Palmerston

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

Palmerston's population, as of May 2026, is approximately 5,537 people. This figure represents a decrease of 42 individuals since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 5,579. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,537 in June 2025 and address validation. This results in a population density ratio of 2,839 persons per square kilometer, placing Palmerston in the upper quartile relative to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 62.9% 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. According to these projections, Palmerston's population is expected to decline by 23 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts like those aged 45 to 54 are projected to grow by 86 people during this period.

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 contributes to price stability when compared to the Australian Capital Territory, which has significantly more development activity.

Despite recent increases in development activity, Palmerston's level remains below the national average, indicating its 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.

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 16thth percentile nationally

No changes can impact a region's performance more than adjustments to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that could potentially affect this area. Notable projects include the Gungahlin Community Centre, Gold Creek Homestead Precinct, Raya Gungahlin, and enhancements to the Gungahlin Town Centre. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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

Palmerston has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 4.6% as of May 2021. Over the past year, employment grew by an estimated 0.6%.

As of December 2025, there were 3,082 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.6%, which is 0.8% higher than the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation was similar to the ACT's at 70.5%. According to Census responses in 2016, only 11.6% of residents worked from home.

The key industries for employment among Palmerston residents were public administration & safety, professional & technical services, and education & training. However, public administration & safety was under-represented compared to the ACT, with only 27.7% of Palmerston's workforce versus 30.4% in the ACT. Between May 2021 and June 2022, employment increased by 0.6%, while the labour force grew by 1.1%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, the ACT experienced employment growth of 0.9% and labour force growth of 1.2%, with an unemployment rate increase of 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across industry sectors. 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 and does not account for localized population projections.

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 is $66,616, with an average of $75,483, according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is high nationally, contrasting with the Australian Capital Territory's median income of $72,206 and average income of $85,981. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.44% since the financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $73,571 (median) and $83,363 (average) as of March 2026. Census data reveals that household, family, and personal incomes in Palmerston all rank highly nationally, between the 84th and 87th percentiles. Distribution data shows that the largest segment comprises 34.5% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (1,910 residents), aligning with the region where this cohort likewise represents 34.3%. The locality demonstrates considerable 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 rank 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

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 28.6%, similar to the Australian Capital Territory figure of 28.5%. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (42.5%) or rented (28.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Palmerston was $1,940, lower than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,080. The median weekly rent figure in Palmerston was $450, equal to the Australian Capital Territory figure of $450. 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 higher-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 account for 25.3%, with lone person households at 21.8% and group households making up 3.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5 people.

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 higher proportion of university qualifications than the national average. Specifically, 41.5% of residents possess such credentials compared to 30.4% in Australia as of 2021 data. This educational advantage is evident across various levels: bachelor degrees are held by 23.8%, postgraduate qualifications by 13.1%, and graduate diplomas by 4.6%. Vocational skills are also prominent, with 27.3% holding advanced diplomas (10.7%) or certificates (16.6%).

Educational participation is notably high in Palmerston, with 31.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the latest report. This includes 10.6% in primary education, 6.9% in secondary education, and 6.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Palmerston has 23 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 62 routes that facilitate 2,692 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 184 meters to the nearest stop. In this residential area, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 85%, while buses account for 7%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, only 11.6% of residents work from home, which might be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 384 trips per day, equating to approximately 117 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 health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment using mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age groups have low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is high at approximately 57% (around 3,133 people), compared to 62.4% in the Australian Capital Territory. The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues affecting 9.4% of residents and asthma impacting 8.6%. About 69.6% report no medical ailments, similar to the 70.2% across Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among working-age individuals are typical. Palmerston has 14.1% (777 people) aged 65 and over, with health outcomes above average and national rankings in line with general population figures.

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% of its residents born overseas and an equal percentage speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity dominated as the primary religion in Palmerston, accounting for 42.9% of people. However, Buddhism showed significant overrepresentation in Palmerston compared to the Australian Capital Territory, with 4.9% versus 3.0%.

The top three ancestry groups were Australian (22.8%), English (21.5%), and Other (13.3%). Notable differences existed for Croatian (1.4% vs regional 0.9%), Vietnamese (2.3% vs 1.0%), and Korean (1.0% vs 0.6%) ethnic groups in Palmerston compared to the region.

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 (12.0%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (14.0%). Between the 2021 Census and the present, the population aged 75-84 has grown from 3.0% to 4.5%, while the 35-44 age group increased from 15.7% to 16.8%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group declined from 15.3% to 14.0%, and the 0-4 age group dropped from 6.8% to 5.5%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes in Palmerston, with the strongest growth projected for the 45-54 cohort (10%), adding 75 residents to reach 818. In contrast, population declines are forecast for the 0-4 and 35-44 age groups.