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 people. This figure represents a decrease of 88 individuals since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 5,579. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,491 in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,815 persons per square kilometer, placing Palmerston in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 62.3% 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 and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, also using 2022 as a base year. According to these projections, Palmerston's population is expected to decline by 13 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are anticipated to grow, notably the 45 to 54 age group, projected to increase 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 averaged approximately zero new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis. Over the past five financial years, between 2019-20 and 2024-25, three dwellings have been approved in total, with one approval recorded so far in the current financial year, 2025-26.

The area has experienced population decline, suggesting that new supply may have been keeping 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 typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. However, construction activity has intensified recently. Nationally, activity is also lower than usual, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. Given stable or declining population forecasts, Palmerston may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

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

No infrastructure changes are expected in the area. No major projects have been identified by AreaSearch as likely to impact the region. Key initiatives include the Gungahlin Community Centre, Gungahlin Town Centre Refresh, Gold Creek Homestead Precinct, and Gungahlin Town Centre East Expansion. Details of these projects can be found below.

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 essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 4.4% as of June 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.3% over the past year.

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

Public administration & safety had 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 Census data on working population versus resident population. Employment levels increased by 1.3% and labour force increased by 1.6% during the year to June 2025, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. By comparison, Australian Capital Territory recorded employment growth of 1.9%, labour force growth of 1.6%, with a fall in unemployment of 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 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%, lagging the national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates between industry sectors. 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 data for financial year 2022 shows Palmerston's median income is $63,494 and average income is $73,526. This compares to the Australian Capital Territory's median of $68,678 and average of $83,634. By March 2025, estimated incomes are approximately $70,339 (median) and $81,452 (average), based on a 10.78% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. Palmerston's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 84th and 88th percentiles nationally, according to the 2021 Census. Income brackets show that 34.5% of Palmerston residents earn between $1,500 - $2,999 annually, similar to the broader area's 34.3%. High weekly earnings exceeding $3,000 are achieved by 35.7% of households, indicating strong consumer spending. Housing accounts for 13.8% of income. Palmerston residents rank at the 86th percentile for disposable income and have an SEIFA income ranking 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 while 39.7% were other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to the Australian Capital Territory's 66.3% houses and 33.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Palmerston was at 28.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 42.5% and rented ones at 28.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,940, lower than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,123. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $450, compared to the 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 comprise 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 make up 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 people.

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 the Australian average of 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, with an enrollment of 655 students as of a recent report. The school's Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) score is 1066, indicating above-average socio-educational conditions. As of now, Palmerston has one primary school focused exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas.

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 home to the nearest transport stop is 182 meters.

On average, there are 124 trips per day across all routes, 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 demonstrates above-average health outcomes for both young and old age cohorts, with 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.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 9.4% and 8.6% of residents respectively. 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's population was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 32.2% born overseas and 32.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Palmerston as of 2016, accounting for 42.9% of its population. Notably, Buddhism was overrepresented in Palmerston compared to the Australian Capital Territory, with 4.9% versus 3.9%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were Australian at 22.8%, English at 21.5%, and Other at 13.3%. There were also notable disparities in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Croatian was overrepresented at 1.4% compared to the regional average of 1.3%, Vietnamese at 2.3% versus 1.5%, and Korean at 1.0% versus 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 the present, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 15.7% to 16.7%, while the 25 to 34 age group has decreased from 15.3% to 14.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic shifts in Palmerston. The 45 to 54 cohort is projected to grow by 12%, adding 88 residents to reach 819. Conversely, population declines are forecast for the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age cohorts.