Australian Capital Territory · Suburb Profile

Palmerston ACT — Suburb Profile

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

The population of Palmerston ACT is 5,579 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Palmerston is $1,134 per week ($58,968 per year). Median rent in Palmerston is $450 per week ($1,950 per month). Palmerston has a median age of 36 years, younger than the national median of 38. Palmerston has a population density of 2863.8 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Palmerston is India. The most common religion is No Religion (45% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Palmerston is $1,940.

Palmerston Map

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Palmerston Population

residents (Census 2021)

Palmerston Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$1,134/wk

$58,968 per year

#597 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$450/wk

$1,950 per month

#1049 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

36years

2 years younger than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,940/mo

Avg household size: 2.6 · 0.8 per bedroom

Palmerston Demographics

Gender Split

Male 49.5% (2,765) Female 50.5% (2,818)

Population Density

2863.8

people per km²

5,579 people · 1.9 km²

Households

2.6

Avg household size

0.8

Persons per bedroom

$2,686

Family income/wk

Palmerston 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)

Palmerston Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

40.3% 577 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

59.7% 855 dwellings

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

Palmerston Country of Birth

Australia

83.6%

India

5.3%

China

4.6%

England

2.7%

Hong Kong

0.9%

Croatia

0.7%

Germany

0.7%

Bangladesh

0.6%

Iran

0.5%

Fiji

0.4%

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

Palmerston Religion

No Religion

45.3%

Catholic

20.7%

Anglican

10.0%

Not stated

6.0%

Islam

5.2%

Buddhism

5.2%

Hinduism

4.0%

Christian (other)

3.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Palmerston Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

79.6%

Year 10 or equivalent

13.0%

Year 11 or equivalent

4.6%

Year 9 or equivalent

2.8%

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

Palmerston Languages Spoken at Home

Mandarin

25.8%

Other

21.0%

Vietnamese

16.8%

IAL Punjabi

8.1%

Urdu

7.9%

Cantonese

7.7%

SAL Tot

6.4%

Arabic

6.4%

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

Palmerston Employment

💼

Employed full-time

47.9% 1,974 people

⏰

Employed part-time

20.8% 856 people

🔍

Unemployed

2.8% 117 people

🏠

Not in labour force

28.6% 1,178 people

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

Palmerston Qualifications

Bachelor Degree

35.9%

Certificate III/IV

20.7%

Postgraduate Degree

19.5%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

15.8%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

6.8%

Certificate I/II

1.2%

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

Palmerston Occupation

Professionals

36.2%

Managers

17.9%

Clerical & Administrative

16.3%

Technicians & Trade Workers

10.8%

Community & Personal Service

9.9%

Sales Workers

3.9%

Labourers

3.1%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

2.0%

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

Palmerston Field of Study

Management & Commerce

21.7%

Society & Culture

19.8%

Engineering

10.9%

Information Technology

10.5%

Education

8.4%

Health

7.8%

Natural & Physical Sciences

5.5%

Architecture & Building

4.6%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

4.6%

Creative Arts

4.3%

Agriculture & Environment

1.8%

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

Palmerston Dwelling Types

Separate house

60.5%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

32.8%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

6.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Palmerston Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

0.9%

$1-$149/wk

0.5%

$150-$299/wk

1.0%

$300-$399/wk

2.2%

$400-$499/wk

4.1%

$500-$649/wk

2.6%

$650-$799/wk

3.5%

$800-$999/wk

4.5%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

4.2%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

6.4%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

6.2%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

5.3%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

14.4%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

8.6%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

9.3%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

7.2%

$4,000+/wk

19.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Palmerston Marital Status

💍

Married

49.1% 2,183

↔️

Separated

2.8% 123

📋

Divorced

8.5% 379

🕊️

Widowed

3.8% 171

👤

Never married

35.8% 1,593

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Palmerston Ancestry

Australian

25.2%

English

23.7%

Other

14.7%

Irish

8.3%

Chinese

6.8%

Scottish

6.8%

Indian

3.2%

Italian

2.8%

German

2.7%

Vietnamese

2.5%

Filipino

1.8%

Croatian

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Palmerston School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

33.9%

Secondary — Government

18.1%

Vocational Education

13.7%

Pre-school

10.1%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

6.6%

Secondary — Catholic

6.5%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

5.7%

Primary — Catholic

5.4%

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

Palmerston Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

4.9% 529

✅

No need for assistance

95.1% 10,226

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

Palmerston Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

16.2% 693

—

Not a volunteer

83.8% 3,587

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Palmerston Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

5.7%

$300-$449/mo

1.8%

$450-$599/mo

1.0%

$600-$799/mo

2.2%

$800-$999/mo

4.2%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

13.0%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

19.3%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

28.3%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

14.3%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

10.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Palmerston How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

73.4%

Did not go to work

12.4%

Car (passenger)

6.8%

Bus

1.7%

Tram/Light Rail

1.4%

Bicycle

1.4%

Walked only

0.7%

Other

0.7%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.7%

Truck

0.6%

Taxi/Rideshare

0.2%

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

Palmerston Car Ownership

0 vehicles

4.4%

1 vehicle

37.4%

2 vehicles

40.3%

3 vehicles

11.7%

4+ vehicles

6.1%

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

Palmerston Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

0.5%

2 bedrooms

13.7%

3 bedrooms

47.3%

4 bedrooms

31.2%

5 bedrooms

6.6%

6+ bedrooms

0.6%

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

Palmerston Population Mobility

12.5%

moved in the last year

38.7%

moved in the last 5 years

3.9%

unemployment rate (Census)

70.2%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Palmerston Indigenous Population

1.9%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

202

Indigenous residents

10,630

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Palmerston Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

577

Asthma

233

Diabetes

138

Arthritis

130

Heart disease

100

Lung condition

Cancer

Kidney disease

Stroke

Dementia

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

Palmerston Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

9.1%

$1-$149/wk

4.1%

$150-$299/wk

4.4%

$300-$399/wk

2.3%

$400-$499/wk

2.0%

$500-$649/wk

2.2%

$650-$799/wk

6.9%

$800-$999/wk

8.4%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

9.4%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

9.8%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

10.2%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

8.5%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

16.2%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

2.9%

$3,500+/wk

3.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Palmerston Family Structure

Couple — children under 15

44.1%

Couple — no children

24.2%

Couple — no children under 15

17.3%

One parent — children under 15

7.9%

One parent — no children under 15

6.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Palmerston Military Service

🎖️

Current ADF — Regular

1.2% 51

🛡️

Current ADF — Reserves

0.5% 23

🏅

Previously served

3.4% 148

👤

Never served

94.8% 4,073

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Palmerston Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

12.9% 553

—

Did not provide

87.1% 3,731

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Palmerston Children Ever Born

No children

34.6%

1 child

16.4%

2 children

28.2%

3 children

14.9%

4 children

4.1%

5+ children

1.7%

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

Palmerston When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

118

1971–1980

149

1981–1990

246

1991–2000

226

2001–2010

396

2011–2015

270

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

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

Palmerston Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

23.1%

5–14 hours

32.9%

15–29 hours

13.7%

30+ hours

7.4%

Did not do domestic work

22.9%

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

Palmerston Household Size

1 person

21.9%

2 persons

32.8%

3 persons

18.3%

4 persons

17.1%

5 persons

6.7%

6+ persons

3.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Palmerston Where Residents Moved From

Same address

4,662

Moved from ACT

429

Moved from NSW

Moved — same area (SA2)

Moved from overseas

Moved from QLD

Moved from VIC

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

Palmerston Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

88.7%

Step family — no other children

4.8%

Blended family — no other children

4.1%

Intact family — other children present

1.8%

Other couple — children only

0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Palmerston Schools

schools nearby

government

1083

avg ICSEA score

10,104

total students

Burgmann Anglican School Independent

Combined · K-12 · 1,755 students

1165

ICSEA

Franklin School Government

Primary · K-6 · 477 students

1098

ICSEA

Good Shepherd Primary School Catholic

Primary · K-6 · 762 students

1095

ICSEA

St John Paul II College Catholic

Secondary · 7-12 · 880 students

1089

ICSEA

Holy Spirit Primary School Catholic

Primary · K-6 · 733 students

1085

ICSEA

Palmerston District Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 640 students

1077

ICSEA

Amaroo School Government

Combined · K-10 · 1,638 students

1070

ICSEA

Giralang Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 268 students

1070

ICSEA

Gungahlin College Government

Secondary · 10-12 · 1,070 students

1061

ICSEA

Gold Creek School Government

Combined · K-10 · 1,261 students

1052

ICSEA

Ngunnawal Primary School Government

Primary · K-6 · 620 students

1049

ICSEA

Burgmann Anglican School - Forde Campus Independent

Combined

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

View all schools in Palmerston with map →

Palmerston Rent Prices & Affordability

19%

of income

Affordable

Household Income $2,316/wk

Median Rent $450/wk

Rent-to-Income 19.4%

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

If you earn X in Palmerston

Your weekly income

≈ $10,036/month

Median rent $450/wk

Left after rent $1,866/wk

Rent share 19.4%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Lyons (ACT)

Income: $1,097/wk Rent: $360/wk Save: $90/wk

Richardson

Income: $1,012/wk Rent: $391/wk Save: $59/wk

Holt

Income: $1,041/wk Rent: $396/wk Save: $54/wk

Theodore (ACT)

Income: $1,195/wk Rent: $430/wk Save: $20/wk

Charnwood

Income: $948/wk Rent: $380/wk Save: $70/wk

Conder

Income: $1,179/wk Rent: $390/wk Save: $60/wk

Scullin

Income: $1,041/wk Rent: $390/wk Save: $60/wk

Macquarie

Income: $1,078/wk Rent: $400/wk Save: $50/wk

Palmerston vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in ACT

Weetangera

Pop: 2,795 Income: $1,332/wk Rent: $490/wk

Holder (ACT)

Pop: 2,816 Income: $1,273/wk Rent: $465/wk

Acton (ACT)

Pop: 2,848 Income: $257/wk Rent: $9/wk

Chapman

Pop: 2,867 Income: $1,378/wk Rent: $450/wk

Cook

Pop: 2,965 Income: $1,288/wk Rent: $440/wk

Fadden

Pop: 3,006 Income: $1,415/wk Rent: $620/wk

Compare Palmerston (ACT)

Palmerston (ACT) vs Weetangera →Palmerston (ACT) vs Holder (ACT) →Palmerston (ACT) vs Acton (ACT) →Palmerston (ACT) vs Chapman →

Frequently Asked Questions About Palmerston

What is the population of Palmerston ACT?

The population of Palmerston ACT is 5,579 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 2863.8 people per km².Palmerston is ranked #1,419 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Palmerston?

The median personal income in Palmerston ACT is $1,134 per week, or $58,968 per year.The median household income is $2,316 per week.Family income is $2,686 per week.Palmerston is ranked #597 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Palmerston?

Median rent in Palmerston ACT is $450 per week ($1,950 per month).Rent represents 19.4% of household income, which is considered affordable.Palmerston ranks #1,049 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Palmerston?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Palmerston ACT is $1,940. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Palmerston?

The median age in Palmerston ACT is 36 years.This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Palmerston a good suburb to live in?

Palmerston is a suburb in Australian Capital Territory with a population of 5,579.The median income is $1,134/wk, which is below the ACT average of $1,190/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (19.4% 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: 80107. All dollar figures in AUD.