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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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Nicholls has an estimated 6,507 residents, down from 6,680 at the 2021 Census — a change of 173 people, or 2.6%. The population has thinned by an average 0.6% a year over five years, slower than 98% of areas nationally. That puts 971 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's evaluation of regional ABS updates alongside newly validated residential addresses following the Census, the suburb of Nicholls has an estimated resident count of 6,507 as of Aug 2026. This represents a contraction of 173 people (2.6%) relative to the 2021 Census tally of 6,680 people. This adjustment stems from an Estimated Resident Population figure of 6,507 determined via the ABS release from June 2025 in combination with post-Census address verification. Consequently, the local density stands at 971 persons per square kilometer, aligning closely with broader benchmarks tracked by AreaSearch.
Inbound international migration served as the primary demographic driver, accounting for roughly 72.0% of recent population additions. Demographic modeling for the suburb of Nicholls utilizes the 2024 ABS/Geoscience Australia SA2 projections based on 2022 benchmarks, supplemented by ACT Government SA2 age-cohort projections (2022 base) for non-covered areas and horizons beyond 2032. Over the projection timeframe through 2041, the overall populace is projected to contract by 446 persons. In contrast to this aggregate decline, older demographics are set to expand, most notably the cohort aged 85 and over, which is forecast to gain 113 people.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Detail
Analysis of ABS building approvals by AreaSearch indicates that residential construction permissions have averaged roughly 1 new dwelling per annum, totaling roughly 5 homes across the preceding 5 financial years. Within FY-25 to date, 2 approvals have been issued. Amid ongoing population contraction, residential supply adequately meets demand to maintain market balance, with newly authorized dwellings showing an average construction cost of $284,000—a level below regional benchmarks that points to relatively economical building activity. On the commercial front, approvals amount to $108,000 during the current financial year, highlighting subdued non-residential development.
Building activity in the area tracks notably lower than the wider Australian Capital Territory, a trend that also sits below national norms and reflects an established urban footprint with planning constraints. This limited influx of new supply generally underpins pricing and interest in existing stock. Furthermore, recent building authorisations have been exclusively for detached dwellings, reinforcing the low-density family character of the neighborhood. The mature stage of the local property cycle is underscored by a ratio of approximately 6513 people per dwelling approval. Given that the local population is projected to remain steady or taper downward, diminished pressure on the housing stock could yield favorable buying conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Nicholls
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 2 current infrastructure and development projects inside Nicholls, worth an estimated $121 million. A further 48 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $4.6 billion. 8 are already under construction and 19 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, sports & recreation and communities, precincts & urban renewal. 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 capital expenditure and planning developments play a pivotal role in shaping community outcomes. A total of 9 significant projects have been tracked by AreaSearch as having a direct bearing on the area. Major works include the Second Gungahlin College (Nicholls), the Gold Creek Homestead Precinct, the expansion of the Gold Creek School Senior Campus, and the Gungahlin Community Facilities Upgrades.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Second Gungahlin College (Nicholls)
A new public senior secondary college for Years 11 and 12 in Nicholls, built to meet growing enrolment demand in the Gungahlin district. The campus will open with capacity for 800 students, with room to expand to 1,100 in future. Facilities include flexible learning spaces, a performing arts theatre, a gymnasium, and outdoor sports space including a mixed soccer and rugby oval, two tennis courts, and two mixed basketball and netball courts, some of which will be shared with the community outside school hours.The design incorporates solar power and energy-efficient construction. Community consultation on the Development Application has closed and the application is now under assessment. The college is expected to open by 2030 at an estimated construction cost of 114 million AUD.
Gold Creek Homestead Precinct
An $80 million intergenerational precinct comprising the restoration of the historic 1860s Gold Creek Homestead and a major expansion of The Grove Ngunnawal retirement village. The project includes 45 premium independent living villas, featuring Australia's first retirement 'Passive House' pilot for ultra-low energy consumption. The restored Homestead officially reopened in March 2026 as a multipurpose community hub. Construction continues on a co-located 124-bed residential aged care facility by Arcare, featuring a three-storey design with a cafe, wellness gym, and cinema, targeted for completion in late 2026 or early 2027.
Gungahlin Community Facilities Upgrades
Multiple community facility improvements including new playground in Amaroo, Palmerston shops upgrades, new cricket nets at Bonner oval, and female-friendly changeroom upgrades at multiple ovals.
Gungahlin Community Centre
A new 25 million AUD multipurpose facility designed to serve the growing Gungahlin community. The two-storey center includes a youth hub, art workshops, a large community hall for dance and judo, and a commercial-grade kitchen. It features secure outdoor green spaces centered around a preserved 100-year-old Blakelys Redgum tree, alongside public parking and end-of-trip facilities for commuters.
Gungahlin Town Centre Improvements
A comprehensive urban renewal program by the ACT Government to enhance the Gungahlin Town Centre. Key components include a major active travel project with 13 new community paths to improve walking and cycling connections, significant intersection safety upgrades at Hinder Street and Anthony Rolfe Avenue, and the Gungahlin Town Centre East Design and Place Framework for a new urban village.
North Gungahlin Health Centre
A new community health centre planned for a 2.4-hectare greenfield site on Kingsland Parade in Casey, close to Casey Market Town and public transport. The centre will offer free preventative health services, treatment for chronic disease, and a strong focus on child and family services for the growing North Gungahlin community. It will be staffed by a multidisciplinary team of nurses, allied health workers and visiting medical professionals, complementing existing nurse-led Walk-in Centres and the Gungahlin Community Health Centre.The wider precinct will also include a new indoor sports facility and a co-located ACTAS Ambulance and Fire Station. Funded through the 2024-25 ACT Budget at 21.72 million dollars, with detailed design underway and the development application stage expected to follow in 2025.
Gold Creek School Senior Campus expansion
ACT Government project to expand the Gold Creek School Senior Campus (Years 7-10) with additional contemporary learning spaces, staff areas and amenity upgrades. Delivered to accommodate approximately 200 extra students and lift total capacity to a little over 1,000 from the start of the 2022 school year. Works included studios, adaptable classrooms, quiet spaces, staff workspace, meeting rooms and bike/parking upgrades. Contractor: Rork Projects.
Gungahlin Tennis Facility (Amaroo Tennis Centre)
New regional tennis hub featuring 10 full-size ITF standard courts, 2 Hot Shots courts for junior development, a hitting wall, pavilion with female-friendly change rooms, LED lighting for night play, accessible pathways, and a 33-vehicle carpark. The facility supports diverse programs including Hot Shots, cardio tennis, school programs, and competitive leagues for all ages and abilities. Joint funding of $9.934 million from the ACT Government and $400,000 from Tennis ACT and Tennis Australia. Construction commenced September 2025 by Complex Co.Tennis ACT and affiliated clubs will operate and maintain the facility.
3,790 residents of Nicholls are employed, from a labour force of 3,870. Unemployment sits at 2.1%, with participation at 70.7%. 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 4,923, about 76% 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
Data consolidated by AreaSearch highlights a professional, highly credentialed local workforce alongside an unemployment rate of only 2.1% and a 1.2% annual rise in estimated jobs. As of March 2026, employed locals number 3,790, while the local jobless rate sits 2.0% under the Australian Capital Territory mark of 4.1%. Labor force participation matches the territory benchmark at 70.6%. In addition, Census data indicates that 14.2% of workers operated from home, though this figure was captured during Covid-19 restrictions. Resident employment is heavily concentrated across public administration & safety, professional & technical, and education & training sectors.
Conversely, health care & social assistance accounts for only 8.8% of employed residents, trailing the Australian Capital Territory proportion of 11.7%. Comparing the number of local jobs to resident workers suggests relatively few commercial employment opportunities within the immediate locality. In the year leading to March 2026, figures synthesized from SALM and ABS data show local employment expanded by 1.2% while the workforce grew 1.1%, lowering the jobless rate by 0.1 percentage points. Across the same period, Australian Capital Territory posted 0.3% employment growth, a 1.1% increase in its labor force, and a 0.7 percentage points rise in unemployment. Applying Mar-26 national industry projections from Jobs and Skills Australia—which forecast overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years—to the local sector distribution indicates potential employment expansions of 6.4% across five years and 13.0% over ten years, though these figures represent an unadjusted industry-weighted extrapolation.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Nicholls is $3,134 a week (about $163,000 a year), with median personal income at $1,251 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $70,045 a year against an average of $81,112. 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
Taxation records from the ATO for financial year 2023 place the suburb of Nicholls among the nation's premier earnings brackets, registering a median income of $70,045 and a mean income of $81,112, compared with the broader Australian Capital Territory medians of $72,206 and averages of $85,981. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 10.44% through March 2026, updated estimates reach $77,358 (median) and $89,580 (average). The 2021 Census confirms this affluence, placing household, family, and personal incomes between the 93rd and 97th percentiles nationally. A substantial 36.3% of individuals (2,362 people) earn within the top $4000+ bracket, in contrast to the wider regional clustering of 34.3% in the $1,500 - 2,999 range.
Overall, 52.0% generate weekly earnings above $3,000, leaving residents with 90.2% of their income after meeting housing obligations and securing a position in the 9th decile on the SEIFA income index.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Nicholls had 2,276 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 90% detached houses and 0% apartments. 44% are owned with a mortgage, 15% rented and 41% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $502 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,300 a month. Rent absorbs 16.0% of household income here and mortgage repayments 16.9%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
According to the latest Census, separate houses constituted 89.6% of residential stock, with semi-detached dwellings, units, and other formats making up the remaining 10.4%, contrasting with Australian Capital Territory shares of 63.3% houses and 36.7% medium-to-high density properties. Outright home ownership reached 41.3%, significantly outpacing the territory benchmark, while 43.7% of properties were mortgaged and 14.9% were rented. Typical housing expenses included a median monthly mortgage payment of $2,300 and a median weekly rent of $502, exceeding both the territory levels ($2,080 and $450) and national benchmarks ($1,863 and $375).
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Nicholls counted 2,276 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.9 people each. 45% are couples with children, more than in 89% of areas nationally, against 31% couples without children. 14% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.6 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families form the vast majority of local households at 84.5%, divided into couple families with children (45.0%), couples without children (30.9%), and single-parent households (7.7%). Non-family living arrangements account for the remaining 15.5%, made up of lone-person dwellings (13.7%) and group residences (1.8%). The median household occupancy stands at 2.9 people, exceeding the Australian Capital Territory benchmark of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
42.7% of adults in Nicholls hold a university qualification, including 24.1% with a bachelor degree and 13.6% with postgraduate qualifications, higher than 80% of areas nationally. A further 13.9% hold a vocational qualification. 3 schools serve the area, with 2,906 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 1,073 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 attainment levels are exceptionally high, with 42.7% of residents aged 15+ holding tertiary degrees compared to the 30.4% national rate. By qualification type, bachelor degrees account for 24.1%, postgraduate awards represent 13.6%, and graduate diplomas make up 5.0%. In vocational streams, 25.3% of residents aged 15+ hold technical credentials, divided between advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (13.9%). Active participation in study is strong, with 29.5% of the populace engaged in educational programs. This comprises 9.1% attending primary schools, 8.5% in secondary education, and 6.8% enrolled in tertiary institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Nicholls reaches 50 stops on 122 routes, timetabled for about 5,400 services a week. The typical home sits about 180 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 1.9 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
Public transit within the suburb is facilitated by 50 bus stops operating across 122 separate routes, generating 5,400 trips for passengers each week. Transit proximity is high, with an average distance of 183 meters to the nearest boarding point. Given its residential orientation, outward commuting is dominant, with private vehicles accounting for 92% of travel journeys. Households maintain an above-average vehicle rate of 1.9 cars, while 14.2% of residents worked from home during the 2021 Census. Across all transit lines, frequency averages 771 trips per day, translating to roughly 108 departures weekly at each individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
70.2% of residents in Nicholls report no long-term health condition, a healthier profile than 78% of areas nationally. 3.7% need daily assistance with core activities, and 59.2% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 3.9 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health assessments by AreaSearch indicate positive outcomes across the community, marked by low chronic disease rates and minimal mortality across all age groups. A substantial 59% of residents (3,854 people) maintain private health insurance, compared to 62.4% across Australian Capital Territory. Arthritis and asthma represent the leading diagnosed conditions, affecting 7.7% and 7.2% of residents respectively, whereas 70.2% reported an absence of medical conditions, exactly matching the 70.2% mark across Australian Capital Territory. While health indicators for working-age adults align with typical benchmarks, outcomes among the 1,340 people aged 65 and over—who comprise 20.6% of the population compared to 14.2% in the territory—remain especially strong.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
29.8% of Nicholls residents were born overseas and 25.2% speak a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (23.7%) and Australian (22.3%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity is well established, with 29.8% of the local population born overseas and 25.2% using a non-English language at home. Christianity is the predominant religious affiliation, encompassing 52.6% of residents. Notably, Buddhism exhibits an above-average representation at 3.2% compared to the 3.0% recorded across Australian Capital Territory. Leading parental ancestries reported by residents include English at 23.7%, Australian at 22.3%, and Other backgrounds at 9.9%. Elevated proportions are also seen across several specific heritage groups, with Croatian accounting for 1.6% (compared to 0.9% across the region), Polish at 1.0% (vs 0.8%), and Sri Lankan at 0.6% (vs 0.4%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Nicholls is 44, older than 76% of areas nationally. 22.3% 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 local age profile leans older than the wider territory. August 2026 data shows that 30.6% of the community falls into the mature adult and early retirement bracket (45 - 64), against 21.5% in Australian Capital Territory, while 25 - 44 year olds comprise 18.4% compared to 32.8% regionally. The estimated median age is 44, matching the 2021 Census figure, which was 9 years above the territory median of 35 and higher than the national median of 38. The proportion of residents aged 65+ has increased from 16.6% at the Census to 20.6%, and this older cohort is forecast to drive future growth by adding 190 residents (14%) to reach 1,530 by 2041, while younger cohorts and the 45 - 64 demographic are expected to decline.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Nicholls
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 | Jul 2026 3 months ago all 2 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 Jul 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 (6,680 at the 2021 Census → 6,507 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 (SAL80101). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.