Hughes, ACT: suburb profile

The population of Hughes ACT is 3,210 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Hughes is $1,298 per week ($67,496 per year). Median rent in Hughes is $400 per week ($1,733 per month). Hughes has a median age of 43 years, older than the national median of 38. Hughes has a population density of 1,794 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Hughes is England. The most common religion is No religion (44.8% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Nepali. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Hughes is $2,700.

Population
3,210
Census 2021
Median income
$1,298/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$400/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
43years
Census 2021

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

Hughes vs the typical ACT suburb

The median personal income in Hughes is $1,298 a week, 9% above the typical ACT suburb ($1,192). That ranks 32nd of 109 ACT suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $400 a week, $50 less than the typical ACT suburb. Rent takes 14.3% of the median household income here, against 18.2% in the typical ACT suburb. The median resident is 43, 5 years older 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.
MeasureHughesTypical ACTDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,298/wk$1,192/wk +9%$766/wk
Household income$2,797/wk$2,414/wk +16%$1,637/wk
Rent$400/wk$450/wk −11%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,700/mo$2,154/mo +25%$1,733/mo
Median age4338 +5 yrs42
Rent share of household income14.3%18.2% −3.9 pts20.3%
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 Hughes, the typical ACT suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Hughes Population

3,210 residents at the 2021 Census.

Hughes Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,298/wk
$67,496 per year
Ranked 281 of 14,663
Median Rent
$400/wk
$1,733 per month
Ranked 1,854 of 14,663
Median Age
43years
5 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,700/mo
Avg household size: 2.6 · 0.8 per bedroom

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

Hughes Rent Prices & Affordability

14% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $2,797/wk
Median rent $400/wk
Rent to income 14.3%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Hughes against your income

About $12,120 a month
Median rent $400/wk
Left after rent $2,397/wk
Rent share 14.3%

Hughes Schools

17
schools nearby
10
government
1122
avg ICSEA score
8,677
total students
Canberra Girls Grammar School Independent
Secondary · K-12 · 1,203 students
1177
ICSEA
Garran Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 676 students
1159
ICSEA
Hughes Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 457 students
1157
ICSEA
Curtin Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 408 students
1146
ICSEA
Holy Trinity Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 387 students
1145
ICSEA
Marist College Canberra Independent
Combined · 4-12 · 1,852 students
1142
ICSEA
Yarralumla Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 313 students
1142
ICSEA
Mawson Primary School Government
Primary · K-6 · 542 students
1139
ICSEA
Alfred Deakin High School Government
Secondary · 7-10 · 881 students
1132
ICSEA
Sts Peter and Paul Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 299 students
1130
ICSEA
Lyons Early Childhood School Government
Primary · K-2 · 91 students
1116
ICSEA
The Canberra College Government
Secondary · 11-12 · 1,174 students
1087
ICSEA
Canberra Christian School Independent
Primary · K-6 · 228 students
1087
ICSEA
The Woden School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 93 students
1046
ICSEA
Malkara School Government
Primary · K-6 · 73 students
1021
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 17 schools.

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

All schools near Hughes, with a map

Hughes Map

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

Hughes, Australian Capital Territory: 35.3329°S, 149.0955°E

Hughes Schools (17)

People in Hughes

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 47.3% (1,520) Female 52.7% (1,691)

Population Density

1,794
people per km²
3,210 people · 1.8 km²

Households

2.6
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$3,669
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

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

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
3.8%
India
2.6%
New Zealand
2.0%
Nepal
1.2%
United States of America
1.1%
China
1.1%
Canada
0.7%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Nepali
1.5%
French
1.4%
Mandarin
0.9%
Cantonese
0.8%
Spanish
0.7%
Greek
0.4%
Indonesian
0.4%

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

Ancestry

Australian
36.4%
English
35.8%
Irish
15.2%
Scottish
12.3%
German
3.8%
Italian
3.7%
Chinese
3.1%
Indian
2.6%
Welsh
1.9%
Dutch
1.7%
Polish
1.4%

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
44.8%
Catholic
19.1%
Anglican
10.9%
Not stated
5.0%
Hinduism
3.4%
Buddhism
3.0%
Christian (other)
2.2%
Uniting Church
2.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.0%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
49.8% 1,300
Separated
2.2% 57
Divorced
7.7% 201
Widowed
9.1% 237
Never married
31.3% 816

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
48.9%
Couple: no children
23.5%
Couple: no children under 15
17.9%
One parent: no children under 15
5.3%
One parent: children under 15
4.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
25.7%
2 persons
30.5%
3 persons
15.1%
4 persons
18.4%
5 persons
7.7%
6+ persons
2.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Hughes

Housing Tenure

Of the 1,131 occupied private dwellings in Hughes at the 2021 Census, 24.0% were rented, 36.5% owned outright and 36.0% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
2.8% 32 dwellings
Owned outright
36.5% 413 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
36.0% 407 dwellings
Rented
24.0% 272 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
84.6%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
10.3%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
5.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
8.4%
2 bedrooms
9.5%
3 bedrooms
36.7%
4 bedrooms
34.6%
5 bedrooms
9.3%
6+ bedrooms
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
10.2%
$300-$449/mo
1.0%
$450-$599/mo
4.0%
$600-$799/mo
2.6%
$800-$999/mo
3.6%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.2%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
6.6%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
15.5%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
19.5%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
27.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
6.1%
1 vehicle
38.6%
2 vehicles
40.6%
3 vehicles
10.2%
4+ vehicles
4.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Hughes

Employment

Employed full-time
40.4% 988 people
Employed part-time
19.6% 480 people
Unemployed
2.4% 59 people
Not in labour force
37.6% 920 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
44.1%
Managers
26.4%
Clerical & Administrative
10.3%
Community & Personal Service
7.8%
Technicians & Trade Workers
5.5%
Sales Workers
2.7%
Labourers
2.2%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.0%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
0.7%
$1-$149/wk
0.5%
$150-$299/wk
0.8%
$300-$399/wk
1.9%
$400-$499/wk
4.1%
$500-$649/wk
2.3%
$650-$799/wk
2.9%
$800-$999/wk
4.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
4.6%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
5.1%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
4.7%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.2%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
10.4%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
5.2%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.4%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.3%
$4,000+/wk
35.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
7.7%
$1-$149/wk
4.7%
$150-$299/wk
4.4%
$300-$399/wk
1.7%
$400-$499/wk
1.7%
$500-$649/wk
1.7%
$650-$799/wk
6.0%
$800-$999/wk
7.3%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
8.9%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.3%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.8%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
18.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.5%
$3,500+/wk
11.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
64.8%
Did not go to work
13.0%
Car (passenger)
7.1%
Walked only
6.5%
Bicycle
3.7%
Bus
2.8%
Motorbike/Scooter
1.0%
Other
0.8%
Truck
0.4%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
87.8%
Year 10 or equivalent
8.9%
Year 11 or equivalent
2.2%
Year 9 or equivalent
1.1%

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
41.9%
Postgraduate Degree
28.0%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
11.2%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
9.2%
Certificate III/IV
8.9%
Certificate I/II
0.8%

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

Field of Study

Society & Culture
27.5%
Management & Commerce
20.4%
Health
13.0%
Information Technology
8.0%
Engineering
6.6%
Education
6.0%
Natural & Physical Sciences
5.5%
Creative Arts
5.0%
Architecture & Building
4.2%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
2.5%
Agriculture & Environment
1.4%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
29.5%
Secondary: Government
21.0%
Pre-school
10.2%
Vocational Education
9.9%
Primary: Catholic
9.7%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
9.3%
Secondary: Catholic
6.7%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
3.8%

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
88.3%
Has need for assistance
8.5%
Need for assistance not stated
3.2%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
291
Asthma
130
Arthritis
112
Heart disease
74
Diabetes
54
Kidney disease
45
Cancer
44
Lung condition
38
Stroke
36
Dementia
28

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
15.5% 391
Did not provide
84.5% 2,130

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
25.8% 653
Not a volunteer
74.2% 1,880

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
1.1% 28
Current ADF: Reserves
0.4% 9
Previously served
5.2% 131
Never served
93.3% 2,344

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
35.4%
1 child
14.4%
2 children
29.5%
3 children
15.8%
4 children
3.5%
5+ children
1.4%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
20
1951: 1960
57
1961: 1970
97
1971: 1980
85
1981: 1990
96
1991: 2000
75
2001: 2010
105
2011: 2015
88
2016
26
2017
30
2018
49
2019
32
2020
16
2021
11

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

Population Mobility

17.3%
moved in the last year
42.1%
moved in the last 5 years
3.9%
unemployment rate (Census)
61.5%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
2,538
Moved from ACT
296
Moved from NSW
81
Moved from overseas
60
Moved: same area (SA2)
51
Moved from VIC
21
Moved from QLD
7
Moved from TAS
4
Moved from NT
3

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
22.3%
5: 14 hours
35.0%
15: 29 hours
15.7%
30+ hours
6.2%
Did not do domestic work
20.8%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
94.0%
Step family: no other children
4.5%
Blended family: no other children
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Ainslie
Income: $1,236/wk Rent: $367/wk $33/wk less rent
Hawker (ACT)
Income: $1,169/wk Rent: $375/wk $25/wk less rent
Hackett
Income: $1,361/wk Rent: $374/wk $26/wk less rent
Rivett
Income: $1,113/wk Rent: $322/wk $78/wk less rent
Spence (ACT)
Income: $1,125/wk Rent: $375/wk $25/wk less rent
Waramanga
Income: $1,179/wk Rent: $379/wk $21/wk less rent
Conder
Income: $1,179/wk Rent: $390/wk $10/wk less rent
Lyons (ACT)
Income: $1,097/wk Rent: $360/wk $40/wk less rent

Suburbs near Hughes

The closest suburb to Hughes is Garran, 1.5 km away.

Garran
1.5 km away · income $1,349/wk · rent $550/wk
Phillip
1.6 km away · income $1,342/wk · rent $440/wk
Deakin
1.8 km away · income $1,577/wk · rent $560/wk
Curtin
1.8 km away · income $1,341/wk · rent $450/wk
Lyons (ACT)
2.1 km away · income $1,097/wk · rent $360/wk
Red Hill (ACT)
2.2 km away · income $1,469/wk · rent $500/wk

Compare Hughes (ACT)

Frequently Asked Questions About Hughes

What is the population of Hughes ACT?

The population of Hughes ACT is 3,210 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 1,794 people per km². Hughes is ranked #2,285 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Hughes?

The median personal income in Hughes ACT is $1,298 per week, or $67,496 per year. The median household income is $2,797 per week. Family income is $3,669 per week. Hughes is ranked #281 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Hughes?

Median rent in Hughes ACT is $400 per week ($1,733 per month). Rent represents 14.3% of household income, which is considered affordable. Hughes ranks #1,854 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Hughes?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Hughes ACT is $2,700. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Hughes?

The median age in Hughes ACT is 43 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Hughes a good suburb to live in?

Hughes is a suburb in Australian Capital Territory with a population of 3,210. The median income is $1,298/wk, which is above the typical ACT suburb ($1,192/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (14.3% of household income). 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: 80076. All dollar figures in AUD.