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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Turner's population is around 4,754 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 284 people (6.4%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,470 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,734 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 149 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 3,087 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Turner has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a 1.7% compound annual growth rate, outpacing the national average. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 79.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections, with 2022 as a base, are adopted. Looking at population projections moving forward, an above-median population growth of statistical areas across the nation is projected, with the area expected to grow by 988 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 20.4% in total over the 17 years.

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

Turner has recorded around 55 residential properties granted approval annually, with 278 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 480 so far in FY-26. With an average of 1.2 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), the market shows a good balance between supply and demand, supporting stable conditions, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $286,000. Additionally, $1.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, indicating minimal commercial development activity.

When measured against the Australian Capital Territory, Turner shows 12.0% lower construction activity (per person) while it places among the 92nd percentile of areas assessed nationally, though building activity has accelerated in recent years. This is well above average nationally, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. New building activity consists of 4.0% detached dwellings and 96.0% attached dwellings. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. At around 491 people per approval, Turner indicates a mature market.

Population forecasts indicate Turner will gain 968 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Turner has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 31stth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 30 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Zarah, Ikon Place - Section 19 Braddon, Lonsdale & Girrahween - Braddon (Section 34), and Botanical Turner, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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.

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

Turner features a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of only 3.4%, and 0.8% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 3,377 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.4% below the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation is well beyond standard (78.7% compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 72.6%). Based on Census responses, a low 13.1% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include public administration & safety, professional & technical, and education & training. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in public administration & safety, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. On the other hand, health care & social assistance is under-represented, with only 7.5% of Turner's workforce compared to 11.7% in the Australian Capital Territory. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 0.8% while the labour force increased by 1.3%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 percentage points. By comparison, the Australian Capital Territory recorded employment growth of 0.9% and labour force growth of 1.2%, with unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Turner. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Turner's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.1% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Turner SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $78,070 and an average of $94,704 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. This is extremely 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 9.26% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $85,299 (median) and $103,474 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Turner, between the 84th and 97th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 38.6% of the community (1,835 individuals), consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 34.3% in the same category. The substantial proportion of high earners (36.8% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout this suburb. High housing costs consume 16.4% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 83rd percentile and 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

Dwelling structure within Turner, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 12.6% houses and 87.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to the Australian Capital Territory's 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Turner was lagging that of the Australian Capital Territory, at 18.0%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (26.6%) or rented (55.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Australian Capital Territory average at $1,901, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $480, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's $2,080 and $450. Nationally, Turner's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are 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 dominate at 46.9% of all households, comprising 11.5% couples with children, 29.6% couples without children, and 4.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 53.1%, with lone person households at 38.6% and group households comprising 14.8% of the total. The median household size of 2.0 people 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

Educational attainment in Turner significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 69.4% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 30.4% in Australia and 46.8% in the SA4 region. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 37.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (25.6%) and graduate diplomas (6.0%). Technical qualifications represent 10.9% of educational achievements for residents aged 15+; advanced diplomas (5.4%) and certificates (5.5%).

Educational participation is notably high, 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

Public transport analysis reveals 25 active transport stops operating within Turner, comprising a mix of light rail and buses. These stops are serviced by 63 individual routes, collectively providing 4,635 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 148 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 48%, with 22% walking and 12% by bus. Vehicle ownership averages 0.7 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. A relatively low 13.1% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 662 trips per day across all routes, equating 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, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts see low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 69% of the total population (3,265 people). This compares to 62.4% across the Australian Capital Territory. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be mental health issues and asthma, impacting 12.3% and 8.2% of residents, respectively, while 70.1% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 70.2% across the Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 10.1% of residents aged 65 and over (482 people), which is lower than the 14.3% in the 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 is more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 32.7% of its population born overseas and 25.8% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Turner is Christianity, which makes up 26.7% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.4% of the population, compared to 0.2% across the Australian Capital Territory.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Turner are English, comprising 22.4% of the population, Australian, comprising 19.4% of the population, and Other, comprising 11.6% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Polish is notably overrepresented at 1.1% of Turner (vs 0.8% regionally), French at 0.8% (vs 0.5%), and Korean at 0.8% (vs 0.6%).

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

With a median age of 31, Turner is materially younger than the Australian Capital Territory figure of 35 and substantially under the Australian median of 38. Relative to the Australian Capital Territory, Turner has a higher concentration of 25 - 34 residents (32.7%) but fewer 5 - 14 year-olds (3.8%). This 25 - 34 concentration is well above the national 14.4%. In the period since 2021, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 14.6% to 16.3% of the population, while the 25 to 34 cohort increased from 31.7% to 32.7%. Conversely, the 15 to 24 cohort has declined from 19.1% to 16.9% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 5.2% to 3.8%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Turner's age structure. The 45 to 54 age cohort is projected to increase solidly, expanding by 173 people (37%) from 465 to 639. The 5 to 14 group displays more modest growth at 1%, adding only 0 residents.