters to the nearest stop.

The 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 shows better-than-average health results; both younger and older age groups have low rates of common conditions. Private health insurance coverage is high at around 56%, or approximately 3,074 people, compared to 58.6% in the Australian Capital Territory.

Mental health issues and asthma are most prevalent, affecting 9.4% and 8.6% respectively. About 69.6% report no medical conditions, compared to 76.4% across the Australian Capital Territory. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 13.3%, or 729 people, than the 8.3% in the Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, similar to those of the general population.

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's population showed high diversity, with 32.2% born overseas and 32.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 42.9%. Buddhism had higher representation in Palmerston at 4.9%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 3.9%.

Ancestry-wise, Australians formed 22.8%, English 21.5%, and Other 13.3% of the population. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Croatian (1.4% vs regional 1.3%), Vietnamese (2.3% vs 1.5%), and Korean (1.0% vs 1.2%).

Palmerston's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Palmerston's median age is nearly 36 years, closely matching 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 percentage of residents aged 55-64 (11.6%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (14.2%). Between the 2021 Census and the latest data, the proportion of residents aged 35-44 increased from 15.7% to 16.7%, while the proportion of those aged 25-34 decreased from 15.3% to 14.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic shifts in Palmerston. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 12%, adding 88 residents to reach a total of 819. Conversely, population declines are forecast for the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts.