Median house price
—
No data available
ACT · Unincorporated ACT Council
Hughes, 2605
Est. population · Jun 2025
3,252
Growth (1 yr)
-0.6%
Growth (5 yr)
-0.6%
Median age
43
Median income
$2,797/wk
Employment rate
59.1%
Languages at home
16.4%non-English
Most common: Nepali, French, Spanish
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Education hub
- High desirability
- Heritage area
Suburb profile
Hughes is a well-connected mid-sized suburb in Unincorporated ACT with everyday amenities close at hand. Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with plenty of young families in the mix. Local schools rate highly against similar suburbs.
Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many metro suburbs, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus, with buses linking the suburb to surrounding areas. Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs.
Reported crime has been falling recently. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
Among similar metro suburbs, the suburb earns a good desirability read, with community and employment, plus growth momentum the standout strengths.
At a glance
Hughes snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
3,252
-0.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
7.5%
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
#23
among Metro Canberra · Established
Safety
7th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
11th
percentile in ACT
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
92nd
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
- 63.5/100 — Good
- State standing
- Top 34% of Australian Capital Territory's suburbs
- National rank
- 692nd in Australia
- State rank
- 36th in ACT
- Peer rank
- #23 among Metro Canberra · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #36 among Metro Canberra suburbs
- Data confidence
- 75%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Population
Estimated resident population
3,252(June 2025)
-0.6% annual · -0.6% over 5 years · 11th percentile in ACT
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- -0.6%
- 5-year growth
- -0.6%
- Change in 1 year
- -20
- Change in 5 years
- -21
- Growth rank in ACT
- 11th 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 (~3,300), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 3,210
- Median age
- 43
- Median household income / week
- $2,797
- Dwelling vacancy
- 7.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 92 of 1,223
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,700
- Employment rate
- 59.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 831 / 149 / 149
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 · Updated
The 2026 Census runs 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
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs 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)
- 26
- Against the person
- 8
- Against property
- 7
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 401 residents
- State safety percentile
- 7.1th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -55.8%
Most common offence types
- Assault - Fv5
- Assault - Non-Fv2
- Other Offences11
- Property Damage4
- Theft (Excluding Motor Vehicles)2
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 · 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
- 10
- Median school ICSEA (10 schools)
- 1,131
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 92th
School list
- Hughes Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1157 · 96th percentile · LBOTE 36% · 457 students · Top SEA quarter 66% · 0.1 km awayView on My School →
- Malkara SchoolSpecial · Government · ICSEA 1021 · 56th percentile · LBOTE 43% · 73 students · Top SEA quarter 31% · 0.5 km awayView on My School →
- Sts Peter and Paul Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1130 · 91th percentile · LBOTE 36% · 299 students · Top SEA quarter 53% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
- The Woden SchoolSpecial · Government · ICSEA 1046 · 67th percentile · LBOTE 27% · 93 students · Top SEA quarter 32% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
- Alfred Deakin High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1132 · 92th percentile · LBOTE 39% · 881 students · Top SEA quarter 56% · 0.9 km awayView on My School →
- The Canberra CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1087 · 81th percentile · LBOTE 26% · 1,174 students · Top SEA quarter 39% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
- Holy Trinity Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1145 · 94th percentile · LBOTE 16% · 387 students · Top SEA quarter 59% · 1.3 km awayView on My School →
- Curtin Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1146 · 94th percentile · LBOTE 25% · 408 students · Top SEA quarter 61% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
- Garran Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1159 · 96th percentile · LBOTE 67% · 676 students · Top SEA quarter 64% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
- Lyons Early Childhood SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1116 · 88th percentile · LBOTE 35% · 91 students · Top SEA quarter 54% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
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 · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Amenities
65 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 cafes · 1 supermarkets · 1 pharmacies · 1 fast food · 2 places of worship · 4 playgrounds · 2 swimming pools
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus
- Great for outdoor family life — 6 parks mapped in suburb, 4 playgrounds nearby
- Reasonable bus and transport access — 15 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 8 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 67/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.31
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0.62
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 1.87
Food & drink(2)
- Home GroundCafe
- Hughes TakeawayFast food
Shopping(3)
- Friendly GrocerConvenience store
- IGASupermarket
Health & services(1)
- Capital ChemistPharmacy
Sport & outdoors(15)
- Clarrie Hermes ParkPark
- Park (5)
- Picnic area
- Bisdee Street Neighbourhpood PlaygroundPlayground
- Goble Street Neighbourhood PlaygroundPlayground
- Mcnicoll Street Neighbourhood PlaygroundPlayground
- Playground
- Hughes Oval 1Sports field
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (2)
Transport(15)
15 bus stops
Other(18)
- Stepping out…Artwork
- Taglietti House 01Attraction
19 Downes Place
- Bbq
- Bench (5)
- Bicycle Parking (2)
- Clothes
- Drinking water
- Garden (2)
- Define HairdesignHairdresser
- Laundry
- Parking (7)
- Hughes Baptist ChurchPlace of worship
- Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's WitnessesPlace of worship
17 Whittle Street
- Post Box
- Public toilets
- Shelter
- Hughes Community CentreSocial Facility
- St Andrews VillageSocial Facility
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Clarrie Hermes ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 8
- Parks (OSM)
- 6
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 — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Places of worship
2 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- Hughes Baptist Church
- Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
17 Whittle Street
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 1
- Nearest hospital
- The CAPS Clinic (0.7 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- Not in suburb
- Capital ChemistPharmacy
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 98
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 30.1
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
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
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 (15%)
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· 3 proposals
August 2026
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYActive
June 2026
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
February 2026
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
2025· 8 proposals
December 2025
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
August 2025
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
July 2025
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
June 2025
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
March 2025
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
February 2025
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
2024· 8 proposals
December 2024
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
November 2024
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
September 2024
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
August 2024
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
June 2024
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
February 2024
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
2023· 10 proposals
November 2023
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
July 2023
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
May 2023
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
March 2023
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
January 2023
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
2022· 7 proposals
November 2022
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
October 2022
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
September 2022
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
July 2022
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
June 2022
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
May 2022
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
January 2022
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
2021· 5 proposals
December 2021
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
September 2021
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
August 2021
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
June 2021
- SUBCHUGHES · WODEN VALLEYCompleted
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Active & completed development applications — ACT Planning · 2026 · Updated
Heritage
1 heritage place
- 19 Downes Placede Quetteville Residence3 - Registered Places or Objects
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
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 · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Canberra
- Member of Parliament
- Alicia PAYNE (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 102,942
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.7%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +4.0 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 23.6%Labor 76.4%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 4.1 km away).
Coalition 27.2%Labor 72.8%
3.6 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.8 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Garran (Canberra)Labor 68.8% · Coalition 31.2% TPP (2025)0.8 km away
- Hughes (Canberra)Labor 78.3% · Coalition 21.7% TPP (2025)1.0 km away
- Curtin (Canberra)Labor 77.2% · Coalition 22.8% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
- Lyons (Canberra)Labor 79.9% · Coalition 20.1% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
- DeakinLabor 58.6% · Coalition 41.4% TPP (2025)2.7 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
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
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 (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
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.