Turner

Population growth drivers in Turner are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Turner's population, as of May 2026, is approximately 4,894. This figure represents an increase of 424 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,470. The growth was inferred from ABS estimates and validated new addresses between June 2025 and May 2026. Turner's population density is around 3,177 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. Between 2021 and May 2026, Turner's population growth of 9.5% exceeded both the state average (8.3%) and its SA4 region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 87.3% of Turner's recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, ACT Government's SA2 area projections with a 2022 base are adopted. By 2041, Turner is projected to grow by an additional 843 persons, reflecting a 17.1% increase over the 16-year period based on latest annual ERP population numbers. This growth rate is above the median for statistical areas across the nation.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Turner among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Turner recorded approximately 55 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25278 homes were approved, with a further 480 approved in FY-26. On average, about 1.2 people moved to the area each year for every dwelling built during these years.

This balance between supply and demand supports stable market conditions. The average construction value of new properties was $286,000. In FY-26, $1.2 million in commercial approvals were registered, indicating limited commercial development activity compared to residential. When compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Turner shows 11.0% lower construction activity per person but ranks among the 92nd percentile nationally. Despite this, building activity has increased recently, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area.

The majority of new dwellings are attached (96.0%), with a focus on higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. Turner indicates a mature market with approximately 491 people per approval. By 2041, Turner is forecasted to gain 837 residents according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling population growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Turner has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 30thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 32 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Botanical Turner, Turner Build-to-Rent, 220 Northbourne Avenue, and Turner One Affordable Housing Project. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Turner exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Turner's workforce comprises highly educated individuals with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate is 3.4%, with an estimated employment growth of 0.8% over the past year as of December 2025. There are 3,377 residents employed, with an unemployment rate at 0.4% below the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Turner is 76.1%, surpassing ACT's 70.5%. Census responses indicate that 13.1% of residents work from home. The dominant employment sectors are public administration & safety, professional & technical, and education & training. Public administration & safety shows notable concentration with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance is under-represented, at 7.5% compared to ACT's 11.7%. Limited local employment opportunities are suggested by Census data. Over the year ending December 2025, employment increased by 0.8%, labour force grew by 1.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.5 percentage points. In comparison, ACT recorded employment growth of 0.9% and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Turner's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

The median taxpayer income in Turner SA2 is $78,070, with an average of $94,704 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is notably higher than 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 financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $86,221 (median) and $104,591 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Turner rank highly nationally, between the 84th and 97th percentiles. Income analysis shows that 38.6% of individuals earn between $1,500 - 2,999 per week, consistent with broader regional trends at 34.3%. A substantial proportion, 36.8%, earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity in the suburb. High housing costs consume 16.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 83rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Turner features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Turner, as per the latest Census evaluation, 12.6% were houses while 87.4% consisted of other dwellings such as semi-detached properties, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with the Australian Capital Territory's figures of 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Turner stood at 18.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.6% and rented ones at 55.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,901, lower than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,080. The median weekly rent in Turner was recorded at $480, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's $450. Nationally, Turner's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Turner features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 46.9% of all households, including 11.5% couples with children, 29.6% couples without children, and 4.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 53.1%, with lone person households at 38.6% and group households comprising 14.8%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

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

Turner has a notably high level of educational attainment, with 69.4% of its residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This figure surpasses both the national average of 30.4% and the SA4 region's average of 46.8%. The area's educational advantage is reflected in its residents' qualifications: Bachelor degrees are the most common at 37.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (25.6%) and graduate diplomas (6.0%). Technical qualifications make up 10.9% of educational achievements, with advanced diplomas accounting for 5.4% and certificates for 5.5%.

Educational participation is high in Turner, with 31.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 20.7% in tertiary education, 3.8% in primary education, and 3.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Turner has 25 operational public transport stops offering a mix of lightrail and bus services. These stops are served by 63 unique routes, facilitating 4,635 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically residing just 148 meters from the nearest stop. Primarily residential, most Turner residents commute outward using different modes of transportation: cars (48%), walking (22%), and buses (12%). Vehicle ownership stands at an average of 0.7 per dwelling, lower than the regional norm. According to the 2021 Census, only 13.1% of Turner residents work from home, which might be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency across all routes averages 662 trips daily, translating to approximately 185 weekly trips per individual stop.

Turner's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Turner. AreaSearch's assessment indicates low prevalence of common health conditions across both young and old age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 69% of the total population (3,362 people), compared to 62.4% in Australian Capital Territory and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues affecting 12.3% of residents and asthma impacting 8.2%. A total of 70.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.2% across Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 10.4% of residents aged 65 and over (507 people), which is lower than the 14.3% in Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

Turner 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

Turner had a higher cultural diversity compared to most local markets, with 32.7% of its population born overseas and 25.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Turner, accounting for 26.7% of the population. However, Judaism was significantly overrepresented, comprising 0.4% compared to the Australian Capital Territory's average of 0.2%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (22.4%), Australian (19.4%), and Other (11.6%). Some other ethnic groups also showed notable differences: Polish was overrepresented at 1.1% compared to the regional average of 0.8%, French at 0.8% versus 0.5%, and Korean at 0.8% against the regional average of 0.6%.

Turner hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Turner's median age was recorded as 30 years old in the Census data of 2021. This figure is notably lower than the Australian Capital Territory's median age of 35 and also considerably younger than Australia's overall median age of 38. The age profile shows that individuals aged between 25 to 34 years are particularly prominent, making up 34.4% of Turner's population. This percentage is well above the national average of 14.6%. However, the group aged between 5 to 14 years is comparatively smaller in Turner, accounting for only 3.9% of the population, which is lower than the Australian Capital Territory figure. Comparing post-2021 Census data with previous figures reveals several trends. The age group of 25 to 34 years has grown from 31.7% to 34.4% of Turner's population, while the 35 to 44 cohort has increased from 14.6% to 16.1%. Conversely, the 15 to 24 age group has declined from 19.1% to 16.3%, and the 5 to 14 age range has dropped from 5.2% to 3.9%. By the year 2041, Turner's age composition is expected to undergo notable shifts. The 45 to 54 age cohort is projected to increase significantly, expanding by 152 people (34%) from a total of 453 to reach 606 individuals. Conversely, numbers in the 5 to 14 age range are expected to fall by approximately 2 individuals during this period.