Hughes (ACT)

An assessment of population growth drivers in Hughes reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Hughes (ACT) is around 3,159, a decrease of 51 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,210. This change reflects an estimated resident population of 3,149 by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 21 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio is 1,764 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during recent periods. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022.

For areas not covered and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, using 2022 as the base year. Projections indicate an overall population decline by 239 persons in Hughes by 2041, with the 85 and over age group expected to expand by 9 people during this period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Hughes, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Hughes recorded approximately 6 residential properties granted approval annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Over the past 5 financial years from FY-21 to FY-25, around 34 homes were approved, with an additional 8 so far in FY-26. Despite population decline during this period, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average construction cost value of new homes is $381,000, indicating developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This financial year, Hughes recorded $176,000 in commercial development approvals, suggesting a predominantly residential focus. Compared to Australian Capital Territory, Hughes has markedly lower building activity, being 87.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new dwellings typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties, which is also under the national average, indicating the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. New development consists of 71.0% detached dwellings and 29.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining Hughes' traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

With around 421 people per approval, Hughes indicates a mature market. Given stable or declining population forecasts, Hughes may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Hughes has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects likely to impact the area. Key projects are Federal Golf Club Retirement Village, Woden Town Square Precinct Redevelopment, Woden Community Services Hub, and Canberra Hospital Master Plan. The following details those most relevant.

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.

Hughes ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Hughes has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 2.3%. Over the past year, there was estimated employment growth of 1.5%.

As of December 2025, 1,583 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.5% lower than the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in Hughes is at 63.4%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 70.5%. According to Census responses, 14.6% of residents work from home. Key industries for employment among residents are public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services.

Health care & social assistance has particularly high concentration with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. In contrast, construction employs only 4.2% of local workers, below the Australian Capital Territory's 6.8%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data on working population vs resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in December 2025, employment increased by 1.5% while labour force grew by 1.1%, leading to a decrease of 0.4 percentage points in the unemployment rate. In comparison, Australian Capital Territory saw employment growth of 0.9%, labour force expansion of 1.2%, and an increase in unemployment of 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Hughes's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, based on a 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

Hughes suburb has exceptionally high income levels nationally, per latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Median income among Hughes taxpayers is $74,575, average income stands at $103,767, compared to ACT's median of $72,206 and average of $85,981. With Wage Price Index growth of 10.44% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Hughes are approximately $82,361 (median) and $114,600 (average) as of March 2026. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in Hughes rank highly nationally, between the 94th and 95th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 35.5% of residents (1,121 people) fall into the $4000+ bracket, unlike regional trends where 34.3% are within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 48.2% exceeding $3,000 weekly. After housing costs, residents retain 88.1% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Hughes is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Hughes' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 73.6% houses and 26.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Australian Capital Territory's 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hughes was at 37.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 37.8% and rented ones at 24.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,700, higher than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,080. Median weekly rent in Hughes was $400, compared to the Australian Capital Territory figure of $450. Nationally, Hughes' mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,700 versus the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were also higher at $400 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 72.1% of all households, including 36.7% couples with children, 24.8% couples without children, and 9.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 27.9%, with lone person households at 25.6% and group households comprising 2.8%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

Hughes demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Hughes has a notably high level of educational attainment, with 58.7% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the national average of 30.4% and the SA4 region's average of 46.8%. The area's most common qualification is bachelor degrees at 31.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (20.8%) and graduate diplomas (6.7%). Vocational pathways account for 16.9% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 8.4% and certificates 8.5%.

Educational participation is high in Hughes, with 30.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.1% in primary education, 9.0% in secondary education, and 6.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Hughes has nine operational public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by twenty-two different routes, collectively facilitating 1580 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents typically residing 268 meters from the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, most Hughes residents commute outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 81%, with walking and cycling at 7% and 4% respectively. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 14.6% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 225 trips daily across all routes, translating to approximately 175 weekly trips per individual stop.

Hughes's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with the level of common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical, though higher than the nation's average among older cohorts

Hughes's health metrics closely align with national benchmarks. AreaSearch assessed mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, finding common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical but higher than the national average among older cohorts. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 68% of the total population (2,153 people), compared to 62.4% in Australian Capital Territory and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, impacting 8.9 and 8.0% of residents respectively, while 67.3% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.2% across Australian Capital Territory. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 19.5% of residents aged 65 and over (616 people), higher than the 14.3% in Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, ranking lower nationally than the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Hughes was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Hughes was found to have 16.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home, compared to the vast majority of local markets. Born overseas, 26.4% of Hughes' population were born outside Australia. Christianity is the main religion in Hughes, comprising 43.6% of its people.

However, Judaism is overrepresented in Hughes, with 0.5% of the population identifying as Jewish compared to 0.2% across Australian Capital Territory. In terms of ancestry, Australians make up 25.5%, English 25.1%, and Irish 10.7%. Notably, Welsh (1.3%) is overrepresented in Hughes compared to regionally (0.6%), as are Hungarian (0.5% vs 0.3%) and Polish (1.0% vs 0.8%).

Hughes hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Hughes has a median age of 42, which is higher than the Australian Capital Territory figure of 35 and significantly higher than Australia's average age of 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory average, Hughes has an over-representation of the 85+ cohort (4.1%) and an under-representation of the 25-34 year-olds (9.5%). Between 2021 and present, the population aged 15 to 24 grew from 11.0% to 13.8%, while those aged 35 to 44 increased from 13.0% to 14.3%. Conversely, the 85+ cohort declined from 6.5% to 4.1%, and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 12.0% to 10.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Hughes's age profile will change significantly. The 85+ age cohort is projected to expand by 11 people (9%), growing from 129 to 141. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 100% of total population growth, reflecting Hughes's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 45 to 54 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.