Turner
Statistical Area - sa2

Turner lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Turner's population is around 4,948 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 478 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,470 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,734 in June 2024 and an additional 145 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,213 persons per square kilometer, placing Turner in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Turner's growth of 10.7% since the 2021 census exceeded both the state average of 5.7% and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 79.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, using 2022 as a base. Population projections show an above median growth for statistical areas across the nation, with Turner expected to grow by 988 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, indicating a total increase of 15.6% over the 17 years.

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

Turner recorded approximately 76 residential properties granted approval annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, showing 380 homes over the past five financial years from FY-20 to FY-25, with an additional six approved in FY-26. On average, 1.2 new residents arrive per newly built home annually between FY-20 and FY-25, indicating a balanced supply and demand market supporting stable conditions. The average construction cost value of new homes over the past five financial years is $615,000, suggesting developers focus on premium markets with high-end developments.

This year, Turner has seen $1.2 million in commercial approvals, reflecting its residential nature. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Turner has 13.0% less new development per person but ranks among the 93rd percentile nationally for development activity, which has picked up recently and is significantly above the national average. New development consists of 4.0% detached dwellings and 96.0% attached dwellings, promoting higher-density living that creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With approximately 491 people per dwelling approval, Turner exhibits a developed market. By 2041, Turner is projected to grow by 774 residents.

Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Turner has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 24 projects that could impact the region. Notable initiatives include Zarah, another Zarah project at 60-62 Macleay Street, Botanical Turner, PCYC Turner Affordable Housing Project, and others detailed below as they are likely most relevant.

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

AreaSearch assessment positions Turner ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Turner has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. Its unemployment rate is 3.1%, lower than the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) 3.4%.

Employment growth in Turner over the past year was estimated at 1.3%. As of June 2025, there are 3,401 residents employed with an unemployment rate of 0.9% compared to ACT's 3.4%, and workforce participation is higher at 76.4% versus ACT's 69.6%. Key industries include public administration & safety, professional & technical services, and education & training. Public administration & safety has a particularly strong presence, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level.

Health care & social assistance has limited representation at 7.5% compared to the regional average of 11.7%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as seen in Census data. Over the past year, Turner's employment increased by 1.3%, labour force grew by 1.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, ACT saw employment grow by 1.9% and unemployment fall by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows ACT's employment contracted by 0.33% (losing 1,480 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, compared to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% growth over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Turner's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.5%% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, assuming constant population projection for illustrative purposes.

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

In financial year 2022, Turner had a median income among taxpayers of $73,332 and an average level of $94,358. These figures place Turner in the top percentile nationally, compared to levels of $68,678 and $83,634 across Australian Capital Territory respectively. As of March 2025, current estimates suggest median income has increased to approximately $81,237 and average income to $104,530, based on a Wage Price Index growth of 10.78% since financial year 2022. Turner ranks highly in household, family and personal incomes, between the 85th and 97th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows that 38.6% of residents (1,909 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 income bracket, aligning with the surrounding region where this cohort represents 34.3%. Notably, 36.8% of residents earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity throughout the district. High housing costs consume 16.4% of income, but despite this, disposable income ranks at the 83rd percentile. Turner'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% comprised semi-detached dwellings, apartments, and others. In comparison, Australian Capital Territory had 39.3% houses and 60.7% 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 Australian Capital Territory's average of $2,080. Median weekly rent in Turner was $480, slightly higher than Australian Capital Territory's figure of $476. Nationally, Turner's median monthly mortgage repayments were higher at $1,901 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and median rents were substantially higher at $480 versus 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 comprise the remaining 53.1%, with lone person households at 38.6% and group households making up 14.8%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.2.

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

Turner's educational attainment significantly exceeds broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 69.4% hold university qualifications compared to 30.4% nationally and 46.8% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 37.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (25.6%) and graduate diplomas (6.0%). Technical qualifications represent 10.9%, with advanced diplomas at 5.4% and certificates at 5.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 31.8% currently enrolled in formal education: tertiary education (20.7%), primary education (3.8%), secondary education (3.1%). Turner School serves the local area with an enrollment of 369 students; it focuses exclusively on primary education. Turner demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1147). Local school capacity is limited at 7.5 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 15.4, leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

Turner has 25 active public transport stops offering a mix of lightrail and bus services. These stops are served by 14 different routes that collectively facilitate 2,818 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 148 meters to the nearest stop.

Daily service frequency averages 402 trips across all routes, equating to approximately 112 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 shows Turner's health metrics are strong across age groups. Prevalence of common conditions is low, with mental health issues affecting 12.3%, asthma impacting 8.2%, and 70.1% reporting no medical ailments. Private health cover is high at approximately 68%, compared to ACT's 65.3% and Australia's average of 55.3%.

Residents aged 65+ are 9.9%, lower than ACT's 11.4%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Turner exceed those of 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's population showed high cultural diversity, with 32.7% born overseas and 25.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Turner, accounting for 26.7%. While Judaism made up only 0.4%, it was slightly higher compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 0.5%.

The top three ancestral groups were English (22.4%), Australian (19.4%), and Other (11.6%). Notably, Polish (1.1% vs regional 0.9%), French (0.8% vs 0.7%), and Korean (0.8% vs 0.7%) were overrepresented in Turner compared to the broader region.

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

Turner has a median age of 31, which is younger than the Australian Capital Territory's figure of 35 and substantially under the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Turner has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (33.6%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (4.0%). This 25-34 concentration is well above the national figure of 14.5%. Between 2021 and present day, the age group 25 to 34 has grown from 31.7% to 33.6% of Turner's population, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 14.6% to 15.9%. Conversely, the 15 to 24 age group has declined from 19.1% to 17.1%, and the 5 to 14 age range dropped from 5.2% to 4.0%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Turner's age structure. The 55 to 64 age cohort is projected to increase significantly, expanding by 173 people (46%) from 380 to 554. Meanwhile, numbers in the 5 to 14 age range are expected to fall by 14 people.