Australian Capital Territory · Suburb Profile

Hughes ACT — Suburb Profile

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

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 1793.9 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Hughes is England. The most common religion is No Religion (50% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Hughes is $2,700.

Hughes Map

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Hughes Population

residents (Census 2021)

Hughes Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$1,298/wk

$67,496 per year

#281 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$400/wk

$1,733 per month

#1854 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

43years

5 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$2,700/mo

Avg household size: 2.6 · 0.8 per bedroom

Hughes Demographics

Gender Split

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

Population Density

1793.9

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

Hughes 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)

Hughes Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

50.4% 413 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

49.6% 407 dwellings

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

Hughes Country of Birth

Australia

87.5%

England

4.4%

India

3.5%

China

1.1%

Canada

1.0%

Germany

0.7%

Hong Kong

0.7%

Iran

0.5%

Chile

0.3%

Croatia

0.2%

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

Hughes Religion

No Religion

49.5%

Catholic

21.1%

Anglican

12.1%

Not stated

5.6%

Hinduism

3.8%

Buddhism

3.3%

Christian (other)

2.5%

Uniting Church

2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Hughes 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%

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

Hughes Languages Spoken at Home

Other

32.5%

IAL Nepali

17.2%

French

14.6%

Spanish

10.6%

SAL Tot

7.3%

Hindi

6.6%

Cantonese

6.6%

Arabic

4.6%

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

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

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes Ancestry

Australian

27.7%

English

27.2%

Irish

11.6%

Other

10.3%

Scottish

9.4%

German

2.9%

Italian

2.8%

Chinese

2.4%

Indian

1.9%

Welsh

1.4%

Dutch

1.3%

Polish

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Hughes 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

Hughes Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

8.9% 552

✅

No need for assistance

91.1% 5,664

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

Hughes Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

25.8% 653

—

Not a volunteer

74.2% 1,880

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes Indigenous Population

0.9%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Indigenous residents

6,188

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Hughes Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

291

Asthma

130

Arthritis

112

Heart disease

Diabetes

Kidney disease

Cancer

Lung condition

Stroke

Dementia

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

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

15.5% 391

—

Did not provide

84.5% 2,130

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Hughes 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

Hughes When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

1991–2000

2001–2010

105

2011–2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

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

Hughes 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

Hughes 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

Hughes Where Residents Moved From

Same address

2,538

Moved from ACT

296

Moved from NSW

Moved from overseas

Moved — same area (SA2)

Moved from VIC

Moved from QLD

Moved from TAS

Moved from NT

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

Hughes 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

Hughes Schools

schools nearby

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

View all schools in Hughes with map →

Hughes Rent Prices & Affordability

14%

of income

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.

If you earn X in Hughes

Your weekly income

≈ $12,120/month

Median rent $400/wk

Left after rent $2,397/wk

Rent share 14.3%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Ainslie

Income: $1,236/wk Rent: $367/wk Save: $33/wk

Hawker (ACT)

Income: $1,169/wk Rent: $375/wk Save: $25/wk

Hackett

Income: $1,361/wk Rent: $374/wk Save: $26/wk

Rivett

Income: $1,113/wk Rent: $322/wk Save: $78/wk

Spence (ACT)

Income: $1,125/wk Rent: $375/wk Save: $25/wk

Waramanga

Income: $1,179/wk Rent: $379/wk Save: $21/wk

Conder

Income: $1,179/wk Rent: $390/wk Save: $10/wk

Lyons (ACT)

Income: $1,097/wk Rent: $360/wk Save: $40/wk

Hughes vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in ACT

Oxley (ACT)

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

Forrest (ACT)

Pop: 1,827 Income: $1,816/wk Rent: $570/wk

Barton

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

Fraser

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

Stirling (ACT)

Pop: 2,191 Income: $1,020/wk Rent: $460/wk

Taylor

Pop: 2,220 Income: $1,113/wk Rent: $282/wk

Compare Hughes (ACT)

Hughes (ACT) vs Oxley (ACT) →Hughes (ACT) vs Forrest (ACT) →Hughes (ACT) vs Barton →Hughes (ACT) vs Fraser →

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 1793.9 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 ACT average of $1,190/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (14.3% 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: 80076. All dollar figures in AUD.