suburb.guide

ACT · Unincorporated ACT Council

Downer, ACT, 2602

Current weather

12°COvercast

83% humidity · 11.2 km/h wind · 12.6° / 9.5° today · 18.1 mm rain

Desirability index

37.1/100

#68 among Metro Canberra suburbs

How this score is calculated

Suburb snapshot

Downer is a smaller suburban community in the Unincorporated ACT area, home to around 4,296 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 32 offences in 2025 Q2 Apr-Jun with falling year-on-year trends (-27%), roughly 7.4 offences per 1,000 residents, a solid spread of nearby amenities and everyday services, and notable planning and development activity on record. Use the sections below for detailed population, safety, schools, and local activity data.

Population

Population
4,296
Median age
35
Median household income / week
$2,267
Dwelling vacancy
5.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
103 of 1,732
Median monthly mortgage
$2,167
Employment rate
67.7%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
111 / 261 / 274

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)
32
Against the person
7
Against property
15
Rate per 1,000 residents
7.4
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 614 residents
State safety percentile
40.2th (lower crime is better)
Year-on-year change
-27.3%

Most common offence types

  • Assault - Fv3
  • Assault - Non-Fv4
  • Burglary Dwellings6
  • Other Offences10
  • Theft (Excluding Motor Vehicles)5

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

Planning & development

Development applications from ACT planning register (lodged 2020–2026).

71 planning-related records

2026· 7 proposals

  • June 2026

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALActive

  • May 2026

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALActive

  • April 2026

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • March 2026

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • February 2026

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALActive
2025· 6 proposals

  • September 2025

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • June 2025

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • May 2025

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • January 2025

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
2024· 7 proposals

  • November 2024

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • October 2024

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • May 2024

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • April 2024

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • February 2024

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
2023· 10 proposals

  • December 2023

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • November 2023

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • October 2023

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • September 2023

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • June 2023

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • March 2023

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • February 2023

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • January 2023

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
2022· 11 proposals

  • October 2022

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • September 2022

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • August 2022

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • June 2022

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • May 2022

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • March 2022

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted

  • January 2022

  • SUBC
    DOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALCompleted
2021· 15 proposals

15 proposals lodged in 2021. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.

2020· 15 proposals

15 proposals lodged in 2020. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.

Data sources & freshness

  • Active & completed development applications — ACT Planning · Period: 2020; 2020–2026; 2021… · Updated on site

Amenities

36 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

  • Bench
  • Bicycle Parking (5)
  • Antill Street 2nd after Melba StreetBus stop
  • Antill Street 2nd after Phillip AvenueBus stop
  • Antill Street after Badham StreetBus stop
  • Antill Street after Cadell StreetBus stop
  • Antill Street after Gale StreetBus stop
  • Antill Street after Hawdon PlaceBus stop
  • Antill Street after Melba StreetBus stop
  • Antill Street and Pigot StreetBus stop

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

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.

Data sources & freshness

Heritage

6 state heritage places

  • Buildings of the Former CS and IR Dickson Experiment Station, Downer Shops and Community Centre 3 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Buildings of the Former CS and IR Dickson Experiment Station, Downer Shops and Community Centre 3 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Buildings of the Former CS and IR Dickson Experiment Station, Downer Shops and Community Centre 3 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Buildings of the Former CS and IR Dickson Experiment Station, Downer Shops and Community Centre 3 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Trees of the Former CS&IR Experiment Station 3 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Trees of the Former CS&IR Experiment Station 3 - Registered Places or Objects

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • Downer Preschoolkindergarten

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.

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
7
Parks (OSM)
7

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Desirability index

Desirability score
37.1/100
Cohort rank
#68 among Metro Canberra suburbs

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • Downer Preschoolchildcarekindergarten
  • Buildings of the Former CS and IR Dickson Experiment Station, Downer Shops and Community Centreheritage 3 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Buildings of the Former CS and IR Dickson Experiment Station, Downer Shops and Community Centreheritage 3 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Buildings of the Former CS and IR Dickson Experiment Station, Downer Shops and Community Centreheritage 3 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Buildings of the Former CS and IR Dickson Experiment Station, Downer Shops and Community Centreheritage 3 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Trees of the Former CS&IR Experiment Stationheritage 3 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Trees of the Former CS&IR Experiment Stationheritage 3 - Registered Places or Objects
  • SUBCplanningDOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALLodged 26 Jun 2026 · Active
  • SUBCplanningDOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALLodged 24 May 2026 · Active
  • SUBCplanningDOWNER · CANBERRA CENTRALLodged 17 Apr 2026 · Completed

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
  • Active & completed development applications — ACT Planning · Updated on site

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