ACT · Unincorporated ACT Council
Ainslie, 2602
Current weather
9.3°CClear sky
76% humidity · 23.4 km/h wind · 12.3° / 6.5° today · 14.3 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Premium
- Heritage
- Parks
- Shops
- Metro
Suburb profile
Ainslie is a well-connected mid-sized suburb in Unincorporated ACT with everyday amenities close at hand. Sitting close to the city centre, it is easy to dip into neighbouring suburbs for work, dining and events. Generous greenery runs through the area, from street trees to tucked-away reserves.
Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with family life visible on every street. Local shops and services cover the basics well, with more choice a short trip into neighbouring suburbs. Parks, reserves and open space make it genuinely outdoor-friendly for walks, sport and weekend downtime.
Property is in demand, reflecting the appeal of living in a place people actively choose. The built character feels settled and mature, with period homes lending the streets a sense of history.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and safety lag similar metro suburbs, despite relative strength in parks and green space and transport and access.
Population
- Population
- 5,376
- Median age
- 42
- Median household income / week
- $2,434
- Dwelling vacancy
- 7.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 156 of 2,172
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,600
- Employment rate
- 59.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 101 / 339 / 204
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (2025 Q2 Apr-Jun)
- 102
- Against the person
- 8
- Against property
- 40
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 19
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 672 residents
- State safety percentile
- 79.5th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +50%
Most common offence types
- Assault - Non-Fv5
- Burglary Other4
- Other Offences54
- Property Damage14
- Theft (Excluding Motor Vehicles)16
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- ACT crime statistics by suburb (quarterly) — ACT Policing / dataACT · Period: 2025 Q1 Jan-Mar → 2025 Q2 Apr-Jun; 2025 Q2 Apr-Jun · Updated on site · Quarterly XLSX release
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,145
- North Ainslie Primary SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Roadworks & transport
2 active roadworks / incidents
- Pruning (Limestone Ave)Higgins Crescent (both directions): from Limestone Avenue to Limestone Avenue.9:30 am to 3:00 pm. Monday to Friday.7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Saturday to Sunday.Daily as required.08 Mar 2026 – 09 Mar 2027
- Under bore & Driveway constructionQuick Street westbound between Howe Crescent and Limestone Avenue.9:30am – 5:00 pm (daily) Monday to Friday.31 May 2026 – 01 Sep 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
Planning & development
Development applications from ACT planning register.
2026· 8 proposals
June 2026
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
April 2026
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
March 2026
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
February 2026
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
January 2026
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
2025· 22 proposals
November 2025
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
September 2025
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
August 2025
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
July 2025
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
June 2025
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
May 2025
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
April 2025
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
March 2025
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
February 2025
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
2024· 10 proposals
December 2024
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
November 2024
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
October 2024
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
August 2024
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
June 2024
- SUBCAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Active & completed development applications — ACT Planning · Period: 2026 · Updated on site
Amenities
65 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- ATM
- Bbq
- Bench (18)
- Campbell Street after 2nd Baker GardensBus stop
- Campbell Street after Chaffey CrescentBus stop
- Campbell Street after Foveaux StreetBus stop
- Campbell Street after Leslie StreetBus stop
- Campbell Street before Chisholm StreetBus stop
- Campbell Street before Cox StreetBus stop
- Chisholm Street after Howe CrescentBus stop
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
5 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Baker GardensPark
- Bill Pye ParkPark
- Calvert ParkPark
- Corroboree ParkPark
- Wakefield GardensPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 5
- Emergency department
- Not in suburb
- Ainslie Family PracticeEdgar Streetdoctor
- Ainslie Pharmacypharmacy
- Capital Pathologydoctor
- Harmony HealthEdgar Streetalternative
- Wakefield Gardens SurgeryWakefield Gardensdoctor
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Heritage
443 state heritage places
- Aboriginal Places in Canberra Nature Park Fire TrailsMAFT 113 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in Canberra Nature Park Fire TrailsMAFT 103 - Registered Places or Objects
- All Saints Church 3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Alt Crescent Housing Precinct 3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Alt Crescent Housing Precinct 3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Alt Crescent Housing Precinct 3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Alt Crescent Housing Precinct 3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Alt Crescent Housing Precinct 3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Alt Crescent Housing Precinct 3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Alt Crescent Housing Precinct 3 - Registered Places or Objects
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Childcare
2 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Baker Gardens PreschoolBaker Gardenskindergarten
- North Ainslie Preschoolkindergarten
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via ACT Bushfire Prone Area (SBMP) mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 29
- Parks (OSM)
- 27
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 52.7/100 — Average
- National rank
- 1464th in Australia
- State rank
- 62nd in ACT
- Peer rank
- #57 among Metro Canberra · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #62 among Metro Canberra suburbs
- Data confidence
- 82%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- SUBCplanningAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALLodged 15 Jun 2026 · Active
- SUBCplanningAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALLodged 12 Jun 2026 · Active
- SUBCplanningAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALLodged 22 Apr 2026 · Completed
- SUBCplanningAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALLodged 26 Mar 2026 · Completed
- SUBCplanningAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALLodged 16 Mar 2026 · Completed
- SUBCplanningAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALLodged 26 Feb 2026 · Completed
- SUBCplanningAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALLodged 22 Jan 2026 · Active
- SUBCplanningAINSLIE · CANBERRA CENTRALLodged 09 Jan 2026 · Active
- Pruning (Limestone Ave)roadworksHiggins Crescent (both directions): from Limestone Avenue to Limestone Avenue.9:30 am to 3:00 pm. Monday to Friday.7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Saturday to Sunday.Daily as required.08 Mar 2026 – 09 Mar 2027
- Under bore & Driveway constructionroadworksQuick Street westbound between Howe Crescent and Limestone Avenue.9:30am – 5:00 pm (daily) Monday to Friday.31 May 2026 – 01 Sep 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Active & completed development applications — ACT Planning · Updated on site
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
More in Unincorporated ACT Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile elsewhere in Australian Capital Territory or interstate.