ACT · Unincorporated ACT Council

Harrison, 2914

Est. population · Jun 2025

8,012

Growth (1 yr)

-1.1%

Growth (5 yr)

-5.0%

Median age

31

Median income

$2,636/wk

Employment rate

76.8%

University qualified

48.1%

Work from home

10.9%

Median land value · 2026

$490,000

Languages at home

44.1%non-English

Most common: Mandarin, Nepali, Korean

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

50.4/100
Average

79th in ACT

Verified 95% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Excellent transport
  • Multicultural
  • Heritage area
  • Inner city
What Harrison is known for: Excellent transport, Multicultural, Heritage area, Inner city

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Harrison, ACT suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Harrison, ACT Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/act/harrison

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Suburb profile

Harrison is an inner metropolitan suburb of Canberra, in Unincorporated ACT, characterised by heritage streetscapes alongside mixed commercial and residential development. Notable landmarks include Well Station Homestead Precinct.

Employment is stronger than in comparable places, with employment 22% above the peer median. Reported crime is lower than in most comparable places. Reported offences have fallen 52% year on year, and mapped flood cover is an exceptional strength, with mapped flood cover 100% below the peer median, and heritage listings are a relative strength. The main trade-offs are weaker population growth and thinner dining and café options, with dining and cafés 67% below the peer median.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising employment and lower crime over population growth.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Inner metropolitan suburb · compared with inner metropolitan suburbs in Australian Capital Territory (45)

Strengths

  • Employment is a relative strength
  • Reported crime is lower than in most comparable places
  • Mapped flood cover is a relative strength
  • Heritage listings are a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Population growth is a relative weakness
  • Dining and café options are thinner than in comparable places

What stands out

  • Heritage streetscapes
  • Well Station Homestead Precinct

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Harrison compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median land value

$490k

+3.8% unimproved value

Median rent (Census)

$450/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

8,012

-1.1% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

5.2%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#47

among Metro Canberra · Established

Crime rate

18th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

4th

percentile in ACT

Rented dwellings

46%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

10/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

83rd

percentile among schools with ICSEA

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
50.4/100 — Average
National rank
1924th in Australia
State rank
79th in ACT
Peer rank
#47 among Metro Canberra · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#79 among Metro Canberra suburbs
Data confidence
95%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

Median unimproved land value (2026)
$490,000
Land value change
+3.8%
Valued parcels
2,954

Median unimproved land value is the statutory land valuation, not a house or unit sale price. ACT does not publish open suburb-level median sales.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

  • ACT unimproved land values (no open suburb-level rent or sales) — ACT Government — dataACT / Valuation · 2026 · Updated · Annual unimproved land values by parcel, median by suburb

Population

Estimated resident population

8,012(June 2025)

-1.1% annual · -5.0% over 5 years · 4th percentile in ACT

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
-1.1%
5-year growth
-5.0%
Change in 1 year
-91
Change in 5 years
-418
Growth rank in ACT
4th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~9,850), extrapolated at +4.2% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
8,244
Median age
31
Median household income / week
$2,636
Dwelling vacancy
5.2%
Unoccupied private dwellings
151 of 2,918
Median monthly mortgage
$2,000
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$450
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
10.9% / 42.8% / 46.3%
Employment rate
76.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
10.9% / 8.1% / 66.8%
Walked or cycled to work
1.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,535 / 418 / 820

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

48.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 42.9% across Australian Capital Territory. 8.9% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified48.1% · 42.9% ACT
  • Diploma qualified10% · 9.3% ACT
  • Trade / vocational8.9% · 10.7% ACT
  • Year 12 or below33% · 37.1% ACT

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce28.3%
  • Society and culture17.6%
  • Information technology12.5%
  • Engineering and related technologies10%
  • Health7.6%
  • Natural and physical sciences5.8%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$76,544

64th percentile in ACT · +30% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$81,851

52nd percentile in ACT · +26% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
19.0%

76th percentile in ACT · +38% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$71,282

32nd percentile in ACT · +13% vs Australia

Residents with business income
9.0%

88th percentile in ACT · -13% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2914 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
22,288
Taxpayers reporting net rent
4,208
Median net rent
-$5,618
Taxpayers reporting business income
2,041
Taxable income vs state median
+2%
Salary / wages vs state median
0%
Rental investment vs state median
+19%
Super vs state median
-32%
Business income vs state median
+29%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in ACT, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

44.1% speak a language other than English at home; 42.6% born overseas

Language at home
4,444 English only · 3,507 other
Non-English at home
44.1%
Born overseas
3,412 (42.6%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
90 (1.1%)
Australian citizens
6,415
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
33

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Mandarin342 · 22.6%
  • Nepali130 · 8.6%
  • Korean99 · 6.5%
  • Cantonese84 · 5.5%
  • Hindi84 · 5.5%
  • Urdu84 · 5.5%
  • Vietnamese84 · 5.5%
  • Bengali78 · 5.1%

Religion

39.5%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 39.5%, while Christianity accounts for 32.3%. Hinduism is more prevalent locally than across the state.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion39.5%43.5%
Christianity32.3%38.1%
Hinduism10.7%4.5%
Islam5.8%3.2%
Buddhism4.5%2.8%
Other / not stated7.2%7.9%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic16.2%19.3%
Anglican5.6%8.2%
Christian (not further defined)2.8%2.3%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
85
Against the person
19
Against property
43
Rate per 1,000 residents
10.6
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 434 residents
State crime-rate percentile
17.7th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-51.6%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
1
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
0.12

Most common offence types

  • Assault - Fv16
  • Burglary Dwellings6
  • Other Offences23
  • Property Damage9
  • Theft (Excluding Motor Vehicles)23

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

  • ACT road crash data — ACT Government / AFP crash reports · 2020–latest · Updated · Reported crash points from 2020 onward
  • ACT crime statistics by suburb (quarterly) — ACT Policing / dataACT · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Quarterly XLSX release

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
5
Median school ICSEA (5 schools)
1,096
Median ICSEA percentile
83th
School list
  • Harrison SchoolCombined · Government · ICSEA 1058 · 71th percentile · LBOTE 55% · 1,365 students · Top SEA quarter 27% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
  • Mother Teresa SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1102 · 85th percentile · LBOTE 35% · 716 students · Top SEA quarter 38% · 0.5 km awayView on My School →
  • Throsby SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1096 · 83th percentile · LBOTE 56% · 316 students · Top SEA quarter 40% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
  • Franklin SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1098 · 84th percentile · LBOTE 66% · 477 students · Top SEA quarter 41% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
  • Shirley Smith High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1078 · 78th percentile · LBOTE 45% · 210 students · Top SEA quarter 36% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • Pre-school unitkindergarten

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Childcare centres per 1,000 residents

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated

Amenities

155 mapped amenities

1 restaurants · 1 cafes · 1 supermarkets · 4 playgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Reasonably walkable — many shops and services reachable on foot or by bus
  • Great for outdoor family life — 24 parks mapped in suburb, 4 playgrounds nearby
  • Well connected by public transport — 38 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
59/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.12
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.24
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.91
Food & drink(2)
  • AM Cakes & CoffeeCafe
  • Thai HerbRestaurant
Shopping(1)
  • Hualong GrocerySupermarket

    70 Nullarbor Avenue

Community(5)
  • Pre-school unitKindergarten
  • Harrison SchoolSchool
  • Mother Teresa Primary SchoolSchool
  • Canberra Environment CentreSocial Centre

    Otway Street

  • Gungaderra HomesteadSocial Centre

    Otway Street

Sport & outdoors(37)
  • BBQ
  • CBR Cycle Route C11Cycling route
  • CBR Cycle Route C9Cycling route
  • Signed bicycle route Canberra northeastCycling route
  • Well Station TrackCycling route
  • Drinking water
  • Carrick ParkPark
  • Kevin Godkin ParkPark
  • Park (22)
  • Albatross Crescent Neighbourhood PlaygroundPlayground
  • Moonlight Avenue Neighbourhood PlaygroundPlayground
  • Playground
  • Tanami Street (North West) Central Commmunity PlaygroundPlayground
  • Public toilets
  • Sports field
  • Canberra Centenary Trail - HikingWalking trail
Transport(40)

38 bus stops · 2 train stations

Other(10)
  • Bench (15)
  • The ReCycleryBicycle

    Otway Street

  • ACTION Buses - ACT GovernmentBicycle Parking
  • Garden (23)
  • Gungaderra Community GardenGarden
  • Welcome to Gungahlin Heritage TrackInformation
  • Parking (22)
  • Parking Entrance (4)
  • Parking Space
  • Waste Basket

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Carrick ParkPark
  • Kevin Godkin ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
7.5%
Woodland / forest cover
0.1%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
25
Parks (OSM)
24
Typical summer maximum
27°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
University of Canberra Hospital (7.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
185
Participants per 1,000 residents
23.1

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
27° / 12°
Rainfall
171 mm · ~21 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
21° / 7°
Rainfall
169 mm · ~21 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
12° / 1°
Rainfall
183 mm · ~23 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 6°
Rainfall
212 mm · ~26 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from ACT planning register.

2026· 1 proposal
  • August 2026

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
2025· 5 proposals
  • November 2025

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • September 2025

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • May 2025

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • March 2025

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
2023· 2 proposals
  • November 2023

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • March 2023

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
2022· 3 proposals
  • August 2022

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • June 2022

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • May 2022

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
2021· 3 proposals
  • July 2021

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • May 2021

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
2020· 7 proposals
  • November 2020

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • October 2020

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • April 2020

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • March 2020

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • February 2020

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • January 2020

  • SUBC
    HARRISON · GUNGAHLINCompleted

Data sources & freshness

  • Active & completed development applications — ACT Planning · 2026 · Updated

Heritage

20 heritage places

  • Aboriginal RecordingsSCCA34 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)
  • Aboriginal RecordingsHarrison 2 (2)4 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)
  • Aboriginal RecordingsHarrison 1 (1)4 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)
  • Aboriginal RecordingsSCCA34 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)
  • Aboriginal RecordingsHarrison 2 (1)4 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)
  • Aboriginal RecordingsHarrison 1 (3)4 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)
  • Aboriginal RecordingsSCCA34 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)
  • Aboriginal RecordingsHARR34 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)
  • Aboriginal RecordingsHarrison 1 (2)4 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)
  • Aboriginal RecordingsSCCA34 - Aboriginal Place or Object (not registered but protected under Heritage Act 2004)

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via ACT Bushfire Prone Area (SBMP 2026) mapping. Flood cover uses the 1% AEP flood extent against the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Fenner
Member of Parliament
Andrew LEIGH (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
105,428
Turnout (2025)
92.0%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+6.4 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 27.9%Labor 72.1%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 4.3 km away).

Coalition 26.4%Labor 73.6%

1.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +9.5 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • HarrisonLabor 74.1% · Coalition 25.9% TPP (2025)0.5 km away
  • ThrosbyLabor 69.0% · Coalition 31.0% TPP (2025)0.8 km away
  • FranklinLabor 78.3% · Coalition 21.7% TPP (2025)1.1 km away
  • FordeLabor 73.5% · Coalition 26.5% TPP (2025)2.5 km away
  • GungahlinLabor 71.2% · Coalition 28.8% TPP (2025)3.2 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
10/10
IRSD decile (2021)
10/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

This suburb ranks highly for

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

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.