Palmerston (ACT)

Palmerston has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As of May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Palmerston (ACT) is around 5,537 people. This figure reflects a decrease from the 2021 Census total of 5,579 people, indicating a drop of 42 individuals or approximately 0.8%. AreaSearch arrived at this estimate by examining the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and validating addresses since the Census date. The population density stands at 2,839 persons per square kilometer, placing Palmerston in the upper quartile relative to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed significantly to population growth in recent periods, accounting for approximately 62.0% of overall gains.

AreaSearch's projections for Palmerston are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered by this data and years beyond 2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections, using 2022 as a base year, are adopted. According to these projections, Palmerston's population is expected to decrease by 23 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are anticipated to grow; notably, the 45 to 54 age group is projected to increase by 85 people.

Residential dwelling approval activity has been practically non-existent in Palmerston

Palmerston has seen only 2 residential development approvals in the past five years. This indicates a mature, established suburb with limited available land for new construction. For buyers, this scarcity typically supports property values and may result in competition primarily among existing homes.

Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Palmerston has significantly less development activity. The scarcity of new dwellings generally strengthens demand and prices for existing properties, although there has been an increase in recent periods. This is also below the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations.

Given stable or declining population forecasts, Palmerston may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

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

No infrastructure changes or major projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could impact the area. Key projects include Gungahlin Community Centre, Gold Creek Homestead Precinct, Raya Gungahlin, and Gungahlin Town Centre Improvements.

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

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Palmerston has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Palmerston has a highly educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 4.6% in the past year, showing an estimated employment growth of 0.6%. As of December 2025, 3,082 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 0.8% higher than the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation was broadly similar to the Australian Capital Territory's 70.5%. According to Census responses, only 11.6% of residents worked from home. The key industries of employment among residents were public administration & safety, professional & technical, and education & training.

However, public administration & safety employed just 27.7% of local workers, below the Australian Capital Territory's 30.4%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 0.6% while labour force increased by 1.1%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 0.5 percentage points. In comparison, the Australian Capital Territory recorded employment growth of 0.9%, labour force growth of 1.2%, with unemployment rising by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Palmerston's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.1% over ten years.

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

The suburb of Palmerston had a median income among taxpayers of $63,494 and an average income of $73,526 in the financial year 2023, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data. This compares to figures for the Australian Capital Territory of $72,206 and $85,981 respectively. By March 2026, estimates suggest a median income of approximately $70,123 and an average income of $81,202, based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.44% since financial year 2023. In the 2021 Census, household incomes in Palmerston ranked at the 85th percentile nationally, family incomes at the 87th percentile, and personal incomes at the 84th percentile. The income distribution shows that 34.5% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, with a total of 1,910 individuals in this bracket. This aligns with the regional trend where this cohort also represents 34.3%. High economic strength is evident with 35.7% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. Housing accounts for 13.8% of income, and residents rank within the 85th percentile for disposable income. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Palmerston, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 60.3% houses and 39.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Australian Capital Territory's 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Palmerston stood at 28.6%, similar to the Australian Capital Territory figure, with mortgaged dwellings at 42.5% and rented dwellings at 28.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Palmerston was $1,940, lower than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,080. Median weekly rent in Palmerston was $450, matching the Australian Capital Territory figure of $450. Nationally, Palmerston's median monthly mortgage repayments were higher at $1,940 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while median weekly rents were substantially higher at $450 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 74.7% of all households, including 35.2% couples with children, 25.6% couples without children, and 13.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 25.3%, with lone person households at 21.8% and group households comprising 3.2%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

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

In Palmerston, residents aged 15 and above have a higher educational attainment than the national average. Specifically, 41.5% of residents hold university qualifications compared to Australia's 30.4%. This is driven by bachelor degrees (23.8%), postgraduate qualifications (13.1%), and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 27.3% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (10.7%) and certificates (16.6%).

Educational participation is high, with 31.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.6%), secondary education (6.9%), and tertiary education (6.8%).

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

Palmerston has 23 active public transport stops, served by 62 routes offering 2,692 weekly passenger trips. Residents are typically 184 meters from the nearest stop, with excellent accessibility. Most residents commute outward, predominantly by car (85%), with bus use at 7%. Average vehicle ownership is 1.4 per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 11.6% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 384 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 117 weekly trips per stop.

Service frequency averages 384 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 117 weekly trips per individual stop.

Palmerston'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

Palmerston's health data shows positive results, aligning with national benchmarks for mortality rates and health conditions. Common health issues are low across all age groups.

Private health cover is high at approximately 56% (3,114 people), compared to ACT's 62.4%. Mental health issues affect 9.4%, asthma impacts 8.6%, while 69.6% report no medical ailments, close to ACT's 70.2%. Working-age residents have typical health outcomes. The area has 14.0% seniors (775 people), with above-average health outcomes comparable to national rankings.

Palmerston 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

Palmerston, surveyed in 2016, had a higher cultural diversity compared to most local markets, with 32.2% of its population born overseas and an equal percentage speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Palmerston, accounting for 42.9%. However, Buddhism showed significant overrepresentation at 4.9%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's average of 3.0%.

Ancestry-wise, Australians topped the list at 22.8%, followed by English at 21.5% and Other at 13.3%. Notably, Croatian (1.4%), Vietnamese (2.3%), and Korean (1%) groups were overrepresented in Palmerston compared to regional averages of 0.9%, 1.0%, and 0.6% respectively.

Palmerston's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Palmerston's median age is nearly 36 years, close to the Australian Capital Territory average of 35 but younger than Australia's 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Palmerston has a higher percentage of residents aged 55-64 (12.0%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (14.0%). Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the proportion of Palmerston's population aged 75 to 84 has grown from 3.0% to 4.5%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 25 to 34 has decreased from 15.3% to 14.0%, and the proportion of those aged 0 to 4 has dropped from 6.8% to 5.5%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Palmerston. The 45 to 54 age group is projected to grow by 10%, adding 74 residents and reaching a total of 816. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age groups.