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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
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Franklin (ACT) has an estimated 7,520 residents, up from 7,484 at the 2021 Census. That puts 3,270 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
According to AreaSearch evaluations combining broader Australian Bureau of Statistics regional updates with post-Census validated address counts, the suburb of Franklin (ACT) has reached an estimated resident total of 7,520 by Aug 2026. This indicates a modest addition of 36 people (0.5%) relative to the 2021 Census tally of 7,484 people. This current count of 7,520 is derived by AreaSearch through synthesizing the latest ABS Estimated Resident Population numbers from June 2025 alongside subsequent address confirmations. With 3,269 persons per square kilometer, the locality falls within the highest twenty-five percent of nationwide areas monitored by AreaSearch for population density.
Across the previous ten years, the suburb of Franklin (ACT) maintained steady expansion, registering a 2.2% compound annual growth rate that exceeded the broader SA4 territory. Inflow from overseas migration served as the principal driver of this expansion, accounting for roughly 66.0% of recent population additions. Projections utilized by AreaSearch stem from 2024 ABS and Geoscience Australia SA2 modeling anchored to 2022. Wherever SA2 coverage is absent or extends past 2032, age-specific growth trajectories from ACT Government SA2 forecasts with a 2022 baseline are applied. Under these demographic expectations, the overall count for the suburb of Franklin (ACT) is anticipated to decrease, shrinking by 889 persons by 2041. In contrast to this broader downward trend, particular cohorts will see expansion, most notably the 55 to 64 age group with a projected gain of 95 people. Further cohort specifics are discussed in the age section.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Detail
Across the preceding five years, building authorities approved just 1 dwelling within the locality. This minimal figure underscores a mature, established suburb offering scarce capacity for greenfield or infill projects. The constrained pipeline of fresh residential construction broadly underpins buyer interest in existing stock and helps maintain asset values. Residential building volumes in the area fall drastically short of benchmarks seen across Australian Capital Territory. Such acute scarcity of fresh residential stock generally reinforces buyer demand and strengthens valuations for existing homes. Activity likewise trails the national pace, emphasizing the suburb's built-out status alongside potential statutory planning restrictions.
With demographic projections pointing toward steady or contracting population numbers, local residential markets may experience diminished demand pressure, offering advantageous conditions for prospective purchasers.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Franklin (ACT)
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 11 current infrastructure and development projects inside Franklin (ACT), worth an estimated $237 million. A further 79 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $5.57 billion. 14 are already under construction and 33 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, sports & recreation and education & training. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local economic momentum and property demand are heavily influenced by capital works and strategic planning developments. AreaSearch has pinpointed 33 public and private initiatives likely to impact the surrounding district. Notable works include the Franklin Aged Care Facility, Franklin Community Centre, Franklin Storm Water Management, and Franklin Childcare Centre, with the primary projects outlined below.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Franklin Aged Care Facility
New 120-bed aged care facility with specialized dementia care units, rehabilitation services and community health programs.
Walk Street Franklin
Walk Street is a mixed-density masterplanned residential development situated across Block 1 Section 127 in Franklin. The proposal encompasses 323 dwellings comprising 236 apartments across mid-rise buildings and 87 townhouses, alongside integrated landscaping and pedestrian linkages. Delivered by Pod Projects Group, the development was formally assessed and approved under ACT planning applications.
Franklin Community Centre
The ACT Government is undertaking strategic planning for enhanced community facilities and multi-purpose civic spaces in Franklin to serve the growing Gungahlin district. The master plan concept explores dedicated multi-function rooms, event spaces, and shared community infrastructure integrated with Franklin School and surrounding open space. Community activities currently utilise shared campus facilities while long-term civic infrastructure plans progress.
Franklin Childcare Centre
The ACT Government is assessing proposals for the Franklin Childcare Centre to deliver a dedicated 80-place early learning facility in northern Canberra. The planned center includes age-specific indoor activity spaces, secure outdoor play yards, and family support amenities to address high childcare demand in the Gungahlin area. The project is advancing through statutory planning assessments with delivery targeted for 2027.
Franklin Storm Water Management
Stormwater management works proposed for the Franklin area of Gungahlin, intended to include improved drainage infrastructure and flood mitigation measures. This record sits within the ACT Government's broader rolling stormwater network improvement program, which is delivering upgrades across multiple Canberra suburbs on a priority basis. No dedicated Franklin-specific project page or funding announcement could be independently verified at time of research; current confirmed rolling program works are centred on Kippax, Narrabundah, Duffy and Hall Village.
Franklin Solar Farm
Proposed community-scale solar farm and battery storage facility intended to generate approximately 5 MW of clean energy to support northern Canberra's grid stability and ACT net-zero emissions targets. The proposal incorporates ground-mounted photovoltaic arrays integrated alongside battery storage.
Franklin Residential Development
New residential development in Franklin offering mixed housing typologies including apartments, townhouses and detached homes. Planned community with parks, walking trails and local retail amenities.
Olea Gungahlin Townhouses
Approved medium-density project branded Olea by Dish Developments. Original DA 202038102 approved on 5 Jul 2021 for 99 dwellings (70 townhouses, 29 units), later amended in Dec 2021 to a total of 109 dwellings with a single level basement (approx. 189 car spaces). Site fronts Camilleri Way and Kate Crace Street near Gungahlin Marketplace and the light rail, with outlook to Mulanggari Grasslands Nature Reserve.
4,954 residents of Franklin (ACT) are employed, from a labour force of 5,067. Unemployment sits at 2.2%, with participation at 81.8%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.4% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 5,266, about 70% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
The local workforce is characterized by high levels of education and solid representation across essential services, registering a low 2.2% unemployment rate alongside an estimated 0.8% annual job expansion based on aggregated statistical area metrics compiled by AreaSearch. In March 2026, employed residents numbered 4,954, holding the jobless rate 1.8% beneath the 4.1% recorded across Australian Capital Territory, while labour force participation stood exceptionally high at 81.8% against the territorial mark of 70.6%. Census figures indicated that merely 9.7% of employed individuals worked from home, a metric that may have been influenced by prevailing Covid-19 restrictions.
The foremost industries employing local residents are public administration & safety, professional & technical, as well as health care & social assistance. The community demonstrates notable concentration in accommodation & food services, commanding a workforce proportion 1.6 times the regional average. Conversely, public administration & safety accounts for only 26.7% of resident workers, trailing the 30.4% recorded across Australian Capital Territory. Comparing resident worker counts with local Census job numbers highlights that this predominantly residential setting offers constrained domestic employment options. Aggregated AreaSearch assessments of ABS and SALM figures show that in the 12 months to March 2026, resident employment expanded by 0.8% alongside a 1.0% expansion in the labour force, nudging the local jobless rate upward by 0.2 percentage points. Over the same span across Australian Capital Territory, employment grew by 0.3%, the labour pool increased by 1.1%, and joblessness rose by 0.7 percentage points. National labour outlooks published by Jobs and Skills Australia in Mar-26 provide broader perspective on forthcoming workforce trends. These projections anticipate countrywide job gains of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though individual industry trajectories vary markedly. Aligning these sector projections with the local industrial profile suggests resident employment could increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.1% over ten years (representing a proportional weighting exercise for context, rather than a localized population forecast).
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Franklin (ACT) is $2,383 a week (about $124,000 a year), with median personal income at $1,121 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $62,766 a year against an average of $72,683. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
Aggregated postcode records from the ATO compiled by AreaSearch for financial year 2023 place local median taxpayer earnings at $62,766 and average earnings at $72,683. While surpassing countrywide averages, these amounts sit below the Australian Capital Territory median of $72,206 and average of $85,981. Factoring in subsequent Wage Price Index expansion of 10.44% since financial year 2023 yields updated estimates of approximately $69,319 for median earnings and $80,271 for average earnings as of March 2026. Across personal, family, and household levels, Census earnings sit in the upper tier nationally between the 86th and 87th percentiles.
The single largest income bracket comprises the 42.4% of earners receiving $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (3,188 residents), aligning with the regional share of 34.3%. Financial capacity is further highlighted by the 35.4% of households taking home more than $3,000 weekly, which underpins robust retail expenditure. While housing costs absorb 16.8% of income, disposable earnings remain strong at the 84th percentile nationally, placing the locality in the 9th decile on the SEIFA income index.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Franklin (ACT) had 2,609 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 50% detached houses and 37% apartments. 43% are owned with a mortgage, 47% rented and 11% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $460 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,885 a month, a total housing cost higher than 92% of areas nationally. Rent absorbs 19.3% of household income here and mortgage repayments 18.3%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
Data from the most recent Census shows that local residential stock was split between 49.9% houses and 50.1% other dwellings (incorporating apartments, semi-detached properties, and other formats), whereas Australian Capital Territory recorded 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Outright home ownership stood at 10.5%, trailing territory-wide proportions, with remaining properties either held under a mortgage (42.5%) or occupied by tenants (47.0%). Typical monthly mortgage payments were lower than the Australian Capital Territory benchmark of $2,080 at $1,885, whereas typical weekly rental expenses were $460 compared to the territory standard of $450.
In a nationwide context, mortgage repayments exceed the Australian average of $1,863, and weekly rents track substantially above the countrywide figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Franklin (ACT) counted 2,609 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.8 people each. 38% are couples with children, against 25% couples without children. 21% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.0 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families constitute the clear majority of local living arrangements at 72.3%, comprising couples with children at 37.9%, childless couples at 25.3%, and single parent families at 7.4%. Non-family living arrangements account for the remaining 27.7%, split between single-person households at 20.8% and group households at 6.9%. The area records a median household occupancy of 2.8 people, surpassing the territory-wide average of 2.5 across Australian Capital Territory.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
55.2% of adults in Franklin (ACT) hold a university qualification, including 28.6% with a bachelor degree and 22.6% with postgraduate qualifications, higher than 97% of areas nationally. A further 10.3% hold a vocational qualification. 1 school serves the area, with 467 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 1,104 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Educational credentials among residents substantially outstrip broader regional and national averages, with 55.2% of persons aged 15+ possessing higher education degrees, compared to 46.3% across the SA3 area and 30.4% in Australia. This high level of formal learning provides a strong foundation for knowledge-intensive industries. Bachelor degrees constitute the largest share at 28.6%, accompanied by postgraduate qualifications at 22.6% and graduate diplomas at 4.0%. Technical and trade qualifications represent 21.1% of credentials for residents aged 15+, divided between advanced diplomas (10.8%) and certificates (10.3%). A substantial 35.4% of the population is actively engaged in formal study.
This student cohort includes 10.3% attending primary schools, 10.2% enrolled in tertiary institutions, and 6.3% undertaking secondary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Franklin (ACT) reaches 14 stops on 32 routes, timetabled for about 2,700 services a week. The typical home sits about 220 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 1.2 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
The local transit network comprises 14 operational stops across Franklin combining bus and light rail services. These boarding points are connected by 32 separate routes that deliver 2,740 trips for passengers on a weekly basis. Accessibility is strong, with typical walking distances to the nearest stop averaging 220 meters. Reflecting the district's residential character, outward commuting is standard: private vehicles serve as the main travel mode at 73%, while 10% travel by bus. Households maintain an average vehicle count of 1.2 per dwelling. Only 9.7% of the workforce indicated working from home during the 2021 Census, which coincided with pandemic restrictions.
Across all transit lines, trip frequency averages 391 runs per day, which translates to roughly 195 departures per stop every week.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
81.9% of residents in Franklin (ACT) report no long-term health condition, a healthier profile than 84% of areas nationally. 2.3% need daily assistance with core activities, and 55.9% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 4.3 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Evaluations by AreaSearch regarding mortality and chronic disease incidence indicate exceptional health standards across all age groups, with standard medical conditions exhibiting very low prevalence. Comprehensive private health insurance is held by approximately 56% of the population (~4,203 people), compared with 62.4% throughout Australian Capital Territory. Mental health conditions and asthma represent the most commonly identified health challenges locally, reported by 6.8 and 5.8% of the community respectively. Meanwhile, 81.9% of residents reported being free from long-term medical conditions, well above the 70.2% recorded across Australian Capital Territory. Residents aged 65 and over make up 5.5% of the community (413 people), well below the 14.2% figure for Australian Capital Territory.
Older residents record excellent health outcomes that align closely with strong national benchmarks.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
51.3% of Franklin (ACT) residents were born overseas and 55.2% speak a language other than English at home, more culturally diverse than 92% of areas nationally. The largest reported ancestries are Australian (16.0%) and English (14.4%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
The locality stands out as exceptionally diverse in comparison to national standards, with 51.3% of the community born abroad and 55.2% using a non-English language at home. Christianity forms the most widespread faith, accounting for 27.5% of residents. A particularly prominent demographic feature is the presence of Hinduism, which represents 14.5% of the population, notably higher than the Australian Capital Territory proportion of 4.8%. Looking at parental lineage, the three leading ancestries are Other at 22.4% (markedly above the regional figure of 12.2%), Australian at 16.0% (substantially below the regional proportion of 23.0%), and English at 14.4% (trailing the 23.3% regional benchmark).
Several other cultural backgrounds show distinct concentrations relative to regional norms: Korean background stands at 2.2% (vs 0.6% regionally), Sri Lankan at 1.0% (vs 0.4%), and Indian ancestry at 7.8% (vs 3.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Franklin (ACT) is 31, younger than 96% of areas nationally. That is 1 year older than at the 2021 Census. 38.6% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The demographic profile leans younger than that of Australian Capital Territory overall. As of August 2026 updates, individuals aged 25 - 44 account for 42.4% of the population, compared to 32.8% across Australian Capital Territory, while residents aged 65+ comprise 5.5% versus a regional benchmark of 14.2%. AreaSearch estimates the median age at 31 as at August 2026, marking an increase from 30 at the 2021 Census, which sits 4 years below the Australian Capital Territory median of 35 and well under the national median of 38 recorded at that Census.
Since the Census, the most notable shift occurred in the 45 - 64 bracket, which expanded from 17.1% to an estimated 20.5%. Specifically, the 35 to 44 cohort contracted from 19.9% to an estimated 17.8%, while the 45 to 54 cohort grew from 11.6% to 13.4% without an influx among younger age brackets. Seniors and retirees are forecast to experience the largest numerical expansion by 2041, increasing by 95 (23%) to 509, whereas younger adults, children, and the 25 to 44 cohort are projected to shrink.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Franklin (ACT)
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Oct 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Oct 2026 this month headline measures · Sep 2026 baseline |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Oct 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Sep 2026 last month all 11 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Sep 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 7 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Sep 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Sep 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (7,484 at the 2021 Census → 7,520 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL80058). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.