Reid (ACT)

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch since Feb 2026, the suburb of Reid's population is estimated at around 1,957. This reflects an increase of 413 people (26.7%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,544 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 1,957, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,081 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Reid's 26.7% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the state's 6.7%, along with the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration that contributed approximately 62.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including overseas migration and natural growth were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections, with 2022 as a base, are adopted. Moving forward with demographic trends, a significant population increase in the top quartile of statistical areas across the nation is forecast. The suburb of Reid is expected to grow by 668 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 34.1% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Reid according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows approximately one new home approved annually in Reid. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around nine homes were approved, with none yet recorded for FY26.

This results in an average of 41.4 people moving to the area per dwelling built over these years. The demand significantly outpaces supply, which typically influences prices upwards and intensifies competition among buyers. Developers focus on the premium market, constructing new properties at an average expected cost of $1,200,000. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Reid has notably less development activity, 92.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained construction often reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings.

However, building activity has increased in recent years. Recent development consists entirely of detached dwellings, preserving the area's suburban nature and catering to space-seeking buyers. The location has approximately 766 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. Population forecasts suggest Reid will gain 668 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 19 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include Academy Close Redevelopment - Campbell, Australian War Memorial Redevelopment, UNSW Canberra City Campus - Stage 1, and Marcus Clarke Street Office Complex. The following list 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.

Employment conditions in Reid remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Reid has an educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 4.4% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 2.3%. As of September 2025, 1,191 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.4%, compared to Australian Capital Territory's 3.6%.

Workforce participation was 70.1%, below the ACT's 72.5%. According to Census responses, 15.3% of residents worked from home. Employment is concentrated in public administration & safety, professional & technical, and education & training sectors. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Health care & social assistance employs 6.9% of local workers, below the ACT's 11.7%. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.3%, labour force grew by 1.6%, and unemployment fell by 0.6 percentage points in Reid. In contrast, across Australian Capital Territory, employment rose by 1.4%, the labour force grew by 1.2%, and unemployment fell by 0.2 percentage points. 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 Reid's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations 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 Reid has an extremely high national income level according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Reid is $67,610 and the average income stands at $86,994. These figures compare to those of the Australian Capital Territory, which are $72,206 and $85,981 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.26% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Reid would be approximately $73,871 (median) and $95,050 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Reid rank highly nationally, with household, family, and personal incomes between the 82nd and 95th percentiles. The data shows that 31.9% of individuals in Reid earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, mirroring the surrounding region where 34.3% occupy this bracket. Higher earners are prominent, with 38.0% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. Housing accounts for 14.0% of income, and residents rank highly in disposable income, placing Reid in the 83rd percentile nationally. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Reid features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Reid's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 36.4% houses and 63.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Australian Capital Territory's figures of 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Reid stood at 31.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 22.1% and rented ones at 46.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,300, higher than the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,080. Median weekly rent in Reid was $430, compared to Australian Capital Territory's $450. Nationally, Reid's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,300 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 47.9% of all households, including 15.2% couples with children, 27.4% couples without children, and 4.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 52.1%, with lone person households at 40.9% and group households comprising 10.8%. The median household size is 2.0 people, smaller than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

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

Reid's educational attainment exceeds broader benchmarks: 61.5% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications compared to Australia's 30.4% and the SA4 region's 46.8%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 31.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (23.1%) and graduate diplomas (6.9%). Vocational pathways account for 16.0% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 8.5% and certificates at 7.5%. Educational participation is high, with 30.6% currently enrolled in formal education: 15.0% in tertiary, 4.2% in primary, and 4.0% pursuing secondary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 15.0% in tertiary education, 4.2% in primary education, and 4.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

Reid has 15 active public transport stops, all providing bus services. These stops are served by 40 different routes, offering a total of 3,175 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically living just 168 meters from the nearest stop. As a mainly residential zone, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 48%, followed by walking at 26% and buses at 13%. On average, there are 0.9 vehicles per dwelling, below the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 15.3% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 453 trips daily, equating to around 211 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Reid is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Reid demonstrates above-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts show low prevalence of common health conditions.

Approximately 62% of the total population (1,204 people) have private health cover, which is higher than the national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues impacting 11.6% of residents and arthritis affecting 8.1%. A total of 65.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 70.2% across Australian Capital Territory. Working-age residents show an above-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 16.4% of residents aged 65 and over (320 people), which is higher than the 14.3% in Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

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

Reid's population was found to be culturally diverse, with 20.2% speaking a language other than English at home as of the census conducted on the 27th of June 1986. Additionally, 31.7% of Reid's residents were born overseas during this period. Christianity was the predominant religion in Reid, comprising 36.7% of its population.

However, Judaism was notably overrepresented in Reid compared to the Australian Capital Territory as a whole, with 0.6% of Reid's population identifying as Jewish versus only 0.2%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English at 25.4%, Australian at 20.6%, and Other at 11.5%. There were also notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Polish residents made up 1.3% of Reid's population compared to 0.8% regionally, French residents comprised 1.0% versus 0.5%, and Hungarian residents constituted 0.5% versus 0.3%.

Reid's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Reid has a median age of 39, which is higher than the Australian Capital Territory figure of 35 and comparable to Australia's median age of 38 years. The 25-34 age group makes up 22.6% of Reid's population, compared to the Australian Capital Territory figure, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 5.0%. This concentration of the 25-34 age group is well above the national average of 14.4%. Between 2021 and present day, the median age has decreased by 1.2 years from 40 to 39, indicating a shift towards a younger demographic. During this period, the 25-34 age group grew from 19.8% to 22.6%, while the 35-44 cohort increased from 11.3% to 12.4%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort declined from 11.5% to 10.0%, and the 55-64 group dropped from 14.9% to 13.6%. Demographic modeling suggests that Reid's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 65-74 group projected to grow by 56% (110 people), reaching a total of 306 from its current figure of 195.