Narrabundah

Population growth drivers in Narrabundah are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Narrabundah is around 7,191, reflecting an increase of 736 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 11.4% increase from the previous census figure of 6,455 residents. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 7,014 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and an additional 122 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,758 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 11.4% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the state's growth rate of 8.3% and the SA4 region, positioning Narrabundah as a growth leader in the area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 67.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth for the suburb.

AreaSearch adopts 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, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections, using 2022 as a base, are adopted. Looking ahead, an above median population growth is projected for statistical areas across the nation, with Narrabundah expected to expand by 1,044 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 12.1% in total over the 16 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Narrabundah when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis using ABS building approval numbers from statistical area data, Narrabundah has seen approximately 34 dwellings receiving development approval annually. Over the past five financial years, between FY21 and FY25, around 170 homes were approved, with an additional 11 approved so far in FY26. On average, about 3.5 people moved to the area each year for every dwelling built during these five years, indicating a significant demand exceeding new supply.

New homes are being constructed at an average expected cost of $463,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. This financial year has seen $19.8 million in commercial development approvals, reflecting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Narrabundah shows around 59% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 48th percentile of areas assessed nationally. This suggests somewhat limited buyer options while demand for established dwellings strengthens. New development consists of 48.0% standalone homes and 52.0% medium to high-density housing, marking a shift from existing housing patterns, which are currently 68.0% houses.

This trend may be due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. Narrabundah has around 341 people per dwelling approval, indicating a developing market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Narrabundah is expected to grow by approximately 867 residents through to 2041. Current development levels appear aligned with future requirements, helping maintain stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects that may affect this region: Narrabundah Village Precinct Renewal (Iluka & Boolimba), Griffith-Narrabundah Community Centre & Oval Upgrade, Narrabundah Long Stay Caravan Park Redevelopment, and The Establishment Narrabundah.

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 Narrabundah has been broadly consistent with national averages

Narrabundah has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 3.6% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1%. As of December 2025, 3,738 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.3% below the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation was 65.6%, compared to the ACT's 70.5%. Only 13.2% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Leading employment industries were public administration & safety, professional & technical services, and health care & social assistance.

Education & training had a limited presence with 8.5% employment compared to the regional average of 9.6%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.0%, labour force by 1.3%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, the ACT recorded similar growth rates. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally. Applying these projections to Narrabundah's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The suburb of Narrabundah has a median taxpayer income of $69,459 and an average income of $85,655, according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is among the highest in Australia, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's median income of $72,206 and average income of $85,981. By March 2026, estimates based on a 10.44% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023 would be approximately $76,711 (median) and $94,597 (average). In Narrabundah, incomes rank highly according to Census 2021 data, with household, family, and personal incomes all between the 85th and 93rd percentiles nationally. The largest income segment comprises 28.0% earning $4,000+ weekly (2,013 residents), contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - $2,999 category predominates at 34.3%. A substantial proportion of high earners (40.6% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout the area. Housing accounts for 15.1% of income, and residents rank within the 85th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

In Narrabundah, as per the latest Census, 68.2% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 31.8% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with the Australian Capital Territory's figures of 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Narrabundah stood at 27.9%, similar to the ACT average. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 34.2%, and rented dwellings made up 37.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,392, exceeding the ACT's average of $2,080. The median weekly rent in Narrabundah was $440, compared to the ACT's $450. Nationally, Narrabundah's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Narrabundah features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 64.8% of all households, including 29.9% couples with children, 23.2% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 35.2%, with lone person households at 30.3% and group households comprising 4.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

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

Narrabundah's residents aged 15+ have a higher university qualification rate at 54.6%, compared to Australia's 30.4%. University qualifications include bachelor degrees (28.4%), postgraduate qualifications (20.5%), and graduate diplomas (5.7%). Vocational pathways account for 19.9% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 8.8% and certificates at 11.1%. Educational participation is high, with 33.1% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (10.4%), secondary (8.7%), and tertiary (7.8%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 33.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.4% in primary education, 8.7% in secondary education, and 7.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Narrabundah has 49 active public transport stops serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are used by 101 individual routes, providing 6,994 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 180 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 82%, followed by buses at 7% and cycling at 5%. On average, there are 1.1 vehicles per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, only 13.2% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 999 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 142 weekly trips per individual stop.

Narrabundah's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Narrabundah residents have relatively positive health outcomes, according to AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and health conditions. The area's results align with national benchmarks, showing a standard level of common health conditions across both young and old age cohorts.

Private health cover is exceptionally high in Narrabundah at approximately 61% (4,388 people), compared to the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 9.2 and 7.8% of residents respectively. A total of 68.3% of residents claim to be completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.2% across Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among the working-age population in Narrabundah are typical. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.5% (1,402 people), compared to Australian Capital Territory's 14.3%. Senior health outcomes in Narrabundah are above average, broadly aligning with national rankings for the general population.

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

Narrabundah was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 29.9% of its population born overseas and 24.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the main religion in Narrabundah, comprising 40.1% of people there. However, Judaism is notably overrepresented, making up 0.5% of Narrabundah's population compared to 0.2% across the Australian Capital Territory.

The top three ancestry groups are English at 23.2%, Australian at 22.2%, and Other at 11.7%. There are also notable divergences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: French is overrepresented at 1.0% compared to 0.5% regionally, Polish at 1.1% versus 0.8%, and Russian at 0.6% against 0.3%.

Narrabundah's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Narrabundah is 40 years, which exceeds the Australian Capital Territory's average of 35 years and slightly surpasses the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Narrabundah has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (12.3%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (12.5%). Between the 2016 and 2021 Census, the percentage of the population aged 75 to 84 increased from 5.5% to 7.5%. Conversely, the proportion of those aged 5 to 14 decreased from 12.7% to 11.0%. By 2041, Narrabundah's age composition is expected to change significantly. The number of residents aged 75 to 84 is projected to grow by 40%, reaching 755 from 539. This growth will be led by the aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising 61% of the projected growth. Meanwhile, population declines are expected for the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age groups.