Yarralumla
Statistical Area - sa2

Yarralumla has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Yarralumla's population was 3,120 as of Aug 2021. By June 2024, it decreased to 3,104, a drop of 16 people or 0.5%. This change is inferred from ABS estimates and 4 new addresses validated since the Census date. The population density was 430 persons per square kilometer in Aug 2021. Overseas migration primarily drove recent population growth.

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, Yarralumla is projected to increase by 324 persons, an increase of 10.4% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Yarralumla according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Yarralumla has received approximately 15 residential property approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides development approval data on a financial year basis, totalling 78 approvals between the years ending June 2020 and June 2025, with one additional approval in the current financial year ending June 2026. Over these five years, an average of 0.2 people per dwelling has moved to the area annually, indicating that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand. The average construction value of new homes is $666,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

In the current financial year, $31.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting strong local business investment. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Yarralumla has a significantly lower building activity level, 60.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings, although development activity has increased recently. The area's new construction is entirely composed of detached houses, maintaining its traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes that appeal to those seeking space. With around 208 people per dwelling approval, Yarralumla exhibits characteristics of a low-density area.

Population forecasts indicate the suburb will gain approximately 322 residents by 2041. Based on current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

The performance of a region can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 16 such projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable among these are Yarralumla Apartments, 2 Schlich Street Public Housing, Canberra Brickworks Precinct, and Forestry Place. The following list details those projects deemed most relevant.

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

The labour market in Yarralumla shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Yarralumla has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate was 2.3% in June 2025, below the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.4%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.3%. As of June 2025, 1,590 residents were employed with a workforce participation rate of 58.1%, significantly lower than the ACT's 69.6%. Key industries include public administration & safety, professional & technical, and health care & social assistance. The area has a notable concentration in professional & technical services, with employment levels at 1.7 times the regional average.

Conversely, public administration & safety shows lower representation at 27.0% versus the regional average of 30.4%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 2.3%, labour force increased by 1.6%, and unemployment fell by 0.7 percentage points in Yarralumla. This compares to ACT-wide figures of employment growth at 1.9%, labour force expansion at 1.6%, and 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%, but lags behind national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Yarralumla's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.2%% over five years and 14.5% 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

Yarralumla's median income among taxpayers was $86,986 and average income stood at $132,955 in the financial year 2022. This compares to figures for Australian Capital Territory of $68,678 and $83,634 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.78% since financial year 2022, estimated median income is approximately $96,363 and average income is around $147,288 as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Yarralumla rank highly nationally, between the 99th and 99th percentiles. Distribution data shows that 43.3% of residents (1,344 people) earn over $4,000 annually, contrasting with regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 34.3%. Yarralumla demonstrates affluence with 55.6% earning over $3,000 weekly, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 89.6% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Yarralumla displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Yarralumla, as per the latest Census conducted on 28 August 2016, houses accounted for 65.2% of dwellings, with the remaining 34.9% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) dwelling composition of 40.7% houses and 59.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Yarralumla stood at 49.2%, while 27.8% of dwellings were mortgaged and 23.0% rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,425, higher than the ACT average of $2,275. The median weekly rent in Yarralumla was $547, compared to the ACT's $500. Nationally, Yarralumla's median monthly mortgage repayment exceeded the Australian average of $1,863 by $1,562, and its median weekly rent surpassed the national figure of $375 by $172.

Yarralumla has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 71.5% of all households, including 29.7% couples with children, 34.9% couples without children, and 5.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 28.5%, with lone person households at 26.4% and group households comprising 2.6%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.2.

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

Educational attainment in Yarralumla is notably high with 62.4% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications, surpassing national (30.4%) and regional SA4 averages (46.8%). Bachelor degrees are the most common at 33.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (22.9%) and graduate diplomas (6.4%). Vocational pathways account for 15.9% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 6.5%. Educational participation is high, with 28.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: primary (8.7%), secondary (8.3%), and tertiary (7.4%).

Yarralumla Primary School serves the area, enrolling 322 students as of a specific date. The school shows significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement with an ICSEA score of 1133. There is one primary school in Yarralumla, with secondary options available nearby due to limited local school capacity (10.3 places per 100 residents vs regional average of 31.2).

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

Yarralumla has 20 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 10 different routes that collectively facilitate 1987 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is deemed good, with residents living an average of 215 meters from the nearest stop.

Each day, there are approximately 283 trips across all routes, which translates to roughly 99 weekly trips per individual stop.

Yarralumla's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data for Yarralumla shows a relatively low prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 82% of the total population of 2,554 people, compared to 78.0% in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and 55.3% nationally. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 8.8% and 8.4% of residents respectively.

A total of 67.0% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.8% in the ACT. As of June 2021, 29.9% of Yarralumla's population is aged 65 and over (927 people), which is higher than the ACT average of 19.9%. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Yarralumla 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

Yarralumla's cultural diversity was notable, with 17.6% speaking a language other than English at home as of the 2016 Census. Overseas-born residents comprised 29.5%. Christianity was the predominant religion, practiced by 47.2% of the population.

However, Judaism's representation in Yarralumla was equal to its regional proportion, both at 0.6%. The top three ancestry groups were English (25.8%), Australian (20.6%), and Irish (11.5%). Some ethnicities showed variation: Welsh residents were 0.9% compared to the region's 0.7%, Croatian residents were 1.1% versus 0.9%, and South African residents were 0.8% against a regional average of 0.3%.

Yarralumla ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Yarralumla's median age is 50 years, which is significantly higher than the Australian Capital Territory average of 35 years, and also considerably older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 75-84 are particularly prominent, making up 12.8% of the population, while the 25-34 age group is comparatively smaller at 5.6%. This concentration of the 75-84 age group is well above the national average of 6.0%. Between 2021 and present, the percentage of the population aged 75 to 84 has grown from 8.6% to 12.8%, while the 15 to 24 cohort has increased from 10.4% to 12.0%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 age group has declined from 17.0% to 13.6% and the 25 to 34 age group has dropped from 6.7% to 5.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Yarralumla, with the strongest projected growth in the 85+ cohort at 100%, adding 107 residents to reach 215. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 52% of population growth, underscoring trends towards an aging population. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 25 to 34 age cohorts.