suburb.guide

ACT · Unincorporated ACT Council

Jacka, 2914

Est. population · Jun 2025

534

Growth (1 yr)

+6.2%

Growth (5 yr)

-0.4%

Median age

30

Median income

$2,160/wk

Employment rate

77.6%

Languages at home

52.6%non-English

Most common: Punjabi, Hindi, Nepali

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

50.7/100
Average

90th in ACT

Verified 70% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Heritage area
  • National parks
  • Education hub
  • High desirability
What Jacka is known for: Heritage area, National parks, Education hub, High desirability

Suburb profile

Jacka is a practical smaller community in Unincorporated ACT, well placed for families who want metro access without the inner-city squeeze. Young professionals and new households shape much of the local mix, with plenty of young families in the mix. A large share of residents were born overseas, and languages other than English are widely spoken at home.

Education outcomes and school provision stand out relative to comparable suburbs. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield.

Buyers typically pay more than the metro middle for a home here. Reported crime has been falling recently.

The overall desirability read is around average, pulled by softer local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus growth momentum compared with similar metro suburbs, though housing affordability, plus community and employment remain brighter spots. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Jacka snapshot

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

—

No data available

Population (ERP)

534

+6.2% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

3.7%

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

#56

among Metro Canberra · Established

Safety

40th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

93rd

percentile in ACT

Advantage (IRSAD)

8/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

74th

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
50.7/100 — Average
National rank
2081st in Australia
State rank
90th in ACT
Peer rank
#56 among Metro Canberra · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#90 among Metro Canberra suburbs
Data confidence
70%

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Estimated resident population

534(June 2025)

+6.2% annual · -0.4% over 5 years · 93th percentile in ACT

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+6.2%
5-year growth
-0.4%
Change in 1 year
+31
Change in 5 years
-2
Growth rank in ACT
93th 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 (~2,300), extrapolated at +33.9% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
712
Median age
30
Median household income / week
$2,160
Dwelling vacancy
3.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
9 of 242
Median monthly mortgage
$1,772
Employment rate
77.6%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
106 / 129 / 3

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)
8
Against the person
2
Against property
4
Rate per 1,000 residents
15
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 356 residents
State safety percentile
39.8th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate)
-55.4%

Most common offence types

  • Assault - Non-Fv1
  • Other Offences2
  • Theft (Excluding Motor Vehicles)3
  • Assault - Fv1
  • Burglary Other1

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
6
Median school ICSEA (6 schools)
1,064
Median ICSEA percentile
74th
School list
  • Taqwa SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1099 · 84th percentile · LBOTE 94% · 407 students · Top SEA quarter 39% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
  • Margaret Hendry SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1054 · 70th percentile · LBOTE 61% · 626 students · Top SEA quarter 30% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →
  • Amaroo SchoolCombined · Government · ICSEA 1070 · 76th percentile · LBOTE 52% · 1,638 students · Top SEA quarter 31% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
  • Neville Bonner Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1058 · 71th percentile · LBOTE 59% · 606 students · Top SEA quarter 28% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
  • Aunty Agnes Shea High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1051 · 69th percentile · LBOTE 47% · 83 students · Top SEA quarter 30% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
  • Good Shepherd Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1095 · 83th percentile · LBOTE 39% · 762 students · Top SEA quarter 35% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

35 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

2 playgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 10 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
Walkability proxy
3/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
14.04
Sport & outdoors(13)
  • Park (10)
  • Appleford Avenue Neighbourhood ParkPlayground
  • Playground
  • Sports field
Transport(2)

2 bus stops

Other(6)
  • Bench
  • Drinking water
  • Garden (12)
  • ACT GovernmentNature Reserve
  • Parking (3)
  • Shelter (2)

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

  • Park or reserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
16
Parks (OSM)
10

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

Health access

Nearest hospital
University of Canberra Hospital (10.3 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
23
Participants per 1,000 residents
43.1

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 (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· 5 proposals

  • May 2026

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINActive

  • April 2026

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted

  • February 2026

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted

  • January 2026

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
2025· 12 proposals

  • November 2025

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted

  • October 2025

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted

  • August 2025

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted

  • July 2025

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted

  • June 2025

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted

  • April 2025

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINActive

  • February 2025

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
2024· 5 proposals

  • December 2024

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted

  • November 2024

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted

  • October 2024

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted

  • September 2024

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
2023· 1 proposal

  • October 2023

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
2021· 1 proposal

  • March 2021

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted
2020· 1 proposal

  • February 2020

  • SUBC
    JACKA · GUNGAHLINCompleted

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

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

Heritage

95 heritage places

  • Aboriginal Places in the District of GungahlinHP83 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Aboriginal Places in the District of GungahlinHP293 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Aboriginal Places in the District of GungahlinHP53 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Aboriginal Places in the District of GungahlinHP283 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Aboriginal Places in the District of GungahlinHP253 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Aboriginal Places in the District of GungahlinHP63 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Aboriginal Places in the District of GungahlinHPIF23 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Aboriginal Places in the District of GungahlinHPIF93 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Aboriginal Places in the District of GungahlinHP23 - Registered Places or Objects
  • Aboriginal Places in the District of GungahlinHP13 - Registered Places or Objects

Data sources & freshness

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

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies

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
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 4.2 km away).

Coalition 27.3%Labor 72.8%

0.7 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +10.5 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • BonnerLabor 71.0% · Coalition 29.0% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
  • AmarooLabor 74.3% · Coalition 25.7% TPP (2025)1.5 km away
  • TaylorLabor 73.0% · Coalition 27.0% TPP (2025)1.6 km away
  • NgunnawalLabor 76.4% · Coalition 23.6% TPP (2025)2.5 km away
  • Nicholls NorthLabor 69.6% · Coalition 30.4% TPP (2025)3.9 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)
8/10
IRSD decile (2021)
6/10

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

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.