Acton, ACT: suburb profile

The population of Acton ACT is 2,848 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Acton is $257 per week ($13,364 per year). Median rent in Acton is $9 per week ($39 per month). Acton has a median age of 19 years, younger than the national median of 38. Acton has a population density of 476 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Acton is China. The most common religion is No religion (52.2% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin.

Population
2,848
Census 2021
Median income
$257/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$9/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
19years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021.

Acton vs the typical ACT suburb

The median personal income in Acton is $257 a week, 78% below the typical ACT suburb ($1,192). That ranks 108th of 109 ACT suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $9 a week, $441 less than the typical ACT suburb. The median resident is 19, 19 years younger than in the typical ACT suburb (38).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureActonTypical ACTDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$257/wk$1,192/wk −78%$766/wk
Household income$0/wk$2,414/wk −100%$1,637/wk
Rent$9/wk$450/wk −98%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$0/mo$2,154/mo −100%$1,733/mo
Median age1938 −19 yrs42
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Acton, the typical ACT suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Acton Population

2,848 residents at the 2021 Census.

Acton Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$257/wk
$13,364 per year
Ranked 8,882 of 14,663
Median Rent
$9/wk
$39 per month
Ranked 8,862 of 14,663
Median Age
19years
19 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$0/mo
Avg household size: 1 · 1 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Acton Rent Prices & Affordability

n/a of median household income goes on median rent

Household income $0/wk
Median rent $9/wk
Rent to income n/a

Not enough data to calculate rent affordability.

Median rent in Acton against your income

About $1,114 a month
Median rent $9/wk
Left after rent $248/wk
Rent share 3.5%

Acton Schools

9
schools nearby
5
government
1122
avg ICSEA score
3,974
total students
Yarralumla Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 313 students
1142
ICSEA
Turner School Government
Primary · K-6 · 318 students
1141
ICSEA
O'Connor Cooperative School Government
Primary · K-2 · 60 students
1141
ICSEA
Merici College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 992 students
1138
ICSEA
St Joseph's Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 334 students
1130
ICSEA
Ainslie School Government
Primary · K-6 · 351 students
1130
ICSEA
Daramalan College Independent
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,498 students
1127
ICSEA
Black Mountain School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 108 students
1030
ICSEA
Canberra Girls Grammar School - Junior School Independent
Primary

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Acton, with a map

Acton Map

Acton, Australian Capital Territory Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Acton, Australian Capital Territory: 35.2834°S, 149.1107°E

Acton Schools (9)

People in Acton

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 44.9% (1,277) Female 55.1% (1,569)

Population Density

476
people per km²
2,848 people · 6.0 km²

Households

1
Avg household size
1
Persons per bedroom
$0
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

China
5.2%
England
4.0%
India
3.1%
United States of America
1.3%
Singapore
1.2%
New Zealand
1.0%
Malaysia
0.9%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
6.6%
Cantonese
1.3%
Hindi
1.3%
Indonesian
0.7%
Sinhalese
0.7%
Bengali
0.7%
Vietnamese
0.6%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

Australian
32.6%
English
28.0%
Irish
11.3%
Chinese
10.6%
Scottish
8.0%
Indian
4.1%
German
3.6%
Italian
2.8%
Dutch
1.9%
Greek
1.2%
South African
1.1%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
52.2%
Not stated
19.9%
Catholic
9.3%
Anglican
4.5%
Hinduism
2.3%
SB OSB NRA SB
2.0%
Buddhism
1.8%
Islam
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.8%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
1.6% 46
Separated
0.1% 4
Divorced
0.2% 5
Widowed
0.1% 3
Never married
98.0% 2,794

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Work, income and education in Acton

Employment

Employed full-time
3.1% 68 people
Employed part-time
52.1% 1,149 people
Unemployed
12.9% 284 people
Not in labour force
31.9% 703 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
42.9%
Community & Personal Service
20.6%
Clerical & Administrative
11.8%
Sales Workers
10.8%
Managers
5.1%
Technicians & Trade Workers
3.4%
Labourers
3.4%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
2.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
24.5%
$1-$149/wk
17.6%
$150-$299/wk
25.9%
$300-$399/wk
7.6%
$400-$499/wk
4.7%
$500-$649/wk
6.7%
$650-$799/wk
5.2%
$800-$999/wk
2.9%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
2.0%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
0.9%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
0.4%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
0.8%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
0.6%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
0.2%
$3,500+/wk
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Did not go to work
31.2%
Walked only
25.4%
Car (driver)
22.2%
Bicycle
9.0%
Bus
7.0%
Car (passenger)
2.0%
Tram/Light Rail
1.4%
Taxi/Rideshare
1.0%
Other
0.4%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
99.5%
Year 11 or equivalent
0.5%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
51.4%
Postgraduate Degree
31.1%
Certificate III/IV
8.1%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
5.5%
Certificate I/II
3.3%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Society & Culture
35.0%
Natural & Physical Sciences
17.3%
Management & Commerce
13.1%
Creative Arts
8.5%
Engineering
7.8%
Information Technology
7.1%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
4.6%
Health
3.2%
Education
1.8%
Agriculture & Environment
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Vocational Education
100.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
82.1%
Has need for assistance
0.3%
Need for assistance not stated
17.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
391
Asthma
110
Lung condition
5
Arthritis
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
3.2% 74
Did not provide
96.8% 2,264

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
45.6% 1,070
Not a volunteer
54.4% 1,274

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 3
Current ADF: Reserves
0.4% 9
Previously served
0.1% 3
Never served
99.4% 2,334

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
100.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

1981: 1990
3
1991: 2000
16
2001: 2010
278
2011: 2015
83
2016
35
2017
52
2018
77
2019
102
2020
70
2021
17

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

63.3%
moved in the last year
98.0%
moved in the last 5 years
17.3%
unemployment rate (Census)
57.9%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
865
Moved from NSW
686
Moved from VIC
285
Moved from ACT
128
Moved from QLD
97
Moved: same area (SA2)
85
Moved from WA
75
Moved from overseas
55
Moved from SA
41
Moved from TAS
28
Moved from NT
11

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
41.5%
5: 14 hours
22.4%
15: 29 hours
2.1%
30+ hours
0.6%
Did not do domestic work
33.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Suburbs near Acton

The closest suburb to Acton is City, 1.7 km away.

City
1.7 km away · income $1,076/wk · rent $550/wk
Turner
2.0 km away · income $1,448/wk · rent $480/wk
Yarralumla
2.2 km away · income $1,591/wk · rent $547/wk
Reid (ACT)
2.8 km away · income $1,335/wk · rent $430/wk
Braddon
2.8 km away · income $1,512/wk · rent $495/wk
O'Connor (ACT)
3.0 km away · income $1,261/wk · rent $451/wk

Compare Acton (ACT)

Frequently Asked Questions About Acton

What is the population of Acton ACT?

The population of Acton ACT is 2,848 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 476 people per km². Acton is ranked #2,505 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Acton?

The median personal income in Acton ACT is $257 per week, or $13,364 per year. Acton is ranked #8,882 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Acton?

Median rent in Acton ACT is $9 per week ($39 per month). Acton ranks #8,862 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What is the median age in Acton?

The median age in Acton ACT is 19 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Acton a good suburb to live in?

Acton is a suburb in Australian Capital Territory with a population of 2,848. The median income is $257/wk, which is below the typical ACT suburb ($1,192/wk). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Canberra Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 80017. All dollar figures in AUD.