Australian Capital Territory · Suburb Profile

Forrest ACT — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Forrest, Australian Capital Territory. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Forrest ACT is 1,827 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Forrest is $1,816 per week ($94,432 per year). Median rent in Forrest is $570 per week ($2,470 per month). Forrest has a median age of 47 years, older than the national median of 38. Forrest has a population density of 1149.0 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Forrest is India. The most common religion is No Religion (45% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Italian. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Forrest is $2,520.

Forrest Map

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Forrest Population

residents (Census 2021)

Forrest Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$1,816/wk

$94,432 per year

#28 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$570/wk

$2,470 per month

#315 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

47years

9 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$2,520/mo

Avg household size: 2.2 · 0.8 per bedroom

Forrest Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.1% (875) Female 51.9% (945)

Population Density

1149.0

people per km²

1,827 people · 1.6 km²

Households

2.2

Avg household size

0.8

Persons per bedroom

$4,532

Family income/wk

Forrest 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 & Locality (SAL)

Forrest Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

56.3% 296 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

43.7% 230 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Forrest Country of Birth

Australia

87.1%

India

3.3%

England

2.5%

China

2.2%

Hong Kong

1.2%

Germany

1.1%

Iran

1.0%

Canada

0.7%

France

0.7%

Egypt

0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Forrest Religion

No Religion

45.4%

Catholic

24.2%

Anglican

13.4%

Not stated

4.7%

Eastern Orthodox

4.5%

Hinduism

2.9%

Uniting Church

2.7%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Forrest Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

91.0%

Year 10 or equivalent

5.6%

Year 11 or equivalent

2.7%

Year 9 or equivalent

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Forrest Languages Spoken at Home

Italian

19.4%

Greek

17.6%

Mandarin

14.8%

Other

13.0%

French

9.3%

Tamil

9.3%

Cantonese

9.3%

IAL Nepali

7.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Forrest Employment

💼

Employed full-time

50.3% 768 people

⏰

Employed part-time

17.0% 259 people

🔍

Unemployed

2.1% 32 people

🏠

Not in labour force

30.6% 467 people

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

Forrest Qualifications

Bachelor Degree

40.1%

Postgraduate Degree

32.7%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

11.0%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

9.4%

Certificate III/IV

6.2%

Certificate I/II

0.7%

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

Forrest Occupation

Professionals

48.5%

Managers

29.6%

Clerical & Administrative

11.6%

Community & Personal Service

3.4%

Sales Workers

3.4%

Technicians & Trade Workers

2.6%

Labourers

0.9%

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

Forrest Field of Study

Society & Culture

31.8%

Management & Commerce

26.1%

Health

12.0%

Education

5.7%

Information Technology

5.5%

Engineering

5.3%

Creative Arts

3.7%

Natural & Physical Sciences

3.5%

Architecture & Building

3.5%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

1.5%

Agriculture & Environment

1.4%

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

Forrest Dwelling Types

Separate house

69.5%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

23.5%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

7.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Forrest Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

1.2%

$1-$149/wk

0.5%

$150-$299/wk

0.5%

$300-$399/wk

1.1%

$400-$499/wk

1.1%

$500-$649/wk

1.7%

$650-$799/wk

1.4%

$800-$999/wk

1.4%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

2.4%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

5.8%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.0%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

4.7%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

12.9%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

6.0%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

7.2%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

5.0%

$4,000+/wk

42.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Forrest Marital Status

💍

Married

53.3% 866

↔️

Separated

2.6% 43

📋

Divorced

6.3% 103

🕊️

Widowed

4.3% 70

👤

Never married

33.4% 542

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Forrest Ancestry

English

25.8%

Australian

22.0%

Irish

11.5%

Other

10.7%

Scottish

10.5%

Italian

4.3%

Chinese

3.5%

German

3.4%

Greek

2.9%

Indian

2.6%

Polish

1.5%

Dutch

1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Forrest School & University Attendance

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

28.0%

Primary — Government

19.2%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

18.4%

Secondary — Government

14.0%

Vocational Education

10.0%

Secondary — Catholic

4.8%

Pre-school

3.6%

Primary — Catholic

2.0%

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

Forrest Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

3.3% 115

✅

No need for assistance

96.7% 3,423

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

Forrest Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

28.0% 439

—

Not a volunteer

72.0% 1,127

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Forrest Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

13.6%

$800-$999/mo

4.5%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

9.8%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

18.9%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

25.8%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

9.1%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

18.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Forrest How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

60.2%

Walked only

16.7%

Did not go to work

9.1%

Car (passenger)

4.2%

Bus

3.9%

Bicycle

3.4%

Taxi/Rideshare

1.2%

Motorbike/Scooter

1.1%

Other

0.4%

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

Forrest Car Ownership

0 vehicles

4.1%

1 vehicle

40.9%

2 vehicles

37.9%

3 vehicles

10.0%

4+ vehicles

7.2%

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

Forrest Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

13.9%

2 bedrooms

30.0%

3 bedrooms

26.3%

4 bedrooms

17.0%

5 bedrooms

10.1%

6+ bedrooms

2.7%

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

Forrest Population Mobility

24.8%

moved in the last year

55.2%

moved in the last 5 years

2.8%

unemployment rate (Census)

68.1%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Forrest Indigenous Population

0.3%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Indigenous residents

3,528

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Forrest Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

149

Asthma

Heart disease

Arthritis

Cancer

Diabetes

Lung condition

Kidney disease

Stroke

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

Forrest Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

7.4%

$1-$149/wk

3.8%

$150-$299/wk

1.7%

$300-$399/wk

0.7%

$400-$499/wk

1.2%

$500-$649/wk

0.8%

$650-$799/wk

3.3%

$800-$999/wk

4.2%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

5.8%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

8.2%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

8.9%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

8.6%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

18.1%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

5.9%

$3,500+/wk

21.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Forrest Family Structure

Couple — no children

42.1%

Couple — children under 15

30.3%

Couple — no children under 15

20.8%

One parent — children under 15

3.7%

One parent — no children under 15

3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Forrest Military Service

🎖️

Current ADF — Regular

1.5% 24

🛡️

Current ADF — Reserves

1.1% 17

🏅

Previously served

4.8% 75

👤

Never served

92.6% 1,452

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Forrest Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

16.0% 251

—

Did not provide

84.0% 1,319

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Forrest Children Ever Born

No children

41.4%

1 child

12.6%

2 children

28.7%

3 children

12.7%

4 children

3.5%

5+ children

1.1%

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

Forrest When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

1991–2000

2001–2010

2011–2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

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

Forrest Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

26.4%

5–14 hours

39.6%

15–29 hours

15.0%

30+ hours

5.8%

Did not do domestic work

13.1%

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

Forrest Household Size

1 person

29.0%

2 persons

42.3%

3 persons

13.6%

4 persons

9.9%

5 persons

3.6%

6+ persons

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Forrest Where Residents Moved From

Same address

1,331

Moved from ACT

253

Moved from NSW

Moved from overseas

Moved — same area (SA2)

Moved from QLD

Moved from VIC

Moved from WA

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

Forrest Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

91.5%

Step family — no other children

6.9%

Blended family — no other children

1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Forrest Schools

schools nearby

government

1120

avg ICSEA score

10,371

total students

Canberra Grammar School Independent

Secondary · K-12 · 2,116 students

1187

ICSEA

Canberra Girls Grammar School Independent

Secondary · K-12 · 1,203 students

1177

ICSEA

Garran Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 676 students

1159

ICSEA

Telopea Park School Government

Combined · K-10 · 1,586 students

1153

ICSEA

Forrest Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 479 students

1145

ICSEA

Yarralumla Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 313 students

1142

ICSEA

Red Hill Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 720 students

1133

ICSEA

Narrabundah College Government

Secondary · 11-12 · 977 students

1131

ICSEA

St Bede's Primary School Catholic

Primary · K-6 · 261 students

1117

ICSEA

St Clare's College Catholic

Secondary · 7-12 · 887 students

1087

ICSEA

St Edmund's College Canberra Independent

Combined · 4-12 · 935 students

1080

ICSEA

St Benedict's Primary School Catholic

Primary · K-6 · 165 students

1061

ICSEA

Narrabundah Early Childhood School Government

Primary · K-2 · 53 students

990

ICSEA

Canberra Grammar School - Primary School Independent

Primary

Canberra Girls Grammar School - Junior School Independent

Primary

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

View all schools in Forrest with map →

Forrest Rent Prices & Affordability

17%

of income

Affordable

Household Income $3,363/wk

Median Rent $570/wk

Rent-to-Income 16.9%

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

If you earn X in Forrest

Your weekly income

≈ $14,573/month

Median rent $570/wk

Left after rent $2,793/wk

Rent share 16.9%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Deakin

Income: $1,577/wk Rent: $560/wk Save: $10/wk

Yarralumla

Income: $1,591/wk Rent: $547/wk Save: $23/wk

Red Hill (ACT)

Income: $1,469/wk Rent: $500/wk Save: $70/wk

Barton

Income: $1,775/wk Rent: $525/wk Save: $45/wk

Denman Prospect

Income: $1,655/wk Rent: $498/wk Save: $72/wk

Griffith (ACT)

Income: $1,572/wk Rent: $462/wk Save: $108/wk

Kingston (ACT)

Income: $1,777/wk Rent: $510/wk Save: $60/wk

Braddon

Income: $1,512/wk Rent: $495/wk Save: $75/wk

Forrest vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in ACT

O'Malley

Pop: 928 Income: $1,497/wk Rent: $975/wk

Macarthur (ACT)

Pop: 1,405 Income: $1,334/wk Rent: $520/wk

Reid (ACT)

Pop: 1,544 Income: $1,335/wk Rent: $430/wk

Oxley (ACT)

Pop: 1,703 Income: $1,132/wk Rent: $400/wk

Barton

Pop: 1,946 Income: $1,775/wk Rent: $525/wk

Fraser

Pop: 2,126 Income: $1,164/wk Rent: $450/wk

Compare Forrest (ACT)

Forrest (ACT) vs O'Malley →Forrest (ACT) vs Macarthur (ACT) →Forrest (ACT) vs Reid (ACT) →Forrest (ACT) vs Oxley (ACT) →

Frequently Asked Questions About Forrest

What is the population of Forrest ACT?

The population of Forrest ACT is 1,827 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 1149.0 people per km².Forrest is ranked #3,154 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Forrest?

The median personal income in Forrest ACT is $1,816 per week, or $94,432 per year.The median household income is $3,363 per week.Family income is $4,532 per week.Forrest is ranked #28 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Forrest?

Median rent in Forrest ACT is $570 per week ($2,470 per month).Rent represents 16.9% of household income, which is considered affordable.Forrest ranks #315 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Forrest?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Forrest ACT is $2,520. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Forrest?

The median age in Forrest ACT is 47 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Forrest a good suburb to live in?

Forrest is a suburb in Australian Capital Territory with a population of 1,827.The median income is $1,816/wk, which is above the ACT average of $1,190/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (16.9% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 80057. All dollar figures in AUD.